Save your headphone jacks! Replug them!

ArcSyn

So I was talking with some of the other technicians at work today, and a teacher called in to complain that the students had broken a headphone jack off inside the port of the monitor (attached speakers). One of the techs said they go through tons of headphones and jacks at the preschool this way. I mentioned that they should have headphones with a quick disconnect in-line to allow them to "break" without destroying the plug. None of us had ever seen it before.

I then started to Google. I love Google.

While I didn't find what I was looking for (headphones with a break-away cord), I did find something many times better:

REPLUG Breakaway Adapter







Geek Review

Essentially, the green part of that cord is silicon and if over 1.5lbs of force is placed on that connection, it will break away, leaving the small metal plug in the jack. Simply push the connector back on and you are good to go. They also have them in 6' extension cables.

FAQ wrote:

1.) Does Replug work with the iPhone?

The current Replug works with most devices using the standard 3.5mm stereo format. However, iPhone’s jack is recessed and requires a longer plug. Please check back soon for product updates!

EDIT: They have a version for 1st gen iPhones.


2.) How does it breakaway? Or, is it magnetic?

The green ring of the Replug body is a resilient elastomer which physically grips onto the plug tip, no magnets are used. When excessive pressure is exerted on the body, the body releases from the tip.


3.) How much force does it take to pop off?

About 1.5 pounds of lateral force is required.


4.) Is it difficult to get the tip out of the device after it pops off?

In most cases, no. Some devices have recessed audio jacks, in such situations it’s easy to use your fingernail to pull it out. Sometimes it’s easier to re-attach the body to tip while the tip is in the device.

I haven't used one yet, but I think I'm going to be ordering one for my Zune. Some of the techs are going to talk to administration about getting these as it's cheaper to buy these than it is to replace audio ports on a motherboard!

Oh, and if you're looking to buy them, they seem to retail for about $19, but the cheapest I've found them currently is on CharlesSimpson.com for $9. I've never heard of that site before, but they came up on Google with the cheapest price. Thinkgeek apparently used to carry them, but I haven't see them on the site.

EDIT: Amazon.com has a few sellers from $9-11 to choose from if you want someplace a bit more reputable. They also have the choice between black or white and you can buy extra tips if you are afraid of losing them.

Replug also has their own store if you wish to pay normal price or want it straight from them.

maximumzero

That's not a bad idea, and if I had a notebook it'd be a must buy.

Unfortunately, with owning a iMac comes the fact that I'm never gonna get much further than about 2 feet away from the thing anyway.