tangled

I had the worst case of headphone cord tangle on Friday, and wouldn't you know it? Just as I had finished unwinding and unknotting, a co-worker showed up at my desk with two samples of the Unlace, a colorful and rubbery new twistable detangler that just kicked off a funding run on Kickstarter.

If I'd had these twisties sooner, I could have prevented my most recent cord conundrum, but oh well... I'm excited to have them around for future knotty situations.

Inspired by the look of a shoelace, the Unlace comes in two sizes -- a 5-incher for earbuds and similarly sized cords, and a 10-incher for power cords and other burly cables. The longer Unlace can even be configured into an impromptu smartphone stand. Both sizes come in eight colors: white, yellow, orange, pink, blue, green, silver, and black. … Read more

Don't you just hate it when your earphones get tangled up? Apparel brand Marc Ecko has a interesting take on the problem with its new "Zip" earphones, which replace the traditional wired cord with a zipper.

Apart from hopefully getting rid of tangle issues, the earbuds also feature a built-in microphone and volume control for use with iOS and Android devices.

These zippy earphones will be available in red, gold, blue, white, pink, and purple. People looking to purchase them will have to fork out a mere $29.99, so we're not expecting much in terms of sound quality from them.

Alternately, you could get Marc Ecko's other new earbuds: Zone ($13), Chaos II ($15), Stomp ($20), Lace ($25), or Chain ($40). Each model features its own unique design. For example, the lace comes with a shoelace-inspired cord. All styles will be available worldwide through authorized retailers.

(Source: Crave Asia via Engadget) … Read more

Tired of tangled earbud cords? Hey, you're preaching to the choir. I won't say they're the bane of my existence, but there's definitely some bane there.

A company called Applecore International--no relation to you-know-who--has a solution: the aptly named Applecore Small. Shaped like a tiny, well, apple core and available in six bright colors, this little plastic spool is designed especially for earbud cords.

Just wind it around the core, then slip the ends into the slits on either side. Presto: the cords stay neatly wrapped, with little chance of them coming unwound while riding around in your pocket, purse, carry-on bag, or whatever.

The company also makes medium and large versions of the Applecore, which are designed for things like sync cables and AC cords, respectively. I find the prices for all three to be pretty reasonable: $1.99, $2.99, and $4.99. (Alas, shipping costs around $4, so if you're buying just one small, you can't get out the door for under 6 bucks).

Cute and practical as the Applecores are, they're hardly an innovation. The similarly cute Fishbone Cord Wrap has been around for as long as I can remember; you can pick them up dirt-cheap on Amazon and elsewhere. And there are any number of DIY ways to wrap headphone cords.

Still, I like the Applecore's look, design, and price. It's an inexpensive and effective solution to a vexing problem. If you have a better one, share it in the comments!… Read more

Beloved CNET to the Rescue listeners:

Next week's show is all about wire management, so we thought it would be fun to highlight some of the beautiful (and not so beautiful) wire management techniques you're using in your home and/or office. Send us a picture of your handy-work, and we'll take some of the best and worst creations to showcase on the show, as well as in the show notes.

We don't have any prizes to give out beyond a virtual pat on the back, and the potential adoration or abject disgust of fellow CNET … Read more

The Magneat headphone organizer provides a solution to the most annoying accessory attached to your music player: the headphone cord.

The industry is a few years away from offering high-quality, inexpensive Bluetooth earbuds, so for the time being we're left untangling and tripping over long wires. As a matter of fact, just today I was walking into the bathroom (keep reading, it's OK) and my headphones got caught in the door handle. My headphones nearly pulled me to the floor and strangled me to death. Granted, Kimmy Gibler and I share a similar center of gravity, but my … Read more