At E3: Wiretape, a super-thin cable you can paint
Fat wires got you down? A new super-thin cable coming out later this year promises to cut clutter on sprawling electronics installs.
LOS ANGELES--At a show that's as large as it gets for video games, in a corner of E3 the was a product designed to be hidden from sight entirely.
Hitech Innovation's Wiretape, which the company claims is the world's thinnest wire at 0.16 millimeters, has been designed to de-clutter the usual mess of wires that can stretch down from high-mounted televisions, or across rooms.
It works like a roll of tape, running as long as it's needed before consumers can cut it with a pair of scissors. Then, the loose ends can be fed into a small box that has whatever type of connection is needed.
These end boxes run the gamut from A/V connections like HDMI and composite, to information lines like USB and Ethernet. When the product becomes generally available later this year, consumers will just be able to buy whatever length they need, as well as the matching end connectors.
There is one minor detail worth mentioning, which is that the Wiretape cable comes in two different versions: one with five lines of wiring and another with 18 lines. In order to get it to work with the right kind of connection box, you need to buy the right kind of cable, which does end up complicating things.
According to Chris Bennett, who is the director of sales and new product development for Fame (the company that is working to bring Wiretape to market), there will be a simplified system at the time of purchase that will give people a clear idea of which type of cable they'll need. Bennett, who CNET spoke with on Wednesday, also said that it will come in different colors beyond the silver with clear insulation. If this isn't good enough, the cables can simply be painted over to match the wall they've been adhered to.
No word on price yet, but Bennett said that will be announced before the product launches in September.