These magnetic headphone jacks by New York designer Jon Patterson split in two when tugged to prevent damaging devices when wires get snagged (+ movie).
“I always break my headphones from cord snagging and sometimes I break my device completely,” Jon Patterson said.
His Pogo connector comprises two parts joined by magnets – one with a jack that fits into the headphone socket on the device, and a second longer piece that accommodates the jack from the headphones.
The signal is transferred between the two parts via four pins, but once the cord is yanked away they disconnect and the music stops until the sections are reconnected. “The magnet is strong enough to hold the device but will break upon force,” says Patterson in the video demonstration.
It can be use as a straight connection or at a ninety-degree angle, where it can fully rotate.
Jack sections can be left in devices and a receiver piece can be kept on the headphones, so swapping between different equipment is simple.
Other gadgets on Dezeen include a stylus that straps over the nose for using touch-screen phones in the bath and an inkjet printer that eats its way down through a stack of paper.
See more gadgets »
See more design movies »
Read more
Recommended stories
Magnetic plug builds on Apple’s discontinued MagSafe design
Dyson aims to “disrupt” with launch of first headphones
Plug and Player by Giha Woo
Drip Grip and XY by Nosigner
Wizpr smart ring provides discreet way to talk to AI
Toothbrush pops open for recycling in Seymourpowell’s Un-Made disassembly concept
Tracks Headphone Series by Aiaiai and Kilo Design
