From Lifehacker: an excellent list of 10 ways to gather, tie and otherwise control computer cables. Some of these tips can be used right away. Other tips require a bit of work. This video from the Lifehacker article is a brief how-to segment. Build your own cable charging station from a plastic box!
How To Make A CHARGER BOX Very Easy - No More Cable Mess! - video powered by MetacafeEvery computer needs at least one cable – for electrical power. Even if there’s a battery, it needs to be charged sometime.
A desktop computer may have more cables connected for networks, printers, USB devices, keyboards and mice.
That mass of cables behind the desk becomes a dust magnet over time. Pet owners get the extra bonus of fur or hair clinging to the cables.
There’s always the fun of untangling a pile of cables. The first championship in competitive cable untangling or speedcabling was recently held, and here’s a web site with details and a video.
It’s not always a mess. Data centers and server rooms need to keep their cables labeled and neatly arranged. Royal Pingdom (via BoingBoing Gadgets) ran an article on 24 January 2008 about well-managed cables.
My usual solution for taming long cables is double-sided Velcro tape. There’s no adhesive – the hooks are one one side while the loops are on the other side. I usually keep a few strips in my drawer and my computer bag.
The power adapter dating game
There’s always the challenge of determining what each cable represents. I use labels or colored stickers to identify cables, especially power adapters. It’s a better solution than playing the “power adapter dating game” with a drawer full of adapters, plugging each in until a plug fits the power jack.
Even if the plug fits, it’s always a good idea to double check the voltage and amperage on the device and the adapter. Plugging a power adapter that is too powerful into a device may damage or destroy that device. It’s like plugging a car battery into a flashlight… boom!
Most people don’t understand electrical engineering, so it’s far easier to slap a written or printed label on the adapter in the first frenzied moments after unboxing. Write the same doodle or letters on two matching stickers. Put one sticker on the power adapter, and another on the device. As long as the stickers don’t fall off, it’s easy to match the device with its adapter.
Tags: cable, electricity, hardware, network, power, USB, video
