October 30, 2009 @ 6:47 pm
I don’t know why this isn’t bigger news when I feel it should be, but apparently during Tuesday’s evening rush hour commute, a cable on the Bay Bridge snapped and came crashing down onto several cars. As of this post, repair crews are still working on getting the cables adjusted so that cars can once again cross between San Francisco and Oakland.
Thanks to the Timbuk2 blog which posted this photo above of the cable lying on the deck of the bridge. Hopefully we won’t be seeing another bridge collapse like the one in Minneapolis in 2007.
August 10, 2009 @ 6:01 pm
CableJive was kind enough to send me their iStubz and I’m even more convinced now that this is the single most important accessory to own if you have an iPod, iPhone, or iPod touch.
As I mentioned earlier, the standard-issue iPod dock connector cables are way too long for no apparent reason. In my own personal use and also while watching other people connect their iPod to their computer, I have never once seen anybody use the full length of the standard iPod dock connector cable. NEVER. The default length ends up being more of a bother than a solution to anything because it ends up entangling with other cables to other peripherals or literally strangling other items on your desk. I hardly consider untangling wires a hobby so I really love what CableJive has done with these just-right iStubz. I love being able to pack away my cable for my iPod without having to worry about dragging something else tangled with it off my desk (I’ve come close to breaking many things like this before).
Plus, iStubz come in two sizes, 7cm and 22cm, both of which are purely functional and no-hassle. Both of these are ideal for travel and are constructed in the same way as the default iPod connector cable (in fact, I couldn’t tell a difference when I was just looking at the ends).
In my opinion, these iStubz are godsend and definitely something every iPod/iPhone user should consider purchasing. I’ve taken some pictures below of both cables compared to the standard cable length. Check them out, and then go ahead and make the best $8 or $9 decision of your day.
Note: I kept the plastic coverings on the iStubz because I’m particular about keeping new things new for as long as possible. Forgive my OCD.
August 7, 2009 @ 1:37 pm
A company called CableJive has hit upon quite possibly the greatest improvement to the iPod/iPhone/iPod touch in a very long time with their line of iStubz. [via]
iStubz are very short iPod connector cables that greatly reduce confusion, entanglement, and headache on your desktop. There are times when a long cable is needed and there are times when a short cable is sufficient, and for the longest time I’ve always thought the iPod connector cables were just way too long. I mean, who really connects their iPod more than 2 feet away from their computer? I certainly don’t. It’s always sitting within inches of the USB port.
In any case, the iStubz come in 2 sizes, 7cm and 22cm, and come in both white and black varieties. Get one now for $7.95.
December 24, 2008 @ 2:51 pm
City Room takes a brief tour of the Carleton Laboratory in Columbia University where tension cables for suspension bridges are tested to their limits. Inside their facilities, the lab can stretch, weather, heat, cool, and monitor the world’s largest suspension test cable. The research being done there is funding by the Federal Highway Administration and aims to improve bridges around the nation as well as prevent any disasters from happening. With the extreme testing the lab can simulate about a decade’s worth of use and torture in about 6 months.
