[PC_LOAD_LETTER]

This prolly belongs in a humor oriented forum but i think the manufacturer is serious so im putting it in hardware

http://www.engadget.com/2008/01/20/the-jer...es-little-else/

apparently its better to rip a USB/Modem/Network port off the motherboard and/or cause the laptop to go crashing off the table than it is to repair potential damage to the power plug on the laptop

hell if they woulda secured the thing to the security slot, it might have made a little sense as those slots are designed to take a little abuse (quick somebody patent that)

[nitroshift]

Either way I think you should have put it in the Funny Farm

[puntoMX]

Indeed, funny farm , like my topic here.

[Headjerk]

geek, on Jan 20 2008, 10:08 PM, said:

This prolly belongs in a humor oriented forum but i think the manufacturer is serious so im putting it in hardware

Thanks I appreciate the consideration. . . .Yep, I'm serious. Spent a year testing prototypes and waiting for the patent. Spent a "large" amount of money to make the tooling and actually produce the product. Yep, I'm serious (all the way to the bank)

geek, on Jan 20 2008, 10:08 PM, said:

apparently its better to rip a USB/Modem/Network port off the motherboard and/or cause the laptop to go crashing off the table than it is to repair potential damage to the power plug on the laptop

First, it won't "rip a USB/Modem/Network port off the motherboard and/or cause the laptop to go crashing off the table" if used unless you're in the habit of drop kicking your laptop on a regular basis. What it does do is preclude the day to day jerks and tugs that most lap tops are subject to. I've fixed more than a couple of laptops that never got thrown on the floor or jerked across the room. As many already know the crappy little connector on most lap top AC ports is very very fragile. If it wasn't an "issue" with these connectors their wouldn't be a so many "computer repair shops" that "specialize in fixing the $ 4 part for $75-200 would there?

Do a quick Google Search (laptop power plug problems) and look at some of the 1,580,000 results. . . . .

Actually. . . I can carry either my Fujitsu or my Sony around by the power cord with a JerkStopper installed. No broken ports, no sparks flying, etc.

geek, on Jan 20 2008, 10:08 PM, said:

hell if they woulda secured the thing to the security slot, it might have made a little sense as those slots are designed to take a little abuse (quick somebody patent that)

Way too late. . . . My patent (pending) covers that plus much much more. . .

As a side note my home grown "little" website has been up for almost 48 hours and I've just had to order another 1000 JerkStoppers from my Plastic company. Plastic. . .Yea Plastic, Engadget got it all wrong. But then you prolly didn't "visit the site" and/or think about the product.

Anyway. . . .The product actually works and the name is great grist for jokesters don'tcha think?

This post has been edited by Headjerk: 21 January 2008 - 09:43 PM

[IcemanND]

Great so instead of paying $200 to replace the power connector they can pay $200 to replace the USB/Modem/Network/Serial/Parallel/etc port instead.

This is what accidental damage protection warranties are for. And they cover the screen for breakage too when the laptop land screen corner first into the floor.

[Headjerk]

IcemanND, on Jan 21 2008, 07:49 PM, said:

Great so instead of paying $200 to replace the power connector they can pay $200 to replace the USB/Modem/Network/Serial/Parallel/etc port instead.

This is what accidental damage protection warranties are for. And they cover the screen for breakage too when the laptop land screen corner first into the floor.

I repeat. . . . . First, it won't "rip a USB/Modem/Network port off the motherboard and/or cause the laptop to go crashing off the table" if used unless you're in the habit of drop kicking your laptop on a regular basis. What it does do is preclude the day to day jerks and tugs that most lap tops are subject to. I've fixed more than a couple of laptops that never got thrown on the floor or jerked across the room. As many already know the crappy little connector on most lap top AC ports is very very fragile. If it wasn't an "issue" with these connectors their wouldn't be a so many "computer repair shops" that "specialize in fixing the $ 4 part for $75-200 would there?

In over a year of testing I haven't seen anyone damage a "USB/Modem/Network/Serial/Parallel/etc port" using my product. YMMV. .

I guess all those people with damage to the power plugs "forgot" about "accidental damage protection".

[PC_LOAD_LETTER]

Sorry if I offended you Headjerk. I hope you get every dime you spent on tooling, testing, patenting back and then some.

As for the 4$ part, Ive spent MANY hours repairing laptop power connectors, ethernet ports, and USB ports done from sudden damage (yanks, falls, etc) and very few from damage done over a long period of time due to wear like you describe. but that may be because we keep our mobile computers on a relatively short lifecycle and rely on the type of warranties Iceman is talking about to cover our butts.

[Headjerk]

geek, on Jan 21 2008, 08:22 PM, said:

Sorry if I offended you Headjerk. I hope you get every dime you spent on tooling, testing, patenting back and then some.

You didn't....And I am!

geek, on Jan 21 2008, 08:22 PM, said:

As for the 4$ part, Ive spent MANY hours repairing laptop power connectors, ethernet ports, and USB ports done from sudden damage (yanks, falls, etc) and very few from damage done over a long period of time due to wear like you describe. but that may be because we keep our mobile computers on a relatively short lifecycle and rely on the type of warranties Iceman is talking about to cover our butts.

As have I (spent MANY hours repairing laptop power connectors, ethernet ports, and USB ports). . . . . I suspect there are a lot of 2nd life (hand me down) laptops, ebay laptops, etc that suffer from what some of the Sony and Fujitsu and HP systems I've seen suffer from. Sh1ty design and fragile components at the point of entry for the AC power.

The response (orders that is) that I have gotten so far seem to indicate (at least to my "eccentric" way of thinking) that there is a market out there for a way to keep the AC cable "under control".

Besides, you can always use one for a laptop flagpole stay or a laptop pencil holder or like I do on the back of my desktop, a cable guide (keeps stuff neat and tidy).

This post has been edited by Headjerk: 21 January 2008 - 10:57 PM

[IcemanND]

Funny, in the seven years I spent as a hardware service technician I have replaced every conceivable external connector on a motherboard, except for the d-sub type connectors. USB ports are not that much stronger than the power ports. Though you usually lose the center guide plate instead of the whole port, still unusable. RJ-11/45 are nothing more than plastic and those little tiny corners that the clip is held behind break fairly easily also.

And yes I have seen laptops that multiple connectors were broken in a single drop, due to the cord being stretched across the room and the roommate not paying attention walks through it and brings everything crashing to the floor, or out of the loft.

But that having been said, nice idea. Market it to universities you'll get your money back in the first semester. I still prefer the magnetic held power connector though.

P.S. Those seven years were spent working for a service center at a university. No your normal person would not do this in general, but students they will do anything you can think of to a machine. Including using three as urinals over the course of their school career.

[Ponch]

Problem with the design is that you'll end up losing more USB ports as they are more than often all placed in a row. Worse if they are vertical as mine, you'll be able to use only one of them if you can bend the cable enough.

[Headjerk]

IcemanND, on Jan 21 2008, 09:17 PM, said:

Funny, in the seven years I spent as a hardware service technician I have replaced every conceivable external connector on a motherboard, except for the d-sub type connectors. USB ports are not that much stronger than the power ports. Though you usually lose the center guide plate instead of the whole port, still unusable. RJ-11/45 are nothing more than plastic and those little tiny corners that the clip is held behind break fairly easily also.

When I "got the idea" it was to cure the day to day pulling and tugging on the cord. Not sure anything is gonna help if the laptop is thrown, kicked, pushed off a table or desk. Just too many things that can break as you noted.

IcemanND, on Jan 21 2008, 09:17 PM, said:

And yes I have seen laptops that multiple connectors were broken in a single drop, due to the cord being stretched across the room and the roommate not paying attention walks through it and brings everything crashing to the floor, or out of the loft.

Nothing is gonna help situations like that. . . .

IcemanND, on Jan 21 2008, 09:17 PM, said:

But that having been said, nice idea. Market it to universities you'll get your money back in the first semester. I still prefer the magnetic held power connector though.

Thanks, and thanks for a great idea (the universities). My wife loves her MagSafe!

This post has been edited by Headjerk: 22 January 2008 - 09:16 PM

[Ludwig Von Cookie Koopa]

wow first pocket protector protectors then this. The world is really advancing I mean next we will have flying robots who will stop people from being real jerks. I imagine that bee from Riche Rich the movie stinging the jerk like the one who will not let me buy nudy magazines with a ID......jerk

[Headjerk]

Ponch, on Jan 22 2008, 09:04 AM, said:

Problem with the design is that you'll end up losing more USB ports as they are more than often all placed in a row. Worse if they are vertical as mine, you'll be able to use only one of them if you can bend the cable enough.

The USB version is a "firm" fit, it's still a friction fit. And because it's plastic (ABS), not metal there is little chance it can cause damage. I've purposely pushed an old dead Vaio I used as a mule off the table a few times and had the USB Jerkstopper either disengage with no damage or stay in place with no damage. Not saying it can't happen but in a years worth of testing on a variety of different laptops we haven't had any port damage.

There are some cases where you can't use the USB version as you noted. . . . That's why you get a choice (RJ11 / RJ45 / USB). I haven't used a RJ11 port on a desktop or laptop in more years than I can remember. The second generation JerkStopper will be adjustable so it doesn't create problems with adjacent ports.

Ludwig Von Cookie Koopa, on Jan 22 2008, 05:27 PM, said:

wow first pocket protector protectors then this. The world is really advancing I mean next we will have flying robots who will stop people from being real jerks. I imagine that bee from Riche Rich the movie stinging the jerk like the one who will not let me buy nudy magazines with a ID......jerk

This post has been edited by puntoMX: 23 January 2008 - 03:12 AM
Reason for edit: Posts merged.

[mark]

Or if you want to just rig something: Adhesive backed velcro
The adhesive on the back of this stuff is very strong and the velcro is very heavy duty. I have used it where wires dangle under desks (from keyboards) and your legs can snag them. Stick the hook part to where ever you need it, wrap the loop part around the wire (the adhesive sticks to itself exceptionally well so get it right the first time). You deal with the unsightliness of it and it is limited to places you where you will be allowed to apply it. My guess is the power cord is coming out of the wall before the velcro lets loose. You could also coil up your power cord and wrap it with a strip of hook material for tidy transport.

@Headjerk- I really do hope you make a ton of money. Sell, sell, sell, sell. Saturate the market before you get someone knocking your product off. Patenting your idea is a nice idea but from what I have read, it isn't worth much more than something to be proud of. I had read on a site (I can't find it now) by a patent lawyer that for a product to be worth patenting, it would need to generate $20 million dollars in revenue. A good portion of that money would be used for fighting patent infringement. Someone can come along, change one little thing on your idea and you have lost it. If someone can show that the idea isn't new or that it would be invented anyway, you've lost it. There was a lot more but my memory fails me. So sell, sell, sell, sell.

Edit: When searching for the patent lawyers site I came across these amusements:
http://www.patentoftheweek.com/
http://www.patentlysilly.com/
enjoy.

DL

This post has been edited by DL: 22 January 2008 - 09:39 PM

[Glenn9999]

Anything to get people to part with their money (and many will at the most laughable of things). I'm reminded of all the accessories people make for USB now-a-days in that respect.

The latest example

[Headjerk]

DL, on Jan 22 2008, 07:35 PM, said:

Or if you want to just rig something: Adhesive backed velcro
The adhesive on the back of this stuff is very strong and the velcro is very heavy duty. I have used it where wires dangle under desks (from keyboards) and your legs can snag them. Stick the hook part to where ever you need it, wrap the loop part around the wire (the adhesive sticks to itself exceptionally well so get it right the first time). You deal with the unsightliness of it and it is limited to places you where you will be allowed to apply it. My guess is the power cord is coming out of the wall before the velcro lets loose. You could also coil up your power cord and wrap it with a strip of hook material for tidy transport.

@Headjerk- I really do hope you make a ton of money. Sell, sell, sell, sell. Saturate the market before you get someone knocking your product off. Patenting your idea is a nice idea but from what I have read, it isn't worth much more than something to be proud of. I had read on a site (I can't find it now) by a patent lawyer that for a product to be worth patenting, it would need to generate $20 million dollars in revenue. A good portion of that money would be used for fighting patent infringement. Someone can come along, change one little thing on your idea and you have lost it. If someone can show that the idea isn't new or that it would be invented anyway, you've lost it. There was a lot more but my memory fails me. So sell, sell, sell, sell.

Edit: When searching for the patent lawyers site I came across these amusements:
http://www.patentoftheweek.com/
http://www.patentlysilly.com/
enjoy.

DL that's funny because velcro is where this started. . . .I use velcro for everything I can. . . .Plane, boat, cars, bikes, etc. Way back I mounted a set of airhorns on my motorcycle with some "Industrial strength" velcro. Three years (and 30+k miles) later they are still mounted and functioning. Sometimes it works, sometimes it doesn't. My original prototypes were er aah how should I put it. . . "Butt Ugly" but they worked. Just not sale-able. Patents only worth something (beyond looking at it hanging on the wall) if you've got sales for the product (and thus the company) and enough resources to go after infringer's. Some patents are so poorly written that they are in fact "toilet paper". . . Others, if written properly are comparatively easy to enforce. In my case, time will tell.

Sales are brisk so far. . . .but I haven't seen your order come thru yet?

[puntoMX]

Headjerk, on Jan 23 2008, 12:31 AM, said:

Sales are brisk so far. . . .But I haven't seen your order come thru yet?

What I’m missing here is a real photo of the Jerkstopper, can you post one? That 3D CAD picture looks okay but wondering how it really looks, in and outside the laptop .

[Headjerk]

They actually look exactly like the CAD drawing except they are (so far) being produced in black. I'll shoot some photos (as requested) today and post them later on.

[Headjerk]

As promised. . . .
My Fujitsu "hanging in there"
And a closer look

Back view

Normal installation

[Zxian]

Those pictures look interesting and all... but why use a USB port? Why not make use of the security port that almost all laptops have nowadays, since it's designed to withstand stresses and strains like the one the JerkStopper undergoes? You are pulling 6lbs worth of laptop through a USB port that's designed to withstand maybe... 2 lbs or shear?