Zip Up Tangles
Your trouser fly just influenced my friend Ji. Quit smirking, coz his YI earphones concept will take care of a lot of wire-tangle-hassles in the future, if it ever gets to production. Simple thought process and application! If pants can have a zipper to hold in the essentials then why the idea can’t be used on earphones to manage them when not in use! Zip then open when you want to use them; zip them shut when you want to store them.
Did I mention that it even features a volume control button?
No? Oh…ok…now you know, so happy Zipppiiinnnggg!
Designer: Ji Woong
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147 Comments »
Berllin says
so good!!!
Concerned but Musically Avid Avatar says
Interesting…but overall unrealistic, for anyone but those who stand still zen like unmoving in front of a brick wall or computer screen. We as people have this wonderful habit of moving our physical parts in round about and sometimes assertive ways, like walking. Having a zipper running down either side of ones face would not only begin to irritate the skin, but would probably catch on something and pull the ear bud out of the users. Frustrating and unimpressive. Hmm cancer research there’s an idea to spend millions in product design and advertising…
zippyflounder says
You have some valid points, however lets look at the math a bit. Lets say that 1 in 50 mp3 users are “zen like”, that still means you have millions of end users that would find this compelling. Now lets look at the core issue if your active, and that is the wires themselves, they need to be eliminated and if you do that you have a wider market. I took a stab at a wireless MP3 type product years ago with the 2ner, and now it could be done better and smaller now due to lithium batteries. So in the end you do what you can with what you have, OR just propose fairy dust and unobtainum solutions…your choice.
Arthur says
Solution : ZipLock
zen like says
Cancer research: Hemp oil has been proven to cure certain kinds of cancers. Check it out at http://www.phoenixtears.ca/
No one is willing to accept this as a cure because no one company can make a profit from it, as it is a plant and plants cannot be copyrighted. No company is willing to research this because it is an illegal substance, which is ridiculous…cocaine and heroin are used in a lot of today’s medicines.
I apologize to everyone else as this has nothing to do with the article presented, only to do with a part of “Concerned but Musicall Avid Avater”’s comment.
Spread the word of hemp oil!
mike says
yes nice
these are my zip phones im selling for 2 years !
http://picasaweb.google.com/mike.s.man/MichaelSchnitmanPortfolio?authkey=iNjV-34RryI&fgl=true&pli=1#5222885546203326370
evan says
that’s not a bad idea…though it doesn’t look great. Also, I think the headphone might be on it’s way out. I just watched a video on TED where they have invented speakers which can control sounds location by creating the audio right next to your ears. It’s called hypersonic sound check it out. http://www.ted.com/index.php/talks/woody_norris_invents_amazing_things.html
FLX says
Haha, what a cool idea! But i guess it would be extra cool if you could control the volume by moving the zipper up and down!
But kudos for this one!
Jason says
a cool idea but one of two things is going to happen:
1, once zipped up, that larger cable is going to tangle in storage. 2, Injury from trapping skin in the zip - also trapping clothes (annoying enough when a t-shirt gets jammed in a coat zip)
tryner says
Great idea! I think I may go make one right now….minus the fancy volume control.
Keith says
Maybe have the zipper part face outwards from the face when the earphones are in.
BSTD says
That’s actually pretty cool, I like it.
But I do hope, you can’t have those nasty accidents where the traditional zipper sometimes gets stuck.
Swiftman says
These wouldn’t be half bad, but they need to be in a different color (black?), the grip area on the zipper should be smaller (because it looks kinda dumb and heavy), and also, it looks like the teeth of the zipper are rubbing up against her face. Something tells me that that isn’t very comfortable.
StreetRace says
That is an awesome idea! I think they would have to make the zipper a bit smaller than in these but it would help with tangling. A heavy zipper would pull the earphones out it seems to me.
meagan says
It may be difficult to make the zipper pull any smaller when you take into account that it houses the volume control which I assume needs a battery of some sort.
BenHudson says
these are mad cool and definitely plausible. i would definitely buy one.
collide007 says
Brilliant! One of my greatest annoyances in life is wires getting tangled ARGH! I want one now.
powers says
Innovative.
prodmod says
I know this is just a concept, but shouldnt you explain how the knob for volume control connects to the headphones or the device? is it a blue tooth controller? because there is no electrical connection right now between the knob and anything else
Jeremiah says
I’m sure the bottom of the zipper is closed so it connects to the device just fine. As for the comment above about it tangeling in storage when zipped up, I doubt it would be as likely as conventional headphones given the flatness of the zipper. And as for the idea of making the volume go up or down by zipping it up or down… I don’t think that would be too great. It would be cool yes, cause if you wanted it to headphones to be less of a hassle being zipped up, you would have to have the volume up high for the most part, and that would be pretty annoying. Nice design concept by the way, one of the more simple innovations that I think we could definitely use. Although the idea of the zipper getting stuck is a bit worrysome. Solve that issue and I would by it in a jiffy
That and more colours 
zippyflounder says
Just a bit of engineering help here Ji, for your design to work conventionally you would have to have another set of wires that connect the module to the left and right wires buried into the zipper part. This is not optimum as you wold end up with a long tail and eliminate your advantage. What might work is to use induction to carry the signal and electrical energy to the ear buds. This would require a larger piece than shown (about twice its volume)for batteries and induction coils.
charles says
I was annoyed because every earphone, good idea!
chetan sorab says
Pretty neat stuff
dazi says
i want 1, i’ve laways had a hard time untangling my earpfhone wire.
AC says
Definitely a cool idea, and for those worried about getting caught in the zipper, may I point out that it appears to be a plastic zipper, not metal, which would be much more difficult and less painful to get caught in.
Tucker says
They should move some of the zip part down past the face so as to not irritate the skin.
Ji Woong says
Thank you Radhika Seth..! kk
Olle Larsson says
I love it! Awesome idea!
Piotr says
Would be fine to control volume by moving ziper, dont U think?
Ji Woong says
wow….good idea.
I think so too~ Thank U Piotr~★
sarvesh says
interesting… but the future of portable audio is wireless!! but there this can be really used is in servers for managing cables!! very sweet idea though!! beauty in simplicity
esa says
you know, I was thinking of wearing that to a nightclub and immediately got laid! highly recommended!
also, nice design
jenni says
Ear bus are uncomfortable, sound terrible and horrible for your hearing. I like my old street style headphones-far superior in comfort and quality.
tina says
Personally i like the idea because i constantly get my headphones tangled and the fact the zipper can control the volume is a nice little touch
esa says
prove it.
Fuji says
Well it’s an opinion she doesn’t have to.
I agree, though, earbuds fall out too often for me, so it would be nice seeing this on some old-school headphones.
Pieter says
Totally great concept. For all those stressed out about the Zipper… use the Zip-Lok baggy concept. The Plastic bag that has two interlocking tracks that either locked or unlock by the “zipper” part, no metal or plastic teeth are used. What a great and unique concept though, nice work Ji.
Rodrigo says
Just plain awesome!
JeffreyG says
They might be ok for some people but for those of us with beards these are a definate no-no. Ever caught your beard in a zipper or snap on a coat? Not fun in the least.
joshua says
Fantastic design.. i absolutely love it!!
sadly i think we are still many years away from this technology.
You should visit http://www.readysteadyprint.com.au because we are about to launch design competitions that will be paying between $500 and $50,000.
Keep designing
josh
Discount Printing says
Just amazing!!
mike says
nice prototype…
im now finishing design academy
this is a project myne from 2 years ago , check out my old pics..
and ive registered it in patent !
and selling these zip-phones for 2 years now : )
paste this :
http://picasaweb.google.com/mike.s.man/MichaelSchnitmanPortfolio?authkey=iNjV-34RryI&fgl=true&pli=1#5222885546203326370
or
Rono says
AAAAAAAAAAARGH! GIVE ME ONE NOW!
mike says
GREAT IDEA
sorry but
I MADE IT FIRST : )
http://mike-id.blogspot.com/
yui says
It’s cool. I desire a canal-type earphone.
Quneru says
Good idea!
I want to buy it!
Leslie says
OMG this is undoubtedly THE MOST BRILLIANT IDEA EVER. I have tangle probs all the time, but this would work out phenomenally!
mike says
http://picasaweb.google.com/mike.s.man/MichaelSchnitmanPortfolio?authkey=iNjV-34RryI&fgl=true&pli=1#5222885546203326370
selling these for 2 years now : )
Christian says
Very cool concept! Even though it might not be perfect YET, it has a lot of potential, and initiates new ideas.
Your idea has also been featured at the largest gadget site in Norway:
http://www.dinside.no/811702/hodetelefoner-via-glidelaasen
raitucarp magazine says
WOw, it’s great
I like future concept,
RatonMalo says
Hi, i love it! where i can buy it ?
Oliver says
Wow! you know, I don’t even care if the zip make it untangled, I would wear them just because they look AWSOME!!! you should make the zipper in different colour combinations, but one thing I’m worried about is the quality of the earphones, is it good?
mike says
you can get these in colors : )
check out the link, its my project at design school from 2 years ago, havent posted it for competitions becouse its in mass production and p.t process but there are pre production prototype “zip phones” as well
write me if you are interested to buy !
http://mike-id.blogspot.com/
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