The JerkStopper keeps your power cord in place, does little else

You. Yes, you. Someone knows your darkest fears, your deepest regrets, your most painful memories... and they know they're all related to your power cord being yanked violently out of your laptop. Well thankfully, that someone has taken the law into their own hands, and is attempting to halt further infractions against your personage and / or computers. Enter the JerkStopper: a tough, tempered steel ABS device that cannot be cut or broken... wait, it also keeps your cord in place. Apparently, all you needed to do was fasten the thing into an innocent USB, RJ11, or RJ45 port, and clamp it down with metal teeth. Sure, you won't get that annoying spark anymore when your power cord wiggles, but you might dislodge a USB jack from its rightful home (though the makers say it will pop out with ease). Hey -- that's the chance you take when you play with the JerkStopper.

[Nemo Throng @ Jan 29th 2008 6:38PM]

I just got my JerkStopper today. Best $10 I ever spent. The article is a little unclear -- I was surprised to receive THREE Jerkstoppers, one each for RJ-45, RJ-11 and USB -- so you get to choose which port you'd rather destroy than your power jack. C'mon, anybody really use RJ-11 any more?

I use the USB one, I have three ports so if I destroy one, no big. Plus the USB Jerkstopper fits really tight, it wouldn't come out unless you pull on it directly with your fingers, a normal yank on the power cord won't dislodge it.

Until I get a new laptop with a magnetic power connection, this is really, really an awesome product.

[Nemo Throng @ Jan 29th 2008 6:50PM]

To all the people who thought this product is dumb: Use your brain. A power cable being accidentally pulled suddenly and forcefully out of your laptop is only OK if the pull happens in exactly the right manner, i.e. the right direction. If the pull happens at an angle to the line of insertion, it's pretty easy to break the power jack. I already partially broke my jack, and was worried about busting it completely.

And if you're unlucky enough to have a power adapter cable like mine, it's even worse: my plug has a right-angle on the end, so it's impossible to pull on the cord and NOT produce torque on the jack.

I can live without USB ports, without RJ-45 and certainly without RJ-11, but I can't live without recharging my laptop!!!!

And just to clarify, there's no metal in this product, it's just ABS plastic.

And FYI, the USB Jerkstopper stays in there really well. It must be tapered or something because by the time it's all the way in, it's very, very snug.

Yes, magsafe is really cool. Someday we'll all have one, but in the meantime, Jerkstopper's a cool product at a reasonable price.

[Joylove @ Feb 3rd 2008 1:31PM]

Why not bend a couple of S shapes into your power cord and wrap them with a rubber band. When the cable gets tugged the rubber band stretches, and possibly releases a few coils of the S bend.

Pocket the cash.

Profit.

[nj @ Jan 20th 2008 11:22PM]

or you could just have a mac...

[karts41 @ Jan 20th 2008 11:59PM]

Does this device stop mac fandoys?

[z3r0D @ Jan 21st 2008 12:04AM]

Nothing stops mac fanbois.

Nothing.

[MEAT! @ Jan 21st 2008 12:42AM]

Nothing except a Microsoft fanboy. Like matter and anti-matter, they will annihilate one another on impact of their scrawny limbs, generating a photon and the fabled MuOron particle.

[willyboy @ Jan 21st 2008 1:47AM]

I believe the magsafe plug on the macbook to be a delight.. I do not know how many times I or my dog have run into the power-cord on the macbook, only to have it release with the macbook still in position...A simple, yet very nice feature...Of, course after spending an arm and a left nut on the thing, I would say it is the least they could do....

[ethana2 @ Jan 21st 2008 1:49AM]

Microsoft can go die. I haven't met a Mac fanboy that really knows what to do with us Ubuntu Gutsy users yet.

[Jason Fry @ Jan 21st 2008 2:04AM]

Hell yea Ethana2! Mac fanbois are a little hyper, Micro$oft fanbois are clearly delusional, and us Ubuntu fanbois are just the right amount of hyper and delusional.

[sc00tert00ter @ Jan 20th 2008 11:22PM]

YA! does it fit in a manila envelope?

[atrain @ Jan 20th 2008 11:33PM]

Heh, there goes the Macbook Air's only source of expansion.
But then again:
1) It would hardly work, its on the wrong side. Cable would be wrapped around
2) Whats the point of a desktop-bound ultraportable?

And Yes, Magsafe can fail. And it fails HARD. I've seen it happen. The springs that push the pins out break, and laptop never works again. Luckily, nothing can go wrong on the laptop side, so just get a new adapter.


Older mac laptops (G3/G4) Were plagued with bad power adapters. I just finished adapting an iBook G3 with a standard 3.5mm mini-jack rather than the stupid apple connector. But if your not willing to shell out big $$ for a new mac or to get it fixed, spend 2+h on the project, this seems like an amazing alternative.

[Ellianth @ Jan 21st 2008 12:57AM]

Wow, Atrain, you turned sc00tert00ters joke into your life story. Well done!

[oyvindra @ Jan 21st 2008 2:19AM]

atrain: a 3,5mm jackplug? (like in audio) I would expect there is a serious probability of a short circuit/negative polarity when you insert the adaptor :\

I changed mine to an external DC-jack, and it works flawlessly. (complete with bomb looking black and red wire extruding from laptop, the airport liked that.)

[morcheeba @ Jan 21st 2008 2:52AM]

atrain - I know you're trolling, but did it ever occur to you that the magsafe connector wouldn't need a JerkStopper?

[atrain @ Jan 20th 2008 11:27PM]

The problem with this device is that it assumes that there are other ports near the power plug. I've seen many laptop designs that have the power isolated from the I/O area, and so this product would not work too well. Though, I must admit it would have been very useful for my old laptop, had I had compatible ports in the region.

Also, If you ever do decide to get your laptop repaired, you will be getting both power/bat AND usb plug repaired; unless you plan to do it yourself it will probably be significantly more expensive. (unless they just swap out the whole board.)

[ScooterDe @ Mar 7th 2008 2:31AM]

my old laptop has a dead battery and so I need a way to keep the power cord locked in, no matter what. It has a USB port right next door to the power supply, so this is ideal. But the fault in the design, from my perspective (can't please them all) is that it is my only USB port. However I am using a PC card adaptor with USB plugs.
Thus thrive the aftermarket gadgets.

[mettleh3d @ Jan 20th 2008 11:27PM]

Sounds amazing. But wouldn't a hapless fellow who trips over your power cord with the JerkStopper™ plugged in have some EXTRA leverage to pull your entire machine to his ankles? Well, I guess they thought of that scenario also.

[alex @ Jan 21st 2008 6:48AM]

This seems too stupid to even comment on it, but it's so stupid that people might think it's a good idea. We gotta stop this dead in its tracks. All the pros they offer on their website regarding the power supply turn into cons for the hapless USB, network or modem port.

-wiggles out of place
-strange clicking noises
-refuses to start

This is just so stupid it's unbelievable. I can't even think of an analogy. By comparison the USB slippers, cup warmer and blanket look like they were designed by sharper image.

[KEROLiUKAS @ Jan 20th 2008 11:29PM]

Wow..Sooooo useless....Besides, my usb port is on the side, and power port is on the back....

[Bongo @ Jan 20th 2008 11:49PM]

It would seem to be less damaging to have something like this attach to the Kensington lock slot instead of a port.

[Doug @ Jan 21st 2008 2:39AM]

Beat me by less than a minute.

[ChrisG @ Jan 20th 2008 11:29PM]

that's dumb, why have it waste power and the use of one port? The design team could have easy come up with a solution that doesn't involve subtracting the use of an ethernet or usb port just for the sake of keeping a power cord in place.

[Mikey @ Jan 21st 2008 1:17PM]

"The design team could have easy come up with a solution that doesn't involve subtracting the use of an ethernet or usb port..."

You mean like a strip of duct tape?

[potato @ Jan 20th 2008 11:35PM]

It amazes how few laptop manufacturers have done the magnetic power cord thing... or at least done what the Xbox controller does with an easily detachable section...

[scott @ Jan 21st 2008 12:02AM]

Ever heard of a Patent? Thats why.

[potato @ Jan 21st 2008 12:05AM]

Well, maybe not an identical solution, but SOMETHING, right? All I've seen is a great deal of nothing from other manufacturers when it comes to the all-too-common laptop power cord situation.

[Chris @ Jan 21st 2008 8:47AM]

you can patent magnets?

(don't answer that)

[deadpool @ Jan 20th 2008 11:36PM]

finally. a cure for chronic masturbation.

[Mental Issues @ Jan 20th 2008 11:46PM]

Yes, that was my first thought. Which probably means I should see a psychologist.

But what does this thing actually accomplish? It either chucks your entire laptop off the desk, rips itself out of a USB port with significant force, or pops out and allows the power adapter to get tugged from its socket.

[slotsky @ Jan 21st 2008 1:40AM]

Yes, I too had the worst come immediatly to mind upon reading the title of this post and seeing the picture.

It does appear to be some kind of genital clamp which acts as a deterrant to... jerking.

[Bart Lee @ Jan 20th 2008 11:37PM]

Oh yeah??!?!? The JerkStopper Store called... they're running out of YOU!

[toppgun @ Jan 20th 2008 11:48PM]

Hey Daemon! The jerk store called and their all out of you.

[Aman Patel @ Jan 20th 2008 11:52PM]

ROTFLMAO...man do I miss Seinfeld!

[what @ Jan 21st 2008 1:06AM]

What's the difference Bart? You're their best seller!

[Jonathan-DBOSS @ Jan 20th 2008 11:44PM]

"Plug it. Stop it. Go." f*ckin' jerk

[Russell @ Jan 20th 2008 11:49PM]

Great, finally something that will allow me to break both my USB port and my charging port on my laptop. And it's NOT FREE!


Awesome!

[doug @ Jan 20th 2008 11:50PM]

This is dumb. Why not instead have the device work with the standard security lock slot available on most laptops.

[Wwhat @ Jan 21st 2008 4:18AM]

The idea as I see it is to create a loop in the powercord then attach it to something it can relatively easily be pulled out of, now if there's a jerk on the cord it gets pulled out of the USB port and remains in the powerconnector due to the loop taking the slack/force.
If you attached it to something that can't detach it would indeed just pull the complete notebook from the table and damage it.
Of course you could make the thing into a 2 part gadget and have one part in the kensington and the other be detachable relatively easily from that first part I guess.

[a ham sandwich @ Jan 20th 2008 11:55PM]

::sigh:: ok fine. ill mention magsafe.

[scott @ Jan 20th 2008 11:57PM]

HAHA, complete shit, just get a MAC!! : ) plus wouldnt this just rip your USB drive sideways??

[Techitorial @ Jan 21st 2008 12:27AM]

True - Apple got it figured out cable wise - hmm should I get an Air?!

[scott @ Jan 21st 2008 1:41AM]

No, you would have to upgrade all the hardware in it to be decent enough to hold everything, even though it is a very cool laptop, get a Pro, bigger screen and all the shit inside of it that you need, thats what i have and its great!! :):):)

[ethana2 @ Jan 21st 2008 1:57AM]

When Apple stops abusing the DMCA with their evil TPM, I might reward them for patent hoarding regarding power connectors...

..no wait. I think I'll just keep promoting that magnetic power connector on Dell IdeaStorm, or build my own. Perhaps there is a 3rd party power accessories I could purchase. Like, ones not approved and branded and overpriced and color coordinated with our Dell. I think I'd settle for that.

[Taylor @ Jan 21st 2008 2:11AM]

Hah, right... spend a few hundred dollars more on my laptop so i can have a connector that prevents me from having to do a $100 repair on my laptop! Great idea!
-Taylor

[Meltz @ Jan 21st 2008 2:12AM]

@tech: No

[max andrews @ Jan 21st 2008 9:07AM]

I dunno why you are getting low ranked, because both of your points are valid.
- macs do indeed have magnetic breakaway power cords, hence no problems of this nature
- this would indeed screw up your usb port

And @ techitorial: No, not yet. Wait until the third revision for any product. They've fixed all the bugs by then. It'll probably be around christmas of next year; the SSD option will be half the price and you'll get more band for your buck. I'd like one myself but until they give me a firewire port no way jose.

[Kenneth Arcieri @ Jan 20th 2008 11:59PM]

Well at least my RJ11 port will get some use now.... I knew they were still making laptops with those for a reason.

[z3r0D @ Jan 21st 2008 12:06AM]

Can anyone tell me when it suddenly became cool to use words like RJ11 and RJ45?

Can't we call them modem and network cords/slots?

[xploit @ Jan 21st 2008 12:09AM]

i think it was yesterday or the day before....