Even the world’s greatest product designers don’t get everything right—for proof, look no further than the big, awkward hunk of plastic that provides power to Apple’s sleek laptops. In the case of machines like the MacBook Air, the power adapter is several times thicker than the computer itself, and has an annoying tendency to fall out of the wall.
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A company called Ten One Design is introducing a shockingly obvious solution. Set to ship in late April, the Blockhead is a $20 attachment that replaces the Apple adapter’s AC plug, or “duckhead.” It shifts the plug’s angle so the big adapter block sits flush with the wall, instead of jutting out more than two inches.
As Ten One points out, this makes it easier to plug in the adapter behind furniture, and helps it stay plugged in more reliably. It also re-orients the power cable to a downward instead of horizontal angle, which should increase your cord’s lifespan.
To learn about what Jony Ive was doing instead of fixing your power adapter, watch our video:
Of course, Apple’s adapter isn’t uniquely ugly—every laptop needs a so-called “wall wart” to convert power to the particular voltage and type that your machine needs. And they’re all varying degrees of unsightly, inconvenient, and cumbersome.
But we’ve come to expect Apple to transcend the issues that plague other device makers. The Blockhead shows that they could have, with just a little more creativity.