MacRumors Giveaway: Win a 'Side Winder' Cable Organizer for MacBook Pro or MacBook Air

[MacRumors]

For this week's giveaway, we've once again teamed up with Fuse to offer MacRumors readers a chance to win a Side Winder cable wrangler, designed to let you quickly and easily wind up your MacBook Air or MacBook Pro's charger cord.

The reel-style construction of the Side Winder keeps your power adapter, cord, and attached extension cable in a neat, compact package with zero tangles and no hassle. It's perfect for use at home or work and it's great for when you need to travel because it makes it so quick to pack up.

When traveling with a traditional Power Adapter and cable setup in a bag or backpack, winding the cord and the extension cable is an exercise in futility because it constantly comes unwrapped, leading to a messy, knotted tangle of cable. That cable tangle is the problem the Side Winder solves.

Side Winder works by enclosing the Power Adapter of your MacBook with a reel that holds the cable. When you need to wind extra cable, a simple twist of the top piece pulls it in. When more cable is needed while the MacBook is in use, you can pull out as much cable as you need to reach a power outlet.

Fuse says that it takes less than six seconds to fully wind a cable using the Side Winder, and the design of the device provides protection against cable damage and fraying by preventing stress at weak points.

Side Winder is compatible with all 45W, 60W, 61W, 85W, and 87W MacBook Pro and Air chargers, with both MagSafe 1 and 2 and USB-C versions available. The MagSafe versions are available for $29.99, while the USB-C version is $33.99. The USB-C model includes a USB-C cord, but neither model includes a power adapter or extension cable.

In addition to offering Side Winders to MacRumors readers in our giveaway, Fuse is also providing a 20 percent discount on all Side Winder purchases. To buy one at a discount, just use this link.

We have 20 Side Winders to give away to MacRumors readers. To enter to win our giveaway, use the Rafflecopter widget below and enter an email address. Email addresses will be used solely for contact purposes to reach the winners and send the prizes. You can earn additional entries by subscribing to our weekly newsletter, subscribing to our YouTube channel, following us on Twitter, following us on Instagram, or visiting the MacRumors Facebook page.

Due to the complexities of international laws regarding giveaways, only U.S. residents who are 18 years or older and Canadian residents (excluding Quebec) who have reached the age of majority in their province or territory are eligible to enter. To offer feedback or get more information on the giveaway restrictions, please refer to our Site Feedback section, as that is where discussion of the rules will be redirected.

a Rafflecopter giveaway​

The contest will run from today (October 26) at 11:00 a.m. Pacific Time through 11:00 a.m. Pacific Time on November 2. The winners will be chosen randomly on November 2 and will be contacted by email. The winners will have 48 hours to respond and provide a shipping address before new winners are chosen.

Article Link: MacRumors Giveaway: Win a 'Side Winder' Cable Organizer for MacBook Pro or MacBook Air

 

[ghostface147]

Oooh, this is nice. That's one thing I miss from my older MacBook Pro, those little ears that would pop out of the adapter.

 

[Spectrum]

And why exactly did Apple remove the super useful ears in the first place? I've been using them for over a decade without any issue. Their absence is a real pain in the new MacBook models.

 

[KPandian1]

And why exactly did Apple remove the super useful ears in the first place? I've been using them for over a decade without any issue.

This is the bold, brave and user friendly Apple of today!

 

[7thson]

Man o’ man, this is exactly what I need. I ordered using the discount code which negated the shipping. I’ll come back with my thoughts on it after I’ve tried it out a bit.

 

[MrJeffreyGee]

I thought for a sec... Before I finished reading the headline that this was for a Microsoft Joystick!

 

[hortod1]

This product falls under the category, “<expletive>, why didn’t I think of that”

 

[Fzang]

Cheaper replica available in 3....2...

 

[theluggage]

And why exactly did Apple remove the super useful ears in the first place?

I’m sure removing two bits of plastic added $0.50 to the profit margin. Gotta keep those revenues growing if you want to win the Wall Street popularity contest...

 

[butterburger cookybutter]

And why exactly did Apple remove the super useful ears in the first place?

Why? Because it no longer has a permanently attached (captive) output cable. Those wrapping hooks were for "cable management", so there would not be a long cable dangling in a bag or carrying case. A discrete USB PD cable is much easier to manage alone, than a dangling captive cable.

Those wrapping hooks were terrible all along. Not super useful. Thank goodness and good riddance. If you want your power brick and USB PD cable to be bosom buddies, then 'use a rubber band or something'.

 

[0970373]

I have this as I joined the kickstarter. It's huge and more cumbersome than it should be.

 

[Spectrum]

Why? Because it no longer has a permanently attached (captive) output cable. Those wrapping hooks were for "cable management", so there would not be a long cable dangling in a bag or carrying case. A discrete USB PD cable is much easier to manage alone, than a dangling captive cable.

Those wrapping hooks were terrible all along. Not super useful. Thank goodness and good riddance. If you want your power brick and USB PD cable to be bosom buddies, then 'use a rubber band or something'.

So how do you wrap up the separate USB cable now? The new design is clearly inferior. No one was forcing anyone to use the hooks. I did because I found them to work really well.
Indeed, for me, the wrapping hooks worked excellently on every Apple notebook I've owned - I think they were even there on the Power Books too. Simple, tidy, tiny, helpful, features.
Like magsafe...
And the charging indicator light...
And the battery charge indicator light...
[And replaceable HD/SSD...
And upgradeable RAM...
And a USB-A port...
And an HDMI port...
And an SD card slot...]

 

[NoIdentity]

Never used the ears and always been carefull when packing the charger. If you ‘coil’ the cables as they should be you won’t create any tears, creases, kinks or curls. But this appies to any cable. Unfortunately most people have no clue how to properly store cables. This product doesn’t necessarily mitigate the issue. It might help, but it creates a more bulkier package.
Anyways, this chargers are on their way out.

I am much happier with the new design. The replacable ibs-c cable makes the replacing of damaged connectors way cheaper. Which is where most of my old chargers had problems, the magsafe was the one bit that recieved most stress. Due to bends to reach the other side of the computer or accidental puls and intentional ones to disconnect the charger.
But yeah. Now I disconnect the usb-c coil it so it doesn’t have any stress on it and store the brick separately. And if the usb-c cable dies on me, I will just by the new one.

The ears in my view were a bad design from the start, since they promote bad habits in taking care of your cables.

 

[ignatius345]

Why? Because it no longer has a permanently attached (captive) output cable. Those wrapping hooks were for "cable management", so there would not be a long cable dangling in a bag or carrying case. A discrete USB PD cable is much easier to manage alone, than a dangling captive cable.

Those wrapping hooks were terrible all along. Not super useful. Thank goodness and good riddance. If you want your power brick and USB PD cable to be bosom buddies, then 'use a rubber band or something'.

Not super useful to you maybe. I use mine every day. No rubber band needed, no velcro. I pop the things up, wrap my cord around, and clip it to itself with the clip that's already on there.
[doublepost=1540834991][/doublepost]

So how do you wrap up the separate USB cable now? The new design is clearly inferior. No one was forcing anyone to use the hooks. I did because I found them to work really well.
Indeed, for me, the wrapping hooks worked excellently on every Apple notebook I've owned - I think they were even there on the Power Books too. Simple, tidy, tiny, helpful, features.
Like magsafe...
And the charging indicator light...
And the battery charge indicator light...
[And replaceable HD/SSD...
And upgradeable RAM...
And a USB-A port...
And an HDMI port...
And an SD card slot...]

Seriously. MagSafe seems trivial until you lose it. Then you realize how easy it was all along to have a magnet of exactly the right strength to instantly snap the connector in place so you can connect it with one hand (no need to brace the machine) while also "breaking away" if someone trips on it.

And the charge indicator? Brilliant little detail that tells you at a glance -- without even opening your Mac -- whether your machine is charging or fully charged, or whether unbeknownst to you the AC outlet you're using isn't working. One little light conveys all that information. This is exactly the kind of stuff Apple seems not to give a crap about anymore. Hell, Apple apparently can't even build a usable keyboard at this point.

 

[jimthing]

For this week's giveaway, we've once again teamed up with Fuse to offer MacRumors readers a chance to win a Side Winder cable wrangler, designed to let you quickly and easily wind up your MacBook Air or MacBook Pro's charger cord.

The reel-style construction of the Side Winder keeps your power adapter, cord, and attached extension cable in a neat, compact package with zero tangles and no hassle. It's perfect for use at home or work and it's great for when you need to travel because it makes it so quick to pack up.

When traveling with a traditional Power Adapter and cable setup in a bag or backpack, winding the cord and the extension cable is an exercise in futility because it constantly comes unwrapped, leading to a messy, knotted tangle of cable. That cable tangle is the problem the Side Winder solves.

Side Winder works by enclosing the Power Adapter of your MacBook with a reel that holds the cable. When you need to wind extra cable, a simple twist of the top piece pulls it in. When more cable is needed while the MacBook is in use, you can pull out as much cable as you need to reach a power outlet.

Fuse says that it takes less than six seconds to fully wind a cable using the Side Winder, and the design of the device provides protection against cable damage and fraying by preventing stress at weak points.

Side Winder is compatible with all 45W, 60W, 61W, 85W, and 87W MacBook Pro and Air chargers, with both MagSafe 1 and 2 and USB-C versions available. The MagSafe versions are available for $29.99, while the USB-C version is $33.99. The USB-C model includes a USB-C cord, but neither model includes a power adapter or extension cable.

In addition to offering Side Winders to MacRumors readers in our giveaway, Fuse is also providing a 20 percent discount on all Side Winder purchases. To buy one at a discount, just use this link.

We have 20 Side Winders to give away to MacRumors readers. To enter to win our giveaway, use the Rafflecopter widget below and enter an email address. Email addresses will be used solely for contact purposes to reach the winners and send the prizes. You can earn additional entries by subscribing to our weekly newsletter, subscribing to our YouTube channel, following us on Twitter, following us on Instagram, or visiting the MacRumors Facebook page.

Due to the complexities of international laws regarding giveaways, only U.S. residents who are 18 years or older and Canadian residents (excluding Quebec) who have reached the age of majority in their province or territory are eligible to enter. To offer feedback or get more information on the giveaway restrictions, please refer to our Site Feedback section, as that is where discussion of the rules will be redirected.

a Rafflecopter giveaway​

The contest will run from today (October 26) at 11:00 a.m. Pacific Time through 11:00 a.m. Pacific Time on November 2. The winners will be chosen randomly on November 2 and will be contacted by email. The winners will have 48 hours to respond and provide a shipping address before new winners are chosen.

Article Link: MacRumors Giveaway: Win a 'Side Winder' Cable Organizer for MacBook Pro or MacBook Air

The discount code is already dead!

(As ever with many US companies, seemingly zero non-US distribution in place, making buying too expensive.)

 

[7thson]

Following up to share my thoughts on this. I really appreciate what it does for organizing the brick and cord adapter. I prefer to use this configuration but have been put off by the bulk of the cord and how to keep it together with the brick without it being a mess waiting to happen. It works very well and doesn't feel cheap, however I'm not going to drop it repeatedly to see how long it takes to break either. Does it make for a very large charging solution? Yes it does. Just look at the photos. That's an iPad mini 4 it's sitting on in the second pic.

Yeah it's huge. However I don't see any way to avoid this mass if you want to keep your cord with the brick. So that's my take away, if you prefer this configuration for your usage, this is a great solution. If you rarely use the cord, then this thing will seem absurd and impractical. As an side, I ordered the model for the 85watt magsafe2 and the box seems to have adapters for every model of Apple charging bricks.