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CES 2014: CableCore Hub puts your iMac’s USB ports within arm’s reach

iCoreGear-CableHub-iMac

During the ShowStoppers press event this week at CES, iCoreGear, a small team of designers and engineers currently raising funds on Indiegogo, showed off a new product called the CableCore Hub for iMac. The idea is simple enough: rather than having to climb on top of your desk and awkwardly fumble with plugging cables into the back of your iMac, the CableCore hub attaches to the base of iMac and brings 3 USB 3.0 ports and an SDXC card slot within arm’s reach. A slightly more expensive version will also include a Bluetooth connected 3.5mm audio jack. It’s powered from one of the USB ports on the back of your iMac, but can also provide high speed charging to all its ports by using a separate power adapter. While a regular standalone USB would get the job done, the CableCore Hub’s bead blasted aluminium base and black polymer top match the iMac perfectly and the design does away with extra desk clutter you get with your average USB hub.

Preorders for the base model are currently at $99 on Indiegogo, while the model with the Bluetooth audio jack will cost you can extra $30. The company expects to ship by May if it can raise the $20,000 it needs through the crowd funding campaign.

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Comments

  1. nelmat - 10 years ago

    I’ve never understood why people don’t simply twist/rotate their iMac to get to the back of it. At most, people have the power lead and maybe one USB device connected, just turn the thing to get to the back! Why ruin the elegance of the design with this chunky thing strapped around the base?

    It’s a little like the rotating bases you can get for the iMac – don’t people realise you can just twist the unit, it really doesn’t need something added to enable this.

    • nelmat - 10 years ago

      Also just noticed that the rear product shot omits to display the cables that must be needed to connect the hub to your iMac…

    • Scott Heysen - 10 years ago

      I dont understand how you can be so small minded. “At most, people have the power lead and maybe one USB device connected” The cables I have connected are Power, Ethernet, 2xThunderbolt, 4xUSB3 and Audio Out. Some people actually use their computer for things other than surfing the web.

      • nelmat - 10 years ago

        I can assure you I use my mac for a damn site more than surfing the web. Zero need for your personal insult. I’m still able to turn the mac around to plug things in without having to surround the base with this monstrosity. Next time, discuss the issue, don’t attack people on a personal level.

    • zoidbert - 10 years ago

      Suggested alternative: http://goo.gl/3dTgOh

  2. Yeah… That’s kinda gross. I can say I would have designed it very differently, but, you know, that’s just me.

  3. PMZanetti - 10 years ago

    That’s hideous. I’d rather struggle to get a cable plugged in then to have that mess (plus the ensuing mess of wires) all over the desk.

Author

Avatar for Jordan Kahn Jordan Kahn

Jordan writes about all things Apple as Senior Editor of 9to5Mac, & contributes to 9to5Google, 9to5Toys, & Electrek.co. He also co-authors 9to5Mac’s Logic Pros series.