Griffin Technology is well-known for their collection of accessories for smartphones, tablets and laptops, which combine practical features with clean designs. We caught up with them at CES to get a look at the new Griffin Guide system, which brings that same sensible design to the desktop to create a cable accessory so ingenious that the only response we can come up with is “why didn’t anyone think of this sooner?”
Desktop cable management is usually dealt with in one of two ways: Feeding all of your cables through a tightly-packed cable port cut into the desk itself; or not at all, instead letting your cables flop around freely, disappearing behind the desk at random spots. Each has their advantages: the port keeps your cables together, while free-range cabling makes it easier to swap out your devices or rearrange your setup. And of course, each has its disadvantages: Feed multiple cables through the port and they will be hard to fit through, pulling on each other whenever you move one. Unguided cables are always in the way, and lightweight cables often fall back behind the desk when you remove the device they were attached to.
The Griffin Guide combines the pros of each system while removing the cons. It consists of a weighted metal base that can be placed anywhere on your desktop, and a set of magnetic guides that stick to the base, capturing your cables. This creates an organization system this is infinitely customizable, and can be undone instantly. If you want to remove a single cable from the bunch running behind the desk, no more fumbling around trying to unbraid it from the others. I’m personally interested in the Griffin Guide because at any time on my desktop I have a card reader, external hard drive, camera and smartphone that are plugged in to charge or transfer files. Four devices share a pair of cables (I prefer the free-range cable method), but every time I unplug something, the thin cable wants to slip back behind my desk. The Griffin Guide is a simple way to prevent that from happening, and it looks good, to boot.
We’ll be keeping an eye out for the Griffin Guide, which should be hitting stores in the fall of this year.
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