With Cusby, users can build iterative connections with multiple USB ports, channeling the design ethos of LEGOs
Though many current laptop models come with a plethora of USB connections, not all do—a troublesome scenario,especially for people who compute with multiple peripherals, or use their computer as a charging station. The crowdfunded invention Cusby offers assistance to people in that position, with a USB-C node that offers multiple ports.
Each Cusby unit is a rectangular block with a single USB-C connector and two USB-C ports. For those who need more than one extra port, they can daisy-chain together to add a theoretically unlimited number of extra ports. The ports are good for both data and electrical charging. Ports for charging and HDMI are also available.
Cusby was built for Apple devices, which have in general lagged behind other computers in the “USB port arms race.” The latest generation of Apple iDevices, for example, comes with just one USB port. This leaves users with both a mouse and an ergonomic keyboard out of luck.
This is not the first device to turn a single USB port into multiple places to plug in, though previous entries into the field have tended to collections of cables that contribute as much to “cable nest” as they do to using multiple peripherals. By contrast, a set of Cusby ports forms a solid brick of compact electronics, using a LEGO-level simplicity of design and operation.
Though designed for Apple products, Cusby is compatible with any device that has a USB port.
The team behind Cusby offers the device for $39 through Indiegogo, with discounts for purchases of multiple—pretty standard for a new tech crowdfund. Their top-tier reward is different in that it’s a ready-made wholesale shipment that encourages retailers to catch the first wave of the product’s life cycle.
They are on track to reach their $15,000 goal by the August 25 deadline, and plan to ship in October if they fund.