Buttons (and button-like objects) have been used as decoration for close to 5000 years. Seriously. The earliest known button – used as an ornament, not a fastener – was found at Mohenjo-daro in the Indus Valley.
The “modern” button that we have all grown to know and love (and the buttonhole that goes with it) first appeared in Germany in the 13th century (the 1200s) and hasn’t changed much in the intervening years. Eight hundred years without an upgrade is a long time to wait.
You can finally stop counting the days and scouring the scientific journals for the next big thing in buttons. Maker Egant has ushered the ubiquitous fastener into the 21st century with the introduction of the Button 2.0.
No longer do you have to be content with just keeping your clothing closed. Now the buttons that keep you from being charged with indecent exposure will also help you corral your headphone/ear bud cord. Brilliant!
The concept is very simple: one edge of the button is just “hollow” enough (shaped in the form of a ‘C’) to accommodate a 2 mm cord. Genius! Simply clip the cord into the button and you’re good to go. Not only does the button keep your headphone cord from swinging loose (how many times have I inadvertently become tangled in that thin), it also keeps your headphones where you want them when they aren’t in your ears. According to Egant, Button 2.0 also helps keep the buds in your ears by relieving the pull exerted by the weight of the cord.
Button 2.0 can be seen in all its glory over at Shapeways.com.Unfortunately, Button 2.0 does not come standard on any shirts just yet. You’ll have to do a bit of sewing if you want to be on the cutting edge. Don’t worry, the extra effort will be worth it. I’ve got Button 2.0 on all my clothes, and my life will never be the same again. In fact, I lost 10 pounds over night, and I’m just about to broker a nuclear agreement with Iran. I was so pleased; I even went so far as to replace the buttons on my button-fly jeans (don’t ask).
All kidding aside, Button 2.0 is a fabulous idea elegantly executed and is well worth checking out. Don’t wait another 800 years.
License: The text of "3D Printed Button 2.0" by All3DP is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.