Marathon Computer on Friday introduced its RePorter Port Extender. The spherical device features a flat front face with two USB Type A ports, a FireWire 400 port, a FireWire 800 port, audio in through a 1/8-inch stereo mini jack and audio out through a 1/8-inch stereo mini jack. The device connects to a Mac or PC using a single 1.5-meter cable that splits apart into one-foot lengths. The Marathon RePorter is shipping now and costs US$59.
Marathon spokesman David Soch explained the idea behind the RePorter’s unique design in a recent statement. “We were tired of the kind of thing that is obviously designed to sit on a flat surface but doesn’t really work well that way, since you have to pick up to steady it while you plug or unplug a cable,” he said. “And we picture plugging and unplugging a lot. So we got the idea of an extender for the rear ports that has no obvious orientation, a shape designed more to fit your hand instead of the desktop.”