Thanks to capitalism, tech advances have a funny way of reverting back to the old way of doing things.
Consumers were excited about Apple AirPods when they first became available on December 13, 2016.
In addition to playing music, the Bluetooth-enabled wireless device included a built-in microphone enabling noise-cancellation.
It also nixed the cumbersome cord that connected the ear buds together.
And while the in-ear placement feature – which paused music in the event one of the stubby pods fell out of your ear – proved to be convenient on one level, a large demographic of music lovers were fearful of being left with a solo earpiece after losing the other.
The pricey solution to keeping the AirPods tethered is equal parts stocking-stuffer and head-slapper.
For $60, you can go back to sporting the accessory that appears to look like regular headphones with Nordstrom's AirPods Carrying Strap.
The accessory defeats the whole purpose of having wireless headphones, and now we have come full circle.
The screengrab featured in the above tweet was taken from a Cosmopolitan's holiday gift guide that featured the magnetic-locking leather strap.
The strap, which is available in a variety of colors, has no function other than preventing one of the pods from going rogue when not in use.
Currently, AirPods retail for $159, while the AirPods Pro has a value of $249.
But for an additional $60, you can buy insurance in the form of a strap to keep your buds together forever!
But you might as well buy traditional wired in-ear buds at competitive prices.
Or if you have money burning a hole in your pocket, you can stay relevant with this method.
At $60, it simply cannot be just any old strap.
What's next?
So far, there is one positive review of the accessory on Nordstrom's website:
"Perfect accessory for Air-Pods. Bought this for my daughter in law as a stocking stuffer, as we are also giving her new Air-Pods for the holidays! Exceptionally well made and very reasonably priced! Highly recommend as a gift for someone special or even for yourself!"
Happy holidays.
