Trying to get a $%(*& square reader out of an iPod

By on 13 January, 2013 in Design, Team

IMG_4731

What do these tools have in common other than being sharp? I was trying to use them to get a square reader unstuck.

You all know how much we love our Square readers. There are a bunch of competing products out there right now, but so far we’ve been happy with square up. It’s pretty easy to use. the rates are pretty good, and they work most of the time.

Except when they break. And they do that pretty frequently. Let’s just say we have a bag of 60 or so back-ups at any given time.

But  what’s the worst possible thing they can do? Break off the stem in the iPod. The readers connect to the iPod through the headphone jack. And every once and a while (every month or so) an employee accidentally breaks the little stinker in such a way that it’s nearly impossible to remove the stem from the jack.

Yeah, if you can’t tell I’m still a little worked up about this one. And no, I didn’t get the %$%$ thing out of there.

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5 Responses to Trying to get a $%(*& square reader out of an iPod

  1. Josh Simons 14 January, 2013 at 9:30 am #

    Really fine needlenose pliers?

  2. Lucas 14 January, 2013 at 1:03 pm #

    Not sure if these ideas will work but I was noodling about this at the Cambridge St. Clover this morning…

    I named this the “Square peg in a round hole problem”

    I wonder if you could remove the jack with a piece of string. I think the jack itself is hollow (partly because you tried a corkscrew). If it’s possible to wedge the knotted end of a piece of string in the jack, you might be able to spin the string like a rubber band powered plane and grab the jack from the inside.

    Here it is in ascii art:

    tie a knot in a piece of string
    x————————-

    Insert the knot and wedge it into the broken part of the jack. I’m hoping it’s possible to twist the string without the knot spinning around.

    Start spinning the string. It will start to compress.

    x~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

    Keep spinning and it will form knots

    x~~~~~&~~~~~&&~~~~

    Keep going until there are enough knots inside the jack

    x&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&

    Pull.

    Good luck.

  3. lucia 15 January, 2013 at 10:27 am #

    This is awesome. Are you by chance from MIT?

  4. Lucas 15 January, 2013 at 2:41 pm #

    Not from MIT, no. Glad you think the idea has some merit — maybe it would actually work.

  5. Teasel 16 January, 2013 at 4:00 pm #

    Have you tried using a piece of gum? Or, something else that is sticky?

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