Stefan Mileschin

Sure, we own dozens of micro-USB cables, but we don't always have one with us when we need to charge up smartphones, cameras, e-readers and countless other devices. That's why we're happy to get behind this wallet-sized cable, coined ChargeCard. We had a chance to check out the Apple dock connector flavor in March, and now the Kickstarter-backed company is shipping its micro-USB version, supporting power and data transfer with just about any USB-equipped gadget. Micro-USB seems to be the accepted standard these days, so the $25 ChargeCard is a reasonable investment. It is indeed thin and light enough to fit comfortably in your wallet, but it will add some heft, and may be an unwelcome addition to already packed vessels.

The device includes a fixed micro-USB connector and a pop-out flexible cable to plug into your computer or another power source. Unfortunately, the cable is not designed to be reversed, so depending on how it fits into your smartphone, the handset may need to face down. We experienced this issue with a MacBook Air and Samsung Galaxy Note II -- you can force the flexible cable to twist into the necessary position, but it appears to cause quite a bit of tension, and our ChargeCard was visibly damaged after just a few minutes of use. Otherwise, our quick test went off without a hitch, and you shouldn't expect to run into any problems, assuming your smartphone's orientation is a non-issue. The card has already begun shipping -- if you backed the project on Kickstarter, expect your ChargeCard to arrive this week. If you haven't placed a pre-order, you can pick one up at the source link below.

http://www.engadget.com/2013/05/13/c... ign=Engadget