Here’s a bit of tech wisdom for you (or probably just me being arrogant): things aren’t always as they seem. Sometimes cellphones that look like iPhones are actually Chinese knock-offs with completely different operating systems, and other times small things that look like padlocks can’t be opened with a key because they’re actually meant to charge your iPhone. I’d link to that second item, but it’s actually the one I’m going to be talking about here, so hit the jump for a quick look at the Sync-and-Charger cable.

It’s a real pain in the butt to keep carrying the default iPod/iPhone wires along with you when you’re out and about. They’re just too long for non-desktop usage and I find them pretty much always getting tangled on something. The one solution I had been using up till this USB Fever cable was a set of retractable iPhone cables from PPCTechs, but these sync-and-charge padlock cables make things even simpler.

All I need to do to get them ready is take the two ends of the cable apart and then hook the iPhone and laptop up. That’s it. there are absolutely no tangles because the wire is so short and stiff there’s no way it could wind its way around itself. The cable ends are made of cheap plastic, but they get the job done — they keep dust and dirt out of the dock and USB connectors, and all they need to do is click together. No moving parts

The connectors look big at first, but I found that the USB connector didn’t really take up much more space than the default iPhone cable when it was plugged in. However, because of the size of the dock connector, you’re not really going to be able to use the cable along with a case.

My favourite aspect of these simple cables is the padlock design. You can’t lock things down, but you can tether the cable to anything that you can loop it through. You usually need a pocket of some sort to hold cables, but this set can just attach to any loop or strap on a bag and you’re all set to go.

So if you’re on the hunt for a different kind of mobile sync cable for your iPhone or iPod, check USBFever’s Sync-and-Charger cable out. It’s not retractable, but that also means that there’s (hopefully) very little that can go wrong with it.

You can pick up your own sync-and-charger cable for $10.99 ($2.99 shipping/order) at USBFever.

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