We live in a world where everyone has a device that they need to charge, and often times, the need to charge happens when away from the comforts of home. Not many people want to carry around a charger cable everywhere they go, and that's where more portable options like Symlis' Sparrow portable cable comes into play. It folds up, charges devices through USB, and even has a flash drive attached.
The device is essentially a short USB cable (5.7 inches, or 145 mm, when opened) with magnets on each end. The magnets let the ends snap together, creating a loop that can be placed on a key chain. This design also allows the device to remain small, but when opened, it gives a users a little more room to work with than most portable USB cables.
As for the flash drive, it's available in 16 GB, 32 GB, and 64 GB sizes. When plugged into a computer's USB port, it works like a standard thumb drive, but if the other end is jacked into a phone, then it becomes a USB charger. If only the phone end is plugged in, files stored on the thumb drive are available on the mobile device (though this feature is only available to Android users).
Symlis is seeking funding on Indiegogo to bring Sparrow to market. It's over halfway to its funding goal, with over a month left in its funding period. Prices vary for backers, depending on when they jump in, and which models they want. The base price is US$35 for a 16GB micro USB device, with the price going to $70 for a 64GB model. The team plans to ship in October 2015, provided all funding goals are met.
The Indiegogo pitch below provides more information on the Sparrow charger/flash drive.
The current version of Sparrow for iPhone comes with native Lightning connector and doesn't require the $8 adapter add-on anymore.