Switch-hitting cord flips from Lightning to micro USB
It might sound like the black-and-white portion of a late-night informercial, but the fact is that we have a lot of stuff that needs charging and syncing, and not every cable will work. But the LMcable, which is currently seeking support on crowdfunding site Kickstarter, aims to take some of that pain away.
It’s a cool idea: One end of the LMcable is a standard USB plug that fits into your computer or wall adapter. The business end, however, is a multitasker. Orient it one way, and it’s a micro USB bit; flip it over, and it fits the Lightning port standard to Apple’s mobile devices. And anything that might help out our increasingly tangle-prone cord storage is alright by us.
First of all, that’s one of the more charming Kickstarter promo videos we’ve seen in a while. But the product also looks really useful.
LMcable was looking for $5,500 AUD (about $3,550 US) to get up and running, but it’s already blown well past that mark. As of this writing, it’s made almost 22 times that goal, and we get why.
The functionality extends beyond just transitions between Apple and Android. We own a variety of micro USB devices that would benefit from this versatility and appreciate that we could just have one cable plugged in to charge our iPhones, iPads, Kindles, Bluetooth styluses, and whatever else we’re forgetting because this stuff is seriously all over the place. But it would also be really handy to have one cable in our car that everyone could use to top up on long road trips or for emergency.
LMcable also supports fast charging, and its wire covers look both sturdy and stylish. You can currently pick one up through the pledge page for about $15, or you can triple up for about $32, provided you’re okay helping the company with its social-media reach by sharing the link. We’re less excited about that part, but we get the appeal.
The campaign is running for four more weeks, and the company expects to ship within a month.