Everyone can use more USB charging slots in their lives. And this little fob lets you add one to your power outlet even with all spots taken. It’s called FlipIt! and it’s a sneaky one.
Instead of plugging to a wall outlet like most standalone USB chargers do, the stealthy contraption can simply be inserted to hang on the pins of any active plug you’ve got running on an outlet. It then leeches off power from those pins, which you can use to charge your own USB gadgets.
The FlipIt! is about the size of a thumb drive (2.35 x 1.30 x 0.67 inches), making it a very convenient charger to carry around. On one end sits a USB slot where you’ll plug in your charging cable, while a flip out power tab sits on the other. The tab is what you insert under the plug, passing the pins through the three cutout holes in its body. Once the tab is anchored under a plug, you can swing the main body a full 270 degrees, allowing you to rotate it at a comfortable angle. When connected to a gadget, it will supply 1,000mA of juice at 5V, just like any regular USB port.
There aren’t always running computers with open USB slots. But chances are, there’s always a power outlet in use anywhere you go (unless you’re slumming it in the mountains, of course), making this a lifesaver for those times of emergency when your gadget can really use a hit.
Thinkgeek has the FlipIt! available now, priced at $13.99.
