News - LifeLink: World’s thinnest USB cable, available for pre-order

[HEXUS]

Also Sony will debut its dual-USB micro-regular flash drive in January.

Read more.

[jim]

I opened this article thinking "oh yeah, because I've always worried about how the thickness of USB cables". But actually, it's all about changing usage scenarios - right now to connect my phone up to a PC means I need my huge cable, which I keep in my rucksack, so who cares how thick the cable is. Now, if that cable fit in my wallet, then suddenly it's a bit more convenient and then I do care. Nice idea, even if I'm not going to pay $19 for it.

[Dooms]

$24 (with International Shipping) so £14.70... I may actually get one.

As for the Sony Stick, I love the idea. I'm personally using a http://www.meenova.com/ with a 64GB MicroSD card for my Nexus7 & S4 but obviously have to carry around either a USB or SD adapter as well to get content onto it... only issue is that it is Sony so my $12 Meenova & £40 MicroSD card will prob translate into nearer £100 for equivalent size... I think I'll keep carrying that USB adapter for now

[Cog]

Yes it's small but you need a laptop to charge it from in the first place. If you're carrying a laptop round with you it's not really much extra hassle to stick a 1-foot cable in your bag too.

It's more useful for people who are going to be in an office or library or somewhere, and can have that cable in their wallet for emergencies. Even so, it's a very expensive cable for something you're likely to carry round with you just in case. Chinese ebay sellers will come out with a similar concept in no time.

The sony connector is nice, but there will be a lot of complaints about damaged connectors from people trying to plug in a phone with nothing to support it.

[DemonHighwayman]

So do those sony 'drives' have there own power source ? because I know for a fact that my tablet doesn't provide power through it's usb port, currently I need a separate usb hub with a battery inside it to connect any usb device.

[edzieba]

because I know for a fact that my tablet doesn't provide power through it's usb port

Then either your tablet is not implementing USB OTG correctly, is faulty, or you have a weird USB drive. The minimum a compliant OTG device can output is 8mA, and this is more than sufficient for any competently designed USB stick. And any reputable device advertising USB OTG as a feature will have a TPL - a list of devices that will work with USB OTG - generally implying at least 100mA delivery and sometimes 500mA.

What tablet are you using?

[kingpotnoodle]

right now to connect my phone up to a PC means I need my huge cable, which I keep in my rucksack, so who cares how thick the cable is. Now, if that cable fit in my wallet, then suddenly it's a bit more convenient

But when do you ever have your laptop + wallet but not the laptop carry bag? There are very short USB cables (Nokia used to bundle them, maybe they still do) if the whole coiled 4ft one is annoying...

Ther only use I can think of is being caught out with low charge and only your phone and wallet on you, but then you have the problem of find a USB charging port, easier said than done in a train station, it's not like you can just sit next to a stranger and ask to plug into their laptop for a bit... the wire is to short to then hold your phone even.

The dual ended USB drive looks like a decent idea though.

[DemonHighwayman]

What tablet are you using?

An HP Touchpad, and I have no idea if it's OTG compliant, I just know it's not really worth bothering trying to connect anything to it.