Having declared a moratorium on testing cellphone accessories, we made an exception for the new Une Bobine Stand, Sync and Charging Cable from FuseChicken. This 24-inch-long, 1/4-inch-thick, flexible metal coil has a USB plug at one end and a sturdy minimalistic cellphone dock at the other (available in models for iPhone 4/4S, 5//5S/5C, and Android phones with micro-USB ports). Coil the metal as tightly or loosely and as high- or low-standing as you like (depending on what seems most stable for your phone). Plug the USB end into your computer or a USB wall charger, and then slide your phone’s power port onto the Une Bobine’s Lightning — or 30-pin or micro USB — adaptor, which has a slim plastic vertical backboard to keep the phone stable. The gap between the charging unit and the backboard is just wide enough to accommodate most cellphone cases — a rarity with many docks. The device stays steady, so you can use it as a tripod, either coiled solo or wrapped around a tree branch or other object.
Une Bobine Flexible Cell Phone Stand Sync and Charging Cable, $19.95 to $34.95,
Judi Dash, Gear & Gadgets Syndicate
