The USB port is arguably one of the most important components of the computer. You plug in your keyboard, mouse, printers and now smartphone charging cords. Regardless of the model you have, the main way you connect to the computer is through a USB cord of some kind. If you have an iPhone, you likely use the 30-pin cord, (unless you have a brand new iPhone 5), and likely carry one around, as the iPhone usually needs to be charged throughout the day.

The good news is that there’s a new gadget that aims to get rid of the cord altogether.

Scheduled to release in December 2012, the Charge Card, (no, it’s not a new fangled credit card), is a device that will replace the somewhat unwieldy iPhone charging cable. The concept behind the gadget is to replace the charging cable with something you can fit in your wallet.

The Charge Card is a credit card sized charging device which is .1 inches thick and made of a hard plastic. In the middle is a rubber USB connector that pops out and is compatible with any USB port. On the opposite end is a small 30-pin connector – the standard connector used by Apple. The 30-pin connector will work with the iPhone 4s and older; the iPad 3 and older; and any iPod. It is compatible with the new iPhone 5, iPads and iPods if you have the adapter.

How it works is you pop out the flexible USB connector, plug it into a USB port on a computer, TV, airplane seat, etc. and plug the other end into your iDevice. While it isn’t a battery, it does allow you to leave the cords at home, and USB ports being pretty much everywhere these days, you can charge your device whenever you need to.

What is interesting about this is that the project was crowdfunded through Kickstarter, meaning people think it’s a good enough idea to invest in it. You can learn more about the project here, and if you’d like to learn more about using the iPhone in the office, give us a shout, we’d be happy to chat with you.