Smartphones already have indicators of how much time is left till the battery is fully charged. However, wouldn’t it be more convenient if the cable used for charging the phone would indicate that, too?
Purple Bottle Media figured out that the USB cables we use for charging our phones are quite dull. They don’t make sounds, they don’t have visual effects, and they certainly don’t help us find out when the charging is done. Flow Charge, the product that they have developed, on the the other hand, glows in a way that helps people understand the current charging status without checking the phone.
More precisely, when the battery is less than 65% full, the light flowing effect takes place more rapidly. In contrast, when the battery is between 66% and 99% full, the cable glows at a lower rate. Flow Charge gets to a full stop when the battery is fully charged. That way, smartphone owners will know just where they are at, in terms of battery charge, not to mention that the Electroluminescent Light technology helps them retrieve their device in the dark. On top of that, the EL technology lowers the power consumption.
The Flow Charge cable comes in three different versions. One is compatible with iPhone 5, another one with iPhone 4, and the last one works with any device that charges via microUSB cables. On top of that, each version is available in two different colors: black and white. As the cable is invariably transparent with blue LEDs, the difference is obviously in the color of the plugs.
It goes without saying that the effect is the most impressive when Flow Charge is used in a dark room or at night. The following video should give you an idea about how the Flow Charge cable looks and works:
All three versions can be purchased on The Flow Charge website for $19.95. This includes free shipping in the US. Orders from Canada are also accepted, but other than that, the rest of the world will unfortunately have to rely on third-parties to get their hands of this.
I wish more cables provided visual feedback, and I don’t mean charging cables only. Flow Charge is not only highly functional, but also very stylish, unlike the lackluster that surround us everyday, everywhere. Hardware manufacturers should focus either on wireless charging or on stylish cables such as Flow Charge, all the while discarding the common ones.
If you liked this post, please check the solar-harvesting bonsai that charges smartphones through induction and VOTO, the device that turns thermal energy into battery power.
