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World's smallest iPhone charger fits on your keychain

The JuiceBuddy resembles a Zippo lighter, one that cleverly hides AC prongs and an iDevice connector. Coming soon for $25.

Rick Broida Senior Editor
Rick Broida is the author of numerous books and thousands of reviews, features and blog posts. He writes CNET's popular Cheapskate blog and co-hosts Protocol 1: A Travelers Podcast (about the TV show Travelers). He lives in Michigan, where he previously owned two escape rooms (chronicled in the ebook "I Was a Middle-Aged Zombie").
Rick Broida
The JuiceBuddy is a pocket-friendly iPhone charger.
The JuiceBuddy is a pocket-friendly iPhone charger. Pacific Productions

iPhone charging on the go has always presented something of a challenge. You need not only the wall wart, but also a sync cable -- and someplace to carry both.

Pacific Productions' JuiceBuddy is a portable, self-contained iPhone/iPod charger that's tiny enough to slip into your pocket -- or ride shotgun on your keychain. In fact, it even comes with a keyring adapter for exactly that purpose.

Photos don't immediately do the product justice, so check out the promo video below to get some perspective on the JuiceBuddy's size and design.

As you can see, it closely resembles a Zippo lighter, except that when you pop the JuiceBuddy's top, you get an iDevice connector, not a flame.

Then you just pop out its prongs, plug it into an AC outlet, and plop down your iPhone or iPod.

The keyring adapter serves a second purpose: slip it out of the JuiceBuddy and you'll find a standard USB port, one you can use to charge other devices (though you will need cables for that, natch). It's not immediately clear if you can do that while charging your iDevice, or if the JuiceBuddy is a one-at-a-time charger.

One thing that is clear: I want one. Though a little steep at $25, this gizmo solves the longstanding problem of never having a charger around when you need one.

The JuiceBuddy is available in red, white, black, and aluminum. You can preorder now; it's expected to ship in August. Your thoughts?