The mySaver is an add-on for Apple USB to dock connectors that aims to prevent the problem of cables fraying and breaking by protecting the ends of the cables. This is done by a combination of a metal plug cover and a colour-coded semi-transparent rubber cable cover. The mySaver can be bought either as a kit to fit to your existing cables or as pre-assembled onto an OEM-quality cable.
The difference with this is that I didn't technically buy it. I backed the mySaver project at the concept stage on Kickstarter, a site that helps people and organisations secure funding for activities and projects, and as a result I could choose a reward - in this case, the finished product.
I choose to have a pre-assembled cable as my reward. The mySaver is well fitted. The only negative point is that there was some excess glue left in the slot of the USB cover, resulting in the slot not gripping the cable very well. A little bit of careful trimming with a scalpel could fix that though.
Overall the finish of the final product is good. The aluminium shotblast-effect metallic plug covers are a good match for Apple products. There are some visible horizontal lines on mine but this is only minor. Also, I would have preferred the coloured rubber to be opaque, as originally designed, rather than semi-transparent.
Functionally the USB plug is a good fit and the docking connector is a little on the tight side but works fine.
A feature of the mySaver is that there is a small slot in the USB cover to allow the cable to be slotted in, so that the ends don't get tangled when travelling. This is a great idea if you're just using the cable by itself. If you plan to leave the cable plugged into a USB charger though, there isn't enough clearance to use this slot.
Also, the extended size of the USB plug to accommodate the slot means that it can obscure other ports when plugged into a computer. On an 13" Macbook Pro, it will prevent either the SD card slot or the other USB slot from being used.
Moving away from the end product, the experience with Kickstarter itself was quite positive. In backing a project, your money is pledged but not actually taken until the project has reached it's target amount. This means that you don't actually pay until the project is ready to go. The only downside is that you have to remember you have pledged the money and may need to pay it at any time!
There were plenty of updates from the project and although it was delayed, the communication helped to reassure that it wasn't unjustified. Being a backer also means that you can contribute your ideas and potentially influence the final product.
Being involved with Kickstarter has been an interesting process although I think it is unlikely I will find anything else I wish to back at the present time. Still, it's an innovative way of raising funding for projects and worth keeping an eye on in the future.
