If you've ever wondered if you were enough of a geek to qualify as a GeekDad or GeekMom, here's a simple test for you: Did you immediately understand the purpose of the crazy orange cable in the picture above? And, more importantly, did the fact that such a cable exists excite you? Excite you enough to immediately add one to your Christmas list?
If you answered yes to at least two of the questions above, congratulations, you truly are a 21st Century GeekMom or GeekDad. Sadly, the only prize that this earns you is the privilege of providing tech support for the myriad electronic devices in your household. Of course, many of those devices are USB-enabled, which means you likely spend a lot of time looking around, trying to remember where you left that frakkin' USB cable. Naturally, when you do find a USB cable, it will have the wrong plug on the end, which means you get to continue your treasure hunt (and there's a good chance the next cable you find will also have the wrong plug-- argh!).
If the frustration of never being able to find the proper USB cable sounds a little too familiar to you, I suggest you grab a couple of the Cerberus USB cables from Sparkfun. As you can see from the picture above, the three "heads" of the cable are most common USB connectors (USB-B, mini-B and micro-B), and the tail is a standard USB-A connector for plugging into a computer or USB power supply. With this puppy in-hand, you'll never have to go looking for the correct USB cable again. And while you're getting one or two for yourself, why not order a few extra for the other tech types in your life? They're only about $6 at Sparkfun, and would make great stocking stuffers.
And speaking of USB and Sparkfun, the elves over there have also put together a terrific overview of USB cables and connectors. If you get excited over triple-headed USB cables, then you're also likely the type to appreciate a complete and concise general guide to USB cables, right?
Take care once you bounce over to Sparkfun though -- there are so many cool tech toys there that your budget may not survive...
