So strong is the power of Brand Apple, even the introduction of a new USB cable manufactured by a different company to charge an iPhone and iPod is causing excitement.

But to be fair, it is not just any USB power and sync cable. It is called the X-Power1 and in the middle of the cord, it contains its unique feature: an AAA battery-sized battery pack.

This rechargeable backup battery charges every time users connect their iPod, iPod docking devices, iPod Touch or iPhone to their computers. This way, when users' devices run out of power while they are out and about and on the go, they can simply plug their devices into the cable, thus providing their iPhones and iPods with a bit of an additional power boost. The X-Power1 can also charge the internal batteries of the iPhone, iPod and iPod Touch.

According to specs, the XPower1 can boost the 3G iPhone's talk time by up to 4.5 hours. The bloggers at CrunchGear are a bit skeptical of that claim, but say that even if it only boosts the iPhone's power enough to just get an additional hour, it will still be worth it. For the iPod and iPod Touch, it claims to provide it with standby time of up to 270 hours, audio playback of up to 20 hours and video playback of 6 hours.

The X-Power1 is available in three different sizes: 6 inches (15.24 cm), 20 inches (50.8 cm), and 30 inches (76.2 cm). It is also available as a retractable cord. For those who are not fans or owners of Apple products: according to the product web site, it is also available for other cellphones and MP3 players.

The X-Power1 is available in the US for about $30.

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