The folks at MobileFun.co.uk asked us if we’d be interested in reviewing an item they sell called the DeskGenie. Having checked it out online, we were intrigued enough to accept the offer. So, for the last few days, I’ve been taking it for a test drive. The DeskGenie is a universal charging stand which can hold pretty much any phone-sized device you care to put on it. It connects to a USB port on your PC (or to a separate mains power adapter if you have one) and comes with a number of different power connector heads which can be used to charge your phone or mp3 player, etc… In addition to the charging functionality, the DeskGenie also comes with 2 USB ports and an 8 in 1 card reader. Here’s it’s official description:-

Desk Genie Non-Slip This holder is designed to hold any device in position. It holds using a special material which grips the device. It is even designed so if your phone is vibrating frantically it will still stay in place. The holder is able to do such a feat thanks to the special surface which is made from a high tech rubber material. Your phone is held so firmly you’ll think it has been glued down – but there is no sticky residue on the phone or on the Genie. The Desk Genie can hold your phone in optimum viewing positions to read emails, watch videos and play games. Features:

• Designed with a non-slip material
• Holds your mobile phone or accessories firmly
• Fully compliant with USB 2.0 specification
• Backwards compatible with USB 1.1
• Plug and play
• Supports Windows 2000/XP/ Vista, Mac OSX and Linux
• Dimensions: 59 x 102 x 106mm (approx)
• Weight: 95g

Connectors:

• iPhone/iPod
• Nokia 2mm (works with 5800, N95, 6700 and more)
• Nokia 3.5mm (works with 3310, 6680, 6230 and more)
• MicroUSB (for Nokia N97/BlackBerry 8900/Samsung Omnia II and more)
• Mini USB (for BlackBerry 8300 /HTC Hero/MP3)
• LG (works with all LG phones)
• Samsung Tip1 (works with D900, U600, D800 and more)
• Samsung Tip2 (works with Omnia, Pixon, Tocco Lite and more)
• Sony Ericsson Fast Port (works with all Sony Ericsson phones)

What’s in the box:

• 1 x Non-slip Holder 2 USB Ports
• 1 x 90cm Mini USB Cable
• 1 x Charger Output Cable
• 9 x Mobile Phone Connectors
• 1 x User Manual

My first impression upon opening up the device’s packaging was that, to my surprise, the DeskGenie looked well made. Before we received the DeskGenie, I’d had images of a rather cheap and ugly looking device that I’d be embarrassed to leave in plain sight on my desk, but it’s actually quite easy on the eye. The only complaint I have about it’s look is that the short charging cable that goes from the DeskGenie to your phone has to loop round the unit from the back, where perhaps a cable management feed running underneath the unit would have been tidier, but this really is just nitpicking as the cable running round the back isn’t exactly hideously messy. I was a little sceptical about the “high tech rubber” non-slip pad that the DeskGenie uses to hold the phone in place, but found that it actually really does work well, even when I attached my Hero in landscape mode, it held fast. I did find that, after a few days’ worth of use (and, no doubt, a number of thorough and grubby fingerings by curious children when Daddy wasn’t looking), the pad wasn’t quite as ‘sticky’ as it had been, but, as the instructions point out, wiping the pad with a damp cloth restores it’s grip as good as new. The performance of the 8-in-1 card reader was comparable to any other reader I’ve ever used; all of the cards I tried were detected quickly and data transfers were completed at a reasonable speed. The USB slots both seemed to work perfectly well too. As a charger, the DeskGenie succeeded in charging both my HTC Hero and my mp3 player, but it didn’t seem to want to charge my wife’s Samsung Jet for some reason, although the website does claim it is a compatible device (in fairness, my wife’s Jet has been through the washing at least once, so there’s a distinct chance that something in it is faulty). Overall, I’m quite impressed with the DeskGenie. So much so that I’m actually considering buying another one so that I have one at the office and one at home. It doesn’t look out of place on a desk, it charges things well and has the added bonus of the 8 in 1 card reader and USB ports. I don’t know about you, but free USB ports are like gold-dust in my house, so those additional ports were a welcome addition to my computer desk. There is, however, one large drawback to the DeskGenie that is worth bearing in mind, as I suspect it will put a lot of people off: the DeskGenie will only charge your device, you can’t use it to sync with, or connect to, your phone from your computer. If you need to access your phone from the computer, you can connect a USB cable to one of the DeskGenie’s ports and sync or interface with it that way. All things considered, I’m happy to say I’d recommend that DeskGenie. It’s nice looking, it does what it claims to and at only £14.99, it’s better value than many gadgets I’ve paid double that for. The DeskGenie is available for £14.99 as part of the HTC desk chargers range from MobileFun.co.uk.