Fund this: Worm iPhone case packs Lightning USB cable

I have a (some would say unhealthy) fascination with cases that do more than just protect your phone. Because, really, if you’re going to diminish your handset’s outer beauty, you might as well get something extra for it.

The Apple Worm (the name of which has almost certainly attracted the attention of Apple’s lawyers by now) is an iPhone 5/5C/5S case with a built-in Lightning cable. What’s so “wormy” about it? The cable lays flat across the back when not in use but can scrunch up to form a kickstand.

This is better shown than explained, so check out the developer’s promo vid:

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As you can see, the cable stows neatly in the rear of the case and adds a nice little splash of color. You can slide it right out for syncing and charging purposes, or bend it to prop up your phone in portrait or landscape orientation. (Surprisingly few kickstand cases support portrait, which I find invaluable for reading.)

The developers also note that you can use the Worm as a “cord winder” for your headphones, though I can’t say I see much appeal in that. (Maybe they don’t, either, as there’s not even a photo of that application.)

The case itself is available in your choice of five colors, as is the cable.

To get one, you’ll need to fund the Apple Worm’s Indiegogo campaign, which is not quite halfway to its $8,000 contribution goal. For as little as $20 or $21, you can claim a Worm for your iPhone 5C or 5/5S. (Why there’s a $1 discrepancy between the two, I have no idea.) Shipping adds $8. However, for $35 and $36, you can get four cases (in different colors) and a single cable, a nice way to mix things up.

The delivery time shown is January, 2014, which seems impossible considering the campaign has six days left and the Worm will be shipping from China. That said, if you’re tired of never having a USB cable when you need one, the Worm appears to solve that problem effectively and affordably. Your thoughts?