My girlfriend just got a new ebook reader — a jetbook — that came with an unusual USB cable. One end is a regular USB mini B head, but the other end has two plugs. Both are USB non-mini A size, but one is red. The manual gives no indication about what the red head does; is it a standard cable type? What is it for? It looks like this:
EDIT: @Chris, Thanks for the answer. It brings up a follow-up question, though: can/should both heads be plugged in at the same time? Or would that confuse or damage the device?
Best Answer
The black connection provides power and data. The red one is power only. The second cord should be used if the black one doesn't provide enough power to power and/or charge the device. You'll see a lot of external hard drives come with the same type of plug (though usually both are black).
EDIT: To answer your second question, plug the device in using the black cable. If it runs normally and charges (assuming this has a battery), then you're fine. If, however, the device doesn't operate correctly or doesn't charge, then you will need to plug the red cord into another USB port. You wouldn't cause any harm to the device by plugging in both cables. Honestly, the red one would even be plugged into a different computer since it's just power only.