yeah... its a usb sync cable, so it can charge the iphone. same cable
Heheh..That's good to know. I didn't even check it, but I've been bringing my iPhone's cable into the family room to sync to iTunes (I usually have it plugged into the wall adapter next to my bed for nightly charging). For syncing, I've been plugging it into the same USB hub as my daughter's cable for syncing her Nano. I never bothered to notice they use the same connector.
I don't remember where I saw it, but something suggested using the wall adapter during an update instead of a computer's USB. I had assumed it was because the adapter is capable of delivering more current, but further thought leads me to think it is so the computer doesn't go to sleep and kill the power mid-update.