The multiple lipo deal appears to be a ParaBoard. Provides parallel connections for both the main wires and the balancing taps. There are now clones and other versions of the idea too. A "safe" board has fuses to help avoid damage in case of mistakes.
Buddy RC ParaBoard
Progressive RC Charge Boards
One of the better sources of info on parallel charging. The only irrefutable limitation is the lipos must be the same series cell count. 2S only with other 2S, 3S with 3S, etc. Packs should be somewhat close in charge state before hooking up. Pack capacities can be different.
How-To: Parallel Charging