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The "Battery Tender" (that's the brand name of the original device of its kind) and its ilk are indeed "smart chargers" and are not trickle chargers.
Generally speaking, there are three kinds of charges you can give your battery: Full Charge, Trickle Charge, and whatever the charge given by Tenders is called (it's a monitored trickle charge, I guess).
Use Fast Charge only when necessary to get a battery recharged fast; it's not that good for the battery and not always the best charge, but it will get the car started. Use a trickle charge when you have the time to fully recharge the battery.
A battery tender is used for the battery of a vehicle in storage or one that is not used very frequently. (I have a friend who has 9 motorcycles in his garage, and each has its own Battery Tender.) The tender gives the battery a very slow charge; when the battery is fully charged, it stops charging, until the battery gets low again. It cannot overcharge a battery, which can cause damage to the battery.
This is why you should never use a trickle charger for a car in storage; use a tender only or no charger and hope that the car will start when you go to drive it.
I'm pretty sure that this is correct info, but would be glad to hear from battery experts if I have something wrong.
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