What Goofy USB Devices Have You Found?

pluckyduck asks: "What's the goofiest USB device out there? The links below are by no means an endorsement of the company, just links to goofy USB devices to illustrate my point. The first one is not really a USB device, but a wall adapter in case you want to power your USB Coffee Mug Warmer from a wall outlet (hey, there's a concept!). I believe they also have an auto adapter should you feel the need to run your USB air purifier in the car. The latest PC I bought only has 6 USB ports, I'll need to buy a hub soon!" Yes, they even have USB Massage Balls, as well. Although goofy, some of this stuff could be useful in the right situation. What off the wall USB devices have you found? How might you use some of the devices, that have been listed?

Comments

USB lights

[dougmc]

How about the USB light? Pretty mundane, but it still seems pretty whacky ...

Some things I have come across....

[qube99]

For those of you who might have burned your penis on your laptop, cool it down!
If you are a mobile traveler like me, it's one less thing to pack when your toothbrush is USB powered!
Or while you are brushing your teeth, you can find time to make some noodles or whatever the hell this thing does.
And one last one to make soup with I guess.

USB Everything

[Noah Adler]

A co-worker of mine is kind of a USB nut:

• USB electric blanket
• USB coffee heater
• USB toothbrush
• USB fan
• omg wtf is this!
• USB 'Desktop safety fan' (?)
• USB light
• USB fingerprint reader
• USB police strobe
• George Foreman USB iGrill (knock out da USB fat!)
• USB electric razor
• USB noodle strainer

Vibrator!

[JANYAtty.]

USB Vibe by Grandtec USA is a USB powered personal massager that I got from Compusa last month for 10$. No it isnt computer controlled. It is a disk 3 1/2" in diameter with a blue plastic hemisphere section covered with bumps. I havent taken it out of the package which claims "Makes sitting at your computer a pleasure!". It claims to oscilate at 60 vibrations per second. It might be great to have one as a female and put this thing on your pleasure center, maybe while your working on the airplane on your laptop and have the passenger next to you ask whats that loud humming coming from. Probably just as much fun going through security checkpoints!

TRANCE VIBRATOR!!!

[caulfield]

The japanese version of Rez has a USB TRANCE VIBRATOR. If only there were drivers for MacOS, or Linux.

Simpsons anyone?

[Knetzar]

My roommate has a USB Homer Simpson.

What about USB laptop charging?

[wicked_little_critta]

Why doesn't some manufacturer make a laptop that can be charged via USB?

I first thought of this when in a meeting. The laptop of the guy next to me was running out of juice - I had two batteries in mine and plenty of power, but there was no way to move the power the 15 inches from my machine to his.

Think of the possibilities: no more carrying a fat, proprietary power brick around to charge your laptop - just slip a USB cable in your pocket and pull some power from your desktop machine (or a friend's, or a stranger's, or the local library's). No USB port handy? Grab one of the $15 USB power jacks in the original post, and you're all set.

Probably won't ever happen, though - too much damage to the 'laptop power brick' sector of the economy...

Re:What about USB laptop charging?

[Hank Reardon]

Why doesn't some manufacturer make a laptop that can be charged via USB?

I'm trying to remember the USB spec; it's been about 3 years since I had to deal with it, so this information may be a bit out of date.

By my recollection, though, there are two reasons that manufacturers don't do this:

1. The USB spec allows for bus-powered devices to draw power only. And the power they draw is supposed to be negligable, as well; something in the range of 5 milliampres for a bus-powered device. Devices are supposed to auto-power into a very low current sleep-state while they're not in use, as well. If everything went according to the spec, I don't think an extra 5 ma trickling into the battery wouldn't do a whole lot.
2. USB isn't a peer-to-peer technology ala Firewire, it requires a root control device. Making laptops able to hook up to each other in this manner would require special software, as well; I believe the software would have to be similar to the USB-USB networking in WinXP. It could work, but it would shift the burden of battery charging to the USB chipset manufacturer or the laptop builder rather than the OS guys.

Neither of these are too difficult to overcome -- well, except the 5ma draw for a bus-powered device -- but it would require an extension to the USB spec to make sure that all parties had a consistent way to make the laptops interact with each other in a charging mode.