Outré USB Gadgets

PreacherTom writes, "We've all connected a myriad of useful things to USB ports: flash drives, printers, webcams. How about a vacuum cleaner? Pair of heated gloves? Anti-cubicle missile system? Joseph Pisani offers a listing of some of the most creative USB-controlled gadgets available, and includes a slide show of the most popular."

Comments

This stupid thing too.

[sporkme]

My most sincere apologies to Fiftythree.org, but when I read about plugging unconventional things into the computer, this classic came to mind. Note: the USBKiller is not listed. Scatter a few of these outside the back door of your local bank.

The EtherKiller and friends: http://www.fiftythree.org/etherkiller/
The Google cache

Or this stupid thing is more in line with the aim of the article.

Stuff that just uses power shouldn't count

[mrchaotica]

I'm only interested in weird stuff that uses the USB data connection also.

Re:Stuff that just uses power shouldn't count

[Qadesh]

I am so disappointed. I thought the vacuum cleaner would connect via the usb to a plan of the house and do the vacuuming for me.

USB

[Anonymous Coward]

They're not USB controlled at all. They're USB powered, and I wish people who write articles would get the difference (hint: one can be replaced with batteries, the other can't).

Re:USB

[BadAnalogyGuy]

I got a USB fan that has a software-controlled speed setting. It's pretty useless outside an air-conditioned room, but it's mostly around for novelty's sake. I hate when people just yank the cord out without right-click removing it from the device list. It leaves the fan in an unstable state and blue screens Windows when I plug it back in.

Re:USB

[Anonymous Coward]

That's what you get for being a Windows Fan-boy.

I know, I know: {groan}

Re:USB

[Cyno01]

The missile launcher is aimable and fireable through windows.

Really useful? Laptop lights!

[The Bungi]

Remember when USB started to go mainstream? After reading for a while about the 'glut' of 'wonderful devices' that would come down on the market and then hearing about USB-powered Tamagotchi (or some such stupidity) I pretty much gave up on the idea... until the laptop light. The USB-powered laptop light. Hell hath no fury compared to my reaching for my wallet to get one of these things at CompUSA the first time I saw them.

If USB gives us nothing more in the way of alternative devices and gadgets, I will consider it a victory anyway =)

iBrator

[diablo-d3]

Well, there is always the iBrator, the most, uh, "friendly" of USB devices.

USB controlled or USB powered?

[Matt Perry]

Pisani offers a listing of some of the most creative USB-controlled gadgets available

Only the little missles look like they could be USB controlled. The rest just seem to be drawing power from the USB port.

Re:USB controlled or USB powered?

[sporkme]

Well, this qualifies. DIY USB phone handset
The guy combined a USB skype/gaming headset and an older style telephone handset for something that actually seems somewhat practical compared to a USB aquarium.

USB power is cool

[Bombcar]

I wish more devices used USB power to charge, then I wouldn't have to carry as many different power adapters around.

I've got the missile launcher, it's okay.

[phillymjs]

I wanted to up the ante in a rubber-band-gun arms race in my office, but I couldn't find it available from any online vendors in the U.S. I see ThinkGeek now has a listing for them and they're expected in stock there in October. Anyway, I ended up picking one up on eBay from a guy in Australia for a decent price, about a month and a half ago.

It takes AA batteries to actually power the launcher motors, with a switch on the underside of the base. The part of the missile that locks into the spring mechanism is actually heavier than the the rest of it, so it doesn't always fly nose-first like you'd think. It also doesn't have much in the way of range. If I could find extra missiles for it I'd experiment a bit with weighting the tips to try to address those issues.

I haven't used the included (Windows-only) control app yet, but a guy wrote a control app for it for OS X that's not too bad. You can find it on Versiontracker, I'm too lazy to hunt it down and make a link right now.

~Philly