7 Crazy Things you can Plug in a USB Port
The USB port has largely become the standard for powering up all kinds of devices from our peripherals to our smartphones and tablets. No wonder the first letter of the acronym stands for universal. And as with all things universal, USB ports are never used simply for their practicality. There are a number of USB-powered gadgets that have more of an idiosyncratic value than anything else, but that makes them all the more attractive to people. Here are a few crazy cases.
Custom USB Drives
After the USB flash drives became a ubiquitous mean of storing data, a lot of custom USB drives became available either as a marketing tool or for the sheer fun of it. A personal favorite of mine is the Swiss Army USB drive, which comes equipped with a knife, a flashlight, a file, scissors and, naturally, a USB drive. Besides being really convenient, it pays tribute to the fact that USB flash drives are about as essential as all the other gadgets that we use daily. And since I have a thing for multifunctional, the USB bottle opener and the USB laser pointer pen are also on the top of my list.
USB Chiller
We have all seen the USB coffee warmer, but did you know that there's a USB chiller as well? It consists of a chiller plate and a fan that keeps your drink cool and though it might take a lot of time to chill an already warm one, it still sounds pretty cool for the hot summer days. And if you have a strong laptop battery or a custom power bank, you could take it out in the park and enjoy an always chilly beverage.
USB Butt Cooler
A great supplement to the drink chiller, a USB butt cooler consists of a a cushion that goes over the seat of your chair and blows cool air directly towards your butt via the built-in fan. It also comes with a car lighter adapter, so you can enjoy it on your daily commute to work. Unfortunately, the product seems to be discontinued at the time.
USB Slippers
Unfortunately, summer days are over and a device that's more suitable for the upcoming months are the USB slippers. They are especially designed to keep your feet warm for longer as they emit far infrared heat. Besides its many health benefits, far infrared heat from the USB slippers will directly heat your muscle tissues and improve blood circulation to the feet a common cause of cold feet (sorry, only literally, and not figuratively).
USB Pregnancy Test
Sometimes you just need to know quick and a USB pregnancy test is the best way to go since it's reusable and it may be even more reliable than the regular home pregnancy test too. It analyzes your urine and can measure the levels of three of your hormones hCG, hCG-H and LH, so you even get to learn your most fertile days. Pretty nifty for something that you plug in your USB port and costs less than $20.
Self-Destruct USB Hub
This is definitely making the top of the charts for useless and impractical, but it can also be classified as pretty cool. You've seen in the movies, but now it comes to your computer as well: a USB hub with 4 functioning ports, but also switches, a key and a red self-destruct button, covered with a plastic lid. It'd be neat if the thing really could self-destroy itself (although you would have wasted $60 for the short lived fun), but all it does if you press it is put an audio file on your computer that says Kill, Kill, Kill.
USB iGrill
The final pick is also great for a picnic in the park where you don't have an access to power, but have a laptop or another type of USB charger at hand. It's called the George Foreman USB iGrill, named after the heavyweight boxer. It does more than grilling. One of its coolest features is that it can be accessed remotely via the Internet, so you can have a warm burger waiting for you when you return home from work.
These are all very fun, but there are more "crazy things" Logotech has made over the years, at our customer request. Check out our custom shape USB flash drive gallery to see some of their ideas.
