A hamster, a mouse, and a vacuum cleaner in every port
A great way to get attention in the office: fire off these plastic rockets with your USB interface and get a laugh. DPA |
These gadgets generally come from Asian manufacturers and have one thing in common: they are all powered by the computer's USB port. The principle is simple: the computer provides the power, with the gadgets connected using a port normally intended for data transmission," explains Philipp Stern, who sells gadgets through his website getdigital.de.
"The USB port on a computer or laptop is one of the few universal ports you can find in this world," says Peter Knaak, a computer expert at the German consumer testing organization Stiftung Warentest in Berlin. Most computers offer three of the ports capable of handling printers, mice, keyboards, digital cameras and oddball toys.
"USB hubs are a trouble-free way to multiply the number of available slots," says Carin Behrens from Hamburg, who runs the web shop usb-spass.de. These hubs, as the multi-plug units for USB cables and devices are called, are generally gray, flat and functions.
Behrens offers a different take. Her four-port hubs are round, transparent and dark blue, with a pentagonal floating piece in their middle. That in turn is filled with ocean blue liquid and a choice of a yellow rubber ducky, whale or Santa.
There are hundreds of such options for bringing fun to the workspace. "Most come from Japan, China, the United States or England," Behrens says.
Japanese website raremonoshop.com for example currently offers a whole catalogue of products to make life in front of a computer more pleasant: heated gloves to make typing cozier, house shoes with integrated heating pads, warming eye masks or heating pads for the office chair.
These gadgets cost anywhere from $20 to $50, but ordering from domestic websites can be cheaper. A plastic flower pot whose flowers also act as a fan costs around $15 .
The USB port can also be used for light and sound entertainment. Carin Behrens describes her long, flexible neck lamps as floodlights.
Radios can also be connected to the computer, as can battery chargers, speakers and webcams. One clever option is a small vacuum cleaner to help keep keyboard and card readers clean. "The vacuum is equipped with a light so that you can see whether the crumbs are really all gone," Behrens says of the device.
Some gadgets stray away from the realm of the practical. One example is a "missile launcher", a small tank whose plastic ammunition can be aimed and fired using the mouse and included software.
"This is the perfect thing when your programming mates get the better of you in an argument," Behrens says with a laugh.
For those who prefer a less bellicose workplace, stuffed animals are also an option. How about a USB-powered hamster wheel that sets its small, brown stuffed animal running as soon as the user starts tapping keys? Many of the web shops that sell USB gadgets pay attention to seasonal trends.
"At Christmas there's a decorated tree and a singing snowman," Behrens says or users can opt for the silent approach, such as a soothing USB lava lamp or plastic fish swimming in a tank next to the computer.
DPA
(China Daily 04/20/2007 page19)
