You may not have the whole world in your hands, but with a Universal Series Bus (USB) port you're nearly there. After all you can plug almost anything into a USB port now. Initially designed so that personal computers could have a standard interface socket for plugging in various peripherals, USB-enabled devices have mushroomed to cover every sphere of your techie activity.
There is a whole host of cool devices available now that can be plugged into a USB port, from chatting to keeping you cool to pepping up your party mood,we take a look at some of the latest gizmos in the USB stable — the useful, the practical, the fun and the wacky.
Clean Sweep
Your laptop’s smart, swanky... and very, very dusty. Finding it hard to clean between all the fiddly Home and Delete keys? Pick up the USB Vacuum Cleaner for your laptop or desktop. It has two attachments—a bristle brush and a flexible rubber tool to squeeze between the keys of your keyboard. A high-power button to increase suction power will get to the most stubborn dirt.
Price: Rs 200
Un-wired
It’s the techie’s version of heaven: connect 127 devices to a USB port thanks to the Wireless USB standard.With a Wireless USB dongle, you can get this on your PC.This is a highbandwidth wireless protocol with higher transfer rates than Bluetooth. Check if the dongle is in the device wire adapter class and you can use standard USB2 devices wirelessly.
Price: Rs 1,000
Sound Bytes
The sound cards installed in most computers are, to put it kindly, rubbish. Most audiophiles who are forced to listen to music on their computers are peeved with the quality.That’s why they need the USB audio/microphone adaptor, which delivers 3D surround sound. Features include a built-in audio and microphone jack, music effects, and speaker and recording functions.
Price: Rs 400
Light Up My World
Who needs ambient light just to see the keyboard? Not any more, anyway.At least, not as long as you’ve got a snazzy USB powered light. It comes with a flexible pipe that allows you to manoeuvre the head wherever you want it to face. Even better, the bulb-free LED design means that the light can work for more than 8,000 hours.
Price: Rs 100
Cooling Touch
Got the hottest laptop around—in more ways than one? Before you singe your lap, get yourself the acrylic laptop cooler.The built-in fans help dissipate the hot air away from underneath your laptop.The heavy-duty construction means that you can use it to cool even the most clunky dinosaurs among laptops.
Price: Rs 350
Tune It Up
If you’re the kind of geek who wants the best of both worlds— your laptop and the cricket match, you need the USB TV tuner stick. Use it to watch as well as record your favourite programmes.And it comes with a built-in sound card.
Price: Rs 1,750
Talk On...
No need to bother with Skype dialling on your computer. No need to keep the Skype shortcut key easily accessible.And no need to bother with the fiddly (and extremely unreliable) headset-microphone combos.The Skype phone allows you to make all the calls you want using voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP). Simply download Skype on your PC or laptop, install the phone driver and you’re ready to call the world.
Price: Rs 2,000
Let’s Get Loud...
...and you would love to, but the tinny sound from your speakers is acting the party-pooper. Just plug in your foldable speakers into the USB port and have a blast. Some speakers also have a slot to plug in your MP3 player.
Price: Rs 200-800
Apart from the useful stuff, there’s some fun and some downright silly USB gear available. We take a look.
Fan
Hot and bothered? Just plug a funky fan into your USB port. Compact, feather-light, flexible and a nearly noiseless motor adds to its charm.
Chiller and Warmer
The USB-powered hotplate keeps your coffee warm and your soda cool with just the flick of a switch. Cheers!
Missile launcher
Arm yourself in the office battleground. Use this desktop weapon to fire foam missiles at pesky colleagues.
Roll-up keyboard
It’s silent, it’s flexible, it’s waterproof and you can also roll it up to carry around in your pocket: an almost perfect keyboard.
