Sunday, October 13, 2013

Super-cool USB gizmos


Super-cool USB gizmos

There is no computer port more versatile than the USB. You can use it to connect external storage, a DVD drive, mouse and printer, but did you know that you could also use this amazing piece of technology to keep your coffee warm and launch surface-to-air missiles?



ZOOMING IN… Do ants have black eyes, or brown? What is nail gunk made of? Is that really fungus on my motichur laddoo? It’s true: you’ll never know when you’ll need a USB microscope. Like professional magnifiers, these nifty gizmos are equipped with a focus ring; come with white LEDs to ensure the images are clear and bright, and you also get software that lets you capture videos at 30fps – and still images at 640x480px resolutions. Depending on how much you’re willing to spend, you can pick these thingamajigs that promise you magnifications of up to 800x. Connect one to your laptop, and you’re promised hours and hours of insect watching (if you can get them to pose under the lights, that is).  
Where: www.ebay.in  
Price: 2,700 to 4,700


KEEPING IT TOP SECRET Those fun memos shared between office cronies had best be kept a secret. We wouldn’t want the office snitch to get his grubby paws on those. Well, he can’t and he won’t. Not if you have one of these nifty paper shredders. Feed all incriminating documents into this gobbler. Then, distribute the shreds between four to five wastepaper baskets. Hah!  
Where: www.hitplay.in  
Price: 1,399 (wastebaskets not included)




NICE AND BRIGHT Now you never have to type in the dark. Simply switch to USB-powered lamps once the lights are out. From boring night lamps that illuminate your keyboard, to hipster lava lamps and geeky plasma balls that endorse your avant-garde lifestyle, you’ll find all of these – starting at a few hundred rupees – on the interweb. The world started with a ‘Let there be Light’. ‘Amen,’ we say. 
Price: 200 onwards


PROTECT YOUR AIRSPACE Offices are dangerous places, and who knows what the bloke in the cubicle next to yours is plotting. It therefore makes perfect sense to invest in a USB Missile Launcher. Install the software that comes with this SAM launcher, and you can control your strikes from the control panel that appears on your laptop screen. A launching sound gives your target fair warning of an imminent strike, but not enough time to dodge what’s coming his way. With one of these by your laptop, everyone will know who’s boss. Yeah, we meant you. Where: www.naaptol.com  
Price: 2,700


FAN, BOY Let them say what they want, but sitting at your desk all day – whether you’re sweating it out over Facebook, or keeping abreast of the latest videos on YouTube – can be a lot of hard work. And what’s the use of slogging at your keyboard if you can’t treat yourself to some creature comforts? The AC might be ON at full blast, but having your own personal fan in the office is cooler still. Depending on your tastes, you can pick from a range of designs that fit in with your sensibilities and budgets.  
Price: Between 200 and 3,000


SOME LIKE IT HOT... Time flies when you’re vegetating at your computer, and it’s only when you put that coffee cup to your lips you realize it’s been a while since you had settled down with it. Instead of heading to a microwave oven, go online and buy yourself a USB Cup Warmer. It does not require batteries and includes an ON/OFF switch. It will perform the simple job of preventing hot beverages from losing their warmth and you from losing your cool.  
Price: 499


… AND SOME LIKE IT COLD If you like your lager chilled, then you must get the USB Mini Fridge. Besides, it lets you keep your beer right where you want it: Within reach. Just like the cup warmer, it does not require any driver installation. Plug it in and let it chill. And since it can accommodate just one can at a time, it will also keep your consumption within limits... probably.  
Price: 1,999

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