Out of all the ports on your PC, perhaps none is more universal than the “Universal Serial Hub” or USB. From peripherals and storage drives to chargers and docks, there’s almost nothing you can’t plug into a USB port. However, it’s more fun to consider some offbeat or weird things that you can connect to your PC or laptop via the humble USB port. It can be a powerful but destructive device, or a useful accessory that takes care of your drink or keeps you cool. Here are some strange things to plug into your PC’s USB port.
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Cup cooler and warmer
Keep your favorite beverage hot or cool
Whether you like to sip a warm cuppa or an energy drink when working on your PC, it can be hard to keep track of time. That hot coffee can quickly become lukewarm, and that chilled can lose its chill sooner than you think. Getting up from your desk and making a trip to the kitchen seems like a chore when you’re in the zone. This is where a USB cooler and warmer comes in handy.
Powered solely by a spare USB port on your machine, it can maintain the temperature of your favorite PC beverage. While this heating and cooling pad won’t be able to chill or warm your drink from scratch, it can surely help maintain the status quo.
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Heated mouse pad
Cold and stiff hands, be gone!
The winter months can get especially difficult when you’re trying to muster the will to meet a deadline. If your hands get too cold, moving your mouse or typing on your keyboard can become a towering challenge. You don’t have to brave it alone, though, because a USB-powered heated mouse pad is made just for such chilly months. Just connect it to your desktop or laptop, place your hand inside, and enjoy the warm embrace.
You can set the temperature from 110℉ to 145℉, and even dial in two, four, or eight-hour auto-off timers. Whether it’s in your office or at home, an inexpensive heated mouse pad can help you keep going when the air isn’t going your way.
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Fan with real-time clock
Get your clock face on
A USB-powered fan is nothing crazy, but one with a holographic real-time clock is certainly something that would pique your interest. Besides displaying the hands of the clock, the LED clock face also shows the current temperature. You can position the fan according to your preference, and enjoy the cool air on your face as you look at a proper clock face instead of the digital clock on your computer. This is one of the most affordable and useful PC accessories you can get for your work desk.
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Programmable arcade button
Your own self-destruct button
If you’re a fan of mostly needless, but fun-to-use PC accessories, you’ll find this programmable arcade button highly tempting. It’s a simple proposition: program the big red button to do one important thing, and it will do it perfectly. You can program it to turn your PC off, lock the system, mute/unmute your microphone, or activate some other key combo of your choice. It’s great for fans of “self-destruct” functions who like a physical, imposing button on their desk that may not do much, but looks cool while doing it.
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USB Killer Pro
You’ve been warned
This small and seemingly innocuous USB drive comes with powerful hardware that can send power surges through the USB port to the rest of your hardware. It’s intended to be used as a testing device by security professionals and enthusiasts who want to test the durability of a PC, and take steps to protect it against USB power surge attacks. It can easily damage your hardware if used without proper precautions. You should use this one at your own risk, and ideally avoid it if you don’t know what you’re doing.
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What else will you plug in?
The versatile USB port on your computer can accommodate almost anything. While it’s fun to experiment with unusual devices, ensure you know the risks of what you’re about to plug into your machine. Devices like the USB Killer Pro are meant for stress-testing hardware, but can also be used by bad actors to destroy computers. Thankfully, most of the things you see on this list are harmless devices that might be useful in your work setup.