A laptop, a mouse and a printer: that’s the complete list of standard equipment for many workstations. There has, however, been a certain trend of late to add more colour to the picture: cup warmers, small ”swan neck” fans and even mesmerising lava lamps have begun to make inroads into the uniformly grey PC desk landscape.
These gadgets generally come from the Far East 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 organisation 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 grey, 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. ”You simply need something funny on your desk if you’re going to sit at the computer all day,” Behrens says.
There are hundreds of such options for bringing fun to the workspace, Stern feels. ”Most come from Japan, China, the United States or England,” she 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 small fan for mounting on the screen costs about $10. A plastic flower pot whose flowers also act as a fan costs about $15.
The USB port can also be used for light and sound entertainment. Carin Behrens describes her long, flexible neck lamps as flood lights.
”They’re five small, white LEDs with a patented mirrored construction to reflect the light,” she explains. Radios can also be connected to the computer, as can battery chargers, speakers and web cams. 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 munitions 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. — Sapa-dpa