USB appliances.

[AlecWest]

Just curious if anyone out there has tried any of those new USB appliances. At $7.50, the toaster below seems to be an incredible bargain. Great for getting a quick piece of toast while keyboarding:



USB-powered hair-dryers and 3-cup coffeemakers aren't that much more expensive, either.

[SquirrelDip]

LOL!

[AlecWest]

Actually, I was hoping to "get" somebody. FWIW, I added in the "UL approval" graphic. The real graphic is below:



"The Onion," a humor magazine most people are familiar with, is selling this "gotcha" box for $7.50. Click on the graphic above to order it. I posted it because April Fool's Day is only a month off. And, this would make a great gag gift to give someone. In theory, you buy the box and put something else in it ... but tell the recipient it's a USB Toaster they can plug into their computer's USB port.

[SquirrelDip]

Figures The Onion would have something like this... Great site.

Funny tho - plug something like this into your laptop and something will be toasted.

[AlecWest]

- plug something like this into your laptop and something will be toasted.

You know that ... and I know that. But, hehe, I know a few people who would say, "Wow, that's neat," and probably ask me how much the 3-cup USB coffeemaker cost.

I suspect they got that graphic from an "auto accessory" site. It's amazing all the different appliances you can get that will plug into a car's cigarette-lighter socket. For example:

http://www.12voltaccessoryoutlet.com/Catalog/pc/viewCat_P.asp?idCategory=65&gclid=CJmG...FQgQYQodSkn7ew

I have a 12 volt hair dryer (grin) ... and use it on cold days to quick-defrost windows while my car is still warming up. Only use it in deep-winter, though.

[SquirrelDip]

Never even thought of using a hair dryer - how well does it work?

I used to have a fairly high wattage inverted installed on my 4Runner (sold now) - good enough to run a small microwave oven. Great for long trips keeping kids quiet and handy when you need things like a hand drill.

[AlecWest]

Never even thought of using a hair dryer - how well does it work?

Works great. Because the maximum power-draw from the cigarette-lighter socket is 150W, it means the dryer is limited to a "warm" airflow - not "hot" enough to crack a windshield but warm enough to mush the frost. For actually drying hair, though, the appliance is probably useless, hehe.

However, I suspect the hot-liquid container appliance works well ... which would be good for a long roadtrip.

[MeDiCo_BrUjO]

I was thinking before reading the posts below the 1st one, that when I fill the 3 usb-ports of my notebook and my battery is also charging, the adapter always overheats....

I can see the picture..... BOOM!!! there goes the computer!.

[AlecWest]

I used to have a fairly high wattage inverted installed on my 4Runner (sold now) - good enough to run a small microwave oven. Great for long trips keeping kids quiet and handy when you need things like a hand drill.

I used to own a tricked-out van years ago. Put an AC inverter in it that ran a reel-to-reel tape recorder, Marantz 4220 receiver, and a small TV. FWIW, there is an auto supply place that sells heaters that connect directly to the battery. Those things apparently put out a lot of heat real quick ... but are probably only popular in states like Minnesota or Alaska. I asked someone locally why they weren't carried (an AutoZone store). They said that they work just fine ... but that people tend to forget to turn them off. Since they're directly connected to the battery, you can guess what happens. A cold car that starts is better than a cold car that has to be towed (grin).

[SquirrelDip]

... Put an AC inverter in it that ran a reel-to-reel tape recorder, Marantz 4220 receiver, and a small TV...

Reel to reel Did it have a bumper sticker that read "If this van's a rockin' don't come a knockin'"???

Suppose you're just showing your age tho - considering what's available in automotive audio/video systems these days...

On the small heater... I used to have one in my car when I first moved to Calgary. The car was a Mazda Precidia - 1.8L V6. Not a lot of low end power but loved to rev - bigger problem was it had a hard time getting warm in the real cold. Real cold came the first Christmas on a drive to Vancouver (1000km trip), left Friday after work with plans to stay overnight somewhere in the middle - temperature hit -50C with windchill through the pass. Two adults, one 10 year old and two Jack Russels put out enough moisture that we couldn't keep the windows clear with recirculating air - only way to clear was to have air feed from outside... Engine too small to heat outside feed... Didn't make it half way and installed the portable heater the next day.

Found it didn't work all that great but enough to keep your feet warm on those -50C trips.

[Super Warrior]

Just curious if anyone out there has tried any of those new USB appliances. At $7.50, the toaster below seems to be an incredible bargain. Great for getting a quick piece of toast while keyboarding:



USB-powered hair-dryers and 3-cup coffeemakers aren't that much more expensive, either.

What i'd like is a USB keyboard vacuum cleaner. To clean between the keys, and other junk that SOMEHOW gets around.

[AlecWest]

Maybe computer-powered "heating" appliances are not all that far-fetched after all. Read this:

http://www.odi.ch/weblog/posting.php?posting=360

BTW, I just tried to order one of those joke USB toaster boxes (to spring on someone I know on April Fool's Day). But the darn thing is "out of stock." Jeez, what a time for The Onion to run out of supply. Properly advertised, such a gag gift might be a great seller just before April Fool's Day.

[ViRaL1]

I like my USB Coffee Warmer. It does a fairly good job.

http://www.geeks.com/details.asp?invtid=USB-CUP-WARMER&cpc=SCH

[dnix71]

You could actually make a usb toaster or hot plate for coffee. There are portable dvd burners that have a NiMH battery inside that trickle charges from the port, but puts out enough power for burning as long as you don't burn too many.

[ViRaL1]

Speaking of weird USB devices...

http://tech.msn.com/products/article.aspx?cp-documentid=3362069

[drjtech]

Super[/url] Warrior]What i'd like is a USB keyboard vacuum cleaner. To clean between the keys, and other junk that SOMEHOW gets around.

CaseBuy makes a USB vacuum cleaner:
http://www.everythingusb.com/usb_vacuum_cleaner.html
http://www.meritline.com/usb-vacuum-cleaner-led-genica.html

-drjtech