5 weird things you can do with a USB port

Normally, it’s important to be smart about your purchases. But what’s the fun in that? Sometimes, it can be just as useful to find more unique items to buy rather than buying things that you need. Of course, I’m not talking about skimping out on food or water or other necessities like that. I’m talking more about the want-to-have items, not the need-to-haves.

For your personal or work computer setup, everyone has different preferences. Some people love working from a desk and either have a desktop computer or a laptop that they treat as such. Others want to work on the go and pop into the nearest coffee shop to get their work done. Still, others will forgo the use of a laptop entirely and rely on their phone and tablet to get their job done. It’s hard to build up a lot of accessories when you’re traveling for work.

But if you have a computer setup that is based more at a desk, you should consider having some fun with your laptop’s USB port. There are so many USB-C-supported devices that you can probably use at your desk, like a dock or a hub to extend the number of ports you have. But those are basic. Opt for something more fun like these below and jazz up your workspace.

1

A mini photo printer for party fun

You can use it a few different ways

If you’re a creative person, you try and find ways to let your creativity out any time you can. This could involve taking pictures on your phone and wanting to print them out. Having a mini photo printer that connects to your computer gives you the flexibility to do this at your desk at home but also at a party. A great souvenir or something for a kid’s goodie bag at a party is a picture of them at the party. Using a mini photo printer gives you the ability to print those pictures quickly and at the moment you need them.

This way, you don’t have to send them away to get printed, like the local convenience store. Options from Kodak and Fujifilm give you flexibility to get them printed right there on the spot. These come with a USB-C cable to plug directly into your computer, letting you use the photos on your computer (very helpful when your photos are synced directly to your computer via the cloud). The use of your photos is endless, making it a great addition to your computer setup for personal and professional reasons.

Dimensions

90 mm × 37.7 mm × 125 mm

Photo Size

62 mm x 46 mm

Connectivity

Bluetooth

Brand

Fujifilm

2

Keep your coffee hot with a mug warmer

Don’t sip cold coffee or tea anymore

Pocket-lint / Ember

If you’re like me, you make a cup of tea or coffee in the morning and bring it to your desk. From there, you start your work day and occasionally remember to take a sip of your beverage. By the time you can actually focus on it, it’s lukewarm or even cold. This means needing to get up and bring it downstairs to the microwave in order to warm it up or just drinking it cold, a less than ideal way to drink those beverages when they are brewed hot.

WIth something like the Ember Mug or the SMRTMUGG, you can have a mug that stays warm the entire time you have it at your desk. You can plug the warming pad into your laptop and leave your mug on it. While it’s sitting there, it will charge the mug to a set temperature. These temperature-controlled mugs can either connect to your phone to let you pick the temperature or have screens so you can press buttons and choose a setting. This way, you can get your work done and still have a piping cup of coffee or tea.

3

A rechargeable water dispenser pump

Keep yourself hydrated with faster refills

Redsack / Amazon / Pocket-lint

Being stuck at your desk for hours can limit the amount of water that you remember to drink each day. Maybe you’re like me and forget to fill up a cup at the beginning of the work day and then lunchtime rolls around, and you haven’t had a sip of water at all. Sitting all day and not getting up is bad enough for your posture and joints, but it can also lead to dehydration.

However, if you have a water jug in your office, you can get more use out of it with a rechargeable water dispenser pump. This eliminates the need to have a machine, like you’ve seen in an office break room. This pump plugs directly into a water jug and, with one tap on the top, it delivers water in seconds. Being able to refill your water without having to leave your office is a massive convenience and incredibly quiet, so you won’t disturb a work call by filling up your water. It plugs into your laptop to remain charged any time you need it.

4

A personal fan for those hot office days

Keep yourself cool under pressure

Pocket-lint / Gaiatop

If your office feels like a sauna, a little personal fan can make a huge difference between a good and bad day. The easiest fix is a USB fan that plugs right into your laptop — some even clip onto your desk or monitor, so the cool air hits you directly.

You can also go with a small stand-alone fan that lets you adjust the angle however you like. Most have multiple speeds, so you’re not stuck on one setting, and plenty now charge via USB-C. That means you can run it straight from your laptop or charge it up, unplug, and keep the breeze going all day.

5

Tinker at your desk with a screwdriver kit

Turn your desk into a workstation

Amazon / wowstick / Pocket-lint

There’s so much you can do with an electric screwdriver kit, and one of the great things about them is their ability to plug right into your computer to charge. If you leave one at your desk, you’re bound to find a reason to use it. You can fix things at your desk, build them there, or even use them to set up a 3D printing job.

They usually come with a number of different heads, and models like the wowstick have an LED light and magnetic mat, so you can use it to fix all kinds of electronic devices. You can even use it to open up and repair your tablet or laptop if you want. You should probably make sure you know what you’re doing before you do that, but this kind of addition to your work setup makes a lot of sense.