USB spec is pretty clear: no more than 100ma before enum is done, no more than 500ma at any time. So yeah, it's a pretty silly design.

Perhaps it would work better if connected to an external powered USB hub? Then it wouldn't be pulling power from the PC. Sounds "cool" enough... hehehe.

External powered USB hub will more than likely solve this problem...I wonder if it uses a peltier cooling base?

Your sister site Lifehacker has a story on a USB coffee warmer: http://www.lifehacker.com/software/stuff-we-like/usb-coffe... Get the complete set!

It wouldn't work any better on a powered hub: it's bound to be spec-compliant as well.

Or, and here's a crazy idea. . just plug the damn thing into the wall!!! Obviously you can't use it on a laptop, or your battery would be dead in 4.28 seconds, so clearly it will be plugged into a desktop PC. Cut out the middleman! Use a regular plug! Sheesh.

Get both the cooler and the coffee warmer, duct tape them together and let them fight it out. Of course, that would only underscore the problem with all of these types of USB accessories: they don't do anything that can't be accomplished with a regular old power plug. Let's see... I can draw 0.5 amps at 5 Volts for a maximum of 2.5 watts of power per port.....or....I could get 20 amps at 120 volts for 2400 watts of available power. Seems stupid to use the USB port for this application, if you ask me. I know: you don't always have a wall plug available. Solution: buy a powerstrip/extension cord. And don't even mention plugging this into a laptop unless keeping your drink cool is way more important than having your battery last more than 30 minutes. If that's the case, you need to re-examine your priorities.

Actually, while the spec says no device shall provide more than 100mA before initialization and 500mA max, I find most ports (other than laptops) provide full power all the time. In fact, what typically happens is that all the ports are wired to the same power source, so if you have 4 USB ports, you can draw up to 2A on one port. The Windows over-current message comes from the power monitor on the USB ports - the spec says that the power switch must signal the host if it trips. Since there are 500mA power switches, 2A power switches, etc. all for USB, the Windows error occurs when the power trips. Anyhow, the cooler technically only has 2.5W available to it, it can't cool very well since thermal-electric coolers (aka peltiers) are *extremely* inefficient. You're lucky to get more than 1W of cooling power out of it. (That's why refridgerators and airconditioners use the way more efficient refridgeration process rather than TECs).

I just got one of these in the mail. I'll be using it at the office all day and night. So, I'll let you know what I think of this product in a week. I hope that I don't experience the issues mentioned, but we will see.

Hmm... seems like it would fit nicely into an old ipod wall charger. It defeats the point of it being USB, but you wouldn't risk trashing a port on your mobo. Also, you can swing a cheap wall charger from ebay/amazon for under $10.