Gizmodo: usb power

USB Shawl Takes the USB Craze One Step Too Far

Jason Chen — Tue, 19 Aug 2008 15:40:00 EDT

We were fine with USB warming slippers, USB warming kneepads, USB warming mice and USB warming gloves, but this USB heated shawl? You go too far, sir. Do you expect a Facebooking grandma to be hip to this thing? Do you think she'll spend $28 to get a USB version of something she probably got from Costco for the same price? We think not. But we will buy one of these and pretend to be USB Heated Batman, and a sale is a sale. [cgets via Likecool via Dvice]

Another USB Cooking Video Stirs Up The "Can USB Do That?" Debate

Kit Eaton — Tue, 05 Aug 2008 09:00:00 EDT

So, we had the allegedly-USB-powered popcorn maker... and now we have an Instructable for a USB frying pan: good enough to cook an omelet in around seven minutes. This device is a lot more basic, apparently requiring nothing more sophisticated than two aluminum pans, some broken ceramic as insulation and a tungsten coiled filament with some basic wiring. This time, the cooker draws power from two USB sockets... does that make it any more believable? I'm no electronics expert: so I'll leave that up to you lot to sort out in the comments. Suffice it to say I'm not sure I'd be attempting to eat eggs cooked via my computer's USB output power. [Instructables—Thanks, Dave!]

Southwest Laptop Seating Areas Get USB Ports!

Jason Chen — Wed, 09 Apr 2008 14:30:00 EDT

Reader Daniel emails in with this nice find at the Southwest terminal at Phoenix's Sky Harbor International Airport. USB power ports! Charge your phones! Charge your USB junk! Shove in a USB humping dog! Either way, it's a nice gesture by Southwest. [Thanks Daniel!]