USB accessories are all the rage at the moment and below are three products that I thought where worth a test. My pick of the bunch would be the USB Drink Chiller and Warmer, followed by the USB Massager.

USB Fan

This USB fan is powered by a 3.3 ~ 5V motor which is connected to a flexible neck which is sturdy enough to hold the fan in a variety of positions. The fan is not powerful enough to really get the air moving but I am sure that on a hot and humid day this little fan would come into its own. The fact that is it USB powered means it uses hardly any power and also hardly makes any noise which is a plus point especially if the fan is right in front of you the entire time.

USB Massager

Relieve all those aches and pains from sitting behind a desk and in front of the computer all day! Simply plug into your nearest USB port and press it into sore areas. The massager has two massage speeds and two different massage areas which can be used to target specific areas on your body. The massager is quite loud, as I had expected, and provides a fairly decent massage. The best use I found for it was massaging my hand (I would just hold it) and that provided quite a bit of relief to sore fingers that have been typing for a while.

USB Drink Chiller & Warmer

Being a person who enjoys a good cup of coffee I tend to get disappointed a lot of the time when I reach for my cup of coffee and its cold so I was very excited to try this gadget out and I was quite surprised. It does not have the power to heat a cold cup of coffee, but it did make my cup of brown gold stay warmer just that little bit longer. Then it was onto the cooling test and again its not powerful enough to cool a room temperature glass of water, but does keep that ice cold coke a little icier for a while longer. The only downside for me is it is quite a large contraption, but great none the less.

Conclusion

While none of these gadgets are crucial they are nice to have gimmicks which can provide some joy when you most need it.

Pricing and Availability

• USB Fan - Available from WantItAll for R 250.
• USB Massager. This specific model is an imported model, but similar models can found from WantItAll and the price ranges from R 295 to over R 600.
• USB Drink Chiller & Warmer - Available from ThinkGeek for around R 150 (excluding shipping)