10 Ridiculous USB Gadgets for the Ridiculously Cold Korean Winter

10 Ridiculous USB Gadgets for the Ridiculously Cold Korean Winter

Words by Stafford Lumsden

 Brrrrrrr! Winter’s icy grip has a hold on the tech world so here are 10 silly tech ideas for keeping warm this winter. (Due to their popularity, many of these items float in and out of stock so keep an eye out!):

These adorable pieces of toast are actually plush fingerless gloves which plug into the USB port of your Mac or PC. With warm fingers, you can continue to update your résumé or Facebook page without succumbing to frostbite because your school doesn’t turn the heating on when there are no students. (Also available in a Hello Kitty design.)

Kicking your shoes off when you get home and…slipping…into a pair of slippers just got better with these babies! Keep your tootsies warm and save money from not having to turn on the ondol by preheating the inserts via USB and allowing them to pulse infrared heat to the souls of your feet. These slippers are plug and play, require no additional software, and come with an extra long USB cord. (Available in a number of appealing colours and styles.)

You’ve got the hand warmers. You’ve got the USB slippers. Why not go the whole nine yards with a heated mouse as well. Available in colours as appealing as “grey” and “CEO black” (as well as pink), this mouse has a unique sliding control that allows you to preheat to just the temperature you like!

The utility of USB ports should not be underestimated! This gadget will keep your coffee or green tea warm for those intense waygook.org or Dave’s ESL Café sessions. Or at least in theory, it will. Reviews online are not very flattering but the device does have an on/off switch and a blue LED light…?

The task of actually stirring tea after adding milk and sugar is too arduous for some people. The self-stirring mug takes away the hassle of all this (and the potential danger given the USB hand warmers and the USB cup warmer) with just the push of a button. With a capacity of some 350ml and a travel lid (drinking hole included), this is a must-have for the spoon-challenged individual this winter! (just 8.99 with free shipping over 10.00 GBP)

For the space-deprived, officetel-living gadget-phile, this inflatable gadget chair is a stylish complement to one’s housewares, as if cobbled together from stuff left over by previous tenants and given away by leaving hagwon officemates. It also provides you with a “transformable multimedia hub” connecting to your computer for immersive 3D sound while gaming, or moulding around your body while you read your favourite magazine. Rounding off this desirable piece of furniture are sunken beverage holders and pockets for remote controls. It can be yours for just 49.00 GBP.

By now, you are warm and all, but you are getting hungry. Why not eat some cheese?! Much healthier than a hamburger (and arguably tastier than a 7-Eleven triangle kimbap). With older USB 2.0 machines you will be able to melt cheese (and chocolate) to your heart’s content. The higher voltage that comes out of USB 3.0 means you could start your own desktop deep-frying! Or so says thinkgeek.com where this gastronomic amazingness is available for $29.99 USD and comes with a blue LED light.

Relive your childhood before Michael Bay destroyed it with this USB storage solution that transforms into Decepticon Ravage. For under $10 USD, this 16GB memory stick will fit all the episodes of the original 1980s cartoon (and Michael Bay’s travesties as well).

Audio-philes rejoice! This classic wood-panelled turntable/cassette player can plug into your computer and you can save your long-lost vinyl collection to mp3 or relive the days of mixtapes! If your vacation project was to clear out your ageing music collection and put it on your iPod, this might just be the tool for the job!

Personal grooming should always be at the forefront of the techie’s mind, and these fit the bill. Make your lashes luscious and curled anytime, anywhere.  Small and portable, the USB eyelash curlers are useful at home, the office or your local PC bang.

If you liked this article make sure to check out 10 Ridiculously Priced Korean Chuseok Gift Sets