By David Wallace

For the easily amused or gadget obsessed, there's a sideshow of devices that whirl, entertain, clean or offer other diversions from work using the convenience of a USB port. Those small slots in your computer can power toys ranging from a lava lamp to a coffee cup warming pad.

Sure, serious-minded folks know that the Universal Serial Bus debuted in 1996 for connecting computer peripherals, that the USB 2.0 standard introduced in 2000 exchanges data at 60 megabytes-per-second and that these get-it-done ports handle important file transfer or digital photos, thanks to flash drives and cameras among other devices.

But standard desktop computers provide six slots, only a few of which are typically used. As for the others, you could go old-school with a cell-phone recharger or camera plug-in or you could venture out and try something fresh...

One visit to www.funusb.com or www.thinkgeek.com opens up a grab-bag of options: tanning lamps to toy missile launchers and tiny George Foreman grills to pencil sharpeners.

Fearful of desk mites and germs—try a functional, bite-size vacuum which can tidy your desktop freeing it of crumbs and stray dust.

Or, consider a mini refrigerator that's big enough to cool a single can of soda.

Perhaps a wearable waterproof tag for Fido or Fluffy with critical data about your cat or dog might suit you better.

If you have no pets but always wanted one, consider a USB-powered hamster wheel with a robotic hamster that runs as you type. Slow down your keystrokes and the wheel spins more slowly, type at lightning speed off a caffeine buzz and see your pet hammy really move.

With so many gadgets, deciding what to plug in might pose a whole new challenge.