There are a lot of USB toys out there, from powered fans to lights and all kinds of garbage for your desk. Some of it might be entertaining for a few minutes, but most of it’s crap. However, there is an inherent coolness to putting your computer's power supply to work by having it perform irrelevant tasks.

A USB hot plate seems like a good idea - keep your coffee warm on a cool morning while getting work done by the keyboard. But at the cost of a precious USB port, it's a price few of us can afford.

This model is different - not only is it a hot plate for your coffee, but it's also a four port USB hub. So yes, it has a functional purpose. While occupying one USB port it'll provide you with four to replace it.

The USB hotplate doesn't exactly keep the bottom of your drink warm - maybe lukewarm at best. It will likely only slow down the rate of your coffee's cooling, as it's not designed to reheat. But really, this thing isn't made to burn your hand off or create a fire hazard on your desk -and that makes it a great gizmo for your café.