Cool Geek Toy: The Universal Serial Bus (USB) Beverage Chiller from CoolIt Systems

Today we are talking about the Universal Serial Bus (USB) Beverage Chiller from CoolIt Systems. This can cooler is taking the market by storm as more of these devices are starting to pop up in offices, call centers, LAN parties, and almost anywhere you can find a USB port. This device is only about one inch thick and covers an area about three inches by five inches. The cold plate is a shivering metallic blue which looks great with the white plastic housing of the device. Operation of the chiller is extremely simple, just plug the USB cord into almost any USB port and within seconds you can feel the cold plate dropping in temperature until it reaches a brisk 45 degrees Fahrenheit. It does not require any batteries, everything it needs comes right through the USB cable and the drain that it puts on your system is so minimal you wont even notice its connected.

Some of my concerns when I first got this device was where would I find a USB port? Sure just about everything on a personal computer can plug into a USB port but what about when I don't feel like sitting in front of my PC to keep my beverage cool? Well I quickly answered that question when I started noticing that pretty much everything has USB ports on it now, for example first generation PlayStation 2 and the new PlayStation 3, the DirecTV R-15 DVR, and of course just about any laptop computer. Another concern is durability and life. I have had my chiller now for six months and it still looks brand new despite the fact that I use it every day at work and have dropped it several times. Those sticky can rings are no problem at all, just a simple damp cloth can restore the shine to the cooling plate. The chiller is also inexpensive, ranging in price from $20 to $30 and is widely available at web sites such as thinkgeek.com and compusa.com for additional stores go to http://www.coolitsystems.com

Although this device is fun geek toy I would have to give it a five out of ten due to one critical design flaw. It only cools the bottom of your can, which is great for preventing that one last horrible tasting swallow of beer that you have been nursing, but with the laws of thermal dynamics the colder liquid stays at the bottom and the warmer liquid stays at the top. A more suitable design would be a can cooler that your drink sits in so that it could cool the sides as well as the bottom of your frosty beverage.