Wireless USB (aka UWB) has been supposedly on the fringe of release for a couple of years now - Om Malik talks about UWB and whether we might finally see some devices coming to market in the next year or so.

Apparently Gefen is going to be one of the first to the party with a 4-port Wireless USB extender starting in January - we’ll keep you posted.

With the holiday rush happening this year, I rounded up a couple of strange USB devices that may be of interest to your “geek-minded” friends. They can be used as a white elephant gift, or if you really need a strange USB device for yourself, keep reading.

First, we have a USB hand warmer. On those chilly December days, I can hardly type when my hands are frozen stift. Wouldn’t it be nice if I could quickly plug in a device and wear some warm toasty mittens. Check out the USB mittens from USB Geek.

Since we’re in the topic of weather, my work can sometimes get a bit hot both in the summer and in the winter. To combat the heatwave at your work, try out the USB fan from Sewelldirect.com. It actually works very well delivering a steady stream of fresh air. The fans are particularly useful if you have a USB port somewhere on your desk, either on a keyboard, hub, or on the side of an LCD screen.

Lastly, if you in need of some Christmas cheer this season, what better way to lighten up the office then by looking at a small cheerful snowman. Simply plug it right in any available port to brighten the holiday season. Check out the USB snowman at Shiny Shiny. It’s sure to make all your co-workers jealous.

http://www.paramountzone.com/usbcupwarmer.htm

Nice one, Paramount Zone! We think just about everybody out there has been looking for a USB hub that doubles as a cup warmer - your search is over!

http://www.belkin.com/pressroom/releases/uploads/01_03_06CableFreeUSB.html

It seems like we’ve been waiting for this forever! No doubt over time wireless usb will become more ubiquitous (and reliable, and cheaper, etc.), but we’re pretty excited to finally see these things making it to primetime after 3 CES “unveilings” in a row.