DIY via computer

[PeterC]

Ideal tool for the geeks:

[T i m]

T i m.

[Jon Fairbairn]

[T i m]

Probably created by an Mac Fanboi, they aren't generally good with hardware. ;-)

T i m

[NT]

[Man at B&Q]

Or even 2.5W, which is the limit (500mA @ 5V) for a USB device.

MBQ

[geoff]

It could prolly make a serious crease in sheet of 80gm A4

[PeterC]

Doesn't male-to-male in a mac provide hardware?

[Owain]

I wonder if it's any good on the rock cakes from the canteen...

Owain

[gazz]

wonder if it'd be any good for trimming toe nails,

my brother will want one of these for xmas, he is hooked on collecting usb powered stuff, got mini fridges, cup warmers, can coolers, a pizza slice keeper warmer and so on.

[NT]

to keep a pizza slice warm on 2.5w would take vacuum insulation! And to heat one upon such power, if 1kW takes 1 minute for a slice then

2.5w might take 400 mins =3D about 7hrs.

NT

[Graham.]

[Man at B&Q]

T

Update. Apparently, a lot of desktop motherboards scrimp on components by only applying an overall current limit across all the USB ports. So if you have, say, 4 ports, you can pull 2A from a single connected port without tripping the overload detection.

Laptops, I'm told, adhere more closely to the USB spec.

MBQ

[The Natural Philosopher]

Ah, but you simply have a huge slab of steel inside a load of insulation..like a mini aga. And leave it on 24x7.

[Jon Fairbairn]

That rather depends on whether it has a battery in it and what the duty cycle is. I mean, in typical office life you won't want to use a chainsaw for very long in any given week.

[Dave Liquorice]

Where do you get 5W? USB is 500mA max per port at 5v = 2.5W. B-)

Web page is broken in some peculiar way so can't see it if does use 2 ports or not.

[T i m]

I don't think male-to-male provides anything anywhere. ;-)

T i m

[Rod]

I thought that as well - but a Wiki check revealed:

"In Battery Charging Specification, new powering modes are added to the USB specification. A host or hub charger can supply maximum 1.5 A when communicating at low-speed or full-speed, maximum 900 mA when communicating at hi-speed, no upper current limit when no communication is taking place. A dedicated charger can supply maximum 1.8 A of current. A portable device can draw up to 1.8 A from a dedicated charger. The dedicated charger shorts the D+ and D- pins together and will not send or receive any information on those lines, allowing very simple, high current chargers to be manufactured. The increased current (faster charging) will occur once the host/hub and devices both support the new charging specification."

[Roger Mills]

Even so, it's hardly going to cut down oak trees, is it?

And do you *really* want sawdust within one USB cable-length of your computer?

[Dave Liquorice]

host/hub

Wonderful invent a "standard" then break it. Older kit expects to be current limited to 100mA unless it asks for and is granted high current. I've got kit here that charges from USB and gets decidedly hot on on some "USB" charging ports but not when connected to real USB ports.

Probably no worse than the grease laden flakes of skin and clothing fluff that gets inside anyway.