I can't say that I've ever had a problem with my butt getting too warm in my seat, but I try to spend most of my time computing in air conditioned areas. Back when I lived in an apartment with no air conditioning though, that lead to some very uncomfortable chairs if I had to sit in one place for a long time. I'm not going to get into any more detail, but thanks to Thanko, I don't have to. The Thanko USB Butt Cooler is the newest gadget in Thanko's lineup of strange USB-powered products.

The USB Butt Cooler is a pretty simple device, actually. It plugs into the USB port on your desktop or laptop, and power-over-USB operates what look like fans built into a seat cushion. The fans draw cool air from under your seat, and blow it up and across your-erm-behind to provide a pleasant cooling sensation while you're sitting at your desk typing away. The device has its own controller on the USB cable so you can turn it on and off at whim and without getting up. While the USB Butt Cooler spells the end of swamp ass for geeks around the world (okay, mostly in Asia --don't expect this on store shelves at Best Buy anytime soon) I would be very careful about trying to discreetly pass gas in the office with one of these things on your chair. The USB Butt Cooler retails for 4800 Yen, or approximately 40 dollars US, and is only available in Japan.

[ via GearFuse ]