USB webmail notifier lights up your life when you've got mail

The reams and reams of spam found with every check of our inboxes here at Engadget HQ have quashed the surge of emotions we used to experience when that new-mail notifier started blinking. So, we went looking for something to help get our e-mail groove back, and we've found it: the USB webmail notifier. It's a little box with the iconic envelope design on the front that lights up in green, blue, or red when you receive mail. The color indicates either the location of the received message, for those of you who rock Outlook for work and Gmail for personal, or the volume, for those who need some encouragement to clean out that inbox. It is somewhat less useful than other multi-purpose USB indicators we've seen, but its simplicity, and its $17 price tag, make it our choice to bring back that lovin' feeling.

[bob sakamano @ Oct 6th 2008 11:25AM]

looks larger than it really is

[High Ranks make you sterile @ Oct 6th 2008 11:39AM]

I'd rather pay someone $17 to punch me in the face and sleep with my wife than have this hogging one of my precious USB ports.

[Platinum_Skeet @ Oct 6th 2008 11:47AM]

Where's the $17?

[Samo @ Oct 6th 2008 11:55AM]

@ High ranks: Give me that $17, now which cheek do you want me to punch you on and where's that wife of yours?

On topic: I would buy this personally, considering it's £9 or so.. It's cute! I wonder if there's a way i can link it to my NAS instead :p

[High Ranks make you sterile @ Oct 6th 2008 11:57AM]

Snooze = lose.

Broke my nose, had my wife, and bought $17 worth of scratch tickets.

[Benson @ Oct 6th 2008 12:04PM]

So it does, until you realize that's an Eee it's next to... Wow. Not as annoyingly gaudy at all.

I just want a model with that dark silver (pewter?) trim replaced with red...

[Dan @ Oct 6th 2008 12:14PM]

that's what she said.

[enclaved @ Oct 6th 2008 12:34PM]

@high ranks
instead of spending 17 dollars on getting slapped and losing your wife why don't you buy a usb hub and get some more of those precious usb ports

[POV @ Oct 6th 2008 12:49PM]

Thats exactly what my ex-girlfriend said :(

[Davz @ Oct 6th 2008 6:12PM]

Is it to late to get in on this "sleeping with your wife" thing?

Oh, and are there pics of her online? Any chance she looks like Sarah Palin?

On topic: This looks like nother one of those millions of "oh this would make a great gift" ideas. Yeah, a GREAT gift... to poop on!

[rock99rock @ Oct 6th 2008 11:28AM]

Now, if i can just get a big smiley face for instant messages.... and maybe a hollywood-style spotlight for new RSS feeds.

[canoo @ Oct 6th 2008 11:50AM]

Sounds like a party to me! Can I be invited please?

[monkfishbandana @ Oct 6th 2008 11:29AM]

Equip it with Bluetooth and a battery pack and I'm sold!

[aeo @ Oct 6th 2008 11:42AM]

I thought I was the only one so lonely that I need instant visual confirmation that somebody wants to contact me.

[Rocketboy @ Oct 6th 2008 3:13PM]

If you really were lonely, then this would never light up. Save yourself the cash, and just put a dead lightbulb next to your PC. It should work about the same.

[Rob @ Oct 6th 2008 11:42AM]

This is as useful as pet rock, or whatever their names were.

[Najakwa @ Oct 6th 2008 11:53AM]

Bad Rock! BAD!! We do that OUTSIDE!! Look at him, he knows what he did.

[Makoto99 @ Oct 6th 2008 12:21PM]

I always loved training pet rocks to attack.

1. Hold your pet rock firmly.
2. Throw your pet rock viciously at the intended target, while commanding your pet rock, "Attack!" in a firm tone.

My pet rock was extremely good at the "stay" command.

[Troels C @ Oct 6th 2008 1:39PM]

You guys must be stoned...

[Kizorblade @ Oct 6th 2008 11:51AM]

Nearly absolutely useless? Yep.
Rule teh intarwebz? Probably.
Almost complete loss in sex appeal? Most definitely

[Foda @ Oct 6th 2008 12:01PM]

They're late. My email already tells me that "I've got mail!"

[Patriks7 @ Oct 6th 2008 12:02PM]

Would it not be much cheaper to use a program on your computer to get notified? It doesn't even take a USB port from you!

[chefgon_ign @ Oct 6th 2008 12:52PM]

You've obviously missed the point of this product if you're looking for something cheaper or more efficient. It isn't supposed to be a useful tool, it's supposed to be an amusing novelty. Gmail notifier just doesn't evoke the same level of amusement as this thing.

[John Sullivan @ Oct 6th 2008 12:13PM]

Looks a little like something Art LebDev studios might put out there, like their icon speakers, etc. Except for the price... add a digit to either side of the price tag and THEN you're in Art Lebdev territory.

[Jonathan @ Oct 6th 2008 12:16PM]

That is one of the best things ever. It is perfect for anyone who has their desktop in almost any room, but spends a good portion of their day away from the computer.

Jonathan

[RadicalxEdward @ Oct 6th 2008 12:29PM]

What a shameless plug for your site.

[Brian @ Oct 6th 2008 12:20PM]

For those who are too timid to try a BlackBerry...

[Cybergypsy @ Oct 6th 2008 12:27PM]

No macs? Hummmmm

[loner @ Oct 6th 2008 1:43PM]

I can see this being pretty useful for restaurants and similar shops where the people are too busy serving customers to check their computer constantly. Place this somewhere they can glance at regularly and it'll alert them quickly when a new order comes in (take-out order, reservation request, etc). In fact, i've got clients who'd love to have one of these, or is there a more elegant solution that i'm missing?

[Loban @ Oct 6th 2008 1:58PM]

Actually, this is pretty cool. Would be better around the $10 range, but $17 isn't bad. I think I'll pick one up for my wife for her b-day. She's always checking her e-mail during the course of her busy day with the kids.

[m @ Oct 6th 2008 1:58PM]

in a work environment, this would cause me a lot of stress, just like that damn voicemail light on the phone.

[Nitin Mehra @ Oct 6th 2008 2:09PM]

This might be useful for the likes of Meg Ryan who keep waiting for a mail to arrive :) On the other hand, in my office setup this will remain lighted till eternity :)

[Ls @ Oct 6th 2008 2:41PM]

How is this NOT a crapGadget?!

[sithlord 24 @ Oct 6th 2008 3:35PM]

this is the #1 crapgadget

[James @ Oct 6th 2008 4:13PM]

I think it's actually pretty cool as far as useless novelties go. There's lots of less interesting ways to waste 17 bucks. I might even pick one up, I often find myself leaving my (power hungry large CRT) monitor on and peering at the dang thing every time I walk past the office to see if I've got any new emails to distract me from the household chores. Certainly not an essential tool, but it's a cute toy.

[Rick @ Oct 6th 2008 4:36PM]

I get so much spam, mine would be flashing like a strobe light.

[FuzzyCat @ Oct 6th 2008 4:42PM]

I made my own - it was much more fun :D

http://blog.automated.it/2008/02/18/usb-controlled-rgb-blob/

I can control the rgb levels for each. ( yay me ;) )

[DirtyVegas @ Oct 6th 2008 4:44PM]

Can it be programmed to play Hallelujah when you get a new mail?

[Sirus @ Oct 6th 2008 6:34PM]

http://hackaday.com/2008/09/28/email-notification-via-an-rgb-led/

[Apple ROKZ @ Oct 6th 2008 9:36PM]

wast o plastic


we need barack obama for prez

[noyp @ Oct 6th 2008 9:43PM]

What would Obama do about this? Would he command this to disappear?

[Henrybx @ Oct 6th 2008 9:48PM]

I like it. You Got Mail!

[David @ Oct 7th 2008 1:37AM]

ON FFox, I have a gmail notifier that automatically logs in and checks my email every minute.

Just throwing it out there

[sarang @ Oct 7th 2008 2:10PM]

doesnt it deserve a place in CrapGadgets?

[Zeek @ Oct 7th 2008 10:22AM]

I totally need one of these!!!!

9 years ago.

[bao Yiyang @ Oct 7th 2008 10:33AM]

Logitech MX610 mouse already have this light on it. Together with an incoming IM message light.