Are you one of those people who's been saying for eternity 'Why don't they invent a Pop Up Pirates USB Hub? I mean it's just so dastardly obvious! Combine a classic popular game with a four-way USB hub. It would radically change people's lives'.

No we haven't had such thoughts either. Though now we've had the pleasure of meeting Mr USB Pop Up Pirate in person, we sure can't fathom how we ever lived without him.

This nifty little gadget features a four-way USB hub, allowing the control of several devices from your computer at once. But the highlight is a miniature version of Pop-Up Pirate, the fiendishly tense game of chance and surprise.

Can't quite remember the ingenuity that is Pop Up Pirates? We'll refresh your memory. Put the pirate doll into the barrel and then players stab knives into the barrel one by one. When someone pokes the pirate in the derriere, he'll jump into the air in a fluster (understandably so).

Each time you play, the position of the trigger spot changes. So you'll always be on the edge of your seats in anticipation of him springing up in surprise.

This jolly little fella has four ports that link to any of your USB-powered gadgets and a 1m cord to connect the entire unit to the computer. So you can shiver your timbers four times over (no innuendo intended). Simply pop him in and attempt to pop him up.