The original idea

The original idea was having a USB stick that looks like a duck. The done deal looks like the image below.
Except that if you're actually using the stick, this mod doesn't function properly at all, the duck itself takes in too much space. You can't plug in devices around the duck, it's huge compared to regular usb connectors.

Version number two

So if that approach doesn't do the trick, we'll have to introduce a cable to the mod. Attaching a cable directly didn't seem necessary. With the mod below, take a USB duck, a USB cable, plug em in and you're done!

The only disadvantage to this whole deal is jamming the cable in a duck's mouth on a daily basis, that makes the concept unsuited for use of any kind..

Version number three

Okay, that doesn't mean the whole USB Duck with loose cable idea sucks! So, the idea here is a normal average duck, almost normal actually, since the wing flips open to plug a USB cable in.

Awesome idea, really. It's just that the wing-system can't be created properly to withstand daily use for years, like a normal USB stick would.

Yay! This is really going somewhere

And so I got a great idea; No messing around with USB connectors and loose cables. No no, just attach the cable to the duck. It's simple, and the cable is long enough to let all your other devices be plugged in the same time. Brillant!

This is how I made the USB duck:

• I cut a hole in it's rear end, and secured a rubber ring in it;
• The bottom of the duck is cut open (there's a circle-formed mold line, it's not noticable);
  
• The cable is cut to size (12 cm or 4.7") and inserted in the duck;
• The wires of the cable are stripped and smothered a bit in solder;
• The casing of the usb stick is trashed, the connector of the USB stick is soldered off;
• The wires of the cable are soldered to the original contact points of the USB connector to the PCB;
• The contact points are secured with a glue gun;
• A few cm from the PCB, a tie rip is secured onto the cable, preventing the cable from being pulled, thus destroying the contacts;
  
• The inside of the duck is stuffed with a small piece of sponge;
• The bottom of the duck is glued back.
  

USBDuck.com

The final product that came out of this series of mods is shown below. All of the bugs and tweaks are filtered out, and the fabrication process has become quite efficient.

At the time I write this, I have opened the webshop USBDuck.com, and sold dozens of USB Ducks already. They're made in 4 different colors; yellow, blue, green and devillish-red (including horns). You can get them here.


Update august 24th 2009: The USB Ducks are not available from USBDuck.com anymore. The webshop has been in business succesfully for the last 2 years, but it's time for some new projects.