• There are several styles of USB key available beyond the basic rectangular varieties.USB Key image by Dusi from Fotolia.com
  
  Novelty gifts are typically more fun than functional; however, many people still appreciate their somewhat tacky and often humorous qualities. When it comes to novelty gifts for computers, there are several options, all of which can help create a cheerful and festive environment for computer users, especially those with computer-intensive jobs, like writers, editors and programmers.
  
  

Drinking Birds

• One of the most classic computer novelty gift items is the Edmund Scientific's drinking bird, which consists of a long glass tube with a beak-like head and a bulbous lower body. Computer desks across the country are adorned with these novelty items, and many people enjoy their soothing, repetitive movements. When you place its beak above a glass of water, the glass bird pivots on a stand and appears as if it is bobbing up and down for a drink. According to Edmund Scientific's official website, the drinking bird is able to drink because of thermodynamics. Its body contains a specialized chemical, methylene chloride, which shifts away from the beak when water vapors - from the glass of water - cool it. The shifting weight of this liquid is what lifts the bird up. When the bird drops back down, it is because the methylene chloride has warmed up.
  
  

Computer Mice

• Another computer novelty gift option is the novelty computer mouse. Retailers sell mice in a variety of different shapes, sizes and colors. Some novelty mice devices are shaped as animals, including cats, dogs, bears, cows, ladybugs and fish; fruit and vegetables, such as strawberries and chili peppers; and human body parts, such as brains and torsos. You can also find novelty computer mice with mini "ponds," or aquariums, incorporated into them that feature small, floating fish or ducks.
  
  

Keyboards

• Keyboard key caps are particularly comical novelty computer items. They allow the recipient of your gift to cover up keys, especially the lesser-used ones, with funny new commands, such as "panic," "oops" and "duh!". You may also want to consider purchasing an entire novelty keyboard, such as one in a bright, bold color. According to Dan's Data, you can also find keyboards made of flexible, rubbery materials that allow you can fold and roll them up with inflicting damage.
  
  

Flash Drives

• Flash drives, such as USB port keys, are available in a plethora of incarnations in addition to the standard rectangular stick. Options include flash drives shaped like cars, sports equipment, food, shoes and animals. You can also find models that double as other items, such as pens and flashlights.