Oh! Gizmo

By Luke Anderson

How often do you look at your power strips? Honestly, I do my best to keep them out of site, as they aren’t really anything special to look at. If you had a cool looking strip, would you want it to be seen by everyone? Well here’s one that does its best to look cool.

Unfortunately I don’t think that they succeeded in their mission to make a power strip that looks cool. It’s supposed to look like some kind of ship, however, I doubt that anyone will notice that detail once you’ve loaded it down with power cords. I think they might want to head back to the drawing board.

[ Giffintermeer ] VIA [ SlipperyBrick ]

By Andrew Liszewski

Here’s another one of those “wow! I could have really used something like this at x point in my life, why didn’t someone think of that before” ideas. In University, the occasional textbook I actually bought was usually stuffed full of Post-It notes referencing quotes or other important facts I’d probably be tested on. But instead of drawing little arrows pointing to what I should remember (highlighting would have diminished the text’s resale value) I could’ve used these sheer Post-It notes to actually circle the blurb of text and remove any doubt of what I had to memorize when it was time to cram for exams. At the moment it seems that 3M only sells their Sheer Post-It notes in 1 inch wide colored strips (sheer yellow, sheer green, sheer blue and sheer melon) but I think a larger version would come in a lot more handy. Even an 8 1/2 x 11 letter-sized Post-It that would let you mark up a whole page.

[ Sheer Post-It Notes ] VIA [ bookofjoe ]

By Luke Anderson

I’ve worked in a couple of different places where everyone seems to think that we work better when we’re freezing. Perhaps they think that merely by typing faster that we can warm our hands up, which would increase productivity. Thankfully these days I’m the one that controls the thermostat, so I keep it as warm as I like. However, for those of you that need a little something extra to keep you warm, you might look into this USB Infrared Warmer Mouse.

This mouse will keep your hand plenty warm, just plug it into your USB port and switch it on. The device will heat up to between 40-45°C (104-113°F), which should be enough to keep you warm. Just grab a cup of warm coffee with the other hand and you’re good to go.

[ USBFever ] VIA [ GeekAlerts ]

By Andrew Liszewski

Nothing makes you look like you’re ready for business than carrying an attache case. Even if you only use it to hold your lunch, people will still think you’re on your way to some important meeting with a bunch of corporate bigwigs. So imagine what carrying a carbon fiber version would do for your image? The G3 Carbon Attache from Nikola not only has a sleek design, but the carbon fiber outer finish will make you look like an international spy en-route to an assassination.

The G3 can also be customized with different feature options but the top of the line model will set you back about $3,600. It’s not cheap, but it’s not ridiculously expensive either. However if you want to look like you’re important but are on a tight budget, here’s some free advice. Just get a cheap attache case and a pair of handcuffs. If you walk around with an attache that’s handcuffed to your wrist people will think you’re important enough to carry launch codes, mountains of diamonds or even the results of the Oscar voting.

[ G3 Carbon Fiber Attache Case ] VIA [ Born Rich ]

By Luke Anderson

I’m fortunate to work in an environment where I don’t have anyone looking over my shoulder, making sure that I’m staying on-task. I’ve had those jobs in the past, and I’ve discovered that I am less productive when my work is constantly monitored. In those days I would have loved for a mouse such as this one, which will bring up a specific program with the click of a button.

This of course would be useful in a situation when one is surfing the net or brushing up on their solitaire skills. Just click the side button and it’ll pull up Excel or whatever important-looking program you choose. You can pick one up for just $19.99.

[ USBFever ] VIA [ RedFerret ]

By Andrew Liszewski

Here’s more proof that a useful gadget doesn’t necessarily have to be high-tech. The TaskWatch Whiteboard from Art. Lebedev Studio (yes, the same people who make the Optimus Maximus keyboard) is basically your standard whiteboard but with the addition of a traditional analog clock in the center.

Using regular whiteboard markers you can not only use the board for brainstorming and jotting down ideas, but you can also keep track of when you’re expected to deliver said ideas to the boss. The company is currently selling a 90×60cm version on its online store but in true Art. Lebedev Studio style the TaskWatch will cost you $202.70! I know whiteboards aren’t cheap, but you’re probably better off to just pick one up from Staples, drill a hole and install a simple clock kit yourself.

[ TaskWatch Whiteboard ] VIA [ Cribcandy ]

By Luke Anderson

Looking for something that’s going to really set your desk apart from everyone else’s in the office? Surely with all of the strange gadgets out there you’d be able to find something that displayed your individuality. If you really want to make an impression on everyone, might I suggest the 25-inch field cannon?

This scaled replica doesn’t just look cool, it also actually fires. It runs on calcium carbide ammunition which will give it one hell of a boom. It’s going to set you back $150, but you can bet that it’ll leave an impression on everyone in the office.

[ LighterSide ] VIA [ NerdApproved ]

By Andrew Liszewski

If your neighbor at work prides themselves on their impenetrable cubicle fortress, these miniature siege toys from Monty Python And The Search For The Holy Grail will either give you the upper hand, or make you look like a big nerd in front of your co-workers. (Probably the latter.) As far as I can tell the catapult actually works and includes a small assortment of launchable animals including geese, sheep and of course a couple of cows.

But if a barrage of barnyard animals doesn’t work you might want to consider the element of surprise instead. In that case just offer this 10 inch tall Trojan rabbit as a fake peace offering, and when they’ve left their desk you (or another incredibly small person) can jump out and steal their post-it-notes. If that still doesn’t work you might also want to consider building a large wooden badger…

Both the Python Cow Catapult ($24.99) and the Wooden Trojan Rabbit ($24.99) are available from Entertainment Earth.

[ Monty Python Cow Catapult & Monty Python Wooden Trojan Rabbit ] VIA [ Nerd Approved ]

By Andrew Liszewski

Here’s another clever solution to the problem of plugging large AC adapters into a power strip. To prevent the adapters from blocking other sockets like on a standard strip, the Socket Sense actually expands allowing it to accommodate a large adapter on every one. Brilliant! All the sockets are also angled at 45 degrees so that the Socket Sense doesn’t necessarily have to be expanded all the way, particularly for smaller adapters. And when you only have standard plugs to connect, you can collapse the strip down completely so that it takes up far less room. So far this is definitely the best solution I’ve seen for dealing with those annoying bricks.

You can get the Socket Sense from the IDEATIVE website for $39.99.

[ Socket Sense ] VIA [ The Gadgeteer ]

By Andrew Liszewski

What’s the point of spending all night putting together an amazing PowerPoint presentation to distract from your ignorance on the subject matter when you end up having to show it on a crappy projector setup? It’s situations like that where you wish you had something like the Nomad PS3000 Presentation Station. It’s basically a rollable cart that includes everything you could possibly need for making those overused PowerPoint templates look their best.

In addition to a 2700 ANSI lumens XGA projector, the PS3000 also includes a digital document camera, a VCR and DVD player, a preview monitor allowing the presenter to see what the audience is seeing, a Pentium 4 based PC and a set of Bose speakers complete with amplifier. It also has the necessary hookups if you’ve come prepared with your own laptop, and a very cool wireless touch screen remote from Crestron that can be used to control all of the components from up to 300 feet away.

[ Nomad PS3000 ] VIA [ Born Rich ]