Oh! Gizmo

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 ]

By Luke Anderson

I used to work for a grade school as computer tech. This has to have been the smallest grade school in the state, as there were barely over a hundred students in the entire school. With a low attendance, there weren’t many computers to worry about, and thus I had a lot of free time on my hands. What I found really strange is that the teachers and principal always thought I was extremely busy. My boss said that so long as the principal thought I was busy, I was pretty much free to do as I pleased, which was a pretty sweet gig (even if the pay wasn’t great). I just had to make sure I looked busy when she walked in, which meant some fast window-swapping. I would have gladly paid $24 (plus shipping from Japan) for one of these Phantom mice.

I’ve seen several devices that will make a specific window jump to the front, but none so cleverly hidden as the small button above the scroll wheel on this mouse. Just a quick click and it would look as though I were hard at work updating the lunch menu on the school website. The included software lets you pick what program you’d like to jump to the front, which should be quite handy.

[ Thanko ] VIA [ Newlaunches ]

By Evan Ackerman

The upside: it’s lower in cholesterol than real toast with real butter. The downside: you can’t eat it. I mean, unless you really want to. Post-it notes and butter both sold separately; you can have the toast pad for $7.50.

[ Toasted Notes ]

By Luke Anderson

I don’t drink coffee, not because I think it’s bad for you, but rather because I think it is disgusting. I’m more of a Mountain Dew guy. I’m well aware that there are plenty of people out there that love to sip their morning coffee while performing mundane tasks at work, or browsing our fair site. I have to ask, do any of you use cup warmers?

I honestly don’t know anyone that does, and while I have no actual need for one myself, I don’t think I’d ever purchase one that hooked into my computer. There’s something about having a device that’s sole purpose is to create heat drawing power from my PC. I’m sure it’s completely harmless, but it’s the principle of the matter. I guess that with this particular product I can’t say that warming your morning drink is its sole purpose, it does have a USB hub built in. Then again what doesn’t these days? If you need a couple of extra USB ports and a cold cup of coffee, you can pick this up for just $16.

[ Brando ] VIA [ GeekAlerts ]

By Andrew Liszewski

If you work in a crowded office and find yourself battling for time in the meeting room, the RoomWizard will serve as a neutral electronic third-party. It’s a touch-screen display designed to be mounted outside a conference room that provides an easy way to either book the space for a meeting, or peruse the upcoming schedule.

If you want to just drop in, a set of LEDs on the side switch between red and green indicating the room’s availability which should prevent you from looking like an idiot when you barge in on a meeting in progress. The RoomWizard can also be accessed from your work PC since it runs an internal webserver, and can even be synced with Lotus Notes or Microsoft Outlook servers. Over time it will even keep track of room occupancy and reservation patterns so you can see exactly how the shared spaces are being used.

Official pricing for the RoomWizard seems hard to come by, but apparently the units cost over $2,000 each, which should bolster the sales of white boards and markers.

[ Steelcase RoomWizard ] VIA [ Mavromatic ]