11 Gadgets You Should Have on Your Office Wishlist


Sometimes I get a case of the “gimmes.” I have a whole bunch of wish lists on Amazon.com for various different aspects of life: home, work, for the kid, Kitchen à la Alton Brown, and yes, I even have one called “for when I’m rich.” This is a list of what is currently on my work wish list. It’s a combination of fun things and useful things and one particular item that I want two of so I can have one at work AND home.

If you have any really great gadgets, tell us about it. I know I wouldn’t mind making my list a little longer.

 

1. USB Warm Mouse

OH MY GOD. Someone was reading my mind. Literally. I had this idea a year or two ago and had even drawn up a mock-up before I realized that I was too lazy to actually build a prototype. Guys, I suffer from ice-harpy hands. Since my job requires me to sit on my ass at a computer all day AND I have semi-poor circulation, my mouse hand turns into a block of ice. I currently have a pair of fingerless gloves to keep my fingers from freezing off, but THIS will someday be my new. Best. Friend.

ValueRays® USB Warm Mouse is an ergonomic USB infrared heated computer mouse designed using a carbon fiber infrared heating element to generate deep healing infrared heat to relax the hand muscles, soothe painful joints, reduce stress and tension of the hand, reduce hand pain and numbness, and create a warm mouse hand. The value pack includes the warm mouse, heated pouch, and heated mouse pad. And it would make a GREAT birthday present. 😉

$70, Warm Mouse

2. 3 Pod Charging Station

This clever little box is actually a charging station that blends into the woodwork, so to speak. I hate seeing wires all over the place and the second I saw this, I had the “I NEED that” reaction. The 3 Pod Charging Station has three built-in slots to hold your cell phone, PDA, mp3 player or camera. The sliding front door allows you to conceal a 10″ power strip and all the devices’ charging cords in one area. You can put it on your desk or hang it on the wall. It also comes in white and black for those of you who don’t care for wood.

$45, Kangaroom

3. Mini Desk Construction Site

This would be fun to have around—not necessarily for my own desk. I would totally set it up on a coworker’s desk before they arrived in the morning. The Mini Desk Construction Site kit has everything you need to warn your co-workers about the dangers of your personal workspace. Use the “Do Not Cross” tape to protect your things that are off limits to others, like your office toys. Place the three magnets in plain sight to label your space. The six mini traffic cones and the two mini saw horses make perfect barriers for those large piles of papers that may fall over at any moment.

$6.50, Office Playground

4. Four Function Ruler Pen

 

Not only is this pen four-things-in-one, but it also has a RULER on it. Why didn’t I think of that? Do you have any idea how many times I’ve been drawing something out and have needed a ruler, but there wasn’t one nearby? This little gadget features an orange highlighter, a black ballpoint pen, a pencil and a PDA stylus all in one. To change the options, hold the pen horizontally and rotate it until the icon for the desired function faces up, then press a button. Ruler features centimeters and inches and there is an eraser under the button. This is definitely going to be on my desk at my next job.

$35, Uncommon Goods

5. FAIL/WIN Stamps

If you’re a devoted Failblog.org fan, you need to have these at work. Just don’t use them on anyone above you who doesn’t have a sense of humor. Never let another FAIL or WIN go by unannounced. These stamps come in a nice little pair, so should someone actually have an earth shattering WIN, by all means…. The FAIL stamp is in bright red, WIN stamp is in black, and both print in solid, all-caps Impact font. Both stamps are commercial, office-grade that require no ink pad and are good for hundreds of stampings (go wild!). Makes a satisfactory “ka-ching” noise when stamped.

$20, LOLMart

6. Borrow My Pen?

Do you hate lending out your pens, only to have them disappear forever? Next time, reach for one of these silly pens. No one will want to be caught with them in their possession. Set of 8 pens with the following imprinted on them: “Springfield Sexual Addiction Center,” “Shecky the Clown-Bar Mitzvahs, Weddings, Interventions,” “Dr. Lance Hughes, Proctology,” “Electrolysis Is Us,” “Van Nuys Center for Cosmetic Surgery,” “Verdant Fields Nudist Camp,” “Stuffed with Love Taxidermy,” and “Howie’s House of Hair.” Totally worth the $7. I’ll take 3 or 4 packs, please.

$7, Patina Store

7. Livescribe

 

This one is expensive, but incredibly useful. It’s a computer in a pen that helps you to never miss a word. Pulse™ records everything you hear, say and write, and links your audio recordings to your notes. Find the most important information from your meetings or lectures just by tapping on what you wrote. I mean, how COOL is that? 4GB of memory can hold over 400 hours of audio.

$170, Livescribe

8. App Magnets

There’s an app for everything. But what if you want to hang a photo on the fridge? Or leave a note on the microwave? Or save that Chinese take-out menu in a place where you can’t lose it? Well, good news, everyone… Now there’s an app for that, too. Yeah. I love home and office geekery. If I didn’t think my 2-year old would lose these in thirty seconds flat, they would be on my fridge.

$13, Jailbreak Toys

9. USB Foam Fan

If you want a safe but cool alternative to an under desk fan, grab the USB Foam Fan and have it right on your desk. Finger-safe foam blades spin and generate a cool breeze keeping you relaxed at your desk at work. This one got some of the best customer reviews on Amazon (which I always go buy when buying almost anything).

$10, Amazon

10. Mr. Bento Stainless Lunch Jar

The Zojirushi brand consistently gets great product ratings. I’m a huge fan of Japanese food and am looking to invest in the perfect lunchbox for work. The Mr. Bento Stainless Lunch Jar is unique and functional. It’s made from stainless steel with four microwaveable inner bowls and washable container. It’s great for bringing small portions of several foodstuffs, which is how I love to eat.

$50, Amazon

11. Ergoroller

I’ve seen lots of wrist rests on the market and I’ve even used a couple. This one has a bunch of steel balls that roll around and massage your wrists the whole time you use it. The Ergoroller would be a great addition to the aforementioned warming mouse. Now if only a masseuse could stand behind me and rub my shoulders all day long…

$25, Ergoroller


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Stephanie is a graphic designer who has managed art departments in the non-profit and corporate worlds. She is currently Work(ing)Awesome(ly) at home with her company Studio Lewis Graphic Design.

Discussion

  1. Jonathan on the 27th March

    Haha I love gadgets, sadly the shipping costs are too great when you live in sweden. Might be worth it tho to get those App-magnets on my lonely fridgedoor!
    Funny post while eating breakfast! Thanks

  2. Andy Griffiths on the 27th March

    Some interesting items on this list. But come on does anyone actually need any these? No of course they don’t, but ‘need’ and ‘want’ can certainly morph into one an other when glossy new gadgets hit the shelves. We are all probably at one time or an other guilty of convincing ourselves that we desperately need the latest gizmo. And lets be honest sometimes we just have to give in to temptation.

  3. ValueRays® on the 27th March

    Thanks for taking the time to write about ValueRays® — we certainly appreciate the article and will post a link back to this page from our Press Page! Thanks, Anna

  4. Soumya Jain on the 28th March

    interesting stuff. Fun to read Love the “Mini Desk Construction Site”. I can so visualise them on my desk!!. Cannot think of using the usb warm mouse though, specially in summers here in India. And “Borrow My Pen?” is simply an awesome idea!

  5. Carm on the 28th March

    Great article Stephanie. Wow. That Livescribe pen looks amazing! I go to a lot of meetings, webinars and training sessions where I’m taking notes and frustrated that I can’t write down fast enough to capture all the info I need. This would be perfect for that. Thanks for sharing.

  6. Hugo on the 28th March

    All of these look great and I could use a couple of those “Springfield Sexual Addiction Center” pens 😀

  7. Julius on the 28th March

    I particularly like the 3 Pod Charging Station. Thank you for the info.

  8. Kübra Göze on the 29th March

    nice products. Fun. May be a good gift. would be able to see more detail.

  9. leah on the 30th March

    I definitely need that mouse! i didn’t know ice hands were such a problem for a lot of people.

  10. Yari on the 30th March

    I’m loving all the pens! The ruler pen is great so I don’t have to have all these things rolling around my desk, LOL. Next to me now are a pencil, a pen, two highlighters and a sharpie. I also want to look a little more into Livescribe. And of course the Borrow My Pen are a hysterical! Great gadgets!

  11. Amy Silverston on the 26th May

    I was given the ValueRay heated mouse in Feb 2010. It did not work. The company would take no responsibility. If you want their products to be sure to work you must buy a warranty that, in this case, cost more than the original item.

    I am in the UK, where consumer protection law assumes items are sold fit for purpose and remain so for at least a year. This cut no ice with a vendor in the US, meant to be international haven of good service. I offered to post it back as proof that it didn’t work. A replacement would have cost under $4 to mail to me – they wanted $30. I thought this unreasonable.

    To add insult to injury, very recently I received a LinkedIn message from someone I didn’t know – an Anna Miller – wanting to add me to her professional network. It was the woman who is the heated Mouse company. I replied asking if she would sort out the problem of her company selling goods that don’t work. Twice. No answer.

    Buy a ValueRay product at your own risk and be prepared to waste your money.

  12. portable photo scanners on the 13th April

    Those gadgets are geeky. But they are not that good to be taken with you in your office. As they look a bit funny or outdated for an professional office.

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