Best New Gadgets Reviews

There are a ton of gadgets out there to help make your life more convenient. But for every tablet computer or trendy USB hub, there’s the equivalent of the dancing soda can (remember those?) floating out there, waiting to clutter up your desk or cubicle.

 

Today, we are going to take a look at some of those strange gadgets that you can buy – except instead of just offering you a few minutes of diversion, these serve the dual purpose of being strange while offering a very functional purpose. These all make great gifts, and are fun just to have for yourself.

 

The LED Magnetic Light Mine

 

 

This quirky little ball looks exactly like a miniature landmine. Each of the twelve “nodes” contains a fairly powerful neodymium magnet, and the oddly shaped case houses a bright LED light. So, apart from worrying people with what looks like miniature explosives when you walk into the office, the are also highly functional tools. Attaching to any responsive surface the miniature mines can be used for anything from working on servers, those hard-to-see places under your car, or even looking for lost things in the dark without having to hunt around for a bulky flashlight to hold in one hand while to try to work with the other. Just pin the magnet to the metal surface and aim the light – this frees up both hands to do…whatever you planned to do in the dark.

 

They can be found rather cheaply over at ThinkGeek.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The USB Cooler (for your rear)

This one comes from our friends in Japan. (Who would have guessed?) I know winter is setting in right now, so you’re probably not thinking about ways to stay cool, but you know the drill. You work in an office that has the heat cranked just a little to high in the winter, and management doesn’t exactly believe in air conditioning for the hotter months. You are stuck at your desk for hours on end working on projects that needed to be done yesterday.

 

How do you stay cool under that kind of pressure?

 

Well, Plus D  has figured out a way! Just hook this little device to the seat of your chair and plug it into any of the available USB ports on your computer. A powerful micro-fan blows cool air up through a pad, where it is diffused, to keep your backside relaxed and cool, even when the tension is high in the workplace.

 

Rubik’s Cube MP3 Player

You’re sitting at your desk, listening to your favorite tunes when it suddenly hits you that your productivity may be on the rise. A deep panic sets in. If you become too productive, your superiors might get expectations, and then you will no longer be that nameless worker who goes unnoticed and is therefore able to sneak out of the office early. What to do?

 

Well, have no fear. The fine folks over at Yanko Design have managed to create an MP3 player that also functions as a Rubik’s Cube puzzle. The easy part is transferring your tunes. The challenging part is the puzzle itself. By “solving” the different layers of the puzzle, you will be able to unlock features such as pause, back, forward, and perhaps the most iportant – play.

 

Just watch as you go from “That person who did such a great job at figuring out how to put clipart in the PowerPoint presentation, so now you’re called upon to do every little inane task for someone because you can use the clicky thing on the computer” to “Who? You mean someone actually works at that desk?” Ah…the sweet tranquility of anonymity in the office and your favorite music.

 

These are just a fractioin of some of the cool and crazy (but functional) gadgets out there. Dig deep enough, and you’ll find scanners that toast images on bread, USB humping dogs, and even headphones that smell like gummy bears (no joke). But I may save those for another time.