These ridiculously beautiful and completely unnecessary gizmos for the office, at home, or out and about are the perfect way to reward yourself.
-By Paul Stone
TOUCHSMART ALL-IN-ONE TV DESKTOP
BestBuy.com
$2,100 with Intel Core Duo Processor T8100
Did you fall in love with the idea of a big touch screen while watching Minority Report? Welcome to the future, dude. The TouchSmart is a 25-inch joy machine. It’s all here, from Blu-ray compatibility to Web TV, all at the touch of your calloused hands. It does anything a normal PC can, and you can leave yourself notes, set reminders, live blog as you watch a movie or TV show, or conference via Skype and the built-in Webcam. It just might be the most perfect computer ever, not to mention the most fun you’re going to have with your clothes on.
GUNNAR OPTIKS OFFICE GLASSES
GunnarOptiks.com
$100 to $190
Americans now spend more time than ever in front of computer screens (and yes, the ones on your cellphone and PSP count), which means there’s not just one, but two, eye-strain syndromes to treat. Gunnar Optiks glasses help save your eyes from Digital Eye Fatigue and Computer Vision Syndrome. The company’s i-AMP technology means more relaxed ocular muscles, the amber tint prevents strain from other lights, and, according to Gunnar, the glasses even help prevent dry eyes. And of course they look kind of badass around the office.
AVATAR GAMING MOUSE
Nzxt.com
$60
This mouse is perfect for lefties, since it was designed with the ambidextrous in mind. It’s small and light, which means it’s quick and responsive, and has a rubber grip to minimize unwanted slippage. And with seven—count ’em, seven—programmable buttons, you’ll be able to shoot your way out of hot spots with a speed and ease you’ve never known.
SOLIO SOLAR CHARGER
Solio.com
$100; $170 for the magnesium edition
Taking advantage of Mother Nature’s bounty never felt so right, whether you want to be sure your camera is ready for every fish you catch, you need your GPS charged so you can find your way out of the woods, or you want your cellphone video capture to keep working no matter how many tit-flashing coeds you film at Mardi Gras. If you’re stuck with one rainy day after another, you can even plug it in and charge it off the grid.
SAMSUNG S2 MP3 PLAYER
Samsung.com
$40
You don’t normally get a lot of design for $40, but the S2 is a real hybrid of form and function. It looks more like a rock than an MP3 player, comes in five colors, and fits in the palm of your hand or comfortably around your neck. The one-gig internal flash drive plays around 13 hours of MP3, WMA, and OGG files, but our favorite thing about it is the price. A practical workout player that’s cheap to replace if necessary is a good thing.
KINDLE ELECTRONIC READER
Amazon.com
$360
Amazon, which has undeniably revolutionized the book-selling business over the past decade, is betting that e-books are the future of publishing. With this impressive device, it’s easy to see why. It’s as light asand not much bigger than—a pocketsize paperback, downloads are DSL-fast, and the screen is surprisingly easy to read. (Especially given the easily accessible half-dozen font sizes. Even older folks who need large-print books should be able to figure out how to adjust the size.) The number of titles available is impressive as well, especially if you’re into mainstream adult fiction and nonfiction. If you save money by borrowing books from your local library, though, forget this. You have to purchase whatever you want to read, and the prices aren’t as low as we’d expected
compared to hard copies, particularly for paperbacks.
