How to Geek Out Your Office Version 3.0

by Nathan Eddy

If free space on your desk is at a premium, consider this combination USB hub/tape dispenser. It combines two essential functions to help you reclaim your workstation and cements your geek status (Hey man, dont judge, its USB 2.0!). You can connect up to four USB 2.0 devices (three USB ports swivel and one is fixed) and install any 1-inch roll of tape. It includes one roll of tape, as well as a green LED status light—what are you waiting for?

This years April Fools Day opportunity may have passed you by, but that doesnt mean you shouldnt start planning for next year. With this pocket-sized gadget, you can endlessly annoy your friends and colleagues by possessing the office TV so it turns on and off at random intervals every 5-20 minutes, 24 hours a day, for weeks on end. Maybe not the most productive tool ever invented, but guaranteed to provoke a response.

Unleash your inner office samurai with this letter opener, which comes with a nifty little stand to let your boss know you mean business (when it comes to opening mail, at least). The package includes a 6 1/2-inch stainless steel sword, sheath and stand, as well as a printed gift box. Bonzai!

Reusable materials are all the rage these days, so why not show off your green credentials with this desk, made from a Fairchild C-119 rudder? Known as The Flying Boxcar, the C-119 was used as a cargo plane built between 1947 and 1955. Only 40 are available, but the desk comes in an 8-by-11-foot conference table edition, so youve got your pick—if youve got the cash to spare.

Defend yourself from office enemies and boredom with this USB-powered missile launcher, which can launch three foam missiles within a six-foot range. For an extra $40 (What? Missile technology is expensive) you can get the Webcam Missile Launcher, which sends live targeting video over Microsoft Windows Live Messenger (MSN Messenger).

Rovio is a WiFi connected robotic Webcam with microphone and speaker for two-way audio that will stream video and audio to nearly any Web-enabled browser anywhere in the world. You can use your PC, Mac, iPhone or even Sony PS3 to control Rovio. Set waypoints so that Rovio can navigate itself around the office, or send it back to the charging dock with the push of a button. Just dont tell Cyberdine Systems about it …

If you’re a true geek, every type of portable device on the planet is probably vying for the valuable electricity (and space) on your desk. The Grassy Lawn Charging Station provides an artificial grass cushion for your gadgets while they charge, while a compartment underneath hides all of the power adapters and cables. Just remember you dont need to water the grass, huh?

Brought to you by the same industrial design-savvy folks as the C-119 rudder desk, this couch is an eye-catching piece for the office lobby, if not for your own office. This pontoon, boasting nautical lines with tons of rivet detail, was rescued from the bone yard and now starts its new life (after weeks of sanding, polishing and stitching red upholstery) as an extremely limited MotoArt couch. You know you want it.

Put some green calculation into your life with this solar-powered piece, winner of the Good Design Award Japan 2007. The calculator includes a built-in solar battery that is charged by strong light sources, and it is also equipped with an LR44 button battery as a backup for challenging light conditions.

Stylish, affordable and inscrutable to many (but not to you, of course), this binary clock displays the time in hours, minutes and seconds using the language of computers. It is available in a choice of classic black and red or stylish crystal blue.