So I told you guys that things are changing a bit round these parts, and they are! So welcome to What a Geek Wednesday. I’ll post weekly features on gadgets, gear and general geekery for your squeeing delight. This week, we’re starting with the most epic additions to any geek’s workspace.
When you walk into someones office, being your new boss, a coworker or an associate, you learn a lot about them. A lot. You can see if they’re the kind of people who need chaos to fuel their creativity, or a clean, clear space to keep themselves focused. All these factors in mind, I’ve compiled a list of a few awesome tools to help create a functional, productivity fueled workspace.
1. Cable Capture
Ok, so this thing is really cool. Basically, it’s a stackable/mountable cord collector. What’s particularly cool is that one collector holds one cable, so you can easy move things around without getting tangled in a vine-labyrinth of cords. It comes in multiple sizes and it’s reeeally easy to use.
Price Range: $5-$34.95 (Singles to Combo packs…)
2. Belkin Mini Surge Protector & USB Charger
We have the cords all cleaned up, so let’s plug in! This is a great addition to your office space, PLUS it’s a great tool for conferences and traveling.
Sidenote: It’s always smart to bring a surge protector to a conference, especially with plugs to share. It’s an easy way to make a new friend by being well prepared.
Price Range: $9.99-$12.99
3. Mozy
BACK UP YOUR FILES.
Protect yourself, your business, and all the important files you have entrusted to your hard drive and external hard drive. Bad things happen, people.
I know it’s not an actual physical part of the workspace, buuuuut it’s important enough to make it’s way onto the list.
Price Range: You can try it free (2GB) or pay $4.95/month for unlimited storage
4. Whiteboard Paint
For the geek who has everything, whiteboard paint is a way to make an entire wall into a whiteboard. I’m a big fan of whiteboarding things out, and whiteboard paint takes that to a whole new level. Essentially, you paint a wall with a few coats of whiteboard paint and Voila! You have a ginormous whiteboard. I know that Rust-oleum has a line but I’ve heard much better things of IdeaPaint (they’re on Twitter!). Either way, it’s pretty expensive, but the novelty of it is really exciting.
Price Range: IdeaPaint $15 (Holiday promo!!) (3 sq feet of coverage) – $99+ (25 sq. ft. of coverage) or $23-$25/quart of Rust-oluem’s Dry Erase Paint (approx. 49 sq. ft. of coverage)
Now there is a super chic alternative that I happen to really really like because I’m a geek for functional decor. Glass panels! If you want CSI or Numbers or any of those super awesome criminal investigation shows, you’ll see some whiteboarding on windows & glass walls. Not necessarily a significantly less expensive solution, though it can be! Check out the returned goods section at your local Ikea. They’ll often have glass table top components and panels on the cheap, PLUS they’re often in unique shapes and sizes. Mount the pane on a wall and yet again, you have an effective and cool/creative looking whiteboard. (Plus glass is easier to maintain than an actual whiteboard is..)
Price Range: $15-$170 (Depends on how creative you’re feeling..)
5. USB Aromatherapy Oil Burner
Yep. Plug it in, add your favorite fragrance oils, it makes your office smell good. There are a ton of different styles out there, from actual oil burner dishes to flash-drive-like sticks with a spot for oils.
If you’re all tapped out on USB space, though, candles are great. Even better? Candles on a coffee mug warmer. This way, you’re melting the wax without burning it away so the candle’s last longer and the risk of setting yourself or your office on fire is minimized. (i.e. You’d have to be really really dumb or forgetful to set something on fire using this candle burning method.) However, if you’re a spaz like I am, be cautious not to spill wax all over everything.
And if you do spill wax on everything, shoot me an email and I’ll walk you through the billions of ways you can get wax out of everything.
What makes these such cool additions to the office is that they go beyond normal geek realm and add to the general mood of the workstation. Scent is such an affective sense, so adding to that is a simple, interesting touch to the home and actual office.
Price: $5.99-$12.99
6. iPhone Acoustic Amplifier
Not a docking station, but an amplifier. Essentially, it’s an acoustically engineered box that projects the sound from your iPhone/iPod touch (because we all know how good their sound is). Additionally, you never have to worry about compatibility issues – you can feed your own iPhone/iPod cable through it to keep it charging while you listen.
Price: $19.99
7. Grass Pen Stand
Super cute, really simple, and a fun little addition to the desk space, the grass pen stand is an super-awesome alternative to the super-lame pen cup. Additionally, while it isn’t the real thing, plants are an auspicious addition to the workspace. If you’re gifting for the non-committal type you can’t keep a weed alive, this mayyyyy be the way to go.
Price: $14
8. Bose Companion 3 Series II Multimedia Speaker System
Delicious sound quality from your very own desk.. mmmmmmm!! Bose brings it’s incredible sound quality to your desktop – lord knows how much time you spend on it. It’s great for making your work station more… well… awesome. Additionally, it makes for a great home movie station. With the ever increasing availability of movies & movie rentals and TV streaming online, there are a ton of people watching their favorite shows and movies on their computers. What’s a good movie without good sound?
Sidenote/Experiment: Turn off the sound effects and music on your favorite movie. With few exceptions, it’ll totally ruin the experience and the emotional draw of the film.
Finally, these are ideal for the composer, sound editor or music buff in your life. Gorgeous sound where he/she needs it most. Who could ask for anything more?
Price: $249 on Amazon, maybe cheaper elsewhere?
9. Ninja Toothbrush Sanitizer
Ok, not exactly for the desk/office/whatnot, but it’s still an awesome addition to the geek’s sanitary arsenal.. because hygiene is important… really, really important. Besides, who doesn’t use a toothbrush?
Anyway, this nifty little gadget protects your toothbrush from airborne bacterial matter (don’t click it if you don’t want to be grossed out and you’re okay with just taking my word on the importance of safeguarding your toothbrush) and kills off the bacteria the toothbrush is there for in the first place.
And did I mention it’s a ninja?
Price: $36.99
10. Moleskine Notebook
Incongruent with a tech based station? Au contraire, ma ami. Everyone needs a place to jot their thoughts, because sometimes thoughts flow more freely from a pen than they do from a keyboard. Additionally, for the traveler, it may be easier to just draw, diagram or jot something down quickly instead of either waiting to get to a computer or hashing it out with their smartphone of choice. It’s simple, useful, and a generally lovely stocking stuffer.
Price: $10.95-$19.95
