Fetish
Prick
For most people, the computer remains a mystical device whose inner workings only tech support really understands. How do the geeks get by? With Voodoo, of course. The great thing is, you can prevent crashes with white pins or - if you've got theater tickets - cause one with the black pins. You didn't think tech support fixed all those computers alone, did you? Computer Voodoo: US$6.50. Archie McPhee: +1 (206) 745 0711, on the Web at www.halcyon.com/mcphee/.
Chaw
Brewing up tea as a boon to your manhood just too femme? At last there's a means of getting your daily dose of ginseng that's as butch as the root's reputation. Vermont Ginseng Products has introduced Root 100 Ginseng Chew - as in chaw, pardner, not gum - in six flavors: cinnamon, peppermint, ginger, wintergreen, tangerine, and original. Go for the original. The cinnamon tastes like rancid apple pie; as for peppermint - well, you can see how a combination aphrodisiac and breath mint might find a market. Root 100 Ginseng Chew: US$6.50 per tin. Vermont Ginseng Products: (800) 270 0007, +1 (802) 244 4372.
Ripping
Leading a life of digital drudgery could force a person far into the wooded hills for the sake of sanity. But if you're planning to escape anytime soon, better trade in your desktop geekware for Makita's new 12-volt cordless chainsaw. (Yes, cord-less. Can't expect to go cold turkey right from the git-go.) The UC120DW weighs 3.8 pounds, will handle lumber up to 4.5 inches thick, and is just over a foot long. It's a perfect accessory for the not so environmentally acclimated. UC120DW: approximately US$299. Makita USA: (800) 462 5482, +1 (714) 522 8088.
Trek
You spend too much time at your desk - that you know. But how many minutes a day do you spend walking? With the Comp-U-Hike, you'll know. This pedometer keeps track of miles and kilometers, plus steps walked, calories burned, even the length of your workout. Its light design and easy-to-read LCD will keep you focused on the task at hand. Plus the Comp-U-Hike includes a 10-hour stopwatch and a compass to help you find your way back (in case you really don't get out much). Comp-U-Hike Pedometer: US$40. The Nature Company: on the Web at www.natureco.com/.
Lazy
Tapping into the serious-couch-potato entertainment market - those game junkies who get tired just holding on to the joystick - The Other 90% Technologies has developed MindDrive. The sensor sleeve reads electrical signals in your index finger and translates them for your PC. You'll need a computer with a 486 CPU, DOS 5.0, and a double-speed CD-ROM drive. Eight available titles let you play games, ski down slopes, or compose music. MindDrive: US$149.95; titles $29.95 to $39.95. The Other 90% Technologies Inc.: (800) 706 0456, +1 (415) 460 1010.
Bubblehead
Perhaps toy robots haven't caught on because their purpose isn't all that clear and what they do isn't all that brilliant. But come on, people - they're robots! The Hyper Peppy has nothing on Robbie the Robot, but its awkward shape and bulbous head hide the circuit guts of a speed demon. Peppy features touch and sound sensors that change its direction of motion when contact or a loud sound is made. No kid should pass through life without one. And it beats another trip to Toys 'R' Us for more Power Rangers gear. Hyper Peppy: US$24.95. The Exploratorium Store: +1 (415) 561 0393.
Heatwave
Ever the ugly ducklings of home furnishings, radiators are generally tucked away in nooks and crannies. But Focus Contemporary Radiators, swans of the heating pond, beg to preen in open spaces, to be seen by all. These colorful (sorry, traditional oatmeal not available) and cleverly named heaters come in elegant sizes and shapes - from curvy to angular - complementing your home's decor. Circulating water warms Rising Moon (pictured), which stands 2,350 mm by 450 mm. Rising Moon: �5,354 (US$1,025). Focus: +33 (4) 67 55 01 93, fax +33 (4) 67 55 77 77.
Rolling
Apartment too small to fit a dessert table and a computer stand? Knoll's Propeller Rolling Cart, with its fashionable aluminum legs and wood veneer tops in 11 varieties, takes on both roles with ease. While typing at the computer, you can lock the cart's casters and hide electric cords in the legs. When your guests arrive, simply slide the keyboard under the tabletop, throw the monitor in the closet, and dish out the lemon mousse. Propeller Rolling Cart: US$630; optional keyboard drawer $160. Knoll: (800) 445 5045, +1 (212) 343 4000.
Connected
AT&T's PocketNet Phone is almost as good as a laptop - and much smaller. Using the CDPD network, the device sends and receives short email messages to and from anyone with a Net connection. Filtering out graphics and multimedia, it can access Internet servers to provide information on weather conditions, airline arrival times, stock quotes, even descriptions of how to get across town on the bus. The PocketNet Phone can also connect to your corporate intranet. Oh - and it makes phone calls. PocketNet Phone: approximately US$500. AT&T Corp.: (800) 552 3373, +1 (206) 803 4020.
Rearview
Worried about job security? Can't shake the feeling that HR is sneaking up behind you, wielding a big shiny ax? Keep tabs on your back while maintaining a productive, forward-looking attitude with the ViewPoint, a 3/8-inch mirror that attaches inside your glasses. The mirror is mounted on an even smaller ball-and-socket joint - allowing it to work with a variety of eyewear designs - that provides an ample wide-angle view. They can't get you if you get them first. ViewPoint: US$10 (package of two). CycleAware: (800) 252 2927, +1 (408) 685 1115.
Cook
The paperless kitchen is here. Brother's Kitchen Assistant is an indispensable database: the tiny unit stores recipes, gives half and double portions, calculates the amount of fat per serving, and prints out shopping lists. With memory expansion cards, you can swap cooking hints with your neighbor faster than you can gossip over the fence. Kitchen Assistant: US$349. Brother International Corp.: (800) 284 1739, +1 (908) 356 8880.
Eats
The Think! Interactive Bar - with a blend of chamomile, L-arginine, and Ginkgo biloba - claims to promote calmness and stamina as well as increase concentration while quelling the rumble in your stomach. The creators at P.H.D. (that's Personal Health Development) package their peanut-butter chocolate and chocolate, almond, and coconut bars with wrappers picturing a mouse and keyboard. Think!: US$1.49. Personal Health Development: on the Web at www.thinkproducts.com/. Thanks to Megumi Ikeda, Anne Speedie, Mandy Erickson, Ken Kinoshita, Tadashi Ibi, Steve Silberman, and Wired Japan.
