Has the slowdown left you with time on your hands in the office ?

Are you looking for something you brighten your day.

Thinking about what you want for Christmas?.  Well here are some of the best office gadgets we have been lucky to play with, all fully and exhaustively tested by our team

1) USB Missile launcher.  Plug in to your computer and launch the rockets from your keyboard whilst sitting in your chair . For maxumum enjoyment you really need two launchers. Make some paper models as targets and you have a modern version of the game of battleships

2) Radio controlled Blimp.  Everybody’s favourite and very easy to control. Two battery powered  motors give easy and precise control, provided windows and doors are kept closed. You do need a supply of helium though as the gas leaks out from the balloon over time.  And don’t try using the blimp to carry anything as can only just support itself. Easy and reliable and no setup required, apart from inflating the blimp in the first place.

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3) Radio controlled Mini-racers.  Easily the most exciting game for the office. The track will easily fit on a standard desk, although it does take a few minutes to put the track together and finding the cars after they have hurtled off the track under the photocopier does get tiring after a while.Real racing, just on a mini scale.  Quite similar  to the well know slot car racing game we all had when we were kids, and most probably still have. A good game, easy to play and compete, but does require setting up.

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4) Lazer helicopters.  These things are absolutely amazing but they do take a lot of flying time before you can actually get involved in a dogfight. They are quite strong, considering their price and construction, so they wont break too easily, but you have to be careful. They will knock over coffer cups and small pots, and will hurt if crashed into unsuspecting colleagues. Great fun, but skill is required, and the time between charges is quite short.

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5) Finger drums.  These are great fun but you do really need your own office or a workstation surrounded by sound absorbing screens as you will eventually annoy your colleagues, probably to the pain (to you) threshold.  Still, on balance it is better that humming or tapping the desk, and they look good. We doubt that they will inspire you create your own rock band though.  A fun novelty item but you need your own space

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6) Mini air guitar.  Much better that you would think, and really plays some of the best 70’s and 80’s riffs, which can be a good thing as well as a bad thing. Once again, having colleagues with patience and a sense of humour is the key here, otherwise it will end up looking like one of Pete’s guitars after a Who concert. You will eventually stop playing with this gadget as it does have limited appeal, but is still brings a smile to our faces when it’s brought out of the cupboard.

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7) USB fridge.  Great gadget and does actually work. Looks good too. One can size unfortunately and does take quite a few hours to get the drink cold. But stick it in when you get to work and by lunchtime the drink will be at the perfect temperature. High novelty value but there are  bigger and more efficient mini fridges out there, which do the job properly.

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Swearing Turtle.  We have put it in the list but we are really not sure why. All it does is swear at you when you walk past it (and we really do mean swear!). But we get that from the secretaries anyway, so it is not really a novelty.  But in the right place with a visitor who has not seen one of these before, you suddenly see why it is on this list. The swearing can be moderated from the standard full bore profanities at a flick of a switch.  High novelty value, but only slightly better that the singing fish of a few years ago.

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9) TVR Mouse.   What could be better to look at and play with all day long. Doesn’t really do much except sit there and look good all day long, which is similar to a real TVR we suppose.  On the basis that if you have to have a mouse on your desk it might as well be something striking and beautiful, the TVR mouse gets listed in our top 10. Stylish, beautiful, reliable and practical, just like a real TVR

( er..no..)

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10) Bike engine USB Hub.  A useful gadget which looks great and even sounds like ( given the limitations) an old british Beeza or Triumph engine. You push the kickstart and the engine fires up; you press the gear lever and off it roars down the road. You wont ever get tired of playing with this, although your colleagues will. This is definitely one which you either think is absolutely fantastic, or just plain childish.  A fun usb for your desk, but with a very serious price.