The Globe and Mail

Gunnar eyestrain-reducing computer glasses

If you’ve spent long hours at a computer you already know how tired your eyes can get, that’s because computer screens are strongly shifted to the blue end of the light spectrum which focuses differently on your retina that other colours of light, straining your eyes. These glasses claim to shift light to the warmer end of the spectrum and also feature an anti-glare coating and special tints to increase contrast and detail. ($79.99 to $99.99 for a wide variety of styles at Thinkgeek.com)

HP TopShot Laserjet Pro M275 cloud and 3-D scan printer

A high end laser colour printer capable of printing over the Internet or from your smartphone, this all-in-one also features the ability to scan three dimensional objects and print out a 3-D representation of them. So now if you want to scan a rose, or a piece of jewellery you won’t have to pancake them under a scanner lid to do it. The scanner arm takes 6 different photos of the object, three with flash and three at room lighting, to print out a single, highly realistic image. ($399.99 at hp.com)

SkullHub

Stylishly macabre, the SkullHub is a much cooler way to add USB ports to your laptop than just plugging in a non-cranial piece of hardware. Features 4 USB ports that power through your computer and comes with a generously long USB cable. Approximately the size of a regular human skull without the jaw section, the top is hollowed out so you can use it as a bowl for…brain food? ($24.99 at Thinkgeek.com)

Road Mice

Tired of sitting at your desk instead of racing around in your dream ride? Maybe a miniature roadster from Road Mice will be enough to tide you over during a long workday. With blinking lights and killer realism, these mice let you “drive” across the Internet. They come in both wireless and wired varieties with a wide selection of vehicles to choose from like the Nissan 370Z and Lamborghini Murcielago (pictured). (Starts at $34.95 at Canadian Tire)

iRobot Scooba

American manufacturer iRobot continues the robot revolution with this bathroom and kitchen cleaning automaton. It washes, scrubs, and squeegees dirty floors so humans can get on with more important things in life – at least until it decides it’s tired of being a slave and drowns its owner in grimy water. A great timesaver if you hear “seeing as you’re home anyway, clean the kitchen!” ($299.99; www.irobot.com)

iZon remote room monitor

Enjoy peace of mind in your home office with unobtrusive, motion-activated camera that lets you see and listen to what’s going on in whatever room it’s in from anywhere in the world. The camera turns on the moment it senses motion or sound and streams video over a wireless network to your iPad, iPhone or iPod touch under heavy encryption. Great for a home office reception area, workshops filled with expensive electronics or just to watch baby wake up while you’re away from home. ($129.95 at Apple stores & Best Buy)

iPad Flexstand

If you’re tired of working against gravity to support your iPad it’s time to let gravity do the work for you. The Flexstand is lightweight steel, with arms that curl and adjust however you like, comes with flexible rubber feet to easily hold your device. Works in any position, on flat or sloped surfaces and straightens out for easy storage. ($29.99 at Thinkgeek.com)

USB LED beverage cooler

Why walk to the fridge for refreshment? This tiny one-can refrigerator keeps your favourite soda cool on your desk just by connecting through a USB slot to your computer. Its solid-state heat pump won’t exactly make a warm can ice-cold but it will keep a drink cool. ($19.99 at Thinkgeek.com)

StealthSwitch II programmable foot controller

Put those lazy feet to work and let your fingers take a rest, or just become more efficient by adding “foot clicks” to control your computer. The StealthSwitch II can be programmed to perform any mouse click, keystrokes, hotkeys or macros within any given program and comes with setup software for Windows PCs and Macs. Master switch connects via USB and you can buy slave switches for even more functionality. ($39.99 for master switch (required), $14.99 for slave switches at Thinkgeek.com)