Stars of SkyMall, Part Two

The $200 battery-powered Aculife kit consists of a control unit, an electrode pad, and a handheld electric probe, and it promises to be the "guardian of [your] health" by administering small electric shocks. The nearly incomprehensible instructions advise users to place the probe and electrode on the body in accordance with a physician's advice. (My doctor advised me against using the kit.)

I did spend a little more than an hour zapping myself while following the dubious included "Acupoints" chart. The result? It's probably not as uncomfortable as a dog-training collar, but likely just as effective for most maladies.

--Robert Strohmeyer

Among questionable alternative-medicine options, one can find this leg-swaying device for the bargain-basement price of $140. According to the description, the Swing Master Chi Machine eases stress by relieving tension in your muscles and joints. It probably has nothing to do with the fact that you're lying down though, right?

I'm not balding. Really. But whenever I refer to my hair, my daughter asks, "What hair?"

So, should I try the $299 Spencer Forrest X5 HairLaser or send my daughter to boarding school? The idea is to rub the X5 and its 15 low-level lasers over your scalp for 10 to 15 minutes, three times a week. The laser radiation is supposed to stimulate your follicles.

I haven't had much time to formally test the X5 according to PCWorld's rigid reviews process. But what is worse: being a little more streamlined on top or rubbing a glowing hockey puck over your head for 45 minutes a week? I know my answer. By the way, can anyone recommend a good boarding school?

--Edward N. Albro

The brain/battery/fan-powered Telekinetic Obstacle Course ($100) proved to be better than we thought it would be.

First you set up an obstacle course by sticking plastic pieces together. Then you put on a tight headband and attach some ear clips, as shown. This rig allegedly channels your brain waves to activate a fan that makes a foam ball float. The ball then moves through the course when you turn a knob that moves the fan.

The ball supposedly rises according to your concentration levels (hmmm), but the headset hurts if you wear it for more than a few minutes.

--Leah Yamshon and Rachel Sadon

I once tried an under-the-desk biking machine that was sitting in PCWorld's box o' free stuff. As with most things that come that easily, though, it quickly became evident why someone would discard the machine so mercilessly.

Work is hard enough without exercise, pedaling, and coordination involved. So when I saw the TrekDesk, I had to question how much more effective it would be--though the mental image of a suit running and trying to edit an Excel spreadsheet simultaneously is priceless. For $400, the glorified table comes with two built-in cup holders, a manuscript stand, and a filing tray.

--Rachel Sadon

I was bombing down a hill on my bike one day when a coyote suddenly jumped in my path. Fortunately, I was able to swerve to avoid hitting it. The whole scene would have made a great video, but I wasn't prepared. So the next time I tried strapping a video camera to my helmet and riding one-handed. Not recommended.

Enter the $200 Video Recording Sunglasses. Slightly more stylish than disposable sunglasses from the eye doctor, the Video Recording Sunglasses have a built-in 0.3-megapixel camera with 320-by-240-pixel video recording. Thanks to the device's 2GB of on-board memory, you can record up to 2.5 hours of video. I shot some videos with it, and though the quality didn't blow me away, my clips looked pretty good and I loved the first-person perspective.

--Ginny Mies

Like a real sports car, the Road Mice Lamborghini mouse is more about show and less about utility. After all, any run-of-the-mill USB mouse will do the job.

The mouse comes in a variety of colors--the one I used was bright canary yellow--and when it's switched on, the headlights light up too. It makes a fine conversation piece, but it isn't the most comfortable mouse to use. The fit in my hand was awkward, and for work functionality it's probably about on a par with the Treadmill Desk (featured earlier in this slide show).

--Nick Mediati

Among the more bewildering options in the SkyMall catalog are items that are designed to look like security devices and not do much else.

For $60 and two AA batteries, you can outfit your front door with a panning faux security camera. If that isn't enough to keep bumbling burglars out, add a $35 FakeTV (shown here), pick up a $90 electronic guard dog, and rest easy…those crooks will never know that you aren't home.

Though every young man dreams of being able to draw his cell phone with the practiced ease of a Wild West gunslinger, the Wrist Cell Phone Carrier didn't quite do it for me. Wearing a $30 bracelet to keep my cell phone grafted to my forearm just wasn't a good look.

You're supposed to attach a Velcro sticker to the back of your phone and strap the phone in to keep it safely attached to your wrist. Then, you undo the strap and flick your wrist to slap your phone into your hand. However, the strap didn't feel very secure--certainly not solid enough for me to risk my phone's life. On the plus side, using this device might solve iPhone 4 death grip problems.

--Patrick Miller

For those folks who have taken the vampire fetish a little too far and have begun feeling woozy from a lack of vitamin D, there's a really simple solution.

No, no, you don't need to step outside. Bring the outside to you--artificially. Check out the $60 Sunlight 365. It even comes with a clock and a countdown timer, so you can get just the right amount of fake sun.