Grab a handful of greenbacks, folks, the holidays are almost here. They're a terrific excuse for me to play with fun things that'd make neat gifts for your home office friends. (Yeah, I know only a geek thinks a telephone headset or keyboard is fun, but put up with me, OK? This is how I earn a living.)

These blurbs are short takes of products I've tried here at Bass International. Some appeal to my genetic predisposition for gadgets; most, however, fill practical needs for any small office.

But first I have to tell you about Michael Lasky, our in-house gadget maven. Michael's office is my first stop when visiting PC World; it's a techno-dweeb's heaven, filled with dozens of buzzing and blinking gizmos. (I think he's got the PC World record on the number of USB peripherals hooked up to his system.)

Michael may have scooped me on a couple of products, but I've got some he's never even heard of. At any rate, check "Great Gifts for Your PC," which he wrote with Dennis O'Reilly.

Take a Hike

When I walk the dogs or take an occasional jog, I don't have to wonder how far I've traveled. For the last few weeks I've used a FS-1 speedometer watch to measure my distance and speed. The $199 gizmo consists of a humongous watch and a foot pod that wirelessly sends data to the watch. For another $50, you can get a device to beam the data to your PC for analysis. And if you have any loose change, for another $60, the chest strap lets you see your heart rate on screen.

Fast, Sharp Prints

Pop quiz: How often do you use color when printing? If you're like me, it's rare--especially once the novelty has worn off, and I need to start buying expensive color cartridges. That's why I use a Brother HL-1440 laser printer. Sure, at about $270 it's more expensive than an ink jet. But I like it because it prints quickly and uses recycled toner cartridges, making it cheaper than ink jet printers to run and maintain. The Brother holds 250 sheets, spits out 15 pages per minute, and provides 1200 dots-per-inch resolution.

Dig this: Have you ever wondered where your tax dollars go? Some finds its way to the CIA, which profiles more than 250 nations in an almanac-like format. The World Factbook lists heads of state, provides maps, and does lots more--which makes for fascinating reading if you have something important to do.

Cool Down With a Hot APC

The coolest things about working from a home office are the benefits: No dress code, free parking, and good food (but surly service) at the commissary. The downside is that my office is tiny--a 10-by-10-foot converted bedroom--and it got miserably hot in the summer. So I coerced APC to let me try a NetworkAIR Portable Air Conditioning unit, and boy, I don't want to give it back. It looks like a small copying machine, with a footprint of about 12 by 16 inches and height of 30 inches. It's 88 pounds but the rollers let me move it anywhere. Sit down, the thing's not cheap: It'll cost you about $800 discounted. APC's Web site occasionally has less-expensive refurbished models available.

Quick download: Get ready for the holidays by stringing rows of colored lights around the edges of your computer screen. It's free to try and a ridiculous $20 to keep.

Try a New Mouse

I had a chance to work with two new mice, one from Microsoft, the other from Logitech. Microsoft's Wireless IntelliMouse Explorer sells for about $70, has five easily programmable buttons (including the wheel), and works well on most surfaces except sandy beaches. (That's a joke, right? --Editor) The mouse fits my hand well, but either the right button is too sensitive or my finger's too heavy. I found vendors offering this product for about $60 using our Product Finder.

Logitech's Cordless MouseMan Optical is a little smaller than the Microsoft mouse, sells for about $50 discounted, and has three programmable buttons plus a scroll wheel. Using Product Finder, I found vendors offering the product for around $40. (See what I do for you?) Check out our Product Finder.

Both mice come with software to make the buttons and wheel mimic keystrokes or mouse clicks. For instance, I've set two extra buttons on the Microsoft mouse to cut and paste. Bottom line: Before you race out and buy a new mouse, find a buddy who has one of these and try it.

Quick tip: If you're using a mouse with a wheel, try these tricks. When you're browsing a Web site, hold down the keyboard Shift key while twirling the wheel backwards once. (Nope, I won't say; you have to try it.) Now do the same thing, but this time hold down the Control key. Neat, eh?

Dig this: You know what happens when you get to a Web page that no longer exists, right? You get a 404 error. Here's a 404 that's a huge waste of time and will keep you busy past at least one deadline.

Throw Out Your Keyboard

I've been happy with a ten-year-old keyboard from the now defunct Northgate Computing Company. But I'm trying to evolve, so I looked at Microsoft's Office Keyboard and Logitech's similar Cordless Freedom Optical Keyboard. For the skinny on Logitech's keyboard, see "Mouse With Your Keyboard, Key With Your Mouse."

And for Microsoft's keyboard, check out "Apps at Your Fingertips."

Call Me, Call You

Want a cool way to use your phone? Of course you do. So try Mindmaker's Tell A Phone system. This $100 gizmo attaches to my phone and, via a USB port, my PC. When I'm ready to call my editor, I pick up the phone's receiver like I ordinarily do, say "grumpy," and listen to the phone dialing. Interesting? Get more details in "Say a Name, and the PC Dials a Phone Number."

I'm not finished with gifts, gizmos, and gadgets. Come back next week for more of my favorites.

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