Need something to do on those long train trips, in line or just fidgeting with the phone? Want to adorn your desk with some cool, creative gadgets to play with during breaks from work?
Here are some of the latest gadgets and apps for fidgety folks.
Playing Around
Better to burn your excess energy on a little gadget rather than getting sucked into a vortex of procrastination on Reddit or Facebook. The Fidget Cube is a next-level stress ball: it’s in a different shape for one thing. This desk toy has six sides of puzzles to flip and roll.
Have a little boxing break with a desktop punching bag or make magnetic sculptures with stainless steel balls with the Glantop Magnetic Sculpture Desk Toy. The 3Doodler Create lets you draw 3D shapes in the real world like a wizard.
Get Creative!
Learn more about your inner Picasso (without all the pesky drawing) by coloring in epic mandalas on your smartphone. What do you do when you see some structural inspiration out in the world? Beyond taking a photo, the Structure Sensor clips onto your iPad and lets you 3D-scan objects, rooms, and faces. Adobe Creative Cloud bundles include Photoshop and other great editing software if you want to get serious.
If you want to get really serious, The Carbide 3D Shapeoko 3 is pricey but epic. This Computer Numeric Control (CNC) – kind of like a 3d printer – can cut wood, aluminium, and plastic into a design of your choice with great precision. It includes its own design software, but you can always import your own designs from other programs provided they’re in the right format.
Chill Out Brussel Sprout
Sometimes you just have to clear your head for the inspiration to find its way in. There are a practically infinite number of relaxing sound and meditation apps for smartphones. For the eccentric millionaires and third-world dictators, the BiOrbAIR Terrarium creates a micro-climate of its own for growing tropical plants. Cool, huh? Thync is a wearable technology which stimulates the brain with electronic pulses to “[elevate] your mood and [lower] stress”.
In the same vein, Muse sits on your head like a headband and uses brain-sensing software to measure your stress. Wellbe is a bracelet which discovers what stresses you by monitoring your heart rate during different times and locations. Spire also detects tension, but by monitoring your breathing.
Highway to The Gadget Zone
Developing a hunchback by accident is no fun. Prana, another wearable, tells you when you need to recorrect your posture so you don’t hurt yourself or engage in shallow breathing. Wanna make a little sand castle on your desk without making a mess? Kinetic Sand is a non-toxic synthetic polymer you can mold like wet sand and crumble into dry sand when you’re done. Oh, the bizarre wonders of technology.
The next time you find yourself down an online rabbit hole, remember that you can fidget with toys in the real world for a bit rather than spend ages staring at screens.
Amelie Hale is a creative gal in a stressful job so enjoys down time where she can put her creative juices to work. Writing articles is one of those things along with sketching and baking.
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