<![CDATA[Gizmodo: Office]]> http://cache.gawker.com/assets/base/img/thumbs140x140/gizmodo.com.png <![CDATA[Gizmodo: Office]]> http://gizmodo.com/tag/office http://gizmodo.com/tag/office <![CDATA[Office 2010 The Movie Doesn't Star Tom Cruise—Thank Xenu for That]]> Here's the trailer for Office 2010: The Movie, full of matrixy characters and missionimpossibly situations.

Thankfully it's just a promo and there won't be any Office 2010 movie. It was created for Microsoft by Dennis Liu, who also did the how to pretend you are working video. [Thanks Dennis]

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<![CDATA[Office Chair or Genital Torture Device?]]> I can understand the design logic of 360º, an office chair by Konstantin Grcic: It's called 360º because it can rotate 360 degrees and it allows you to sit in any direction. My testicles, however, don't get it. [Mocoloco]

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<![CDATA[Probably the Smallest Cubicle In the World]]> The image associated with this post is best viewed using a browser.The caption says: "Our intern starts today. We figured we'd start her off with a little prank." I don't see how this is funny. It looks like our interns' cubicles. [Flickr—Thanks Alice]

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<![CDATA[Post-It Display Beats LCD, Despite Slow Frame Rate, Low Res]]> The image associated with this post is best viewed using a browser.Bang-yao Liu made this pretty stop-motion post-it animation for his senior project at Savannah College of Art and Design, displaying all things computer and gamey. He gets extra points for using Röyksopp's Eple as the soundtrack. [Thanks Omar]

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<![CDATA[At Last, Microsoft Word Editing In the iPhone]]> Rejoice, Microsoft Office and iPhone users, because now you can edit, create, and view Microsoft Word files. Dataviz Documents To Go doesn't bring Excel editing as promised, but at least is here now for $5.

The Excel creation and editing will be a free upgrade if you buy now. Like the rest of the Dataviz mobile editors, Documents to Go for iPhone uses InTact, which retains the format of edited files at all times.

They also have another version for $10, which also supports Exchange attachments. [Documents to Go and Documents To Go with Exchange Attachments]


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<![CDATA[Dominoes Make the Office Fun Again for Three Minutes]]> Created for the Imagine RIT festival at the Rochester Institue of Technology, this video is a testimony of the power of dominoes—which apparently can turn on a photocopier—and office boredom. We like. [DRB]

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<![CDATA[Selgas Cano Capsule Office Looks Great in the Forest, Would Look Better on the Moon]]> Ever wonder what kind of office a cutting-edge architect actually works in? If you're employed at the Selgas Cano architectural firm near Madrid, it looks something like this.

One edge of this long, tubular office is made entirely of glass, simultaneously helping workers feel closer to nature and a bit like they're slaving away in a hermetically sealed research station on a faraway dystopian planet. A unique experience, to be sure.

Though it's not apparent in the first picture, most of the office is underground, zoo-exhibit-style. This apparently helps save on heating and cooling bills, but to try to make a practical defense of such a proudly overdesigned structure is kind of missing the point. Check out Iwan Baan's full gallery here. [Archdaily via BoingBoing Gadgets]

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<![CDATA[iPhone App Hides Your Snoring or Fapfapfapping With Boring Office Sounds]]> If you don't work at home where you can permanently doze or beat off undetected, iNap@Work provides audio camouflage of papers shuffling and click-clack typing—too bad the iPhone's crappy speaker sounds like a liability. [iTunes]

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<![CDATA[How to Tweet At Work Without Getting Caught]]> Chances are you're reading us (and goofing off) at work while trying to pretend you're not slacking. Spreadtweet's an easy way to check twitter while making it seem like you're a not a lousy employee.

Here's the key: it looks like Excel from Office 2003, 2007 or 2008 (Mac). All your tweets are displayed in plain text down down the page, and you tweet by typing yours in the top textbox and hitting send. There's even tabbed views along the top, making it a relatively complete Twitter package.

And don't forget to follow us if you haven't. And yes, pork rinds and STDs are what my friends tweet about. [Spreadtweet via NYT]

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<![CDATA[Quickoffice Word and Excel Office Suite For The iPhone Now Available in App Store]]> If you are interested in an app for the iPhone/Touch that can edit both Microsoft Word and Excel documents along with file sharing and content management capabilities, Quickoffice is now available via the App Store for $20. [iTunes]

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<![CDATA[OfficePod Provides An Outdoor Sanctuary For People That Work From Home]]> Don't get me wrong, working from home is great—but it can make you feel like you are always on the job. The OfficePod provides a hip-looking solution to that problem.

The idea is to separate your office from the house with a easily constructed pod that provides both style and functionality. Naturally, the OfficePod puts a premium of eco-friendliness and sustainability with recycled building materials and energy efficient lighting /cooling. Apparently, the OfficePod is available to employers in the UK as a lease, but someone needs to sell something like this directly to homeowners. As more and more people telecommute or move into self-employment, I would imagine a pre-fab office to put out in the garden would be in high demand. [OfficePod via Treehugger via Apartment Therapy]

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<![CDATA[Office 14 Won't Ship in 2009 Says Ballmer]]> The Ballmeister told analysts that Office 14 won't ship in 2k9, leaving spreadsheet enthusiasts going back to Office 2007 for their chart generating shenanigans. [ZDNet]

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<![CDATA[Boy Killed Anally When Office Chair Explodes]]> Well, stories don't get much worse than this. A 14-year-old boy in China was killed when his chair exploded, sending chunks of metal into his rectum. The bleeding this caused killed him.

The alleged explosion came from the gas cylinder that was in the base of the chair, the part that allowed the user to adjust the seat up and down. The canister gets compressed when you sit on it, but can it actually create enough energy to make the seat cushion explode like that and kill a man? I doubt it, but this is what people are reporting.

In other news, I am working from a beanbag from now on. Sweet merciful crap. [Anorak via The Daily What]

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<![CDATA[Rumor: Apple iWork Going to the Cloud?]]> 9 to 5's latest Apple rumor is that the iWork suite, Apple's Office competitor, is going to the cloud.

Which is good news because I hardly use Office and find myself in Google Docs when I need to use a word processor or spreadsheet. If true, there's no doubt in my mind it'll require use of the paid MobileMe service, which is right now a bit over priced. Adding more functionality to the service is a great way to add value, but Google Docs is free. [9to5mac]

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<![CDATA[Top 10 Desks For Gadget Lovers]]> Don't even think about shopping for a desk at IKEA—you're better than that. Serious professionals need a serious workspace. If you are a gadget fanatic, the following ten desks should fit the bill.

Bonus: If you are into epic rigs, check out this list from Giz readers (or this insane WoW rig).

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<![CDATA[Battle at Chinese Nerf Factory Does Not, Sadly, Involve Nerf Weaponry]]> The global recession has sparked riots at the Nerf factory in Dongguan, South China, but there are as-of-yet no reports of any Vulcan GF-25 cannon discharges. In fact, no foam weaponry of any kind was brandished during the tussle, which came to a head following layoffs and unpaid wages.

And unlike the riots that took place in Wal-Mart and Toys R Us stores in the States last Friday, there were no reports of fatalities. Just general bedlam:

The workers battled security guards, turned over a police car, smashed the headlights of police motorcycles and forced their way through the factory's front gate, Guo said. They went on a rampage in the plant's offices, damaging 10 computers, the company said.

Below is that oldie but goodie Nerf office war video, because it's awesome.


null - Watch more free videos

[AP via Boing Boing]

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<![CDATA[10 Gadgets That Transform Your Bathroom Into a Home Office]]>

According to a recent survey conducted by Nokia, 53 percent of Americans have taken a work-related call or email in the bathroom. Although the data has been lost, we conducted a survey in the past that found the percentage could be even higher. So what does this all mean? I think the answer is clear...we want to work in the bathroom. Yeah, it sounds gross but consider this: many of us do our best thinking in the bathroom. Our productivity could skyrocket (in more ways than one). So, I say why fight it. Here are some gadgets to help you get started on your own bathroom-based home office.

Boom Arm Starbase Workstation: Okay let's start with the basics. You are going to need a way to mount your laptop so that it is easily accessible from the toilet. This swing arm should do the job nicely—plus it is height adjustable and comes with a built-in cupholder. Yeah, that's right—a cupholder. You're already working in the bathroom, eating and drinking are not far behind. [easychairworkstation via Link]

The Loo Read: Having a full-on desk in there is going to take up too much space, but you still need a flat surface to spread out paperwork now and then. In that case, the Loo Read has you covered. It may even be sturdy enough to support light or ultraportable laptops. [Link]

Fish n' Flush Toilet: As for the throne itself, you are going to need something a little better than your standard toilet. This particular version uses half its reservoir to create a fish tank—which is perfect for reducing stress at work. Although, I would go easy on the coffee and beef for a while. Reducing the amount of available water in the tank means less capacity for flushing. [Fish n' Flush via Link]

Moody Aquarium Sink: If you would prefer, the aquarium concept is also available in a sink version. [Home Click via Link]

Dell Latitude XFR D630: I suppose it goes without saying, but if you are going to work in the bathroom you will need a laptop that can handle the occasional splash of water. The Dell Latitude XFR D630 can do that and much more. In fact, it meets Department of Defense MIL-STD 810F standards for operation in extreme temps, moisture and altitude. Plus, the specs are decent with a Core 2 Duo processor, 14.1-inch / 500nit screen, 802.11n, and high-end thermal management for the processor and RAM running on XP. [Dell via Link]

MarineAV 70-inch LCD TV: If you are going to get a waterproof display, you might as well go all out with Marine AV's 70-inch TV. It features full 1080p resolution, a 1,500:1 contrast ratio, 600cd/m2 brightness, 8ms response time, 178 degree viewing angle, and AV, S-Video, Component, HDMI, PC (VGA) inputs. [MarineAV via Link]

Wall Mirror TV/PC: There are plenty of mirror TVs out there, but manufacturers are also starting to throw PCs in to the mix as well. The "ARCO" falls into this category with an all-in-one PC, TV and LCD embedded behind mirrored glass. [AVING via Link]

Sonim XP1 Cellphone: A waterproof cellphone in another must-have. The Sonim is rugged enough to handle a beer dunking / car mauling quite easily and even being smashed for weeks on end. The XP1 is a Europe-only release, but an American version is already on its way. [Sonim]

Potty Putter: Indoor putting surfaces are a staple of any office, and so it shall be with your bathroom version. The Potty Putter allows you to sink putts and deuces at the same time. [Baron Bob via Link]

Toilet Vacuum: It's always a good idea to have a desk vac around to handle small cleaning jobs around the office, and none would be appropriate than this toilet-shaped version. [Link]

Bonus: If you are looking for a little inspiration on what a home office bathroom should look like, consider the following examples:

Bathroom Office: Here is an example of a basic setup. The equiptment is old school, but the comfy looking executive toilet is a nice touch.

Roto-Rooter's Pimped Out John: Last year Roto-Rooter ran a contest that rewarded the winner with the ultimate bathroom gadget setup. It came complete with an Xbox 360, 20-inch LCD TV, laptop, TiVo, refrigerator with beer tap, bike pedal exerciser and more. [Kotaku]

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<![CDATA[Microsoft Online Store Lets You Download Windows and Office]]> Microsoft is just now launching a real online store? Yep. It's still definitely a 1.0 experience—not a bad start, just very basic. You can buy meatspace goods like hardware, software discs and Xbox 360 games, but the kicker is that you can directly download software now, even Windows and Office. It seems wrong that the world's largest software company is just now really jumping into digital distribution, when someone like Valve has been doing it amazingly for the last few years. That said, I still wouldn't go the download route for Windows, for a whole lotta reasons, but mainly this one:

The obvious fear for most users buying ESD products is not having the software on physical media to re-install the product at a later time. Microsoft Store solves this by letting you re-download the product until mainstream support for the product ends. Typically this is 5 years after the product is released. You always have the option of copying the downloaded products to physical media if you want to have it available longer than the mainstream support lifetime.

When I buy a copy of Windows (or anything else), I expect to keep it forever—what if my older PC borks out and my cheap burned disc has degraded? Essentially taking away something I bought is no good, after five years or hell, ten years. On Steam, stuff is there to download forever, like a digital vault, which would make people feel safer about going all-digital. Also, when it comes to your whole OS, it just feels safer to have a hard copy in that lovely swinging plastic box. Updated post for clarity. [Microsoft Store via Trevin Chow via ZDNet]

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<![CDATA[Paper Shredder Reinvented In Sculpture-Like Paper2Dust Concept]]> Paper shredders are usually simple and utilitarian-designed boring boxes, which may be why Bluelarix Designworks went to town on this reimagining of the machine. Paper2Dust is bizarrely sculptural, and works by having a "fast turning cord" spinning inside the top that literally rips the paper you slide into it into dust. The glass lid of the machine lets you see how pulped the paper's getting—when you're satisfied you simply release the power button, and the dustified paper slips down into the machine's leg. There's the usual safety features of course, but if it ever made it into a real product I think its selling power would be the therapeutic value of seeing hated paperwork being vaporized. [Yanko Design]

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<![CDATA[Bill Gates Blows $2.5 Million Decking Out His Personal "Cubicle"]]> Nobody knows exactly what Bill Gates is doing with his new company, bgC3, but rumors are floating around that the Big PC Man himself is shelling out big dinero for his new digs. For his private office, he is supposedly spending over $2.5 million on high-end furniture. That’s not even including the $75,000 coffee bar. I thought excessive spending was going out of style, but hey, if you have $2.5 million lying around to spend on your personal office, I know a few struggling bloggers out there, cough, who wouldn’t mind a nicer couch... [TMZ]

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<![CDATA[Microsoft Bringing Office Suite Online]]> It was a long time coming, but Microsoft has finally announced that they will be bringing lightweight versions of Word, Excel, PowerPoint and OneNote online. Like existing services from Google and Zoho, users will be able to use a browser to create, edit, and collaborate on Office documents. The online version is also designed to integrate with the next desktop version of Office, so there are no plans to ditch the software component just yet. However, Microsoft is definitely focusing heavily on the Windows Live experience—as we saw recently with their decision to eliminate bundled email and video editing programs from Windows 7.

It appears that Microsoft will be offering the new online Office suite via the Office Live Workspace in both ad supported and subscription tiers. What the difference will be between those tiers has not been revealed, but Microsoft plans on releasing a private technical preview of the Office web applications later this year. Beta information is expected to be released to Office Live Workspace subscribers sometime in the near future. [Microsoft and Microsoft and Office Live]

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<![CDATA[Microsoft Office Documents Editing Coming to the iPhone]]> The developers of Documents to Go—and Microsoft Office documents editor for BlackBerry, Palm, Windows Mobile, and Symbian—are finally bringing it out for the iPhone. This is going to be an interesting one to see, specially since the iPhone doesn't have any copy and paste capabilities, which are crucial for editing documents of any kind, being from Word, Excel o PowerPoint. Dataviz says the application is "Coming Soon"... could this mean they are actually waiting for Apple to implement it or they are just developing it so it works within their own Office editor?

Whatever it happens, this is the list of features supported in Documents to Go:

• View, edit and create native Word, Excel and PowerPoint files and attachments
• Supports Microsoft Word, Excel and PowerPoint
• Includes support for Microsoft Office Word 2007 & PowerPoint 2007
• Full featured solution with viewing AND editing functionality
• Supports file and attachments received via e-mail, Bluetooth® or media card
• Unique InTact Technology retains original document formatting of edited files
• Integrated with BlackBerry Enterprise Server and BlackBerry Internet Service for reliable and instant access to e-mail attachments
• Spell checking for word processing files
• Advanced character/font formatting
• Advanced paragraph formatting
• Insert and delete tables for word processing files
• Insert and edit auto bullets & numbers in word processing files
• Sorting in spreadsheets
• Apply cell formatting in spreadsheets
• Insert and delete worksheets
• Insert, duplicate and delete slides in presentations
• English, French, Italian, German and Spanish versions available

[Dataviz—Thanks Steve]

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<![CDATA[I'm A PC, and Apparently I Need Lots of Antivirus Software]]> Our sister site Kotaku posted the NPD's PC software sales charts for the month of September, and it's pretty interesting to see how mega-games like Spore measure up to less-exciting products like Microsoft Office. Spore may have nabbed the top spot, but MS Office 2007 grabs two spots, and despite its early troubles, MobileMe sneaks onto the list at number 19. What's most interesting is that antivirus and anti-spyware software take a whopping 9 out of the top 20 spaces. Looks like digital security is the hot buy of the season. [Kotaku]

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<![CDATA[The Anatomy of the Office Prank]]>

The casual office employee stalks his coworker with the intensity of a lion hunting a wildebeest on the African savanna. Never rushed, always contemplated, the average office prank is executed with all the precision found in a well-pressed shirt.

In part one of our examination of the office prank, we study the first of many techniques office workers use to triumph over co-adversaries. To those with soft stomachs, the gruesome techniques used to humiliate one's peers with cardboard might be better left unseen.

For thousands of years, the office prankster has had to make due with his limited available resources. One such plentiful resource is cardboard. Don't see any around? Look closer. Cardboard can be found in anything from packaging materials from shipments to old cereal boxes from the office kitchen. Just be careful of the fabled "cardboard paper cut." Legend has it the that the victim could lose an entire finger.
Notice the attention to detail here, the Windows error messages and the "My Crappy Award for Something."

Notice that there's a good chance someone else has already pulled the exact same cardboard cubicle prank you once considered so original. Bonus points, however, for the cardboard headset.

Here it's about not just the excellent craftsmanship but the ever-underestimated synchronized gloating.

This engineering firm did some work on the Extreme Home Makeover. We hoped it worked out better for the less privileged.

A vicious cardboard blow, notice the incorporation of a plastic bucket...a maneuver of some aptitude.


Now, humble student, you have seen the various attacks in the cardboard master's arsenal. There are only two known defenses to this attack. Recycling and a pocket lighter. And one may get you fired.

Special thanks to Dustin Schirer, Brando, Ed Chaput, Chris Alleman and Randy Mumma.

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<![CDATA[We Want to See Your Best Office Pranks]]> Technology was meant to empower us—to clothe us, feed us and enable us to be more than chimps slinging poo from the trees. But it's been misused. Offices are filled to the brim with technology where it plays a role of oppressor. Fluorescent lights, computer monitors, fax machines, copiers, cellphones—these things are all great tech, but they can create world that's nearly intolerable to most people who work there. Yet a majority of our readers manage to sit in these places all day, every day, with no end in sight. These readers are heroes.

And it's in that spirit that we'd like to see your best office pranks.

We shouldn't have to wait for 3M to sponsor office fun when it's all around us already, copying its drunken rump, launching airplanes anonymously from cubicle bunkers and playing pick-up paper basketball on company trophies.

So if you've pulled a grand office prank and have the pictures, video and prose to back it up, let us know in an email labeled "Office Pranks" sent to our tips line. Of course we'd never condone mean-spirited attacks covered up as a joke, but we'd really like to bear witness to the little guy triumphing over the corporation, if only for a day.

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<![CDATA[Dealzmodo: Microsoft Office Ultimate 2007 For Students Only $60]]> Student editions of Microsoft Office have always been cheap—price it too high and all but the most Boy Scoutish of college kids will pirate it—but now their $60 Ultimate version has PowerPoint and Access tacked on. The pack comes with Word, Excel, PowerPoint, Outlook, Access, Publisher, OneNote, Groove and InfoPath, but most college students we know only really use Word, Excel and PowerPoint with a little Outlook thrown in if they haven't discovered any other alternative. This is Office 2007, so Mac users (which supposedly more and more college kids call themselves) are left out. [Microsoft]

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<![CDATA[T6 Volkswagen Concept Car is an Office on Wheels]]> Having easy access to your office 24 hours a day can be both a blessing and a curse. On the one hand, you will never miss a beat. On the other, it may seem like you are always stuck at work. With that in mind, check out the T6 concept workaholicmobile designer Alexander Zhukovsky has put together. It comes complete with all of the technology and space you and your co-workers need to get the job done—even when you are stuck in traffic. In other words, it is a boardroom on wheels.

The car is sectioned off into two pods connected by a central hinge—one for the driver and one for working passengers. And, because the wheels are fixed to the outside of the pods, the space inside is maximized. All-in-all the T6 is a fantastic looking concept, but it seems a little impractical given videoconferencing alternatives. Still, in certain situations, it would offer companies the chance to get out of a stuffy boardroom and bring employees to interesting new locations or provide a close-up view of a construction project. Again, the T6 is only a concept at the moment, so I wouldn't expect Volkswagen to be rolling them off the assembly line anytime soon. [Cardesign via AutoMotto via The Design Blog]

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<![CDATA[Office 14 Alpha to Begin Testing this Year]]> It's not yet ready for your download, but according to a now-pulled post on a company blog, Microsoft is accepting internal applications to be part of their technology adoption program (TAP) for Office 14. The new touted feature is Office's PerformancePoint Server, a boring-for-most-of-us business performance analysis system. Other details are scant and Microsoft has no official announcements to make, but an alpha of Office this year should beckon a new release next year. No word yet on whether or not Microsoft will allow Pam and Jim to finally get married. [ZDNet and The Inquirer]

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<![CDATA[The Great NERF Office War]]> It's Friday, the day when you should reward yourself with at least one internet video at work with the sound turned up. Screw your judgmental co-workers. The only problem is, what video should you choose? Without careful consideration of the media at hand, you could be Rickrolled, or even worse, think you are watching the behind-the-scenes of the Sports Illustrated Swimsuit issue only to waste it on some guy eating potato chips for 10 minutes.

Fret not, friends. We have your Friday video after the jump. It's a NERF office war of epic proportions. And it's the best (SFW) thing we've seen online in a while.


Told you. [via ohgizmo]

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<![CDATA[Stealth Figher Design Cues In The Kinzo Air Office Desk]]> The Kinzo Air from Kinzo Architecture might make working in a proper office bearable. Although with its Stealth-fighter design cues, a guy wearing a HUD helmet with oxygen might be more at home behind it than an accountant. It looks like its perched on the ground momentarily, ready to speed off— in fact I'm sure it's radar-invisible, although it would be the worst desk to carelessly bump into ever. It does have integrated drawer, cable-concealer, bin and similarly-sleek filing cabinet, and it's modular with single and double versions. [Yanko design]

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<![CDATA[Transparent Clockwork Desk For the Wealthy Steampunk Aficionado]]> I have seen a lot of cool desks in my day, but the Executive Desk that artist Dale Mathis has created is definitely one of the finest. As you will see in the video after the break, the gears in the desk actually work—making it a fully functioning piece of art. And as such, you won't be finding this thing at IKEA anytime soon. Each desk is handmade to order and will set you back a whopping $21,000.


[Redstone Gallery via Born Rich via Boing Boing Gadgets]

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<![CDATA[Cubicle Farm Rampage Video Was Just a Viral Marketing Stunt]]> Last week's post about a guy absolutely losing his shit in a becubicled office turned out to be a viral ad for Wanted, that new action film with James MacAvoy and Angelina Jolie. I guess the video could be considered a success in that it was convincing and popular, but the fact that it is associated with a commercial film was and will remain lost on just about everyone. [Cinematical via Gawker]

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<![CDATA[Cybertecture Egg Makes One Tasty Office]]> In 2010, a few lucky office workers in Mumbai, India, will see a major upgrade from the common cubicle. Because the Cybertecture Egg is being constructed to be one of the most forward-thinking workplaces in the world.

Its 13 floors are far lighter on columns that conventional buildings since the structure supported by its exterior. And rooftop green space dissipates heat while the building harnesses solar and wind power.

But the most impressive part of the Cybertecture Egg may be for its daily inhabitants. Office workers are treated to customizable workspaces that will apparently alter their "view" with the world locale of their choice—so much for all those gorgeous windows. In addition, bathrooms will monitor worker health by measuring weight and blood pressure. And a doctor will be alerted to any drastic changes. [WAN via Inhabitat]

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<![CDATA[The Butt Station: Crap by Name, Crap by Nature]]> Basically a desk tidy, the Butt Station, as it has been tastefully named, stores your business cards, sticky tape, pens and pencils, and has a little compartment for paperclips, in the toilet bowl. Lift up the little man and the clips will come out attached to said little man's bottom. It's classy, it's assy, and I think I'll pass(y). [Urban Outfitters via Bem Legaus]

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<![CDATA[Gadgets That Help You Slack Off at Work When the Boss Isn't Looking]]> Did you get stuck with weekend duty at work? Are you just plain bored at your job? Sitting in an office all day may not be the most exciting way to spend your time, but that does not mean that you can't make the most of it. And when I say "most of it" I am definitely not referring to increasing your productivity—the following gadgets will destroy any chance of that. However, they will certainly help keep you entertained until quittin' time—especially on a Friday afternoon.

Sleeping:

executivehammock.jpgGenerally, when things are slow at work, sleep is the first thing that comes to my mind. This compact Executive Hammock can help you indulge in a serious power nap. Available for $15.99. [1ofakindstuff]

Arts and Crafts:

office-weapons.jpgYou might find that downtime at work is a perfect time to indulge in your passions. Take building weapons out of common office supplies for example. It satisfies both your need to create and that stress-induced urge towards violence that is bubbling just underneath the surface. Here we have a lovely rubber band based projectile launcher and a stapler that doubles as a spiked club. [Office Guns and Strange Cosmos]

Desktop Toys/Games:

office-games.jpgThere are plenty of cool desktop games and toys out there, like the Gangster Shoot Shooting Gallery and the Rollerscape Roller Coaster Construction Set. The objective with Gangster Shoot is simple—you have three lives and a gun. Try and shoot the mobsters before they shoot you. The Rollerscape kit builds on a Tinkertoy theme allowing users to construct complex marble roller coasters. The shooting gallery and the roller coaster construction set are available for $34.95 and $29.99 respectively. [Gangster Shoot and Rollerscape]

desktop-curling.jpgDesktop curling? Eh...not so much. Available for around $20. [Alt-Gifts]

Fight Club:

office-weapons-2.jpgThe purpose of Fight Club is to use fighting as a form of psychotherapy. And if you are stuck at work chances are you could use a little stress relief. Pummel your way to happiness by challenging your co-workers to a karate throwdown using these inflatable karate hands and feet or go medieval with the lifesize foam latex warrior weapons set. Available for around $27 and $49-$59 respectively. [Inflatable Karate Set and Lifesize Warrior Weapons]

Throw a Party:

usb-dance-party.jpgIf you are going to throw a serious party in the office the first thing you are going to need is music, which you undoubtedly have stored on a computer or an MP3 player. The next thing you will need is some ambiance. This USB powered Disco Ball and Mirror Ball combo should do the trick nicely. Available for $11.99 and around $21 respectively. [Disco Ball and Mirror Ball]

mbd5l.jpgAfter ambiance comes beer. The Avanti MBD5L Mini Pub is small enough to fit on a desktop, but it can dispense beer from a standard 5 liter keg and adjust the frostiness of your brew to a temperature of your choosing. Everything you need to get the party started is included for around $200. [Beverage Factory]

he-fartsalot.jpgHow about a little immature live entertainment to keep the party going? The H.E. Fartsalot Musical Butt Puppet plays "Old MacDonald," "Frere Jacques," or "London Bridge," when you insert your hand into his open torso cavity. Available for around $25. [Smutty Gifts]

Pranks:

phantom_keystroker.jpgWhen all else fails you can always resort to pulling pranks on your co-workers—and this Phantom Keystroker is one of the best by far. Just hook it up to your victim's computer via USB and laugh as it moves their mouse cursor around and types meaningless text at random intervals. If you are not getting anything done, no one is. Available for $24.99. [ThinkGeek via Link]

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<![CDATA[Dealzmodo: 91% Off Microsoft Office Ultimate]]> Here's how you take money from Microsoft's pockets and put it into your own. First, you need to want to buy Microsoft Office Ultimate. Second, you need a .edu email address. It doesn't matter that you graduated in 1994 and the last time you stepped foot in a classroom was 1993, all you need is an .edu address. That'll cut down the atrocious $680 price tag to a more manageable $60. You have until May 16, a week from now. After that you'll have to go back to BitTorrenting it like you always do. [The Ultimate Steal via NYT via Lifehacker]

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<![CDATA[Windows Sales Way Down, Microsoft Makes Less Money (Vs. Last Year)]]> Here are the meaty bits in the cold platter of numbers that is Microsoft's quarterly earnings report. Windows sales are way down (the client division, which makes Windows, saw sales drop by 24 percent vs. last year). Office is doing alright, but they're losing their ass on online services. The entertainment division (Zune and Xbox) is balling, with revenue up 68 percent, making Xbox and Zune profitable for almost a year now. But bottom line, Microsoft's income was down 11 percent from last year. [Microsoft, WSJ via Valleywag]

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<![CDATA[Microsoft Wants You to Pay Monthly Subscription for Office and Services You Won't Use]]> Microsoft is testing a new bundle of fun codenamed "Albany" which rolls Office Home and Student, Windows Live OneCare, Office Live Workspace and some other Live services into a package that you'll pay a monthly fee for. It's this kind of thing, turning software into service you have to keep paying for and never actually own, that makes reports of Windows 7's modularity kinda scary. Here's what "Albany" will ask you to pony up for every month in real-world terms.

Lifted from Vwag:

•Office-productivity software that can be had for $119 at Amazon.com, but is likely already installed on a user's computer.

•A "collaboration" service most home users will have no need for

•Windows Live OneCare, a PC-security and maintenance service which Microsoft already sells as a subscription

•Three Web services Microsoft already offers for free
Wow, what a deal! Please don't let your mother fall for this. I'll keep an eye on my mom, you watch yours, and maybe we can stem the tide of perpetually paying for software here and now. [ZDNet via Valleywag]]]>
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<![CDATA[Google's Zurich HQ: Office Fun For Everyone... Who Works There, Anyway]]> Ever looked around your office and thought "surely there's a better way than this soulless cubicle hell?" Well, there probably isn't. Unless you happen to work for Google in their Swiss HQ, that is. Because, frankly, their new office is awe-inspiringly amazing: it's an exercise in lateral-thinking, creativity-run-wild interior design. Slides to the canteen, cable-car meeting rooms, beanbags, fake snow, a multitude of colors. Check it out... you'll be as filled with envy as an envious person with a degree in enviousness.

See what I mean? Presumably it makes for a happy, fun-filled workforce. How they ever get time to do any work I don't know. Still, I work from my couch, so I could always put a slide in somewhere, and stick a bunch of beanbags about the place. It wouldn't quite have the same effect, though. [Swissmiss]

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<![CDATA[Digital Office Assistant Keeps You in Order, Won't Bare Cleavage]]> This Digital Office Assistant, a concept by Michael Kritzer, actually looks rather useful, and is designed with open plan offices in mind. The device sits on four wheels, houses a collapsable workspace, seating area, notebook slot, auxiliary power outlets, in-built external HDD and general storage compartments.

With a retractable wand, the Digital Office Assistant can be pulled around to your heart's content, following you to meetings, lunches and bathroom appointments. It probably won't be as handy as conventional assistants in the latter meetings, but at least your lappie will be safe and accessible. What more could you ask for? [Michael Kritzer via BornRich]

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