Form Over Function

1. Control Pod

Tokyoflash has made its name by designing some of the craziest watches ever conceived. Now it’s taking its design-first approach and applying it to gadgets you never knew you needed. The Kisai Escape C (US$110) is worn around the neck and handily controls any Bluetooth device you feel like pairing with it. Play, stop, next, back, answer call — all the functions are present, and the headphone jack sends audio or phone calls to your ears through your favourite set of headphones. (tokyoflash.com)

2. Sphere of Influence

A few years ago, the idea of a mouse that costs $155 to $225 (depending on if you want the steel, titanium or platinum version) would have seemed absurd. Actually, that would have been true a few weeks ago, too. But OreObject’s SPHEREtouch mouse has changed all that. It offers all the features of your average mouse – buttons to click, a wheel to scroll and nothing else. Just so there’s no misunderstanding, you are paying a premium for style and style alone. And it’s so worth it. (oreobject.com)

3. Bar Star

The Space Bar (US$48) is one of those objects you look at and think, “Why?” But there’s no denying how sleek it is. Taking cues from Apple’s beautiful and thin line of keyboards, the Space Bar is basically just a pretty piece of brushed aluminum. As a keyboard cover, it’s perfect, but this assumes you have a need to cover your keyboard, which is an unusual need to have. As a (slight) bonus, it also adds six handy USB ports, and you can never have enough of those. (quirky.com)

4. Block Party

If a tree falls in the forest and no one is around to hear it, does it make a sound? It does if you cut it up and turn it into a stylish set of desktop speakers. Evergreen’s wood block clock concept isn’t new, but adding speakers takes the idea a step further and starts wandering into the territory of practical and good-looking. Or at least it would be if not for the US$54 price tag, which all but guarantees a relatively lackluster audio experience. (geekstuff4u.com)

5. Eye Max

A curved 43-inch computer monitor is really only practical if the goal is to melt your brain. That being said … Wow! The Ostendo CRVD is an example of gorgeous technology for its own sake, and there’s nothing about it that isn’t insanely impressive. Whether you’re working, watching YouTube videos or just surfing, everything is more fun with this monitor. And the very idea of firing up a little Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2 on this should be enough to make the US$6,499 price tag perfectly justified. (ostendo.com)