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I’ll start by stating the obvious: the USB Golf Mouse Set is ugly. It’s got a mouse shaped like a golf ball - only a bit flatter -, a green mouse pad, a flag, a small golf ball and a club.

If you’re very, excruciatingly, extremely bored at work it could offer a couple of minutes of entertainment… Or maybe more if you’re a golf fan. But the shape of the pad and the flag poking out of it probably make it pretty difficult to use, and the shape of the mouse isn’t ergonomic.

However, the mouse is the only worthwhile piece of the set, it looks kind of cool and I guess it could work as a gift for a golfer. But only if you’re a cheapskate.

How much under $29.99?
Some: $18 on Gadget4All.com.

Via ChipChick

If you have to use a computer at work - and more and more people have to -, it means your hand is stuck to the mouse most of the day. Now, I am using “stuck” as a metaphor, but sometimes it can really get stuck… Sweaty hands can be a real annoyance.

The Flexii USB 2.0 Cool Fan 3D Optical Mouse looks like the ordinary mouse with a long name and the same features as countless others, but it brings something new: a built-in fan. While you’re using the mouse, cool air will blow in the palm of your hand, keeping it dry and comfortable.

Yes, we have to admit: a $13 mouse can’t be hi-tech. But, as long as you’re not using it for precision work (or gaming) and it can solve a problem, it’s worth a try.

How much under $29.99?
Some: $12.99 on Vavolo.com.

Via Gizmos for Geeks

A mouse trap for a mouse… Makes perfect sense. So why not a Mousetrap mousepad for a computer mouse?
(If you can get more “mouse” in a sentence, you get a prize.)

I always love a nice pad on my desk, it’s a way of decorating it with useful items, and this is one of the best I’ve seen.

It looks very realistic, at least in the photo, but it won’t harm your pointing device. (Unless you bang it against the pad and the desk underneath, of course.) You can use it as a warning to colleagues (”My mouse, my desk, do not touch”), but I think they will be too intrigued not to check it out.

How much under $29.99?
Some: $12 on ShopModi.com.

Via Chip Chick

If you want to be as green as possible in all aspects of your life, it probably is a bit difficult to also be a geek, since most gadgets don’t really go together with recycling.

But there’s some hope: at least you can have an eco-friendly mouse. The Recycled Mini Wireless Mouse from Google is made from recycled plastic and even comes in recycled packaging. However, other than that and the Google logo… it’s just a below-average mouse. A scroll wheel with 800 dpi resolution, 3 buttons and a built-in wifi dongle. Plus, it’s ugly. Really.

I’m sorry, Mother Nature, but I’m online 10 hours/day, I need a real mouse or I’ll go nuts.

How much under $29.99?
Some: $19.20 on GoogleStore.com.

Via Coolest Gadgets

If you have a laptop and drag it around with you all day, your accessories might suffer from the constant strain. A mouse is probably the item everyone carries around, so it gets the most abuse.

If your laptop bag lacks extra pockets, you can make up for it with the Belkin Mouse Storage and Carrier. This soft case can also house and protect your other small computer items such as USB drives, PCMCIA cards, memory cards or cables, and it can be attached to your bag if it won’t fit inside. Even more, if you unzip it it turns into a mouse pad (although it probably cannot be stretched perfectly straight, so it wouln’t be a particularly good one).

If you like the idea but the pink is too much for you, rest assured: it also comes in chocolate and tourmaline, dove and tarragon and steel and burnt orange.

How much under $29.99?
A lot: $14 at Amazon: Belkin Dove And Peony Mouse Storage And Carrier.

Via bookofjoe

If you liked the circuitboard coasters, you’ll probably love the Circuitboard Mouse Mat. It’s made out of actual discarded circuitboard, which would’ve ended up in a landfill otherwise, so you might be doing a little something for the planet by buying one of these.

(Is manufacturing & shipping one of these less harmful than throwing it away? I hope so. Reusing things is a very good thing in my book, anyway.)

Becase they use real circuitboards, each mouse pad will be unique.

But there’s one thing you should be advised about: these pads are not optical mouse-friendly. If you really want to get one, you might have to dig out your old ball mouse.

How much under $29.99?
Some: ~$16 on Red5.co.uk.

Via Coolest Gadgets

We all know what April 1st means - we’ve been planning the pranks for months in advance, or fear being the victim, or are waiting eagerly to see what our co-workers come up with. This Top 5 April Fools’ Pranks under $30 is for everyone. Yes, even the victims. If you’re forewarned you won’t fall for it if the mouse starts moving (aparently) on its own.

5. If you’re not feeling particularly evil, you can just give someone a little scare. They’ll realize soon enough that the Fake Parking Tickets won’t get them a fine (but they’ll probably be pissed off if they read the whole insulting message…)

4. If you’re into childish pranks, the Revenge Toilet Paper is for you. Just replace the existing roll with this and snicker away when the poor victim strolls out of the bathroom and tells the tale of the mysterious paper which doesn’t tear. One of these in every company toilet stall would wreak a nice amount of havoc - at least until enough people realize there’s something wrong.

3. But my favorite type of prank involves more technology than these first two. For example, the Mouse Jiggler. You only have to plug it into an USB port and it will start to randomly move the mouse pointer. Since most of us are so dependant on our computers, seeing them apparently go crazy can be a very distressing experience. It’s up to the prankster to decide when to end the torture and reveal the trickery involved… (Of course, s/he can also become an office hero by “fixing” the “malfunctioning” computer with his/her 1337 skills.)

2. If the designated victim is a couch potato with an unhealthy interest in soap operas, Jerry Springer or football… well, they deserve it, right? The Micro Spy Remote makes it easy to play with their nerves a little, because it allows you to control the TV. Turn it off, change the channel, mute it… The sky’s the limit. Or the patience of the victim. If you’re seen barely controlling your laughter, they will know something’s wrong.
(Alternately, do this in a bar. When a game’s on. You’ll be more difficult to spot and you’ll annoy more people.)

1. Since the office is where we spend most of our time, number 1 is another gadget for computer-related madness. The Phantom Keystroker uses an USB port and makes the user’s mouse and/or keyboard go insane. Random cursor moves and gibberish text will have the poor victim feel like s/he’s the victim of a virus or an electronic ghost.

Although this is supposedly sold as a device to prevent your computer from going to sleep and is aimed at computer forensics investigators and IT professionals, I think its best (and most entertaining) use is co-worker torture.

The name makes it obvious: the Mouse Jiggler jiggles your mouse. Well, not physically, but it makes the cursor move across the screen with no input. It comes in two versions: slow and fast. I suppose you can imagine what happens when Bill from Accounting finds his cursor keeps jumping from one place to another, although he’s not touching the mouse. The slow Jiggler is not impressive prank-wise, but on fast… he’ll be screaming in frustration in minutes. You just have to plug this baby in an USB port and watch.

(Or you can use it to prevent your screensaver from starting and forcing you to relogin. But that’s not as much fun.)

How much under $29.99?
Exactly $29.95 on Wiebetech.com.

A mouse is an essential device for any computer user… So why do people try to make them difficult to use?

Why would I want a Super Slim 3D USB Optical Mouse? It’s a regular mouse, except it was cut in half so it measures just under an inch in width, which sounds painful for my hand. Even laptop mice still have a normal shape (and they are not very comfortable either). The scroll wheel is on the side, and it has one button on top for back/forward navigation.

I’m sorry, but innovation is not my cup of tea if it takes away functionality. I want a comfy mouse with all the buttons where I am used to them.

How much under $29.99?
Some: $11.32 on DealExtreme.com.

Via Coolest Gadgets

Bad circulation is one of my problems, so in winter my hands are frozen half of the time when I’m working. Windows that don’t close properly, thermostat set too low, work-mates who were born in the Antarctic… all of these have made me at one time or another wish for something that could warm my hands and allow me to work at the same time.

I found one of the answers a while ago in the USB Heating Gloves., but the problem is that they’re a perfect target for office jokes. Today’s product, the USB Infra-Red Warmer Mouse, at least won’t get you funny looks.

The mouse has a infrared generator inside, and a switch turns the function on or off, allowing the surface to heat to 40-45°C (104-113°F). As for the rest, it’s a normal 800 dpi mouse with no other special features. Another novelty item, obviously, but it could come in very handy if you have issues with the cold and don’t mind a mediocre pointing device.

How much under $29.99?
A little: $22.99 on USBFever.com.

Via OhGizmo!