Longing for a bit of distraction? We’ve rounded up 11 objects that are designed to find a space on your desktop to draw focus, reboot your attention span and generally make the workplace a little less serious.
Tic Tac Toe by Bionic Labs, an old-school analogue contender for your desktop amusement
Some are akin to the executive toys of old, while others could only have come out of the modern era…
Emo by Living.ai
First up, a look at the new breed of desktop distractions; no swinging balls or magnetic sculptures for this generation. Emo is an ‘AI desktop pet’, an autonomous, robotised notification system with an anthropomorphised face, an onboard face-recognition camera and a shambling gait.
Emo by Living.ai
Set Emo up in your workspace and it’ll shuffle about, respond to voice commands, run through an array of expressions, play music and even get to recognise you with increasing fidelity. Remember, Emo is not a stress toy.
Emo by Living.ai
Emo by Living.ai, from $279, Living.ai, @Living.ai
Loona DeskMate
The DeskMate from Loona strips away the mobility of Emo but ramps up the functionality instead. DeskMate stays in place and spends its time watching and processing, with an embodied AI system that’s designed to streamline day-to-day processes.
Loona DeskMate AI companion
In practice, this is a fancy shell for a traditional AI assistant, one that’s given a faintly cute appearance amplified by on-screen expressions. The AI is intended to interrupt when it senses help is needed and keep quiet when focus is required.
Deskmate from Loona, $299, currently on Kickstarter, keyirobot.com
Ambient One by Ambient Works
Although the Ambient One by Ambient Works appears to follow the companion route – thanks to the prominent ‘eyes’ on the compact screen, it’s a much more focused device. This is a portable air tracker, designed for desk, worktop or studio, and paired up with an app to provide real-time monitoring of enclosed atmospheres.
Ambient One by Ambient Works
Noting that indoor spaces frequently exceed safe levels of airborne pollutants – especially in process-heavy studios – Ambient One’s sensors provide accurate records of problem spots. An optional handle and charging dock add more functionality.
Ambient One by Ambient Works, £199, AmbientWorks.io, @AmbientWorks
Dial 01 from Tact
Dial 01 from Tact
Tact’s Dial 01 is a lovingly machined piece of real-world desktop hardware that serves two purposes. First up, it serves as a basic input device with click and dial motions that can be connected to a computer via USB-C and mapped to any compatible software.
But most importantly, its creators (a former Dyson and Elvie engineer) intend it as a standalone object, a sort of adult fidget toy that encourages focus by responding to gestures through haptic feedback and subtle light cues.
Dial 01 from Tact
Dial 01 can help regulate breathing, create timed focus breaks, mimic the pulse of a heartbeat and simply encourage hand and mind to take a different path in order to re-set the mood.
Dial 01 from Tact, more details at Kickstarter.com
La Machine by Multiplié
Older readers might remember the ‘Ultimate Machine’, an ironic provocation from early robotics pioneers Claude Shannon and Marvin Minsky. The Ultimate Machine was a box with a switch; flick the switch, and an internal mechanism activates to turn the switch off again.
This stark illustration of binary thinking has been oft-imitated over the years, with increasing levels of sophistication built in to delight (and frustrate) the ‘user’.
La Machine by Multiple Editions
Multiplié has tapped into Shannon and Minsky’s original and added an Ettore Sottsass-derived aesthetic to create La Machine, a desktop distraction that ‘exists not to serve or optimise, but to enchant, amuse, and resist obedience’. Handmade in France, La Machine is a polished update of a cult object.
La Machine by Multiple Editions
La Machine, £89, La-Machine.fr, @Multiple-Editions
Shark ChillPill cooler
Real functionalism is on offer in Shark’s pocketable ChillPill, the modern update of the traditional desk fan. This is no simple fan, however, but a ‘3-in-1 personal cooling system’ that’s eminently transportable as well as a welcome desktop companion.
Available in a veritable rainbow of colours, the ChillPill has three cooling modes, including a bladeless fan and the ability to create a fine dry-touch mist that is either produced continuously or at set intervals.
Shark ChillPill cooler colour range
Finally, there’s the ‘InstaChill’ cooling plate, a cold pressure point that is designed to be held to skin to instantly take the heat off.
Shark ChillPill, £129.99, Shark.co.uk
Vobot Mini Dock
Multi-functionalism is the USP of the Vobot Mini Dock, a USB-based desktop device that offers up no less than five USB ports as well as Ethernet and HDMI connections to power a separate 4K display.
Vobot Mini Dock
The device itself is loaded with a vast array of apps, including stock trackers, weather guides, PC performance monitoring, photo albums, a Pomodoro timer and even a game emulation system, the Vobot can also serve as a wired 90W fast charger.
Vobot Mini Dock, $69.99, Shop.GetVobot.com; available at Amazon.com in USA
Tessan 65W Cat Charging Station
The functionality of Tessan’s 65W charging station might not match the Vobot, but the character is more fully formed. This time the interface – and casing – takes on a feline appearance, with an expressive multifunctional display that eases the process of charging up to four USB-based devices (two USB-C and two USB-A). The form factor isn’t just about increasing the kawaii factor but also saves space on crowded desktops.
Tessan 65W Cat Charging Station
Tessan 65W Cat Charging Station, $45.99 at Tessan.com; available at Amazon.com in the USA
Panini 101 fast-charger
In a similar vein to Tessan’s Cat is the Panini 101. A masterpiece of branding and packaging, this 100W fast-charger takes the form of a fauxstalgia-baiting old-school desktop PC. In addition to the single disk-drive-aping USB-C slot on the front, flip the door to reveal three more. A transparent side panel amps up the attention to detail.
Panini 101 fast-charger
Panini 101 100W fast-charger, PaniniClub, $79, Paninclub.io, @Paniniclub_official
WITHiT Lighted dome magnifier
Strict analogue simplicity and naked functionalism are on display in WITHiT’s Lighted Dome Magnifier, a must-have object for the eagle-eyed creative. This straightforward version of the desktop magnifier is also illuminated (it charges over USB-C), providing greater insight into art and print.
WITHiT Lighted Dome Magnifier, $35, WithItgear.com
Tic Tac Toe by Bionic Labs
Finally, a fully analogue and decidedly old-school desktop diversion courtesy of French accessory specialist Bionic Labs. The firm’s exquisite Tic Tac Toe set is made only to order, using the same high-grade aluminium as its Mac accessory range.
Tic Tac Toe by Bionic Labs
The base is milled from a solid chunk of the metal, while the playing pieces are mirror-polished stainless steel and anodised black aluminium, respectively. As Bionic says, ‘some objects are not about productivity.’
Tic Tac Toe, €600, Bionic Labs, BionicLabs.org, @GoBionic