The cutting edge

Floating LCD clock and shuttle
$90
Most gadget stores
We love gadgets. We also love stuff that floats magically in a magnetic field.

This is the most stable levitating product out there we could find and even features an auto-rotate mechanism to spin objects clockwise, or counter-clockwise. A great desktop toy that will fulfil all your dreams of levitation and space flight!
How does it work? It’s simple. Just plug the base in, then grab the LCD clock and hold it between the top and bottom of the base at approximately the height and orientation shown in our images.
You’ll have to find the ‘sweet spot’, but it’s easy to do with a little practice and the unit will beep and blink at you to guide you along the way.
Once you are in the right range, the micro-processor controlled magnets will take over and you can let go.
The shuttle works the same way, but can be a bit trickier to get to float.

SlingBox personal broadcaster
$200
Most gadget stores
Do you secretly love TV more than the Internet? Shame on you! Now your two passions can live in harmony together. The SlingBox Personal Broadcaster lets you watch your favourite shows anywhere you have an Internet connection. Simply connect the SlingBox to your high-speed home network and hook it between your Cable Box or PVR and TV. Run the Windows client software on your PC or laptop and you can watch and control anything on your TV. The SlingPlayer software works hand-in-hand with the hardware in the Slingbox to allow you to watch and control your TV on your computer. The virtual remote in SlingPlayer gives you full control over almost any A/V device, from changing channels and viewing recorded content to fast-forwarding or setting up a season pass. So while your TV and Slingbox sit at home, you can be out and about with SlingPlayer.

Classic video table tennis kit
$20
Most computer stores
Can you remember the classic video game Pong?
Blocky table tennis with a ball and two paddles was one of the first real video games to make it into mainstream culture.
It took an awful lot of high-tech electronics in 1972 to create this classic game.
Now however you can cobble together your very own Classic Video Table Tennis Game with a little determination and some basic soldering skills.
This kit contains a pre-printed circuit board and 39 various resistors, diodes, and capacitors. Solder everything together (following the instructions we hope) and plug the audio and video into any standard TV for instant table tennis action.
You can play against another lowly human or challenge the computer at four different skill levels.