The JUC 400 Wormhole switch from J5Create is a simple looking device that lets you do amazing things. Using a single cable, the JUC400 lets you share a keyboard and mouse connected to one Mac or PC with another Mac or PC, in any combination. You can also drag and drop files and folders from one computer’s desktop to the other, as well as share the contents of clipboards between them. Simply drag the cursor to the edge of one display and it jumps to the other. It’s so smooth and simple you won’t believe that you haven’t always been able to do this.
If you have an iPad and a Camera Connection Kit, you can even attach one end of the Wormhole Switch to the iPad and one to a Mac or PC and use the computer’s keyboard to type text into an open iPad app.—JIM GALBRAITH
Travelers are carrying more and more gadgets on their trips, whether those trips are for business or pleasure, yet most hotel rooms still offer only a single AC outlet, or perhaps two if you’re lucky. Energizer’s iSurge Travel Charging Station redefines the “power brick,” and aims to satisfy your charging needs, by offering five charging options in a block that’s just 3.8 inches across, 2.6 inches tall, and 1.8 inches deep (not including its wall plug).
On the front are three surge-protected AC outlets; on the top is an iPhone/iPod charging dock; and on the side is a 1-amp USB-charging port. (Unfortunately, 1 amp is only enough power to charge an iPad slowly, but the port can be used with any USB-powered device.) Tucked away on the bottom is a nightlight that you can switch on and off. We wish the iSurge’s wall plug folded up for a more-compact profile, but it does rotate 90 degrees in either direction to work with horizontal wall outlets.—DAN FRAKES
As researchers learn more about the negative health impacts of sitting for hours per day, more and more intrepid workers are forgoing the traditional desk chair in favor of a standing setup instead. Standing while you work isn’t as tough as you might fear at first, as long as you prepare adequately. You’ll need a way to get your monitor and keyboard at the right height, good supportive shoes, and just as importantly, a good anti-fatigue mat.
The Crown Comfort King Antifatigue mat from Zedlan is an excellent option. Such mats offer more give and bounciness than your office floor, making it far more comfortable to stand for extended periods of time. Your feet and legs will thank you—and they may well have more years to do it, thanks to all your standing.—LEX FRIEDMAN
Simplify the snake’s nest of cables in your travel bag with this $20 three-in-one USB cable from Innergie. It has a standard USB connector on one end. The other hosts an iPod dock connector, a mini USB connector, and a micro USB connector, neatly stacked on top of each other. That’s all you need to charge and sync an iPod, iPhone, iPad, and more.—SCHOLLE MCFARLAND
Magic Cable Trio, $20
Even if your business friend isn’t tech-oriented, there’s still plenty to glean from Walter Isaacson’s biography of Apple co-founder Steve Jobs. Already the best-selling book of the year on Amazon, the book makes up for in content what it lacks in finesse: Isaacson recounts not only Jobs’s well-documented early days at Apple, but his return to power and beyond, including stories about his family, health, and business tactics. Based on over 40 exclusive interviews, Jobs’s quotes illuminate the lengthy manuscript, firmly placing this book into the must-read pile for any business owner, worker, or dreamer.—SERENITY CALDWELL