Humans seem drawn to things they don't fully understand. That's why we have a hunger to explore the stars, and why it's almost impossible for us to put down magnetic toys. The makers of those wildly popular Nanodot magnets have a new obsession for you: a magnet-powered gyroscopic sphere that has no real purpose besides holding our attention for hours on end.
Inside each of the Gyro's clear plastic spheres is a set of four strong neodymium-iron-boron magnets that are free to spin in any direction. Kind of like a wannabe astronaut inside one of those spinning zero-g contraptions. But instead of vomiting, they interact with each other in weird and wonderful ways that will have you experimenting until you absolutely can't put off answering neglected emails.
A pair of Gyros will set you back $40 and won't arrive until the holidays, but if you're looking for a distraction from visiting guests and family, this could be it. [Nanodots via The Gadgeteer]