Channel Your Inner Child with these 5 Tech Toys

Just about any human endeavor is more enjoyable — and potentially more exciting — if there's an electronic gadget involved. Runners have their lap trackers; hikers sport GPS watches; sports fans can monitor all the games they want with the flick of a smartphone finger. But the hi-tech high times hardly stops there.

This week, we're featuring a number of gizmos that will enhance your electronic embrace of fun. From bomb clocks to spy pens, these contraptions will rekindle your child-like delight in the otherwise staid routines of your day. So make like a twenty-first century wired child, and check out these bargains we've rounded up by top secret means.

1. Spy Pen 2GB DVR Hidden Digital Camcorder
   Price: $17.99 via coupon "SPY3" with free shipping
   Lowest By: $10
   Expires: October 31

   Is It Worth It?: Just as any good spy needs an expert code cracker, you'll need to insert the combination "SPY3" to get the low price on this pen. This writing implement lets you "monitor the people and places you care about" (or so goes the ad copy) with 2GB worth of DVR technology. Does the pen work well? Who cares? You're not really trying to get something down on paper so much as capture it on film. Just make sure to have a good excuse for keeping it around when the ink runs dry, OK?

2. Bomb Alarm Clock
   Price: $12 with free shipping
   Lowest By: $12

   Is It Worth It?: What do you get the guy who sleeps through a hurricane? The Bomb Alarm Clock, that's what. Mwave offers this clocks that will startle any hibernating bear awake with the sound of a sonic bomb — which means that while this gift has great gag potential, it also has a practical use for some folks out there. Of course, if your snoring sounds like a bomb, we're not sure that this clock will help much. But if waking up is hard to do, then this clock should rock your world. Runs on three AAA batteries, not included.

3. Run Away Alarm Clock
   Price: $18.99 with free shipping
   Lowest By: $10

   Is It Worth It? Perhaps the sound of a bomb going off in the morning isn't enough to wake you from your slumber, in which case you might want to consider this clock. It lets you hit the snooze button once before it sets its wheels in motion and runs away from your sleepy self, forcing you out of bed.

4. iSuper 9" Helicopter for iPhone, iPad
   Price: $57.99 with free shipping
   Lowest By: Least expensive we've seen

   Is It Worth It?: What will they think of next? Available from Expansys, the iSuper Helicopter is an iPhone, iPad, and iPod touch controlled helicopter; just download the iSuper Heli app for free and discover a revolutionary way to fly a helicopter. Because at the end of the day, you can only impress the guys and gals at the office so much with waste paper basketball sets and other cubicle games. But when you land this chopper on top of someone's computer monitor, you're bound to get their attention. Whether you want to make a strafing run with the helicopter is up to you.

5. 2 Annoy-A-Trons
   Price: $9.99 plus $5.39 s&h
   Lowest By: $11

   Is It Worth It?: Annoying people is a high art, because the obvious suspects (like playing the Bob Dylan song "Lay, Lady, Lay") have been tried before by most of your so-called friends. But odds are they'll be totally unprepared for the likes of Annoy-A-Trons (via ThinkGeek), which emit a loud beep at varying intervals and features a magnet for hiding this gem. We highly, highly recommend this one for breaking up those boring office meetings. To get this deal, add one Annoy-a-Tron to your cart and the second will be automatically added during checkout.

Front page photo credit: Crasstalk.com