The coolest gadgets aren't necessarily the ones that pack the flashiest technology or come with the most apps. To be truly great, all a gadget has to do is innovate in an area that no one thought needed any innovation. Like, for example, the stem of an LCD monitor.

That's why the BackPack, available right now from the Apple Store, is a truly great gadget. It is an incredibly simple idea that serves a useful purpose; adding storage space to your Mac. You just clip the BackPack to the stem of your monitor and, voila, instant storage space without taking up desk space!

You can stick your iPhone or iPod there to charge, or plug in portable optical drives, hard drives, card readers, or any other peripheral you can think of. The BackPack is height adjustable, so you can fit more than one on each monitor stem. A single BackPack costs $30, while a six pack costs $150. it's a little pricey, but it has the benefit of not using any screws or leaving any scratches or marks on your machine.

The Apple website doesn't say whether or not the BackPack will work for non-Apple monitors, but I'm not sure why it wouldn't. If anyone's brave enough to give it a shot, send us an email and let us know if this thing is useful for the PC as well.