Your Technology Jul. 6, 1998

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TEA COZY FOR YOUR MONITOR

Feeling like an office drone trapped in a dull gray cubicle? Monimals USA of Scottsdale, Ariz., has developed furry monitor covers in cow, moose, lion and sheep motifs to help cheer you up. Sold with matching screen savers, Monimals ($20 or $27 each) keep dust at bay and are great for generating water-cooler buzz.

THE SILENT AIR SCRUBBER

Most people worry about gunk in the air they breathe, but those bulky air filters that ceaselessly hum and whir can be just as irritating. Clearveil Corp. of Denver offers an alternative way to cleanse your home or office of airborne dust, bacteria, cat dander and cigarette smoke. The Jenn-Air SilentAir purifier ($229) is thin and light and, best of all, silent. Like other filters, it sends out negative ions to grab hold of the pollutants. Unlike other filters, it has a charged metal strip to lure them back in--no noisy fan or motor. It takes longer to freshen a room, but finicky types might find it well worth the extra peace and quiet.

REAL BUBBLES, VIRTUAL FISH

Fish tanks can be mesmerizing, but who wants to scrape algae or scoop out floaters? NEC's Fish Club ($17,000) replaces all that mess with lifelike images of tropical swimmers displayed on a 32-in. screen behind a real, bubbling tank. Laser discs provide a choice of fish.

--By M.M. Buechner and Anita Hamilton