These 19 accessories will make your laptop bag amazingly cool (pictures)

Toting around our laptop is this generation's equivalent of having a handkerchief in our pockets: It's always there because we always need it.

But your computer shouldn't be the only thing you're carrying. These are the fun, functional accessories -- all of which fit into a laptop bag -- that will either save your life when you're working remotely, or make it feel a little less like work.

Nothing incites a jolt of futuristic fear quite like the thought of leaving your laptop unattended while you take a phone call or a bathroom break. Plug in this Desk Defender from ThinkGeek and be alerted via motion sensor whenever someone dares to get close.

Everyone needs a spare flash drive. And everyone needs more "Game of Thrones" merch from ThinkGeek in their lives. If your co-workers conveniently "forget" to give your thumb drives back, tell them The North Remembers.

Take a break from work and turn your laptop into a Lego station. The Kickstarter project Brik case comes with a bag of blocks. And when all your Legos are all over your laptop, it's just that much harder to accidentally step on it.

Keep these adorable little guys from Fallindesign in your laptop bag -- or attached to your phone -- and make screen smudges a thing of the past.

Yes, it's a little goofy to keep your drink warm with a heated coaster plugged into your laptop. But is there anything worse than cold coffee? No.

Turn your best Instagrams or InDesign creations into real-life works of art. Caseable lets you create your own awesome laptop sleeve, as well as personalized Kindle cases, smartphone pouches and other tech goodies.

Squishy, bendy and chock-full of LEDs, the Kangaroo Light charges from a USB port and radiates up to 2.5 hours of ambient lighting. It's perfect for helping you locate that pen that you know is in the bottom of that laptop bag somewhere.

If you occasionally find yourself without enough space to plunk down your laptop, keep this on hand as a backup. The Textblade magnetic phone keyboard is compatible with both iPhone and Android and is roughly one-third the size of your phone.

It's a bird! It's a plane! No, it's a pen and stylus and laser pointer and UV light and white LED light all in one! The Pen-Ultimate 5-in-1 Geek Pen & Stylus is a must-have for multitasking.

The Tile Bluetooth trackers are great for finding your keys, phone and remote control around the house. They're also a good insurance policy if you're prone to misplacing your laptop bag: stick one in there and track it down anywhere within range.

This ingenious device encourages you to tap your toes whenever your boss walks by. The Stealth Switch immediately switches from whatever you were doing on your computer (that presumably wasn't work) to something else (that is work).

Don't let the strange name fool you: These rubber and aluminum feet give your overheating laptop a much-needed vertical boost. They're removable and snap together, so they're easy to find again.

Fraying phone charger or power cable? Sugru is a self-drying rubber that you can mold around it to protect those precious wires. It also has tons of fun potential applications around the house, so make sure you buy extra to play with.

If you're really serious about securing your laptop, lock it down anywhere with the Kensington Clicksafe Laptop Lock. It loops around the base of a stationary object (such as a table at Starbucks or the chairs in the airport) and attaches to your laptop without a key -- though you do need the key to unlock it.

No more hunting for a three-prong outlet. The Dart charger is the world's smallest, and delivers 65 watts through its many adapters. It also has a USB charging port so you can maximize your time tethered to the wall.

Any techies worth their salt need to have a backup battery, an SD card reader, an external hard drive, and cables for data and charging. How about having all that fit into that skinny pocket in your laptop bag? The Smart Card was fully funded on Indiegogo in 2014 and is now available on its site.

Sometimes the unthinkable happens: You're in a place with no outlets whatsoever. Take a deep breath, pull out your backup external battery, and get ready to charge to your heart's content.

As laptops get slimmer and lighter, USB ports are becoming an endangered species. Make room to plug in a few extra accessories with a powered USB hub.

The days of fighting over that last outlet spot are over. Pop in this surge protector and you can all share the space, and charge a couple USB devices to boot.