Ultrasonic cutting board. "Are you tired of spending $1800 on a whole set of ultrasonic knives only to have them break every time your Brother in law throws them in a bowl of soapy water after a dinner party? Well know you don't have to. Image buying 6 cheap knives at a garage sale and turning them into chefs quality knives instantly, without even touching a sharpener!"

The real takeaway from your story is that it's easy to stay on task when you're interested in the task. Your coworker just didn't care about his work. But if his work was creating a productivity tool then he'd probably love his work and be productive.

Leap seconds are when it really gets fun.

There are plenty of non tipping ways to reward hard workers. Managers can track performance and reward it through bonuses and/or wage increases.