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![The Remote Wrangler]()
The Remote Wrangler helps you find the TV remote -- which is sticking to your head, possibly blocking your view or giving you a headache. This might not be a real product, since it showed up on InventorSpot.com without any information about where to buy one. But it's certainly not a good idea.![Energy Curtain]()
We're not sure if the Energy Curtain actually collects solar power during the day, but even if it did the idea of blocking the sun in a room just doesn't make sense. The problem: utility costs are higher during the day, so it's always better to light a room naturally. Consumer analyst Rob Enderle examines products for market acceptance -- he says the idea of blocking the sun and turning on the lights when energy costs are high is just dumb.![As-Seen-On-TV Hat]()
Gizmodo reported on the iPhone visor not long ago, tongue firmly in cheek. Like the energy curtain, this hat blocks out the sun so you can watch movies on your iPhone. That's not so bad, except that the hat has a very long bill that makes you look like you are the world's biggest dork. This one also does double-duty: the As-Seen-On-TV Hat also has perhaps the worst product name ever.![Jeweled Shoe Cell Phone Holder]()
Another product with a name that just makes you wonder, this high-heel shoe is actually a cell phone holder -- for those times when a belt clip just won't suffice. Er, you only get one per order, and they are not made for actually walking around in. Amazon customers, a shy and timid group to be sure, posted in a message thread that the shoe is "useless" and "cheesy" but someone else rated it 5/5 stars. Huh?![Smart Fortwo]()
You've probably seen a Smart Fortwo cars on the road. Don't scoff too much; at least you don't have to drive one. The reality is that the cars are way too small for any practical use. Plus, the electric version in Europe only goes 72 miles before it needs to be charged. And according to an NHTSA report, the Fortwo might catapult you from the car if you're hit from the side.![Microsoft SPOT Watch]()
Bill Gates posed happily with Mischa Barton at the SPOT launch a few years ago (and who wouldn't?) but the product was eventually discontinued. It used FM radio signals to deliver weather and sports scores, but the bulky device was too big for everyday use -- just look at it! -- and had to be charged every night.![Wiki_Reader]()
We fell for this back when connected devices were all the rage. Bring the Web to your palm! Read Wikipedia wherever you are! Then we realized any iPhone or other smartphone is the best connected device ever -- and the Wiki Reader is just useless. The reader shows you Wikipedia.org content, and updates only over USB.![Sharp 3D Notebook]()
It's taken a while to perfect 3D notebooks and televisions. (If you were lucky enough to watch the World Cup or the All-Star game in 3D, we hope you are over the headache.) The early iteration in this Sharp Actius from 2004 was horribly finicky -- you had to sit at the right angle to watch, and 3D slowed it to a crawl. PC World picked it as one of the 25 worst products ever.![Gaiser High-End PC]()
Some things should not be gold-plated, including phones, cars, and computers. This $7,000 model has a front-loading CD slot and "perfectly coordinated components," according to the company with 24-carat gold inlays. Unfortunately, Windows will still crash just as frequently.![LG BL40 Chocolate Phone]()
One look at this smartphone and you might wonder: is it a phone or a banana? At just over 5-inches long, the phone has a spacious 4-inch widescreen display, but -- like the infamous Nokia N-Gage "taco phone" from a few years ago -- you will not want to let people see you making calls.Ten Dumb (and Sometimes Dangerous) Gadgets
Here's a new idea: create a tech gadget that looks so dumb, consumes so much power, or is actually dangerous. Would people buy it? Logic hasn't been a barrier for these concepts and gadgets. These are ten to be avoided.
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- Ten Dumb (and Sometimes Dangerous) Gadgets
