Let us tell you a secret: we usually get into big fights with our printer. Yes, it’s not exactly a big one and we wish that we have a juicier secret to tell you; but sadly, it’s been a pretty slow year for us. We can bet though, that our neighbors are either highly amused or scarily annoyed when we curse at our helpless printing machine. Of course, even with the love-hate (mostly hate) relationship we have with said printer, we would never consider it useless. There are days when it’s really good to us, printing all the documents we need without jamming or suddenly powering off or emitting sounds like it is being tortured by gangsters. For that reason alone, we can never bring ourselves to get rid of it. And it’s okay, since we would rather keep a semi-functioning printer than hold on to completely useless gadgets like the ones below.
CueCat
Other than the cutesy name, this cat-shaped bar-code scanner became popular in the late 1990s and early 2000s. TIME named it one of the 50 worst inventions ever, describing it as “a massively expensive failure” and “little more than a high-tech paperweight.” You see, to use a CueCat, you’ll need to plug it into your computer, scan ads in magazines and be “magically taken” to the advertisers’ websites. If it sounds like a fantastic way to waste time, well, that’s because it is–considering you can just Google whatever brand/product/company name you’re looking for and presto, the first link generated is usually it. Fortunately for savvy Internet users, this sad cat was put down for good in 2001.
TwitterPeek
Who needs a Twitter-only handset? We actually can’t think of anyone who would shell out $99.95 for a device that can only “receive tweets via the mobile phone network.” Our smartphone may not be top of the line; but for us, it already functions as a small business phone (more info) – able to call, text, send and receive emails, tweet, post on Facebook, and so on. It’s probably a great device for someone; but truth be told, we can’t imagine anyone who already owns a smartphone or a phablet that would be interested in a gadget like this.
Foot Tanner
We always say that great products tend to solve common problems. We just didn’t realize that blindingly white feet are an issue that needed to be addressed that badly; otherwise, there wouldn’t be a $229 machine whose sole purpose is to blast feet with light so that anyone can have constantly tanned feet any time of the year. Unless you wear your Havaianas or Ipanemas all the time so you can flaunt your feet, this tanning device is about as useful as a Twitter-only phone.
Wheelmate Laptop Steering Wheel Desk
Don’t drink and drive, don’t text and drive. According to the United States Department of Transportation, mobile phones are involved in more than 1.5 million car crashes annually, killing an estimated 6,000 people. If using your mobile phone while driving is bad, using your laptop or tablet is worse. Maybe ErgoWareHouse, which introduced the Laptop Steering Wheel Desk in 2003, wasn’t aware of this fact. As its name suggests, the device is hooked to a car’s steering wheel to form a desk. Buy it for $29.99 if you are crazy enough to tinker with your laptop while on the road.
Electric Candles
Whoever invented flameless, wickless candles must have imagined having a light bulb moment – or just simply forgot that the candle already exists. Seriously, would you want a romantic dinner or an amorous tryst lit by an electric candle? Knock on wood; if you were caught off guard by a storm like Hurricane Sandy, these candles will be no good. Even the battery-powered ones won’t last very long. This is a classic example of why things that are not broken should not be fixed in the first place.
