Especially in North and South Dakota, it's beginning to look a lot like Christmas. Disgustingly, that also means that the onslaught of horrifically crappy gadgets to celebrate the occasion are making their way out in full force. In this episode of the world's
lamest excuse for gadgets, we see a smattering of gizmos that you should never -- under
any circumstance -- give to anyone you love (or like, or don't loathe). On the other hand, these are all perfect for gifting someone you aren't particularly fond of. Check out the catastrophes below, and toss in your vote for most pathetic in the handy poll down there.
Read - USB animal hand warmer / massager
Read - Ornament ball digital photo frame
Read - Santa stocking USB drive
Read - Dog mat mouse pad
Read - Banana peeling simulator
Read - Santa / Snowman digiframes
Reader Comments (Page 1 of 2)
霽月瀛台 @ Nov 10th 2008 11:11AM
We usually see some here.
TJ @ Nov 10th 2008 11:11AM
Put me down for the banana peeler.
Lars @ Nov 10th 2008 1:06PM
I want one of those! Looks hilarious!
I voted for the USB drive. I could see everything else getting some use (except the banana, but that's too funny to vote for). I figure who wants to be seen in spring or summer toting a xmas-themed USB drive.
Reece @ Nov 10th 2008 1:57PM
Time to make like a banana, and split.
Josh @ Nov 10th 2008 10:07PM
Thank goodness that ridiculous banana thing is "winning." What an atrocity.
Also, I'd love to see a post/poll that contains these sort of items you might actually consider buying.
Rocketboy @ Nov 11th 2008 9:36AM
At least the fake banana looks well made. That Santa USB stick looks like it was made out of plastic from the 70's.
chris @ Nov 10th 2008 11:13AM
What about adding these ( http://vavolo.com ) cake slice USB memory sticks???
They have to be the biggest piece of crap I've seen in a while. Their whole site
contains nothing but crap.
htd @ Nov 10th 2008 11:15AM
you win, man, this site is fully of totally useless crap...
Alex @ Nov 10th 2008 12:01PM
LOL
They have a lot of different flavors!
I am usually against any form of violence, but I think I would enforce some against that designer... Just to set the example ;)
AnyKey @ Nov 10th 2008 11:31AM
I actually thought the welcome mat mouse pad was kinda' cool.
But the banana peeler wins because it doesn't deserve to exist...how could anybody look at that and think it isn't a waste of money?
Alex @ Nov 10th 2008 11:58AM
Why, the hand warmer DOES deserve existence? Or the Santa Claus 2 Gb stick?
I just hope I don't have a "thank you" from my employer in such a form!
Electromodo @ Nov 10th 2008 11:33AM
This USB peeling banana... this is just a cultural difference. Japaneese people seem to love those things. Still I voted it the crappiest gadget.
The ornament ball digi photo frame is a nice idea. If they made it flat, enough memory for, like, 5 pictures at most with a slideshow option, and $5 price/each, then I would buy a set.
Door (dog) mat mouse pad is disgusting. I would prefer a picture of vagina ;)
BobFromVegas @ Nov 10th 2008 11:37AM
Haha I like how the Banana article says:
"Targetted at kids below six and psychopaths,"
Oli D @ Nov 10th 2008 11:40AM
haha i saw that, even they know its a piece o'!
I still want one... you all better hope im under 6
Patriks7 @ Nov 10th 2008 12:39PM
Well I'm a psychopath and I definitely want one! :p
Fusion Fuzo @ Nov 10th 2008 11:38AM
DAM, so their not renaming engadget crapgadget
Pavelz @ Nov 10th 2008 11:39AM
The banana peeler at 6$ a piece is quite a bargain.
Mike @ Nov 10th 2008 11:49AM
The usb hand warmer and massager... come on... what late night sico's are they trying to target by putting animal faces on that... Now if they only had a goat... Really though... thats kinda dirty when you think of it
Valicore @ Nov 10th 2008 11:56AM
The hand warmer/massage thing is some kind of sick sex toy of course. The banana peeling simulator though? Someone had to have that idea, pitch it, and have it manufactured for it to even exist. How is this possible? I have an even better idea for them: buy an effing banana.
theshredder340 @ Nov 10th 2008 7:24PM
Well yeah sure but think of how expensive all those bananas would be. at 6 dollars this is quite the deal. I just placed an order for 12.
schmitty338 @ Nov 10th 2008 12:35PM
Exactly! You know how many bananas you could buy with $6?!
At the Chinese market by my place, they are 29 cents (CDN no less!) a pound! That's like 80 bananas for $6....for shame banana-pealing-simulator-buying-peoples!
Patriks7 @ Nov 10th 2008 12:40PM
Too bad not everyone lives by the Chinese market, eh?
schmitty338 @ Nov 10th 2008 2:27PM
....well, even at so-called megamarts, bananas are no more than 79c a pound, usually cheaper. Still a boat-load of bananas for cheap! (haha...banana-boat....)
schmitty338 @ Nov 10th 2008 4:21PM
Valicore said: "The hand warmer/massage thing is some kind of sick sex toy of course"
....so is the banana peeling simulator.... so what's wrong with that?
GoCarnivore @ Nov 10th 2008 11:56AM
I'd give this gift to my muslim family members, but they'd stone me to death. Not because of the santa thing, but because of how horrible this is.
Game_playa @ Nov 10th 2008 3:59PM
DIE
Valicore @ Nov 10th 2008 4:25PM
I'm predicting GoCarnivore's response will be: "GoCarnivore says: "I mean, of course they're Muslims, my Christian friends never stone anybody, I it's in the bible, I think it's like "Let he without sin throw th... Owwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwww why are those people with crosses throwing rocks at m... thump""
gazerbeam @ Nov 10th 2008 11:57AM
seriously, what noise does a peeling banana make? and how would someone record it and then play it back on a tiny speaker? those are the real questions here.
Andy TGD @ Nov 10th 2008 2:13PM
One skin. Two skin. Three Skin...
Mike @ Nov 10th 2008 11:58AM
Is it just me or does the Santa digi frame NOT bear a striking resemblance to the Santa in Rudolph the Red Nosed Reindeer?
sam @ Nov 10th 2008 11:58AM
All of these devices are the worst kind of tat... but I had to vote for a digital photo frame. They're the most ludicrous excuse for a gadget to come anywhere near common use (not that near, thankfully) and will continue to be so until we can at least get colour e-paper or something so you can, you know, have a picture on the wall without using electricity the whole time.
At least the banana doesn't use any power when you're not peeling it.
I chose the snowman/etc on aesthetic grounds. The tree-decoration one is at least a halfway clever idea.
(And what's wrong with the doormat mousepad? Not much sillier than the average mousemat imo...)
JPN @ Nov 10th 2008 12:02PM
I think you need to define "crapgadget" a little better - some of these things are ugly, or tacky, but not necessarily a "crapgadget" - especially the mouse pad.
I voted for the santa claus snowman frames because the display is TINY and they're ugly...definitely crap. The picture's the whole reason for it and you can't even really see that.
Don @ Nov 10th 2008 12:13PM
My daughter gave me a giant golf ball digi-frame. Yeah, it's a crap-tastic gadget. But the pictures she loaded it with of her and my son are priceless. It will never leave my desk.
mm @ Nov 10th 2008 12:13PM
I'm concerned about them Japs... how in the world would peeling bananas be satisfying? There actually exists a lust for peeling bananas?!
Also, what sound does it give off? I need to know....... (places order)
kal326 @ Nov 10th 2008 4:07PM
I think its a thing over there. I'm pretty sure they just had something about opening express envelopes or something else like that a month or so ago. I have a great idea, instead how about we get all the bulk junk mail we get ever day and sell it to them. Then they have a large supply of envelopes to open, no need for pesky simulators.
B.C. @ Nov 10th 2008 12:17PM
Didn't Engadget just have a story about e-waste and it's impact on the world?
These insta-landfill devices are another reason why manufacturers should be legally responsible for their product after it's been sold.
Here's a short video about our crap, from beginning to end. (She's somewhat annoying/patronizing)
www.storyofstuff.com
KC @ Nov 10th 2008 12:26PM
I think engadget should have a crap-of-the-year poll, with winner of each crapgadget poll on it so we can vote for the ultimate crap.
Unique Gift Ideas @ Nov 10th 2008 12:30PM
The award clearly goes to the electronic banana peeler. Seriously, how weird does one have to be to buy a device that gives them the intense pleasure of peeling a banana, without actually peeling a banana. Strange people out there.
Mike @ Nov 10th 2008 12:34PM
"Targetted at kids below six and psychopaths, the Dazzling Banana would hit stores in Japan"
Anyone see anything wrong with that? Oh they misspelled targeted.
Patriks7 @ Nov 10th 2008 12:41PM
That picture frame (pictured in this article) really reminds me of Apple's commercial they had :p the animated one :p
Jon @ Nov 10th 2008 12:45PM
On the peeler - I never knew that I needed one until I saw this - now I wonder how I have lived without one for so long! And I kind of liked the doormat mousepad...
Ian @ Nov 10th 2008 12:56PM
Don't see a problem with the Welcome door mat mouse pad... its lame but its not a total waste of space.
Surprised @ Nov 10th 2008 1:10PM
I thought the idea of a santa/ digital picture frame for your christmas tree isn't a bad idea at all. Digital frames seemed to be all the rage a couple of years ago during christmas. I'd buy a couple for older folks (mom, dad, etc).. a nice way of displaying previous christmas time memories. The other gadgets ARE pretty jacked up though.
Danger @ Nov 10th 2008 1:38PM
"Targetted at kids below six and psychopaths"
hahaa nice...
MyHeadisFed @ Nov 10th 2008 1:42PM
lol I saw that too. Made me smile.
GroupieGirlNJ @ Nov 10th 2008 2:50PM
Personally, I thought the hand warmer was kind of neat... I have pretty bad circulation and my hands are always ice cold at work from typing on the computer. Don't think I'd ever feel comfortable using the massage-feature, though...
Maciek @ Nov 10th 2008 2:51PM
Here's another one... a Circuit City gift card
phail @ Nov 10th 2008 3:07PM
i generally ignore crapgadget but i just couldn't NOT click the banana peeling sim.
Othello @ Nov 10th 2008 3:18PM
Dog mat? Am I missing something here?
Inane_Asylum @ Nov 10th 2008 4:18PM
I can't wait for the lawsuit by someone who tries to eat the "realistic"-ly sounding banana...