Seriously,
Ajay here would be downright ashamed. His Universal Serial Bus has found some
seriously awesome uses over the years, sure, but the latest torrent of USB-equipped
garbage is looking to do more harm than good to the venerable connector. In our latest roundup of crap found 'round the web, we see yet again that it's the USB-infused devices holding down the fort. From a flashlight-packin' USB SD card reader to a USB Parrot, our heads hurt from just imagining who among us is actually spending cold, hard credit on this rubbish. Feel free to inflict the same pain upon yourself by visiting the links below, and then cast your vote for the worst of the worst. Good luck, brave souls.
Read - USB SD card reader with flashlight
Read - Sparkling USB bracelet with no purpose or dreams
Read - USB Notebook Pocket Cooler puts 'Huffing' and 'Puffing' out of work
Read - Pepe, the USB Parrot
Read - 4-port USB hub gains a mirror... because it can
Read - Jewel Rose Pin USB Flash Drive: perfect for Great, Great, Great Grandmother's Day
Read - USB U-Shape i-Speaker just looks disturbing
posted May 24th 2009 at 2:32AM
Reader Comments (Page 1 of 2)
random @ May 24th 2009 2:38AM
Ajay! you let me down!
va jj @ May 24th 2009 2:39AM
usb dog , ya know the one that will hump your laptop.
Smart People Play Tuba @ May 24th 2009 1:21PM
That parrot seems like it could be fun. Except that it's probably hackable from a remote host.
nak @ May 24th 2009 2:51AM
Thank you for NOT putting a picture of one the crapgadgets. I love crapgadget, but the one that wins is inevitably the one pictured.
nak @ May 24th 2009 3:01AM
And having said that... The flashlight one is actually useful while the "logo" hub is for OEMs. So I award this crapgadget to... the fan. Of all the pointless crap in all of crapgadgets, this one actually serves no purpose what-so-ever. It doesn't speak to you, it can't be worn, it has no storage, no connectivity. It does NOTHING and its $17?!
Slick @ May 24th 2009 10:04AM
Its the only one thats slightly tempting - as i have a hot running laptop its almost, but not really, useful to me.
Shinigami @ May 24th 2009 11:36AM
@Slick
I'd recommend taking a look at _the_ laptop fans, which also serve as laptop stand (support, prop, stay, rest; saucer; pedestal - you name it). I have one because my laptop can get VERY hot at times and this thing really helps cooling it. But, since I have a plastic one, I highly recommend NOT saving money and getting a metal one with a huge cooler. They're quiet, cool and don't look like they're going to fall apart as soon as you touch them.
As for mentioned "pocket" cooler - I have yet to see a pocket that can hold that thing... voted for it. Parrot can be fun as a present :P
Valicore @ May 24th 2009 8:27PM
Totally agree with nak and Shinagimi, I hate this specifically because it´s trying to be a real product but is crap.
m3tric @ May 24th 2009 2:52AM
How about "Other"? I vote for the stupid Obama one.
Gav @ May 24th 2009 2:53AM
You do know that isn't Ajay Bhatt, don't you?
NeoJew @ May 24th 2009 11:02AM
But he plays one on TV.
Shinigami @ May 24th 2009 11:37AM
Thats the rock star!!!
E71 @ May 26th 2009 6:33AM
No-one cares....
A large team of engineers from Intel, Compaq, Microsoft, Digital, IBM, Northern Telecom were responsible for USB.
Ajay is just a small fish in a large pond.
leland @ May 24th 2009 2:56AM
Pepe the parrot looks pretty sweet actually.
jupiterthunder @ May 24th 2009 9:42AM
I agree. You could even plug it in to a wall adapter and have it sit somewhere else. Pepe is badass.
cromas @ May 24th 2009 3:02AM
Whoa, what?! An Engadget poll that doesn't have a final option that completely destroys the results of the poll?!
KRIS_C_123 @ May 24th 2009 4:38AM
i know! i had a really hard time choosing, they are all so bad
CH3BURASHKA @ May 24th 2009 3:11AM
I can tell you all, off the record, that you can expect a crazy third-person-shooter starring Ajay Bhatt, in which he destroys the USB abominations with a large variety of guns, coming Q4 2009. However, I'm sure he could destroy them all with just a single wink.
That commercial is hot.
Peter @ May 24th 2009 3:14AM
Engadget should separate out the USB crapgadgets and name them the "Ajay Bhatt awards for innovative use of the USB standard"
Matt L @ May 24th 2009 7:31AM
Also known as the "Bhatties".
Davimation @ May 24th 2009 3:18AM
I wanted to vote but unfortunately you left out the option for "All of the Above"
Davimation @ May 24th 2009 3:18AM
or should I say "NONE of the Above" lol
keithhh @ May 24th 2009 3:39AM
I really like that usb parrot... I really thought about buying it, would without a doubt make a great gift.
Ron @ May 24th 2009 4:10AM
The guy in the picture is not Ajay Bhatt. I work in intel and I have met him.
This is his profile, where you could take a glimpse at his picture as well :)
http://www.intel.com/pressroom/kits/bios/abhatt.htm
Someone on the Internet @ May 24th 2009 5:28AM
I wish you were joking, but your not. Leave it to Intel.
Alex @ May 24th 2009 6:01AM
OMG!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! they faked it..!!
guess what.. they've been doing the same with the processors as well :D
loocas @ May 24th 2009 9:55PM
They didn't fake anything, guys. They hired a bunch of actors to do the commercial, what's the problem? I'd be actually surprised if Ajay starred himself in the ad!
Tristan King @ May 24th 2009 4:12AM
Who the hell designs a notebook that required additional external cooling???!??!?!?!?
Jack Chance @ May 24th 2009 4:25AM
ummm... dell for one.
I had a c640 that needed external cooling in order to run 24/7
loocas @ May 24th 2009 9:56PM
Acer? Apple?
Kit @ May 24th 2009 5:55AM
Ajay is innocent!
sri @ May 24th 2009 6:12AM
Hi, I like to add USB pencil sharpner
sri @ May 24th 2009 6:13AM
i like to add usb sex toys
Aaronth @ May 24th 2009 8:01AM
the card reader with flashlight might actually not be all that bad of an idea - i.e. if you have a camera that uses SD cards and want a photo-bag-worthy tool that can also multitask as a flashlight for some light painting. Just sayin'....
Yitz Goldstein @ May 24th 2009 9:53AM
has anyone seen that guy playing Ajay in another commercial recently, I could swear i have.....
leo @ May 24th 2009 10:29AM
Yes he was in the Wendy's commerical too. I guess the real Ajay Bhatt couldnt dance or something :)
azdude123 @ May 24th 2009 12:36PM
The guy that plays Ajay is Sunil Narkar...
http://www.sunilnarkar.com/myclips.html
Major4Play @ May 24th 2009 10:00AM
The Parrot is daft, the bracelet is tasteless as is the mirrored hub but what is wrong with the cooler or speaker ?
By the way this is Ajay http://www.ixbt.com/editorial/idf7p/d0a/d0a.jpg ever heard of Google, Engadget ?
I'm sure Ajay and Intel are disgusted with all that licencing money, stop making USB devices you bastards we don't know what to do with all this money !!!
Mikee @ May 24th 2009 10:43AM
The parrot is the most useless.
Roberto @ May 24th 2009 10:49AM
A few years ago, the tech consumer community was clamoring that devices would come with USB charging ports instead of ready-to-be-lost specialized chargers. Now some manufacturers deliver that, and we call them crapware, embarrasments to USB forefathers.
G @ May 24th 2009 11:10AM
It has to be the parrot because it just sits there, consumes energy and tries to be as annoying as possible
Corrie Mayo @ May 24th 2009 1:33PM
People, you've got to be kidding me! I don't even think some of you looked at the crap before you voted. I could at least conceivably see my girlfriend having the bracelet and asking to plug it into my computer but the jewel rose pin?!!!!!!! It screams crap gadget for old people! and even a well-oiled cougar wouldn't own one!
squeevi82 @ May 24th 2009 12:40PM
It looks like the woman in the background is going to bite this dudes arm.
Arian Kooshesh @ May 24th 2009 12:47PM
The bracelet would be ideal for girlfriends who have a tech savvy feel to them.
Corrie Mayo @ May 24th 2009 1:34PM
gfhg
dave lemke @ May 24th 2009 2:38PM
are you guys kidding, the usb parrot is awesome! It REPEATS what you say randomly!!!
I am so buying one for everyone I know who works at a mcoffice at their mcjob ... oh wait, they've all been fired due to the economy.
temp @ May 24th 2009 2:54PM
I actually go for the Jewel Rose Pin because "it is also a kind of fashion decoration" (straight from the product page).
Yeah, it is a kind that sucks.
kimchibrown @ May 24th 2009 3:26PM
The title makes no sense. It's like blaming the inventor of the TV for shows like "Americas Next Top Model."
Andrew @ May 24th 2009 5:53PM
I can imagine hipster nerd girls ironically rocking the jewel brooch. Probably with the connector flipped out so everyone can see the multiple layers of hipster irony they are rocking.
Ugh.
dsdshark @ May 24th 2009 6:30PM
I kinda want the parrot.