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The Worst Products of CES 2010
loose electron submitted a (sigh) slideshow page documenting 10 of the worst products from CES this year. Includes a baseball hat with a TV in the brim, vibrating earbuds, an Android powered microwave, and what appears to be the next generation of Teddy Ruxpin.
That product, if done right (anti-bacterial stuff in the goo to get the keys actually clean, right consistency to not leave bits between keys) would actually be pretty useful in some environments.
For those who didn't RTFA, it's a keyboard cleaner via goo like substance that you push on and pull off and it takes the ick with it.
I don't think those vibrating "earplugs" are really meant to go in your ears.
Seriously, try putting an inexpensive pair of earbuds up your rectum (use a lubricant). Then, if you play the second Pavement album at full volume, while watching The Wizard of Oz, you will achieve states of Tantric ecstasy. You have to start them at exactly the same time. Then, just as Dorothy is about to meet the Tin Man, yank out the earbuds as fast as you can.
Warning: Be sure to lock the door to your office before doing this. Having a co-worker walk in could cause some uncomfortable feelings in the workplace.
You are welcome on my lawn.
I use one. It takes a while to get used to, but you can flavor it any way you want and after using it consistently for a day "analog" cigs taste pretty bad. The main issue is keeping the atomizer clean (it gets build-up and starts tasting funny). Other than that, what you get is a device that gives you vaporized nicotine in a similar method as cigarettes, without tar or other chemicals. It's basically the same as an nebulizer with nicotine. You can vary the nicotine level, eventually moving down to zero. The only issue is, in my opinion, it's not really a stop smoking aid, it's really a smoking replacement. And you have to make sure you keep your batteries charged - a dead battery will lead right back to a cigarette.
I know a number of long time smokers that have switched to the e-cigs. Hopefully nothing but nicotine (hey the juice comes from China- so who knows), no second hand issues, doesn't smell, can smoke in restaurants, on long flights, in the car, etc. The biggest problem is that people might not die as quickly AND stop paying the exorbitant sin taxes on tobacco.
I really don't understand what the 'Krave' was doing on that list...
Not all of the liquid comes from China any more, there has been a huge influx of 100% USA made liquid in to the market over the past few months, and the consumers are gladly paying the slightly higher prices for it (myself included). More people are also shelling out the money to have their liquid tested which is a big step forward, and there are groups of users coming together to fund actual research in to the safety of using these devices vs. smoking (something that's common sense to most of us, but tell that to the FDA)
Yes, most all of the hardware still comes from China, but that's even starting to change as the ex-smoker geeks start getting their hands on these things.. there are huge sections on some of the PV (personal vaporizer, a term a lot of us prefer over e-cigarette) forums dedicated to building your own custom battery box so you can go days without having to charge it (and get to solder! win/win!), even some people who have reverse-engineered the atomizers and now build their own, how to mix your own liquid with supplies from US-based labs, etc.
The only big problem (besides the FDA and anti-smoking groups trying to shut us down) is the people trying to make a quick buck off of these things - the fancy brands like Krave, the sales kiosk in the mall (not all of them, but the ones who are just run by a salesman and not someone who actually understands and cares about what he/she's doing), the ones making health claims without proof to back it up, trying to sell to minors, ripping people off.. it makes the rest of us look bad. Every news article I see about these things says that a starter kit is "about $100-$150", when in reality they're about $30 or $40. And we know they're not healthy, they're just better than what we were doing before. Personally I got all of the health benefits normally associated with quitting within about four days of switching to my PV - increased lung capacity, no coughing, increased stamina, no stink, etc. I can use the thing in my house, or at my desk at work, and nobody even knows I'm doing it as there's no smell, and the vapor dissipates within seconds.