World's Weirdest Gadgets

"QUANTUM SHOT" #424
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Eccentric devices that will blow your mind.
(some may be nsfw)

Just when you think you saw them all... Here is another delightfully wacky crop of gadgets and thingies, designed to help us and simplify our life - but most miserably failing in this respect, only increasing the befuddlement and confusion! Judge for yourself:

Finger Stretcher for the Aspiring Pianist

Hailing from somewhere around 1900s, this device is painful even to look at. "According to one source, Robert Schumann permanently wrecked his right hand and ended his career using an early version of one of these contraptions." Enough said. (Seen here, with more info.)

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The Earliest GPS

That would be "The Plus Four Wristlet Route Indicator" from 1927... Not only it's the earliest navigation wrist gadget, but it's also wind-up ! Something your 5-year old would love.

Insert an interchangeable map into this route indicator and never get lost - even if the whole nav-sat system goes down. (More info).

(image credit: Phillip Toscano)

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The Window Climbing Robot "Brainizord"

There seems to be no other reason for this machine's existence, other than a simple pleasure of watching it climb up your window. It will also flash and blink their lights for you, imagine that.
You can order it here

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Worried about a fish bladder not being properly inflated?

Seen here, this must be the utmost in cryptic gadget application:

"Fish Bladder Inflation Device"
Fish Bladder is encased in glass and inflated by applying force to the handles. Why? I am not sure I want to know:

"Lettuce Safety Deposit Box"

Hiding your valuables inside the head of iceberg lettuce seems like a great idea (unless the burglar happens to be very hungry and vegetarian).

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Paper LP

It works. It produces sound. Even your kid can make one. More info.

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Plushy Plagues for Your Children

Count them: locusts, frogs, cattle disease, gnats - all very cute and (attractive???) More info.

They even roll their eyes and wiggle their tails.

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Boob Relief

When faced with tight circumstances, you need not get all uptight. This little stress-reliever may help (but will be pretty hard to put away) -

Or you can (joyfully) tune in to your favorite station:

(image credit: weirdgizmos)

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Heavy Duty, Industrial-Model, Steam-Powered Dildo from 1891

...rejected by U.S. Patent Office in the same year. Good.

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Now lets see what's cool in the kitchen (where guys rarely spend time, other than nurturing a beer)

Transparent Household Appliances

Can't take your eyes off your dirty dishes? Watch them get clean... Watch your dirty laundry rotate around (or on the second thought, find something better to do)

(image credit: Tokyo Mango)

"National Electronics" makes them. In Japan, of course. As a bonus, watch your toaster being made, too - order:

(image credit: inventables.com)

And then play tic tac toe with it. (if you are lonely at breakfast) - order:

(image credit: mcphee.com)

Even better for high-tech kitchen:
Zero Gravity Magnetic Spice Rack - order

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Other pearls of human ingenuity and design wisdom:

Wenger Giant Swiss Army Knife: info and order it here

Purse-styled laptops, see more here

(image credit: yankodesign)

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And - The Winner?

The Audible Detector

Purpose: Electrical detection of lost and haunted souls, and machine gibberish.

It has its very own HAIRY ear/ throat. It makes accordingly throaty and hairy sounds. However, during daylight hours it produces mostly static. Oh well, you can at least turn its knob.

But "when the sun goes down, affecting upper-atmospheric radio conditions, a disturbing mixture of radioteletype, weather station images, and international proselytizers blur into an auditory hallucination."

More info. Made by the wacky & wonderful WPS, which we already featured in our previous issues.

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No, we digress - The Winner among the "World's Weirdest Devices" is...

The Device!

(Patented) Process Indicating Apparatus. It indicates PROCESS. Any process. It even has its own web page with FAQ.

(designed by David Glicksman)

Certainly, if it's not lit up, then you must be really in the backwater of the world, where nothing surely is happening. You might consider start doing something, just to make your little device happy.

Also Read: Coolest Retro Devices, Kitchen Tech for Geeks

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