5 of the Weirdest Gadgets Ever Created
Over the years we’ve witnessed the commercialization of many brilliant, game-changing inventions — gadgets so impactful by their sheer nature, they’ve grown to become a staple of our everyday lives. While some devices have risen to become true shining stars in the tech world, there’s also an umpteen number of weird products that didn’t catch on with most consumers. Press the right arrow to learn about 5 of the weirdest gadgets ever created.
5 Navaztag
Meet Navaztag, the world’s first (and likely last) Wi-Fi enabled ‘Smart Rabbit’. Introduced back in 2005, this crazy-looking gadget was something along the lines of an early pre-cursor to the Amazon Echo. For just $199, this Wi-Fi enabled rabbit “harnessed the power of the internet” to deliver web-based information such as weather, stocks, sports reports and more, while allowing users to stream podcasts, listen to MP3s, and even chat with other Navaztag owners.
The device was even programmed with its own “personality,” and reportedly practiced Tai Chi in its spare time while occasionally offering encouragement to its owners. Ultimately, while Navaztag garnered a small ‘cult following’ of dedicated users, as evidenced in this hilarious YouTube video, the Wi-Fi enabled bunny was just a hare too odd for most consumers.
4 Chumby
Released back in 2007, before the looming smartphone revolution swept the world by storm, there was Chumby — a soft, beanbag shaped device boasting a 3.5-inch LCD display, Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, and a “network of widgets” designed to help users check the news, weather, and anything else on the web.
Unfortunately, while Chumby sought to be everyone’s “go-to” gadget — keeping them informed and entertained 24-hours a day — the $179 device was really in the wrong place at the wrong time. While the company is still running servers that host Chumby’s software, it’s no longer actively promoting the device.
3 MoodMetric
Remember those goofy “mood rings” you could pick up from gas stations and convenience stores during the early 2000s? Slip em’ on, and as your mood changes, the ring changes color to reflect it, right? Well, MoodMetric is also a “mood ring” — which not only wants to inform you of the mood you’re currently in, but also provide help with stress management and gaining control over your emotions.
According to its manufacturers, “MoodMetric is the simplest solution to manage stress and recovery,” and measures nervous system signals to provide insight into its wearer’s mental state, connecting to a smartphone companion app via Bluetooth so as to display “how intense a person’s emotions are in real-time.”
In a way, MoodMetric is just a single-purposed alternative to the far more advanced ‘Smart Ring’ offerings on the market — and certainly pales in comparison to the iRing Apple is rumored to be working on. Not to mention, but at 299 Euro ($270), to boot, we cant even say we’re surprised this thing failed to hit the ground running.
2 Neptune Pine
Just a few years before Apple revolutionized the wearable industry with its all-encompassing Apple Watch, there was Neptune Pine — an Android-powered concept which integrated the components and functionality of a smartphone into the [clearly bulky and cumbersome] footprint of a [very large] smartwatch.
The device was unveiled back in 2013 as part of a once-promising Kickstarter campaign, offering wearers “smartphone functionality” via SIM card for 3G connectivity. It could therefore place calls, had a full QWERTY keyboard to send SMS texts, a camera for video chats. Except for its weird-looking design, the gadget “nearly” embodied an Apple Watch. However its $350 price tag and hefty weight was clearly too much for most to chew.
1 Sony Rolly
Apple’s introduction of the iPod was bad news for Sony, who for decades prior had been making a killing with its popular Walkman tape and CD players. Undeterred, the Japanese tech-giant figured it could still cash in on the growing MP3 market of the post-millennium; however it’s plan to capture a slice didn’t turn out so well.
In September, 2007, at the height of MP3 mania, Sony unveiled its Rolly music player device amid much fan-fare. Rolly is a small, football-shaped unit which not only packed a whopping 2 GB of storage for your songs, but, just press play, and the title thing spins, twirls and grooves-out in all different directions, flashing “700 colors in strobe-like tempos” as it essentially dances to the rhythm of your tunes.
Unfortunately, while it may seem cool and hip, at a whopping $399, Rolly enjoyed a short but sweet stint in the limelight — mainly admired for its myriad of unique frills — but it never really caught on with general consumers, either. Though you can still pick one up on eBay to this day, if you're feeling nostalgic.