# Useless inventions **URL:** \ **Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\ **Created:** [June 29, 2009, 1:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/useless-inventions/501335 "2009-06-29T13:38:47Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Malleus\_Incus\_Stapes](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/malleus_incus_stapes/32/3293_2.png) [@Malleus\_Incus\_Stapes](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Malleus_Incus_Stapes)\ **Post date:** [June 29, 2009, 1:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/useless-inventions/501335/1 "2009-06-29T13:38:47Z")
Fire-proof candles Instant water ---
**Author:** ![BMalion](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/e274bd/32.png) [@BMalion](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BMalion)\ **Post date:** [June 29, 2009, 4:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/useless-inventions/501335/2 "2009-06-29T16:09:56Z")
Invisible Designer Clothing. ---
**Author:** ![PlainJain](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/5daacb/32.png) [@PlainJain](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/PlainJain)\ **Post date:** [June 29, 2009, 4:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/useless-inventions/501335/3 "2009-06-29T16:18:45Z")
Did Billy Mays’ death inspire this thread? ---
**Author:** ![Malleus\_Incus\_Stapes](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/malleus_incus_stapes/32/3293_2.png) [@Malleus\_Incus\_Stapes](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Malleus_Incus_Stapes)\ **Post date:** [June 29, 2009, 7:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/useless-inventions/501335/4 "2009-06-29T19:06:02Z")
No, just a thought I had when I was waking up. ---
**Author:** ![Ace309](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ace309/32/1050_2.png) [@Ace309](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ace309)\ **Post date:** [June 29, 2009, 7:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/useless-inventions/501335/5 "2009-06-29T19:38:33Z")
The electric sundial. ---
**Author:** ![Max\_Torque](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/e9bcb4/32.png) [@Max\_Torque](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Max_Torque)\ **Post date:** [June 29, 2009, 7:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/useless-inventions/501335/6 "2009-06-29T19:43:21Z")
Guess I’ll be the first: solar-powered flashlight. Ultraviolet laser pointer. ---
**Author:** ![garygnu](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/garygnu/32/2924_2.png) [@garygnu](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/garygnu)\ **Post date:** [June 29, 2009, 7:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/useless-inventions/501335/7 "2009-06-29T19:50:11Z")
> [@Max\_Torque](#): > > Guess I’ll be the first: solar-powered flashlight They’ve got [those](http://www.sportsimportsusa.com/5ledsofl.html), y’know. ---
**Author:** ![tdn](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/94ad74/32.png) [@tdn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/tdn)\ **Post date:** [June 29, 2009, 7:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/useless-inventions/501335/8 "2009-06-29T19:50:20Z")
Let’s combine two: A plug-in flashlight Thigh-high waterproof open-toed sandals ---
**Author:** ![Munch](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/munch/32/5281_2.png) [@Munch](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Munch)\ **Post date:** [June 29, 2009, 7:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/useless-inventions/501335/9 "2009-06-29T19:59:47Z")
Braille on drive-through ATMs. ---
**Author:** ![eldowan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/848f3c/32.png) [@eldowan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/eldowan)\ **Post date:** [June 29, 2009, 9:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/useless-inventions/501335/10 "2009-06-29T21:46:26Z")
> [@tdn](#): > > Let’s combine two: A plug-in flashlight I hate to burst your bubble (I kid, I don’t mind at all), but a plug-in flashlight has seen its share of uses for my mom and her husband. Don’t have to worry about dead batteries in a rush. ---
**Author:** ![Lynn\_Bodoni](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/e47c2d/32.png) [@Lynn\_Bodoni](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lynn_Bodoni)\ **Post date:** [June 29, 2009, 10:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/useless-inventions/501335/11 "2009-06-29T22:35:07Z")
Yeah, we love our plug-in flashlights. They have tiny blinking lights on them, which are not bothersome when they’re not needed, and so we can find them when they are needed. Regular flashlights get moved around and their batteries die. Plug in rechargable flashlights have to live near their power cords, so we can find them when we need them. ---
**Author:** ![TheMadHun](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/53a042/32.png) [@TheMadHun](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TheMadHun)\ **Post date:** [June 30, 2009, 6:01am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/useless-inventions/501335/12 "2009-06-30T06:01:38Z")
> [@Ace309](#): > > The electric sundial. Mine came with glow-in-the-dark digits for reading it at night ---
**Author:** ![TheMadHun](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/53a042/32.png) [@TheMadHun](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TheMadHun)\ **Post date:** [June 30, 2009, 6:08am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/useless-inventions/501335/13 "2009-06-30T06:08:53Z")
Self-propelled boomerangs pre-sealed envelopes cardboard toothbrush Chia Pet that’s covered with kernels of corn ---
**Author:** ![Indian](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/c0e974/32.png) [@Indian](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Indian)\ **Post date:** [June 30, 2009, 8:59am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/useless-inventions/501335/14 "2009-06-30T08:59:20Z")
Disposable floppy disk. ---
**Author:** ![emcee2k](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/7bcc69/32.png) [@emcee2k](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/emcee2k)\ **Post date:** [June 30, 2009, 10:18am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/useless-inventions/501335/15 "2009-06-30T10:18:11Z")
Write-only memory. ---
**Author:** ![A\_Spoonful\_of\_Awesome](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/3be4f8/32.png) [@A\_Spoonful\_of\_Awesome](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/A_Spoonful_of_Awesome)\ **Post date:** [June 30, 2009, 10:25am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/useless-inventions/501335/16 "2009-06-30T10:25:54Z")
> [@indian](#): > > Disposable floppy disk. On first read I though that said Disposable floppy d-… Y’know what? Just nevermind. But in that spirit, flaccid-sized condoms. ---
**Author:** ![KneadToKnow](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kneadtoknow/32/3999_2.png) [@KneadToKnow](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/KneadToKnow)\ **Post date:** [June 30, 2009, 3:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/useless-inventions/501335/17 "2009-06-30T15:08:11Z")
> [@indian](#): > > Disposable floppy disk. There’s another kind? 😉 ---
**Author:** ![thelurkinghorror](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/7c8e57/32.png) [@thelurkinghorror](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/thelurkinghorror)\ **Post date:** [June 30, 2009, 3:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/useless-inventions/501335/18 "2009-06-30T15:35:34Z")
[Chindōgu](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chindogu) ---
**Author:** ![Telperion](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/telperion/32/509_2.png) [@Telperion](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Telperion)\ **Post date:** [June 30, 2009, 4:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/useless-inventions/501335/19 "2009-06-30T16:40:37Z")
> [@Max\_Torque](#): > > Ultraviolet laser pointer. You know, I could actually see using one for verifying the authenticity of passports and ID cards. There are fluorescent UV lights one can use, but a compact laser pointer would be more practical while on the move. I did custom-order a small UV-diode flashlight a few years ago, but the effect is so low it can be hard to see when it’s sunny. ---
**Author:** ![Lynn\_Bodoni](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/e47c2d/32.png) [@Lynn\_Bodoni](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lynn_Bodoni)\ **Post date:** [June 30, 2009, 5:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/useless-inventions/501335/20 "2009-06-30T17:37:40Z")
> [@indian](#): > > Disposable floppy disk. I remember reading about some company (Disney, maybe?) that was putting out DVDs that were only good for one or two playings. Their excuse was that people only wanted to see the movies once or twice, and these were supposedly priced to support that theory. Because really, what the world NEEDS is more disposable items. You know, people would never, ever want to watch an old movie again, or pass a kid’s movie on to their relatives and friends, or re-sell it. (Note: This concept might result in severe headaches due to repeated eyerolls. Use with caution.) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/useless-inventions/501335.md?page=2)