From selfie arms to phone fingers: Here are the 10 most pointless inventions of this century

The millenials are called the tech-generation for a reason; this is the century of advanced technology, after all. The 2000s saw technology advance at almost warp-speed, becoming both inclusive and affordable. Just look at the smartphone in your hand (and almost every other hand) which replaced your watch/calculator/camera/portable music player. You can now order that action figure from the US or onions from your local store sitting at home or on a bus. You don’t even need to ask a passerby to click your photo on a holiday, just turn on the front camera for a selfie. Why, you can even 3D print food . But not all inventions of this century were as useful. Indeed, there were several ambitious projects that can only be described as pointless. (Looking at you,  Wasabi Kit Kat  and Square Watermelon ) Here are the 10 most pointless, utter useless and most random inventions of this century. Selfie Arm [caption id=“attachment_2565160” align=“alignnone” width=“825”] The Selfie Arm prototype. Image Credit: Instagram[/caption]   Okay, we get it that sometimes we need to take selfies, we also get that sometimes a selfie stick can be quite useful, despite being banned at several venues. What we don’t get is the point of a selfie stick shaped like an arm so you don’t look ’lonely’.“Nobody wants to look alone while they mindlessly snap pictures of themselves — the product conveniently provides you a welcoming arm. And better yet, it doesn’t talk or have emotions of any sort,” reads the description for ‘ Selfie Arm ’. Okay, then! Arm Pillow [caption id=“attachment_2565162” align=“alignnone” width=“825”] The ‘boyfriend’ arm pillow. Image Credit: Amazon[/caption]   Who needs a boyfriend when there is a ‘ Dream Man Holding Arm Love Body Pillow' or a ‘ Boyfriend Body Pillow , Husband Pillow for Single Women. Sexiest Guy to Sleep With — Arm Pillow’ available online, right? TwitterPeek Mobile Tweeting Device [caption id=“attachment_2565164” align=“alignnone” width=“825”] The Twitterpeek device. Image Credit: Wikipedia[/caption]   One look at Twitter and you will find people who believe in the maxim that ‘I tweet therefore I am’, and most of them appear to be jobless. But even if tweeting incessantly was your paying job, it doesn’t explain why one would need a handheld device specifically for tweeting ? Like your PC/Tab/Phone/Phablet wasn’t enough. Phone Fingers [caption id=“attachment_2565168” align=“alignnone” width=“825”] Phone Fingers. Image Credit: Official website[/caption]   We know you love your iPhone and probably treat like it’s ‘Gollum’s precious’. So of course, you don’t want the pristine screen to be marked with your own fingerprints, right?  Presenting Phone fingers  — latex fingers were created specifically for the iPhone’s touch screen to prevent smudges and fingerprints. We are still trying to put our finger on its utility (pun wholly intended). Pepsi Blue  [caption id=“attachment_2565170” align=“alignnone” width=“825”] Pepsi Blue. Image Credit: Wikipedia[/caption]   Why would you any want their soft drink to look like kerosene? Beats me, but Pepsi though it was a good idea. The colouring agent, however, courted controversy and it was discontinued in the US and Canada within years of its launch in 2002. Oh and n India, Pepsi Blue was briefly marketed as a ‘patriotic drink’ in support of the blue-jersey clad Indian cricket team during a World Cup. Mongoose bat  [caption id=“attachment_2565172” align=“alignnone” width=“825”] Hayden wielding the mongoose bat. Image Credit: Getty Images[/caption]   Cricket fans will remember the abomination that Mathew Hayden unleashed during the IPL 2010 — the mongoose bat. With the handle longer and the blade shorter, it looked more fitting for Quidditch than cricket. It was designed specifically for T20 cricket and Hayden, playing for Chennai Super Kings had even smashed 93 off 43 with it in one IPL game. However, the bat was more of a bludgeon for mindless hitting and didn’t factor in any technique, and unsurprisingly withered away. Popcorn-favoured Tic Tac [caption id=“attachment_2565176” align=“alignnone” width=“825”] The popcorn tic tac. Image Credit: Official Twitter account[/caption]   Word to the wise: Do not try this flavour. This flavour of Tic Tac can give stiff competition to the weird flavours that we thought only flourished in Japan (Still looking at Wasabi KitKat.) Whoever thought the aftertaste of popcorn would be a good flavour for a mouth freshener clearly didn’t think it through at all. What next, vinegar-flavoured chewing gum? Garlic chocolate? Gfive mobile phone with four sims [caption id=“attachment_2565178” align=“alignnone” width=“825”] The Gfive with four sims. Image Credit: Amazon[/caption]   Move over dual sim, we have a phone that can accommodate four sims now. Why one would need it, unless you are a bookie/don/philanderer, is beyond us, but we are guessing the golden colour helps. Shoes with inbuilt camera [caption id=“attachment_2565180” align=“alignnone” width=“825”] SPy cam shoes. Image Credit: Official Website[/caption]

Remember the lawyer who was arrested in a Delhi mall for filming upskirt videos of women with his shoe camera? He can probably vouch that a spy cam fitted shoe is not the best idea, unless you are some sort of super sleuth. Still, why would any decent human need shoes with an inbuilt camera , if not for perverse purposes?

Chopsticks with an attached fan [caption id=“attachment_2565182” align=“alignnone” width=“825”] The Chopstick fans. Image Credit: YouTube[/caption]   This blows, literally. Why would you need electric fan, with batteries and wires attached, at the end of your chopsticks to cool the food as you gobble it. Okay wait, maybe this won’t seem all that pointless the next time I am waiting for Maggi to cool down, but it’s still pretty pointless. Disclaimer: This is obviously a personal opinion and not a research study. That said, feel free to chip in with your own most pointless inventions in the comments section Check out Firstpost’s collection on how the past 15 years transformed sports, entertainment, technology and more in F.Rewind .