There’s lots of reasons people would want to destroy CDs: sensitive information; paranoia. Either way, manually scratching a ton of discs is a lot of trouble, so why not get a device that can do it with less trouble.

The Sanyo “The Claw” has a scary name, although it doesn’t act exactly like a claw. What it does is punch a lot of small holes in discs, rendering them unreadable, and it can hold up to 20 CDs in the flip down catch tray.

It can only destroy the CDs one at a time though, so it might take a while to make sure no one reads the company records from the past 10 years…

How much under $29.99?
A little: $7.99 on Amazon.com.

Via BoingBoing

A successful attempt of getting a girl into the bedroom is an important moment in a college guy’s life, something to be treasured. Something not to be interrupted by the roommates coming back from football practice.

The old “sock on the door” might be too suble for them… but the Sex Alert Door Hanger will surely stop them. At least for 5 minutes while they laugh their asses off… which should be enough anyway. This must-have devices acts like a proximity alarm and can playback one of 8 pre-recorded messages when someone gets close, although judging by the audio samples the intruders won’t probably understand what it’s saying.

One can only hope the volume isn’t very high however, otherwise the hot steamy sex might be interrupted by hysterical giggles from the girl who heard your high-tech attempts to get some privacy.

How much under $29.99?
A lot: $9.99 on SpencersOnline.com.

Via Gizmodo

Oh, why didn’t I find this during the Great Paint Job of ’08? Before I had to sacrifice a perfectly good pot…

The Magnetic Paintbrush Holder is such an obvious solution for the eternal question of “what do I do with the dirty paintbrush?”… so why isn’t it in all stores already? It takes all of 5 seconds to set up (i.e. clip to the rim of the can) and then you can rest the paintbrush against the magnet. Quick and simple, no victims among the pot population and the paint drips back in the can for super-efficiency.

If you’re planning to do some painting around the house, there’s no reason not to make it easier with this $3.50 tool.

How much under $29.99?
A lot: $3.50 on LeeValley.com.

Via bookofjoe

Determining the laziest person in the world must be a difficult task; after all, most people are lazy to an extent. But the Outlet Switch could serve as the perfect test.

There’s a lot of gizmos that might not be indispensable, but could make life easier; this is not one of them. Unplugging an appliance from an outlet takes 5 seconds; cutting off the power to that appliance via a switch takes 1. Wow, whole 4 seconds saved! There’s a reason why multiple outlets have on/off buttons, you know. The word “multiple” might be a clue.

Seriously. Go get some candy with your $5. You might stop breathing one day if you’re so lazy.

How much under $29.99?
A lot: $4.98 on HarrietCarter.com.

Via bookofjoe

If you look up “stages of break up” in your favorite search engine, you’ll see that one of them comes with a lot of anger. You just want to kill the bastard/bitch for the way s/he treated you or the way s/he isn’t begging for a reconciliation.

This is a point when you should not own a Broken Heart Keychain Knife; the name fits and you might be tempted to use it, which (do I need to say it?) is a Bad Idea. The harmless-looking keychain opens up and turns into a knife which is probably not lethal, because it doesn’t look too large, but a sharp blade can still do damage. Do not take it out around your ex.

It’s cheap though, and each pack comes with 2 knives, one red and one black, so it could make a nice present for a recently broken-up friend, as long as you make sure they stay away from the cause of their grief.

How much under $29.99?
A lot: $9.99 on SarcoKnives.com.

Via FashionablyGeek

Yes, yes, this would’ve been better before Halloween… but there’s still next year’s, and in the meantime someone’s bound to need decorations for some costume party. It’s all in the details…

The Spooky Bottle Stickers can turn a simple drinks cabinet into an adventure. What will mister be having tonight? Some Spider Venom? Embalming Juice? Oh, I heard the Rat Poison is fabulous! But only try the Truth Serum if you’re prepared to say some things you might regret.

$4 gets you 8 different labels. Step 1 on the way to the perfect horror party is done. You’ll have to figure the rest out for yourself (but our Halloween special might help).

How much under $29.99?
A lot: $3.99 on CostumeRampage.com.

Via bookofjoe

We keep talking about presents, but a seldom-mentioned aspect is wrapping. The main reason, of course, is that you can find countless models at many stores… but I doubt any store could carry something like the F***ed Up Gift Wrap.

It’s not hard to guess that the messages aren’t particularly friendly. This is gift wrap for that cousin whose birthday your mum forces you to go to, or for an obnoxious work mate, or for your least favorite teacher. Or for a friend with a great sense of humor who’d rather get something original and funny than the eternal Happy-birthday-with-flowers-background.

There’s 5 patterns, and each set comes with 4 sheets. My favorite is “Happy f***ing whatever”, but the others are also cool: “I hope this makes up for me f***ing your sister and/or brother”, “It’s the thought that counts, right?”, “Biohazard/Caution” and “This gift is the bomb” (with matching explosive design).

No need to mention they’re not for people who find swearing offensive, right?

How much under $29.99?
A lot: $5.60 on TShirtHell.com.

How to impress ladies, tip #4524: open their drinks with your ring. It’s not even difficult, you don’t need special skills… just a special ring.

The Ring Thing Bottle Opener is just what the name says. It comes in several sizes to fit most fingers and it’s (of course) made from stainless steel… but the real questions are “How comfortable is it?” and “How ugly is it?”. My money is on “not very” and “pretty ugly”, but as long as it’s only used on pub crawling or party nights neither will be a major problem. (Impressing girls will be an issue, however.)

Does it take a real dedicated boozer to invest $10 in something like this? Probably, but any of your drinker friends would probably appreciate it as a gift. At least for the comedy value.

How much under $29.99?
A lot: $7.99 on Amazon.com.

Via OhGizmo!

I’ve seen the signs. Years ago, a race of fruit-eating aliens landed on Earth and are now hiding among us. And since they can only survive on fruit, they need to preserve it perfectly. Why else would things like the Banana Bunker or Banana Holder exist?

They don’t exclusively eat bananas, though; avocado is also on the menu, and the Avo Saver is indispensable. To preserve the fruit for your extraterrestrial needs you just need to place it against the plastic base and secure it with the strap and it will be perfect for eating the following day.

Looking forward to the apple, orange or cherry saver devices…

How much under $29.99?
A lot: $3.95 on Amazon.com.

Via bookofjoe

Lazy days at the office can be great if you have ways of wasting time… or they can be torture if your company blocks all the interesting websites and you’re only allowed to have pen and paper on your desk.

But if you can be entertained by folding pieces of paper, then the Origami Sticky Notes are the solution. No boss could object to you having a pad of post-its. But unlikely regular notes, these feature instructions for 8 origami figures on the back. And they’re not exactly easy, so they have the potential to keep people busy for a lengthy strech of time…

Until the boss notices the army of squirrels on your desk and questions your sanity, at least.

How much under $29.99?
A lot: $2.99 on Amazon.com.

Via bookofjoe