Social networking is supposed to make connecting with other people easier, right? Yet we take it to extremes, make dozens of accounts and at some point it gets simpler to just call people than find them online.

Some people who pay attention to the social part of the internet saw a problem and invented a solution: Poken. On the outside, it’s a cute little toy shaped like a skeleton, a bee, a panda or an alien. On the inside, it uses RF technology to exchange account data with other Pokens.

You see the catch, right? In order to avoid the trouble of writing down complicated screen names, both people need to have the gadget.

Is it a cool idea? Yes, definitely. But I don’t think it will catch on. Early adopters will always exist, but social networking isn’t that important. Maybe once the price drops…

How much under $29.99?
A little: £12.95 on Firebox.com.

I’m usually not fussed about putting my bag on the floor in a restaurant, but a Bag Holder is a good idea – in theory. A small hook that clings to the table and keeps the purse off the ground could be helpful, especially if we’re talking about your favorite Louis Vuitton. And hanging the purse on the chair can be risky since you never can be 100% sure there’s not a thief eyeing it.

Finding a free corner could be an issue, though. If the table is too small, the bag could end up sitting in your lap or hanging between your legs, which is not a really desirable result, is it? And a large hook pretending to double as a keychain spells trouble, I can see it getting tangled in some of the many things all women carry around.

A good idea implemented badly, says I. It is useful, but only in a handful of situations, so I wouldn’t run off to get one just yet.

How much under $29.99?
Some: ~$17 on UpToYouToronto.com.

Via Outblush

I used to think I just had weird ears that earbuds fall out of, but if there’s a whole new product dedicated to this problem then I might not be a mutant after all…

The BudFits are aimed at iPod users, but I suppose they work for generic earbuds too. BudFits snap onto the earbuds and keep them securely in place, no matter if you’re just walking on the street or doing your daily workout or jog.

The only thing I don’t get here is why people are so attached to their iPod earbuds. Just get another type of headphones and be done with it! But, since I understand that you can prefer the sound
of certain types of earbuds and don’t want to replace them, the BudFits get my vote.

How much under $29.99?
A lot: $8.99 on Amazon.com.

Via TheGadgetBlog

Travel alone, travel with friends or family; stay in hotel, in hostels, in people’s homes. Any combination of these usually has the same result: not enough outlets. My least favorite experience was traveling for 2 weeks with my mother and brother and ending up in hotel rooms with 2 outlets (for our 2 mp3 players, 3 mobile phones, one photo camera and one video camera).

The Kensington Portable Power Outlet makes life much easier. It offers no less than three outlets and two USB ports, which I say should be enough unless you’re a real gadget freak (in which case just get two of these). The portable outlet also comes with a surge protector with a status LED to make sure your toys don’t get broken and the cable can be tucked away easily.

It’s not the first device to offer USB ports in addition to normal outlets, so I won’t try to pass it off as a great innovation, but I still think it’s a damn good idea. The more gadgets like this, the merrier.

How much under $29.99?
A little: $27.97 on Amazon.com.

Via OhGizmo!

I always manage to eat one whole banana. Are there people who can’t? Or who want to eat one banana and three quarters exactly?

For them, the sligthly disturbing Banana Holder. It’s a piece of plastic shaped like a banana, with a hinge; you place it on the exposed end of your banana, it grips it with its tiny teeth and seals it against the air.

I don’t think there’s many more useless things in the world, but the sheer weird factor makes this cool. Somehow.

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

Via Gizmodo

Some people don’t like any type of fragrance in their house, be it incense stick, volatile oil or air freshner, but I think a subtle pleasant smell cannot hurt anyone. However…

The manufacturers called this a Stylized Futuristic Sci-Fi Spaceship Frangrance Oil Warmer – yes, it’s a spaceship, I figured it’s futuristic and sci-fi, thank you very much. However, in my mind fragrances are associated to something less… techy. An oil warmer makes me think of relaxing music and mellow colors, not lasers and dead aliens. A spaceship carrying a candle seems somehow wrong. Add this to the fact that it plain looks tacky, and you don’t get a great product.

Despite this, I can see one way to pull this off without being labeled as a nerd with no artistic taste: place this in the center of your space opera shelf and say it’s a symbol of man’s struggle to reach the stars, with the flame representing hope, or something like that. No one’s going to believe you, but maybe they’ll appreciate the effort to justify it.

How much under $29.99?
Some: $14.95 on AspenCountry.com.

Via Coolest Gadgets

Coffee drinkers get too much attention, so I’ll call this a tea cup. Tea is healthier, mmkay?

So, it’s a tea cup which tells you if your beverage is hot, cold or in-between, and it’s appropriately called Hot Cold Mug. Why would you need something like this? I, for one, constantly burn my tongue and lips on too hot drinks, so I’ve switched to the other extreme – letting them get too cold. I can’t be bothered to pick the cup up every minute to see if the temperature is right, really…

This is a wee bit too expensive for a cup, but hey, what are friends for if not for giving you gifts you wouldn’t buy for yourself?

How much under $29.99?
A little: $25 on CharlesandMarie.com (pre-order).]