I am sure what every every driver needs is a huge glowing color-changing die lamp. No, really.

The Rainbow Dice Shape Lamp plugs into the cigarette lighter socket. When it’s not lighted, it’s only a white not particularly attractive die. When turned on, it shifts through 7 colors.

I don’t see why anyone would want one of these. Extremely tacky romantic atmosphere, perhaps? Take her for a quick grope in the parking lot with rainbow colors swirling in the car? Oh yes, any girl’s fantasy.

How much under $29.99?
Some: $19 on Gadget4All.com.

Via Pocket Lint

We’ve seen solar powered torches, battery powered torches… is there any other way to make a lightbuld or LED light up? Of course.

You can use your car ligher socket. The Rechargeable LED Torch is something all drivers should probably have. It sits in your lighter socket, happily charging out of the way, until you happen to have a flat tire on a deserted road. You’l be glad you have it then.

I don’t have a car (or plan to drive, ever), but I’ve heard stories from my friends. They’re the type of people who never bother with things like maps or torches or extra water, because of course you can always find a gas station! Until you don’t. I think I know what presents I’m buying on the next occasion.

How much under $29.99?
A little: ~$26 on FlashWear.com.

Via HippyShopper

I think that maybe ‘solar power’ is becoming the new trend in gadgets. Add solar power to something and pass it off as a great innovation! USB-somethings are so passé…

Yes, solar power is good, but on a larger scale. A Solar Keyring Torch? I’m not impressed. The idea is ok: a mini-torch attached to your keys is useful when you come home late. But if the torch is attached to your keys, which are probably in your pocket or your bag for the whole day, when will it charge? Why bother remembering to leave them in the sun when you can just get a battery-powered gadget? One tiny battery won’t kill the environment (and you can recycle it anyway).

How much under $29.99?
Some: ~$14.38 on IWantOneOfThose.com.

Via Coolest Gadgets

I might be a little dim today, because I fail to see what could make someone pay $20+ for this.

The USB 32-LED Light Show Stick is a stick, with LEDs, which spells out a message in light. It connect to a computer via USB and short messages or logos can be programmed using the included software (85 characters of text or a 128 x 32 pixels image). In order to show the results, you have to wiggle the stick.

And this is where it ends. Why would I want to wiggle a stick until my hand hurts to say ‘I (heart) U’ or ‘U suck’? Admittedly, it might be marginally useful at concerts (profess your love for the lead singer in red LEDs) or raves, but it still isn’t worth the money.

How much under $29.99?
A little: $22 on Brando.co.hk.

Via Gizmodo

Do you really need a gadget that does a billion more-or-less-useless things? Do you really carry 3 or 5 separate objects and they’re so heavy that you need a 3- or 5-in-1 device? Ok, if you say so…

The 5 in 1 Gagdet Pen does it all. It has a mini torch, a laser pointer, a banknote checker, a stylus and a pen, wow! I couldn’t leave home without them!

Honestly now, it’s not totally useless, I can see how a pen or a torch or even a laser pointer can be of use, but… Stylus? Banknote checker?! Come on. At least it’s not too expensive…

How much under $29.99?
Some: $11 on Gadget4All.com.

Via CoolestGadgets

From the latest collection of things you don’t need, but are good for impressing your guests, come the Colored Flame Tea Lights.

It’s not magic, it’s just chemistry (the type you studied in school, not the kind you feel when you see an attractive someone). A combination of various salts and metals tint the flame when they burn so whoever’s watching can be duly impressed. Or, depending on the watchers, it could spark a debate regarding the substances used to get a certain color.

Useful? Not in a million years. Really, normal tea lights are enough. But if you’re the local king or queen of weird things and want to keep your title, it could be a nice investment.

How much under $29.99?
Some: $10.99 onThinkGeek.com.

“Oh no, not another useless USB device!” USB lamps are all over the place nowadays. They serve a good purpose, but if they’re badly made they become useless (speaking from experience). Though most of them are just a LED or lightbulb on a stick, someone has come up with an idea that’s a bit different.

The USB Lounge Lamp takes new technology and combines it with seventies style. The result is a retro lamp for your desk – which may or may not look good. I suppose it all depends on where you put it. A fancy modern desk with lots of blinking gadgets would clash with the design of this lamp, but an old-fashioned oak desk might look better with gadgets that don’t scream “new”.

How much under $29.99?
Some: $14 on RedSave.com.

Via ChipChick

You might not be into fancy furniture or lush rugs, but one thing every house needs is light. You just can’t go without it. But the electrician is not always available… (says the girl who still has single lightbulbs instead of lamps in her entire house)

For problems like this, or for when you just don’t want to drill a hole in your wall/furniture, you can try the LED floodlight. It’s very practical: you just stick it in place and enjoy the light from the rotating six-LED light bar. It uses three AAA and the LEDs should last up to 100,000 hours – not bad at all! They look pretty stylish, too, so I think they’re a great solution for localized lighting. Turn that dark corner of the livingroom into your comfy nook!

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

Via Coolest Gadgets

I was about to write that companies are exagerrating with all these new super-saving-super-green lightbulbs, but… hmm, this one might not be so bad.

Dubbed the Motionbulb, it has a built-in motion detector. My first reaction was “Come on, can’t you stretch your hand a little bit and find the light switch? You should know where they are, after all it’s your house!”, but now that I think about it… there are a few places where I’d like one of these; for example I have a long hallway with the switch on one side, but my bedroom is on the other end, so I end up bumping my feet into a chair or the cat if it’s dark.

So how does it actually work? It uses infrared technology to detect movement up to 25 feet away, so it turns itself on whenever you walk into the room and turns itself off after you leave. Its light sensitivity dial enables it to only go on when the room is dark.

My main problem with it was the price – almost $20. But, if the manufacturer is right, one motionbulb can last as long as 10 incandescence lightbulbs and it saves energy. $20 for at least 5 years of usage doesn’t sound bad at all.

How much under $29.99?
Some: $19.95 on motionbulb.com.

Via DVICE