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I’m going to take this as an interesting idea, not as an actual product anyone would seriously use.

The Wishpaper is “the world’s first paper wishbone”. I don’t think the world needed one, but, as far as useless products go, this has a cool design. To make things clear, this is a notepad with a large wishbone printed on every page; similar to a real wishbone, two people make wishes and start tearing the paper down the middle and the one with the larger piece is said to get the wish.

I can see this being entertaining for all of two wishes (after all, the fun was actually finding the wishbone in the first place, no?), but I like printed notepads and such an original design for $5 sounds like a good deal. Also available are Lovepaper and Decisionpaper, in case you need help in those aspects of your life.

How much under $29.99?
A lot: $5 on ParadoxyProducts.com.

Via RedFerret

The Emergency Computer Backup Pencil Holder is probably the last thing a manager wants to see on his system administrator’s desk. Unless the IT guy is really really Superman-speed good at writing things down, the company’s screwed.

Which is why this evil techy joke is so cool. The catch is that bad sysadmins probably won’t find it funny, since they know it’s the painful truth. The good ones will just see it as harmless fun. Until the first time everything dies before they get to backup, at least.

How much under $29.99?
Some: $14.50 on PerpetualKid.com.

Via GearDiary

You’re at work. You have to make a decision. You have no clue what you should do.

Since there’s so better alternative, why not have some fun in the process. The Dartboard Decision Maker is waiting. It’s a perfectly normal cork dartboard, but it’s marked with words, not numbers. Its advice ranges from the relaxing (”play golf”) to the groan-inducing (”stay late”), passing through a wide range of options both pleasant and not, for the user and for his/her employees.

Could this be used for really making decisions? Of course; it’s probably a more advanced version of what many people actually do. But will you do what it says even if it requires you working more?

How much under $29.99?
A lot: $5.99 on OfficePlayground.com.

Via Gizmodo

I never considered that scratching a CD could be a good thing… but, of course, it makes sense. If you want to get rid of it, but it contains information you’d rather not risk sharing with the world, it’s a case of “better safe than sorry”. Most of us would just find the nearest pointy object and proceed to write our name on the surface of the disc, but for bulk disposal a better solution is needed.

Unless you’re willing to scratch a dozen CDs with a key, the Disc Eraser could be a perfect answer. It’s very simple to use: place the CD in the Eraser, close it, move the slider over the disc, admire the deep scratch across it.

In the end, it depends on your needs. For 2 discs, just get a key or a knife. For 200 discs… I’d seriously consider this. Well, as long as you don’t mind doing some manual labor.

How much under $29.99?
Some: $15.99 on DiscEraser.com.

Via OhGizmo!

Sometimes decisions are too hard to make and we need help… even in the form of random events. Why else would people love magic 8 balls so much?

The Executive Decision Maker is an alternative to the old ball or dice, and it’s more entertaining to use. Using magnetism, the pendulum swings and eventually stops on one of the options: Yes, Ask a Friend, Try Again, No Way, Definitely or Maybe. As we know, pendulums are also used in hypnotism, so even if you don’t need the answer to any pressing questions you might find yourself prodding it just to see it swing back and forth.

Besides, I think devices like this actually can help people make good decisions. If you get a “no way” but your gut is telling you that’s wrong, you have your actual answer.

How much under $29.99?
Some: $11.95 on X-tremeGeek.com.

Via Gizmodo

Cords and cables are the bane of my existence. I have a big box where I keep all my chargers, USB cables for various gadgets, plus the random seldom-used electronics. And then there’s the ones I use everyday: phone charger on my nightstand or my desk, e-book reader charger on desk, a battery charger lying on the floor somewhere or thrown inside a drawer for “safe keeping”… Let’s just say finding a particular one takes more than 30 seconds.

But oh, what do my eyes see… a Organizer Charging Case. Paradise in polyester form! The case can hold up to seven devices plus the power strip and folds to a 12¾” x 8” size for storage or travel. It’s most useful on trips, to help keep hotel rooms organized and to prevent forgotten cords, but can be used effectively at home too. The only issue: you need to have enough room to extend it, because 18”x21” is quite a lot. But if you make a dedicated “charging spot” then this should pose no problem.

How much under $29.99?
Exactly $29.95 on Solutions.com.

If you’re desperate for a woman but they don’t seem to want you… just ask more of them. However, one small problem: it takes so much damn time. Imagine being able to communicate with a woman in under a minute.

The Why I Must Have Sex With You Pad comes to the rescue with its 60 pages of carefully crafted messages. Well, messages of a sort, anyway.

It’s got three types of checkboxes: time, plead and reason. There’s a lot of reasons you can choose from, ranging from the simple pastime (“I’ve got 10 minutes to kill”, “I’m bored”, “There’s nothing on TV”) to the eccentric (“Meditation makes me horny”) to the slightly twisted (“My therapist suggested it”, “To boost my self-esteem”, “To keep you from dumping me”).

There’s one for every possible solution (and some for the impossible), and all you need to do is tick the appropriate boxes then make sure it reaches the right person. With a couple of envelopes you can even send more off at a time… Think of all those hours and restaurant dinners and trying to pretend you’re listening you’ll save!

How much under $29.99?
A lot: $6.99 on KnockKnock.biz.

Most people only manage one arch enemy, if that, so they can use conventional revenge methods. But in case you have it out for more and you can’t afford that many menacing phone calls or voodoo dolls or severed horse heads, you need to find an alternative.

While they might not be as effective as a bloody head, the Paper Voodoo sheets offer an easy way out. You can even find two alternate uses. One, the usual: write down the name and details of the curse, then hope it works. Two: write down the name and details of the curse, then place the sheet where the subject is bound to find it. They’ll at least know someone doesn’t wish them well, and maybe they’ll stop doing the offending action(s).

How much under $29.99?
A lot: $6.99 on PerpetualKid.com.

The corporate world is usually pretty boring. No way to express your individuality through clothing, writing reports all day long… One way of dealing with this is though a healthy amount of silliness (as long as the company policy allows it).

Sticking a pencil in a cat’s ass doesn’t sound very pleasant (or acceptable by policies), but… it’s not what it sounds like. The Pets’ Arse Sharpeners could make someone start using pencils again. They come in two shapes - cat and dog - and each has a sharpener in its ass. That would be slightly amusing, but what makes them fun is the “meow” and “woof”. Yeah, they make the appropriate noise every time you insert a pencil in their bottom.

Childish indeed… though I would love to see the reaction someone has when they try to use their co-worker’s seemingly harmless (albeit tasteless) sharpener. Who’d expect it to meow at them?

How much under $29.99?
Some: ~$13.50 on IWantOneOfThose.com.

Until last year, I had no idea some people want large desks so they can rest their elbows on them. A friend enlightened me, and it does make sense… but for me it would feel too unusual to have my mouse all the way in the back. And my desk is too small, anyway.

What I never considered was a device to support my arm, such as this Arm-Rested Table Pad. As you can see, it can be attached to the desk to ease the strain on the muscles; what you can’t see is that it can be folded against the desk (a very good idea, too, because I’d bump into it all the time).

On the downside, the plastic doesn’t seem too comfortable. You can find an alternate solution (wrap it up in something) or just dish out more money for a fancier one.

How much under $29.99?
Some: $19.99 on USBFever.com.

Via bookofjoe