Ah, yet another tiny digital photo frame… I still think that an one inch frame is pretty much useless, because the photo size is too small.

However, the Sweet Heart Digital Photo Frame says it’s aimed at girls… so, this time, it works. Small, pink and heart shaped = perfect for a pre-teen/teen. I don’t like this idea that women will automatically like something if it’s pink, but, at 14… I wanted all the pinkness I could get. Ah, my shameful past… (Actually, pink is a very nice color, as long as it’s not shoved down my throat with an assortment of Swarovski crystals.)

Bottom line: a teen probably won’t care much about the screen size, the frame looks nice as a keychain/bag charm and it’s not very expensive. Probably makes a nice gift for your niece’s birthday if you don’t have a better idea.

How much under $29.99?
Some: $19.90 on Gadget4All.com.

Via Pocket Lint

Life has no meaning or purpose. And since life has no meaning, why bother with things like… taste?

Nihilist Mints. Flavorless. Perfect for someone who doesn’t give a damn about anything in life. The box looks very cool (not that they’d care) and contains 60 mints with no flavor whatsoever. Buy them for your nihilist friend. He won’t care either way, but you’ll feel good about your funny prank. For about 5 minutes.

How much under $29.99?
A lot: $4.95 on McPhee.com.

I’m not sure how you can write about a product when you don’t know what the product is.

It’s a Something. You get a Something from the SomethingStore, of course. The concept is interesting: you pay $10 and you get an object. It might be worth $1. It might be worth $100. It might be extremely useful or you might end up throwing it away. The concept is “surprise yourself” and I think the idea is very cool. Yes, there’s a chance you’ll get a shit item, but the surprise is worth it in my opinion. You can see a sample of the latest products received here and I think most of them are interesting.

Unfortunately, it seems as many people who ordered don’t get the idea behind the website. Some of the customers complain about receiving items they already had or of a lesser value – duuuh, does it say that it’s going to be a $10 something you don’t already have? How is it anyone’s fault you alreay had that set of knives? Learn to read before paying, people.

How much under $29.99?
A lot: $10 on SomethingStore.com.

I love cats, so understandably I end up with quite a lot of cat-themed merchandise… (Although nothing beats a real live cat jumping on your bed at 4 a.m.)

Maybe the humor is too subtle for me, but the Pussy Whipped Tote Bag would make sense if a man wore it, right? Because men is what the phrase is about… That aside, the picture is very cute and the interpretation hilarious. It even lets you play innocent and pretend you thought it was merely a (tasteless) joke about cats and blenders.

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

Via FashionablyGeek

I’m getting a bit sick of all the “let’s be green” babble, but I agree with many of its points because they refer to one thing: wastefulness. I’m not saying you should never throw anything away, but people should give more attention to reusing their things. Whenever I breach the topic with people who, in my opinion, throw shit away too easily, I get one reply: “it’s my money, why do you care?” Which is, as much as it pains me to say, true. It’s a matter of education, in the end: my parents taught me not to waste and it stuck; it’s not related to money issues.

So this is not for the wasters. They would think the Squeezit Toothpaste Squeezer is pointless. But I am sure I’m not the only one who tries to squeeze the last bit of toothpaste out of the tube and feels irritated when I can’t… (a bit of OCD maybe?) The Squuezer makes it easier to completely empty tubes of anything from toothpaste and shaving cream to cosmetics. (Imagine all that make-up foundation that remains on the walls of the tube!)

And, to address this before it comes up: no, I don’t think buying a device to avoid wasting something is wasteful in itself. There’s no reason you can’t use this for years and years and compensate for any waste of resources you caused by buying it. And no, I can’t think of any easily available household item that could replace it without being uncomfortable to use.

How much under $29.99?
A lot: $5.95 on SeenOnTVProducts.net.

Via Coolest Gadgets

I can’t remember the number of times we’ve lost the remote. Living in a house with 4 people and 4 TVs meant a very high chance at least one remote would go missing at a time. I’ve seen it all, from the classic “fallen between sofa pillows” to the weird “someone took it to the bathroom for some reason then threw a towel on it”. And I don’t even want to mention how it feels to be late for school and realize your keys are nowehere to be found…

The Find One Find All key finder and remote locator is an absolutely brilliant idea for anyone with a tendency towards messiness. The coolest thing about it is that it doesn’t require a “master finder” – each device can find any other device. You just need to assign each of them a number, then push the corresponding key on any of the finders (you can use up to 36 FOFAs in one household, although I don’t know how that works since each only has 6 keys). The finders come in two shapes – key fob and flat style – to go with your keys, wallet, remote etc. and they have a 3-ft range. Their beep is loud enough to be heard and the XD Proximity Detect radio feedback feature lets you know if the object you’re looking for is there, but buried under things.

You can get a set of two key fobs and then an additional flat style finder or more sets to suit your lost object needs.

How much under $29.99?
A little: $24.95 for a set of 2 on FindOneFindAll.com.

Via Coolest Gadgets

Most of the items covered here target the youth – easily explained by the age of internet users and my own. But this Pill Organizer is much useful for a different demographic: elderly people.

As you get older, you have to take more and more pills. But, as you get older, your memory also gets worse. We’ve all heard our grandparents wonder if they’d taken their medicine… In my grandpa’s case, my mother tried to remind him what he had to take, but she couldn’t be there 24/7 to check. An organizer like this can be priceless in a situation like this: the patient or someone close can fill up all the containers at the beginning of the week, eliminating the risk of over- or underdosage. The boxes are color coded and printed in large text, so most people should have no trouble figuring out which pill they are supposed to take.

How much under $29.99?
A lot: $5.98 on HarrietCarter.com.

Via bookofjoe

Make-up skills are not something genetic, so the simple fact that you’re a girl doesn’t ensure that you can actually apply that expensive blush you just bought and make it look like on the models. What to do when you want to look fabulous, can’t do it yourself and can’t afford to pay for a professional make-up job?

Until recently, I would’ve said “tough luck”, but it appears there’s a solution: the ColorOn Instant Makeup Applicators. You get an oval applicator which you just press onto your eye, then you adjust the look with the included brush and setting powder and you’re set.

Too good to be true? Exactly what I thought, so I googled and found this wonderful video demonstration where you can see that they actually do work as advertised. All I can say is “wow”. There’s a wide range of colors to choose from and most of them are lovely combinations of colors (the zebra print is a bit toooo much, though).

A bit on the expensive side, it’s true, but I would get a set at least for last minute party preparations. Beats running around like a headless chicken while simultaneously trying to get dressed, put on make-up, call 2 friends and finding that pair of shoes.

How much under $29.99?
Some: $18 for a 10 applications kit on HelloGorgeous.net.

Via bookofjoe

Nope, I still don’t understand why digital photo frames are interesting. But oh well, can’t have it all.

The USB Tumbler Digital Photo Frame at least has a cute shape. Unfortunately, that’s the only thing I like. It’s a miniature frame, aimed at people who don’t want to drag a full-size one with them. But what can you actually see on a screen that’s 56 x 56 x 85 mm (about 2 inches by 3)? It can store up to 100 pictures, but they’d all have to be close-ups, otherwise all you’d be able to see would be some colorful blotches (that green dot is auntie May!).

If you really want to share photos with family and friends while traveling, put them on a memory stick and look at them on a computer. Or don’t be lazy and bring your normal sized photo frame.

How much under $29.99?
A little: $28 on Brando.com.hk.

I agree it’s a bit hypocritical to encourage shopping on and because of Earth Day, but I think saying “shopping is not sustainable” is oversimplifying the issue. I don’t remember where I read this, but it stuck with me: most people are not going to do something eco-friendly unless they benefit from it. Unless you’re an activist or at least concerned about the environment, you are not going to give up something you like just because it’s bad for the planet. So companies who are trying to sell sustainable products should keep this in mind…

This diatribe is just and introduction for the next product: Recycled Bottle Lantern. When I saw the name, I admit I thought it would be ugly. What can you make out of a bottle, after all? Well… something that looks better than most lanterns I’ve seen, actually. It comes in amber and green and has a fleur-de-lys model, and it will definitely draw attention.

In this case, I think the designers nailed it: it’s eco-friendly, looks good and is not too expensive. I’d buy it (if I had a porch to hang it above).

How much under $29.99?
Some: $18.00 on Anthropologie.com.

Via Outblush