The gadget marketplace is littered with
useless contraptions that are gobbled up by unwitting, tech-starved consumers despite having an utter lack of practical applications. While it may seem like those
ridiculous devices typically
reside in the USB category, a designer by the handle of SaskView has created a stand-alone box that just
may be the most useless machine ever built.
Drawing his inspiration from Claude Shannon's 'Ultimate Machine' of the '50s,
SaskView built a wooden box which houses a disembodied hand. Once the machine is turned on, the lonely hermit hand performs only one menial switch-flipping task: immediately turning itself off again (video after the break). The incredibly creepy and
reclusive action does resonate, though, because, in the words of Arthur C. Clarke, "there is something unspeakably sinister about a machine that does nothing -- absolutely nothing -- except turn itself off." Well, unless that nefarious machine
actually steals your hard-earned money first. [From:
Make]
http://xml.channel.aol.com/xmlpublisher/fetch.v2.xml?option=expand_relative_urls&dataUrlNodes=uiConfig,feedConfig,entry&id=607274&pid=607273&uts=1262805943
http://cdn.channel.aol.com/cs_feed_v1_6/csfeedwrapper.swf
Top Optical Illusions on the Web
Facebook is a great venue for humiliating oneself with ranting and raving, but, like most things, people can take things too far. Give someone a soapbox (or in this case, a Facebook group) and there are sure to be others crazy enough to follow them. Here are some examples of Facebook groups that crossed the line and were banned from the site.
Assasinate Evo Morales
Here's a good way to get your group banned -- call for the assassination of a political leader. Titled 'Global Collection to Hire a Sharpshooter to Liquidate Evo Morales' was taken down by Facebook since it bans threatening violence. No surprises here.
Getty Images
Surrey, BC Terrorist Group
A Facebook group supporting the International Sikh Youth Federation, a banned terrorist organization, was taken down by Canadian Police. Authorities were tipped off to the group because its page depicted a young person holding a prohibited gun, which was eventually traced back to 49-year old Bahadur Sandhur. Police seized it and two others when they investigated his home.
Dead Babies Group
Facebook took down a group called 'Dead Babies Make Me Laugh' after the UK Sun was flooded with outraged calls and emails. A running joke on campuses, the group included fake anecdotes about killing babies, but mothers weren't laughing even though the group was created and classified as being "just for fun."
I Need Sex Group
Laura Michaels of Bristol, England, created a Facebook group called 'I Need Sex.' According to the UK Sun, the group had more than 100 members after being up for only one hour. Michaels claims to have ended up sleeping with 50 of the group's members -- literally half of the group. Facebook opposes this type of personals-ad use, so the group was taken down.
KKK group
Facebook recently shut down a group called the 'Isle of Man KKK.' The group called for the elimination of newcomers from the UK island and featured a picture of a hooded Ku Klux Klan member. Thankfully, Facebook's terms of service prohibits content that is hateful or threatening.
Reader Comments (Page 1 of 3)
kcdgenius said 10:22AM on 1-06-2010
this is nothing new. Windows has been doing this with computers for over 10 years.
Reply
Wish Belkin said 10:43AM on 1-06-2010
LMAO! Good one.
CoreyR said 9:43PM on 1-07-2010
You hit the nail on the head there!!
howlar2 said 2:04PM on 1-06-2010
It's hilarious, except to those with no sense of humor.
Reply
wil2660 said 2:09PM on 1-06-2010
It's actually pretty cool. I had the one that took your money, kids loved it.
Reply
LasVegasX said 2:25PM on 1-06-2010
That's not the creepiest thing. There is this plush talking rose, yes, a plush rose. It has one of those deep voices that would send a chill down a snowmans back. It says, "I love you more than life itself, in fact, I love you more than before, happy valentines day."
Reply
doug said 2:26PM on 1-06-2010
I think that Congress and The Senate are the most useless machine ever created.
Reply
swirlycar said 4:21PM on 1-06-2010
Good one!!!
Gonch said 2:12PM on 1-07-2010
Actually, it reminds me more of the party of "no" than anything else. America flips the switch on to clean up the con's mess, the cons reach out and flip the switch off. So not only did they create the mess like a little child, they want the adults to continue wallowing in it forever.
Geo0926 said 2:50PM on 1-06-2010
I love it! It reminds me of "Thing" from the Addams Family. When I was a kid, I had a "Thing Bank" that came out of the box and took a coin. I loved it, it was one of my favorite things. This just brought back a great childhood memory. For that reason alone, it has proved to be way more "valuable" than most useless machines!!
Reply
Geo0926 said 2:53PM on 1-06-2010
ACTUALLY, this "useless" thing has proved to have a real mission . . . because it just prompted me to go on Ebay to try and find that Addams family "Thing Bank" again!! :-)
Reply
Geo0926 said 2:56PM on 1-06-2010
P.S. To williamchloe81: Get this box, maybe the hand will remove your hemorrhoids.
Reply
mitch said 3:02PM on 1-06-2010
it should be called "the obama machine"
Reply
D_harte said 3:22PM on 1-06-2010
This is just a machine. It does not need to be put up for a political cacophany of idiocy. Granted yes Obama has not changed our lives too much in the past two years, but that is not the discussion. I belive that the machine is a wonderful gesture of a gag gift or halloween decoration. Personaly, I want one.
Also, the congress and senate are only a piece of our 3 part government. If you want anarchy it will take more than a few words on a bit of virtual paper, and then you would have to try to not get killed.
Reply
jeff said 3:36PM on 1-06-2010
this is nothing new. as some of the other comments mention, there was a bank in the 60's that when a coin was placed in a slot a hand came out and took the coin inside the box.
Reply
Ashley Simpson said 3:56PM on 1-06-2010
It's the hand of Wall Street!
Reply
bob said 4:47PM on 1-06-2010
Obama Pelosi Reed USELESS. This machine is okay
Reply
Rick Badman said 4:48PM on 1-06-2010
In 2008, the most expensive machine was the voting machine. When it was used to elect Obama, trillions of dollars were removed from the taxpayers.
Reply
Donald Wilson said 4:57PM on 1-06-2010
Oh my god. I married something just like it, only alot more expensive.
Reply
Jacob said 9:58PM on 2-15-2010
I'm sure your boss has the same feelings about you :-)