2010 Consumer Electronic Shows Worst Products

This year's CES (Consumer Electronics Show) has come and gone and as people have marveled at the new items that have high hopes of actually hitting the sales floor of the local electronics store, there are some items that are on the other list. We fear they will be on the sales floor, and some of us are wondering why anyone even thought of adding these items to the CES show, let alone spend time and energy producing them. Perhaps out of sheer desperation to have something to bring to the show is a reason we are saw some of these items. I understand that to one person what seems cool is on another person's "why bother" list. Here are some items that are on my "why bother" list. I am not ranking these items, just so everyone is aware. I am merely discussing why I think these items are the some of the worst products from the CES.

I have mixed feelings about the product ZOMM. I think that this item has a lot of potential in the future, but needs some refinement. This unit functions as an alarm so that you do not walk too far away form your phone. As an example, you are leaving a restaurant but left your phone on the table. The ZOMM will alert you that you are too far from your phone and remind you to go back and retrieve your phone. It has a couple of other features which I think are fine, like being able to receive calls via the ZOMM if your phone is not directly on you, etc. It also allows you to call 911 if in an emergency by holding a button for 9 seconds. What I do not like about the unit is that it's just another item to keep track of and you have the potential of losing it. The example that the manufacturer offers for the use of the ZOMM is for answering calls when driving. Well most states are limiting being on any call while driving, and I am not sure how clear it will sound compared to driving with a Bluetooth earpiece. Seems far simpler to use the Bluetooth earpiece then yelling into the ZOMM. Where I think this product has potential in the future is if they can build in a homing device to help you find your phone, so when you lose your phone this device can actually help you find the device that it is attached to via Bluetooth.

Another bomb this year is the Polar Bear TV. This over priced novelty item is suppose to "raise awareness" to the issues surrounding the situation of polar bears in the arctic. Basically it is an overpriced 19" TV monitor in a holder shaped to look like a polar bear. This might be cool if some of the proceeds actually went to help the polar bears, but because it does not it is nothing more than an over priced, electronic fuzzy gadget. One that you don't want your child to hug because it is an electrical appliance. Cost for this item is $299.00. One can get a nice 28" 1080 HD TV for that price.

Then there was the Lasonic boomBox, which rivaled the boomboxes of the later 70's early 80's. The twist is that you can doc your IPOD to the unit. I am not sure that the sophisticated IPOD units are quite ready for the rough and tumble 'Ghetto Blaster." This item does bring back some nostalgia, but at the cost of just being tacky. One needs a gym membership to carry this unit around and it is definitely not green technology. Therefore, for $180 you can purchase this unit from the Lasonic website, as a related purchase they suggest you purchase the box of D-Cell batteries that come 12 to a box. In an age that we want small, more compact, sophistication we have this item at the Consumer Electronics Show.

I usually like Vizio products, but this one struck me as just "why?" I am referring to the Vizio HeadPhones with LCD screens on both earpieces. The screens allow you to view different animations, pictures album art, etc. However, what good is that when you the owner of the headset cannot see these cool graphics. Seems that all it will do is bother the people around you. Again in an age where we what things smaller, less annoying to those around us, etc...why? Why was this item brought to the CES? Was Vizio lacking items to bring? Seems that someone was excessively bored one day and someone else was way to drunk when they said... sure take that to the show. Either that or the person wanted the inventor fired or this was his or her way of getting revenge. Sorry Vizio I normally support your products.

Did Polaroid not get the memo that smaller is better especially in terms of cameras? People want full functioning cameras that can be stored in ones pocket. We are tired of the cameras that need one to have an assistant to carry everything around for us. Well Polaroid has been doing a good job with the POGO, which takes a digital photo but also prints a 2in by 3in picture. This product is cool. However, the new PIC-1000 camera that takes on the look and feel of the old Polaroid cameras is just too big and bulky to be cool, exciting, etc. Unlike Coke Cola brining back Classic Coke, it is not so easy to bring about the old Polaroid cameras. I also like the potable Polaroid printer.

Therefore, this is my list of gadgets that just did not make the grade for my taste and interest. Let me know your thoughts on these items.