The 50 Worst Inventions - Last 10 · 8:09pm Nov 3rd, 2016
TIME - From the zany to the dangerous to the just plain dumb, here is TIME's list (in no particular order) of some of the world's bright ideas that just didn't work out. We're about to come to the end of that list.
41. HEADON
Looking like ChapStick for the forehead, HeadOn claims to relieve headaches without your having to pop any pills. In fact, its commercial — featuring the most annoying voice-over ever (seriously, just watch) — became more successful than the product itself. The Better Business Bureau says HeadOn "failed to provide any reliable testing to support its claims." Many doctors agreed there's no scientific basis that it actually cures headaches, although the company claims there's a homeopathic benefit. Still, we think the HeadOn commercials are more likely to prompt a headache than to cure one.
42. PAY TOILETS
Time is money. But should that adage apply to toilets? In the mid-1970s, a growing consensus of Americans looked to flush the charges attached to public restrooms. With the help of the Committee to End Pay Toilets in America, several large metropolitan areas, headed by Chicago, got their wish. New York City went the opposite route, waiting until January 2008 to unveil its first pay toilet, in Madison Square Park. For 25 cents, patrons were granted 15 minutes of privacy, which equals the rate of a parking meter. But the real difference came when that 15-minute time limit was up. Instead of a police officer levying a ticket, the pay toilet responded by automatically opening its doors and exposing its guest to the city lights. Next up on the buyer list? Airline companies — redefining business class, one quarter at a time.
43. TAMAGOTCHIS
When a child asks a parent for his or her first pet, the defense platform is a given: Are you going to feed it? Are you going to keep it clean? With Bandai toys, late-1990s children finally got their way past those basic questions with a pet that fit in their pocket. Via combinations of buttons A, B and C, Tamagotchis could be fed, changed and entertained. But just like an actual pet with a pulse, the egg-shaped device required constant care. If not, it could be dead — in less than a day. For parents looking to foster time-management skills in their children, the Tamagotchi often got the best of that battle. Mommy! Mommy!
44. LEADED GASOLINE
Pull in to the local gas station and every pump has something in common. "Unleaded" is the new craze. For nearly six decades, gasoline companies ignored the known dangers associated with lead to get rich. Tetraethyl lead boosted the octane levels in auto fuel, but there was speculation surrounding the safety of that decision from Day One. In the Nov. 10, 1924, issue of TIME, a report showed that 35 men at the Standard Oil Company of New Jersey had come down with an "occupational disease." Symptoms ranged from insomnia to low blood pressure, all at the hands of lead poisoning. The EPA completed a full phaseout of lead gasoline in 1986, ending the quest to trade steady health for steady sales.
45. VIBRATING AB BELT
The modern workday, fully equipped with computer log-ins and traffic logjams, lends itself to a sedentary lifestyle. But for those looking to get toned in no time, there are better options than a contraption that resembles a mild defibrillator. While its cost may be less than that of the average gym membership, the vibrating ab belt sparks muscle contractions by sending mild electrical charges into the core areas. If the purpose of exercise is to get heart-healthy, why endanger the heart? Pain is weakness leaving the body, but the vibrating ab belt is money leaving the pocket.
46. SPAM! THE EMAILS!
Few everyday offerings fall into the realm of free. E-mail accounts still make that list. But as with any freebie, there are associated costs. One of the most substantial stigmas attached to virtual mailboxes is spam e-mail. Within one folder of utter clutter exists unsolicited messages delivered to thousands of addresses. Those not smart enough to read the warning signs might befriend the fictitious Alan Lutz of twistedtails.com, offering a chance at a low mortgage rate "Because you deserve it!" Without the right protective programs in place, that decision may drastically affect the average computer's shelf life. And for those who are wise enough to ignore the jungle of junk, the process adds Web traffic to only one obsequious computer key — the delete button.
47. SMELL-O-VISION
Forget 3-D — what audiences really want is to smell a movie. So went the thinking of Mike Todd Jr., who in 1960 funded the ill-fated Smell-o-Vision gimmick, an elaborate system that allowed a film reel to trigger the release of bottled scents that were piped to the audience in sync with pivotal moments in the movie. The only film to make use of Smell-o-Vision was 1960's Scent of Mystery, written specifically with the gimmick in mind. The results, predictably, stunk, and Smell-o-Vision was never used again.
48. SMILE CHECKS
Be happy, or else. In 2009, employees of Japan's Keihin Electric Express Railway started facing morning smile checks, in which they were subjected to software that analyzed their facial expression to produce a rating of their smile on a scale of zero to 100. Not dumb enough? They also had to carry around images of their "ideal smile," as something to aspire to throughout the course of the day. :(
49. MICROSOFT BOB
Imagine a whole operating system designed around Clippy, and you get the crux of Microsoft Bob. Designed to be an easier interface for Windows 95 users, Bob envisioned your computer as his house — with you as a guest. Ever so accommodating, he'd even supply cartoon sidekicks to guide you through simple tasks. The software was expensive and overly cutesy, and it failed to compete with Apple's Macintosh, the user-friendly standard. And though Bob is long gone, he left one enduring blight on the Web: Comic Sans, perhaps the worst font of all time, was created exclusively for Bob.
50. VIO
Coke calls it the world's first "vibrancy drink." That's a really, really lame euphemism to get around the fact that Vio is carbonated flavored milk. The beverage giant rolled out bottles of the stuff in 2009 to test markets including New York. Shockingly, it failed to find broad appeal (although Coke is still producing it in limited quantities).
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