Almost something you purchase nowadays may be loaded with sensors, LEDs, and Wi-Fi, after which labeled “smart.” Light bulbs? Check. Door locks? Yep. Sprinklers? Of course.
But as producers rush to “smartify” all the pieces, we marvel if all these new innovations are actually essential. We get bombarded with pitches for doubtful good devices all day lengthy, however a few of them really make us query the trajectory of know-how. We revealed this listing of a few of the dumbest good know-how in 2017, however thought it might be a good suggestion to test in two years later to see if the merchandise nonetheless exist or have died as a result of their dumbness. Here’s what we discovered.
The Smalt Salt Dispenser
Ever attain for the salt on the dinner desk and assume to your self, “Hmmm, how will I know the right amount of salt to put on my steak? What if I pour too much? Too little? If only I had something to guide me through this process.”
Yeah, us neither.
But in case you do need assistance together with your salt consumption, or have ever wished you had an app in your cellphone to routinely dispense salt, you may wish to take a look at the Smalt salt dispenser, which is on the market for pre-order by way of Indiegogo. The Amazon Alexa-connected shaker may be set to pour, shake, or pinch. It may also assist folks with hypertension monitor their salt consumption by way of an app for Android or iOS.
Not but satisfied this product is for you? Maybe it will seal the deal: it’s not only a salt shaker – it’s additionally a Bluetooth speaker and options temper lighting, eliminating the necessity to mild these annoyingly messy and antiquated candles on the dinner desk.
Update: As of March 14, 2019, Smalt has solely raised $9,426 of it’s objective of $25,000, which tells us that we’re not the one ones who assume this product is just too dumb for its personal good.
Porkfolio the piggybank
This good piggy financial institution makes our listing primarily based on the title alone. Genius! The Porkfolio is, fittingly, a wise piggybank that means that you can hold monitor of the cash you set into it. With the app, you’ll be able to assist your kiddos set monetary targets and get notifications alerting them when the piggy financial institution is on the transfer. It is available in three colours and retails on Amazon for $25.
Update: Porkfolio remains to be round, however doesn’t look like broadly obtainable anymore. You can nonetheless seize it from Amazon by way of some third-party sellers, though stock appears mild. Maybe all the present Porkfolios are hiding below beds?
The Quirky Egg Minder
You’re on the retailer and you may’t keep in mind what number of eggs are in your fridge. Or, you’re staring on the eggs within the fridge, questioning in the event that they’re nonetheless OK to eat – you don’t wish to get salmonella, in any case. Don’t panic! The Quirky Egg Minder is an egg tray that connects to your cellphone to let you know what number of eggs you’ve got within the tray, and the way lengthy the eggs have been sitting on it.
While Quirky filed for chapter in 2015, the Egg Minder lives on and is at the moment obtainable on Amazon for $10 – a discount in comparison with different merchandise on this listing.
The rankings on Amazon are dismal at 2.5 out of 5 stars, however the Egg Minder additionally has gained a little bit of cult standing and is well known for being, effectively, quirky. Reviewer W. Giant notes in his five-star Amazon evaluation that “we can check on our eggs from the john, or the back of a police car, or even from in the emergency room, because those warning signs to turn off all cell phones are just stupid. The Egg minder will set all of our hearts and minds at ease. Our dreams of a more peaceful world are at hand. Thank you Egg Minder. Thank you.”
Update: Good information! For all of you involved in regards to the standing of your eggs, this product remains to be available on Amazon. Even in case you aren’t all for shopping for this product, do your self a favor and skim the questions and opinions. They’re hilarious.
Belty the Smart Belt
So your belt solely holds up your pants? Sucker! You may very well be utilizing Belty, a belt that additionally fees your cellular phone by way of a USB port on the underside of the belt buckle. It works with Android and iOS and is manufactured from leather-based. Grooves apparently maintain your belt in place so no belt holes are wanted.
We must admit that it’s a pretty belt that would turn out to be useful when our cell battery is at 12 p.c on the airport. But at $157 a pop, we may additionally simply throw on a daily $25 belt, put a cellphone charger in our pocket or bag, and name it a day.
Update: Belty is alive and effectively, because of … effectively … we don’t know who’s shopping for these items. But in case you’re , you’re in luck, as there are numerous sorts obtainable, all for over $100.
The Smart Water Bottle
Do we actually want a water bottle to remind us to drink from it? Doesn’t our physique present us that info straight by way of, let’s say, thirst? Or a dry mouth? Or lack of urine?
Well, the producers of good water bottles apparently assume our our bodies aren’t doing a ok job of alerting us of our hydration wants. Several have hit the market over the previous few years, together with the Trago, BluFit, and Hidrate Spark.
These bottles hook up with an app and inform us how a lot water we’re consuming and the way a lot we must be consuming, relying on age, exterior temperature, and different components. Some even glow to point when we have to drink extra water.
While the good water bottle business is anticipated to extend by 15 p.c over the following few years, we aren’t satisfied these merchandise fall below “necessary” within the good class. Is it actually that tough to gauge your physique’s hydration stage or depend what number of glasses of water you drank with out the assistance of know-how? We assume not.
Update: It seems that of the three good water bottles we talked about above, solely Hidrate has gained traction within the market. You should buy it on Amazon for $45 (please notice common consuming glass is less expensive). We acknowledge that these items are quite widespread, however we nonetheless assume they don’t fall below the definition of “must have” tech.
Smartduvet, the self making mattress
Smartduvet BreezeWe’re fairly certain this product was featured on an episode of The Jetsons. The Smartduvet is a self-making mattress that additionally has built-in twin climate-control know-how, making it bizarre and superior on the identical time. Weird as a result of, effectively, what if the cover malfunctions and begins making itself when you’re nonetheless in your mattress? It’s nearly just like the mattress is placing a transfer on you. Or worse, attempting to suffocate you.
The superior facet of the Smartduvet is the climate-control know-how, as a result of it’s a rule in life that the particular person you share a mattress with has the precise reverse preferences for decent and funky sleep settings.
But once more, do you really want a self-making cover cowl? Is it actually that tough to easily pull your cover over your mattress? Come. On.
Update: The Smartduvet might not be as dumb as we initially thought. When we first wrote about them in 2017, the twin-size model was on pre-order for $199. Twins now value $279 and look a lot nicer. The climate-control know-how appears to have been fine-tuned and doesn’t look as creepy as we thought. But the jury remains to be out on whether or not this product will catch on.
The Smart Garbage Can

Jenny McGrath / Digital TrendsJenny McGrath / Digital Trends

Why have a dumb, outdated rubbish can when you’ll be able to have a wise one? Products just like the GeniCan and Bruno are taking the act of throwing away rubbish to an entire new stage.
The GeniCan is a tool that you just cling on the aspect of your rubbish can. As you throw away empty containers of, say, juice, you’ll be able to scan the bar code on the merchandise, and the machine routinely provides juice to your buying listing on a corresponding app. The $150 machine additionally notifies you when the rubbish is full and may ship an “empty garbage” reminder to you, your partner, youngster, neighbor, worst enemy, or whoever you need. Nifty.
You can have a rubbish can and a vacuum with Bruno, which guarantees to do each. Don’t be fooled although — this isn’t a roving rubbish can. Instead, this vacuum/rubbish can sucks up the particles you sweep below it. You may also hook up with an app to get reminders when it’s low on luggage or stuffed with trash. Pre-order now for $199. Or don’t. Either means, you’ll survive.
Update: While these gadgets are nonetheless obtainable on their respective web sites, each are nonetheless in pre-order mode nearly two years after we wrote about them. We don’t see these merchandise catching on anytime quickly.
Flatev tortilla maker

There are machines that distribute espresso, juice, and even wine with the contact of a button. Apparently, now there’s a machine that does the identical with tortillas.
Using various-flavored dough pods, Flatev is a tool that may make you a tortilla in simply a few minutes. Put the pod within the machine, push a button, and increase — prompt tortilla!
No phrase on when will probably be obtainable, however you’ll be able to be taught extra on Kickstarter in case you’re so inclined. We’re going to stay with those self same outdated packages of tortillas that value us a couple of bucks on the grocery retailer.
Update: Well, then. It appears to be like like this product isn’t going to occur, and even worse, the creators of the product don’t appear to be responding to backers. After checking in on Kickstarter, we discovered that the corporate has stopped responding to backers’ questions and hasn’t up to date them about delivery or availability. The final replace got here from the creators in August 2018, and lots of backers are asking for his or her a refund. We’ll do a extra thorough report on this and get again to you.
Bluetooth Smart Fork
Hapilabs HapiforkThe Hapifork good fork isn’t going to steer you away from that cake within the break room. But it is going to let you know to chew the cake extra slowly, or possibly keep away from a second slice. The Bluetooth-enabled utensil tracks how typically you eat, how lengthy it takes you to eat, and the way a lot time has handed in between consuming.
Gorging on that cake like Cookie Monster? The Hapifork will vibrate and blink. The concept is which you could monitor your consuming after which use the info to vary habits. There are some flaws to the product, although. For instance, the fork doesn’t know in case you’ve simply gorged on a plate of cookies. Or in case you used a fork from the drawer quite than your good fork.
The machine has been round for just a few years and sells for $50 to $60 on Amazon relying on the colour and retailer.
Update: We’re sorry to let you know that it appears to be like like Hapifork is useless. It’s not obtainable on Amazon, and if you click on on the Hapifork web site, there doesn’t look like a means to purchase the product. We truthfully can’t say that we’re stunned. 
Smart Umbrella
Yes, you learn that proper. A sensible umbrella —  not the dumb sort that you just go away within the again seat of an Uber.
Umbrella Here has a light-weight on high. As you’d with a taxi, activate the sunshine to point that you just’re keen to take a “passenger” below your umbrella. Others caught in a downpour see the sunshine and know that you just’re keen to share your umbrella. You’ll be an prompt good friend or prompt weirdo, relying on who joins you.
Umbrella Here comes with — you guessed it — an app that, amongst different issues, enables you to communicate with these you’ve shared your umbrella with. You can log in, add the date and time of the share, after which add that particular person as a good friend. The two of you’ll be able to proceed your dialog in regards to the day you frolicked within the rain collectively.
Update: It seems that this product is now not obtainable. We guess folks determined that they don’t like sharing their umbrellas in any case, particularly with bizarre strangers.