World's Most Expensive and Useless USB Cable

[Makosuke]

Here's a trully crazy peripheral that is so amazingly stupid it could only come from the Japanese. A great compliment to the sushi-shaped pendrives, as shown in the picture (note that it's demoed with an iBook):

http://www.engadget.com/entry/1234000270051750/ (engadget link)

A Japanese news story with more detail can be found here:
http://www.yomiuri.co.jp/net/itmedia/20050726nt06.htm

The Japanese story describes it as costing 24,800 yen (about US$250), and being "(probably) the World's Most Expensive, and most useless, USB cable".

Yes, it really is a USB cable that looks exactly like a plate of spaghetti. For those wondering, "Napolitan" spaghetti is a Japanese creation combining a creamy ketchup-based sauce, hot dogs, onions, and maybe mushrooms in a dish that's named to sound Italian but isn't. Why I'd want an inedible plate of it sitting next to my computer with a USB port is beyond me.

[mvc]

The japanese have a long traditon of useless inventing - it's an artform over there - it's called chindogu (http://www.designboom.com/history/useless.html) ;)

[clayj]

Here's some more wackiness (http://www.dynamism.com/solidalliance/) from those wacky Japanese. :)

[clykins90]

This has got to be a joke.

People must just buy it to say: I GOT A USB CABLE THAT LOOKS LIKE SPAGHETTI!!!

[rainman::|:|]

Here's some more wackiness (http://www.dynamism.com/solidalliance/) from those wacky Japanese. :)

ok that thumb drive is actually pretty funny if poorly executed... tempting to use one around the office...

[Makosuke]

The japanese have a long traditon of useless inventing - it's an artform over there - it's called chindogu (http://www.designboom.com/history/useless.html) ;)Aah, but this doesn't count as a chindogu, because chindogu (and most other wacky but functionally useless Japanese inventions) are supposed to be a crazy idea to fill a need or make life easier that just isn't really worth it--duster bootes for cats, a car that fits in a suitcase, a drop-in heatsink to cool your coffee faster. This is totally and willfully useless, more of a very, very expensive joke shop item, and fills no practical need whatsoever. It's just the ultimate boutique extension of silly flash drives that look like other things.

And if anybody actually buys one of these things, he/she should be steralized, then sent to somewhere it doesn't rain money and forced to do hard labor for the good of humanity.

Actually, I think people from other countries invent just as much nutty junk as the Japanese, it's just that nobody in other countries pays attention to them. It's a cultural offshoot of the ongoing 1950s-style Japanese craze with the latest and greatest thing to make life that much less work to live.

[5300cs]

Maybe if the shrimp spun around really fast or something ... ?

[puckhead193]

that's a waste of money...but i do like the "thumb drive" its looks a little too real... :p

[mkrishnan]

I have never wanted a USB drive before, but suddenly I'm mad tempted by the pink duckie with hearts on it. :eek: :o :D

[ITASOR]

that's a waste of money...but i do like the "thumb drive" its looks a little too real... :p

I want the thumb one, but wow, you could really trick someone with that!

[katie ta achoo]

The sushi ones are really cute!

I wish I could get wacky japanese thumb drives for free.
I'd totally rock that spaghetti one.
If it were free.

[ham_man]

Those thumb drives are actually pretty cool. Not very effective, but still...

[MikeTheC]

The Japanese skill-less ability to invent is seconded only by their utter cluelessness in coming up with names for things. For instance, there is a body hair shaver targeted at women that they call the "Curvey Shavey".

It's amazing how truly clueless (at least in my opinion) the Japanese are when it comes to inventing something. Now, taking an existing invention and perfectly duplicating it, or improving it, that's different.

The Japanese can invent about the same as the British can cook. This is not a criticism so much as it is an observation of predisposition.

[Nickygoat]

The Japanese can invent about the same as the British can cook.
Eh? Are you sure? (http://www.worldpress.org/Americas/2090.cfm)
I want one of those pen drives.