I am true believer of the hypothesis that the sillier a given country’s gadgets, the fewer problems it has. In the case of Japan, we now have the Potechi No Te, which translates to Potato Chip Hand. It’s actually silly and not silly at the same time, as it’s meant to protect your fingers from getting greasy every time you eat chips.
The maker, major Japanese toy company Takara Tomy, says they’re especially targeting heavy computer users who are fed up with getting their fingers, keyboard and mice covered with potato chip oil (as I said: another problem solved).
The company claims no matter how hard you push the button on the thing, the Hand will grab chips gently but firmly, without breaking them. The hand’s fingers are placed so that they don’t touch the table when you put it away. I’m telling you, this thing is the pinnacle of industrial engineering.
Amazon Japan is already listing [JP] the Potato Chip Hand. It will go on sale in Japan in June in three versions (price: $8 each). Ask Japan- and US-based import/export specialist Rinkya if you happen to like eating chips, do a lot of computer work and have a penchant for silly gadgets.
Here’s a (very short) video from Youtube:
Via IT Media [JP]