#HTE
Hell in a Handbasket: An Umbrella for Your Smartphone
Like The Shadey (above), this “product design” below is probably not going to make it into the MoMA. Yet another symptom of something amiss in our society, it’s a $22 “phone umbrella suction cup stand” consisting of a silicone piglet with a suction cup for a head and a size XL cocktail umbrella.
Despite the obviously Photoshopped product photos…
…it does appear to be real and that people are buying it, judging by both good and bad reviews on Amazon.
If you’re wondering who the F buys this S, the reviews tell the tale:
- “I almost cried opening it from seeing how cute it is.???? My husband thought i was [derogatory term for special needs] and didn’t see a point in it. My phone screen is cracked, and it saves it from having rain get in it, or getting too hot with the sun. I absolutely love it. Getting one for my sister too.”
- “I often play games on my phone when I am outside. The sun beats down on my phone and heats it up so I thought I’d give this gadget a try. It does a nice shade coverage of the entire phone without being in the way. The only drawback is that the suction/stick doesn’t swivel, so every time I change walking directions, I have to remove the suction and replace it so my phone stays in the shade. It can get really annoying and inconvenient.”
- “I struggle all summer to try to keep my phone from dying and also be able to see the screen without the glare. This is actually pretty decent.”
Gripes in the reviews include that it doesn’t work well with a case and often pops off, the umbrella offers poor rain protection, it’s poorly made, and doesn’t offer enough shade.
The thought that people carry this thing around (in what?) and fiddle it into place to have an extended phone session outdoors is sobering.
https://www.core77.com/posts/115282/Hell-in-a-Handbasket-An-Umbrella-for-Your-Smartphone