MisUse

A watermelon

2014-12-08T07:18:00.001-08:00

An alarm clock

2014-12-05T03:58:00.003-08:00

Here's one way to feel a little less guilty about your inability to get out of bed in the morning: Use an alarm clock app that donates money to charity every time you hit the snooze button.
The app, called iCukoo, was the brainchild of developers at the Chelsea Apps Factory in London. "It came from my girlfriend snoozing every morning, and me getting increasingly irritated with waking up three times before actually getting up," says Josh Hart, one of the developers. "We wanted to create a bit of a silver lining."

It's also a lazy counterpoint to charity runs and bike rides. "I find it really funny that when I go on my Facebook, 50 people are asking me for money so that they can go around the world for charity," Hart says. "I'm not exactly the most energetic guy. So the idea of me snoozing and them climbing a mountain—I thought it was quite comical."
The app tracks how many times someone hits snooze, and when the snoozes add up to a certain amount, sends a text asking if the user wants to donate. Every time someone dozes off, in theory, they'll feel like they're being a little more productive.
"I'm the kind of person who doesn’t wake up easily," Hart says. "I feel so guilty, because I'm so hungry as a human being—we all are—to do something with our time, and there's only so much of it. I don't know any snoozer who feels totally guilt-free for snoozing on a weekday."
For now, the app is only available in the U.K., and users have to select from one of five U.K.-based nonprofits to support; the developers chose a limited number because each nonprofit has to be individually set up in their system. It seems like a good idea for a more established fundraising site—with a long list of nonprofits already on board—to steal.

A smartphone

2014-12-05T03:52:00.002-08:00

The NoPhone started as a jokey social commentary. The site advertised a black rectangular of piece of plastic that fits snuggly in your hand and acts as a "technology-free alternative to constant hand-to-phone contact"—a way to stay in touch with the real world by lulling your brain beyond its device separation anxiety.
But the five friends who came up with the concept at a bar one night got an outpouring of response and media coverage (including here) once they set up a website.
"Never again experience the unsettling feeling of flesh on flesh when closing your hand," it said.
People even started emailing them asking if they could buy one. So the friends went for it—they set up a Kickstarter campaign and a nicer website, and started selling the NoPhone for $12 a pop, or $18 for one with a "selfie upgrade" (i.e. a mirrored sticker on the back).
Now the team reports that more than 2,000 NoPhones have been sold and will be delivered in time for the holidays. Their Kickstarter project alone raised $18,316, enough money to buy 61 iPhone 6 devices in the Apple Store.
It’s true our technology addiction is real and in many situations, it’s becoming both a social and safety hazard. But if it’s gotten so bad that we’re willing to pay money to ship a black piece of plastic hundreds or thousands of miles, just so we can be in on the joke, then we’ve all truly gone off the deep end into the absurd.

Autocomplete

2014-10-28T11:42:00.000-07:00

A fat guy

2014-08-18T05:56:00.002-07:00

A hammer

2014-07-29T14:41:00.000-07:00

A handgun

2014-07-29T14:37:00.003-07:00

Sun glasses

2014-07-29T14:36:00.001-07:00

A model

2014-07-29T14:34:00.002-07:00

Genital mold

2014-07-16T12:51:00.000-07:00

Bread

2014-07-11T05:09:00.001-07:00

A cigarette

2014-07-11T02:21:00.003-07:00

A carrot

2014-07-08T03:20:00.000-07:00

Vacuum

2014-07-07T12:31:00.000-07:00

An apple

2014-05-30T03:53:00.000-07:00

Women

2014-04-01T00:34:00.003-07:00

Disc

2013-09-16T08:40:00.000-07:00

Odor

2013-09-15T15:35:00.000-07:00

Sex

2013-08-26T14:17:00.000-07:00

Pee

2013-08-25T14:39:00.003-07:00

A watermelon

2013-08-25T14:32:00.001-07:00

A rhinoceros

2013-08-25T14:31:00.000-07:00

Sky diving

2013-08-24T16:01:00.001-07:00

A Skateboard

2013-08-24T15:39:00.001-07:00

A Machete

2013-08-24T15:36:00.000-07:00