Your video,
"Worst products of 2012
" will start after this message from our sponsors.
Loading video...
CNET Top 5
Worst products of 2012
The lowest-rated CNET reviews of the year are products that probably sounded good idea on paper.
3:25 /
Transcript
Reviewing products for CNET can be a surprisingly boring job. There?s a lot of
mediocre stuff out there, and there are only so many ways to describe a boring,
yet functional product.
But every once in awhile we get products that are awful. Now those are fun
reviews to write.
These aren?t usually products that will fall apart in your hand. Most of them are
ideas that must have sounded great on paper, but just fell flat in the real world.
So here are my picks for the worst of the worst, some of CNET?s lowest-rated
products from 2012.
Starting off at #5 with 2 ? stars: the Zipbuds Juiced headphones. This is the
perfect example of what I?m talking about. The idea sounds great: earbuds that
zip up to prevent cords from tangling together. But even at $20, these are some
disappointing headphones. And let?s not forget the name. It sounds like an
embarrassing trip to the emergency room.
At #4, with 2 ? stars, the Drobo Mini. Thunderbolt storage is an overpriced
category to begin with, but it takes some real cajones to ask $650 for this one.
You have to supply your own high-speed 2.5-inch drives, and even if you max it
out, you?ll be lucky to get 4TB of total storage. And on top of that, it?s slow! But,
y?know, if you need a relatively compact Thunderbolt RAID drive that lights up
like TRON and sounds like it?s trying to levitate off your desk, Drobo has you
covered.
A 50-inch TV comes in at #3 with a 2-star rating. It?s the Panasonic TC-L47DT50.
Now don?t feel bad for Panasonic. They are dominating CNET?s list of the Best 5
TVs with three killer plasmas. But this isn?t one of them. This is their 50-inch LED
LCD, and I think they made it just to make the rest of their TVs look better by
comparison. There?s also some poetry to the fact that Panasonic makes both the
highest and the lowest-rated TV on CNET.
Coming in at #2, the Elgato EyeTV Mobile with a 2-star review. Ever wanted to
watch over-the-air TV on your iPad? Me neither. But if I did, I would expect more
than a handful of channels and I would laugh at you if you said I?d have to pay
$100 for the privilege of watching free TV. The folks at Elgato didn?t see it that
way. They also didn?t see that whole Lightning port change coming from a mile
away, so you can?t use this on any of Apple?s new products without buying a 30-
pin adapter and cementing your status as a total chump.
And finally, coming in at #1 and bearing a 1-star review: the Duo Games Duo
Pinball. This is a $60 accessory that gives pinball fans back the physical buttons
that are so glaringly absent on the Apple iPad. Sure, there are couple problems
here, I mean aside from the fact that you?re paying $60 for a hollow wedge of
cheap plastic. Of all the pinball apps out there for the iPad, this piece of junk
works with just one of them. And because the buttons work over Bluetooth, they
actually respond slower that just touching the screen. Unless you?re a pinball
wizard who needs a handicap to keep things interesting, you do not want the Duo
Pinball nor it?s $40 brother the Duo Gamer.
So there you go, those are my favorite picks from CNET?s worst-rated products
of the year. For more Top 5?s like this visit Top5.CNET.com.
I?m Donald Bell, thanks for watching.
Coming up next
How to easily find TV shows and movies online
Phone makers, stop doing these 5 dumb things
The best drones available today
Top 5 new features we want in the next iPad
Top 5 spring-cleaning tech tips
Apple, update these products! (CNET Top 5)
Top 5 cheap wireless headphones
Top 5 reasons to buy the Samsung Galaxy S9
Top 5 reasons not to buy the Samsung Galaxy S9
Apple, fix these HomePod issues ASAP (CNET Top 5)
Latest Culture videos
There's a scooter war in San Francisco
1:54
City officials are pushing back against a sudden onslaught of e-scooter rental companies. CNET talks to the CEO of one, Bird.
Play video
It's high time for Cannabis Club TV
2:02
Cannabis Club TV is a startup using streaming video to educate pot consumers about what they buy while they're buying.
Play video
Facebook to roll out new privacy policy worldwide, Amazon and Best Buy team up to sell smart TVs
1:07
Today's major tech stories include Facebook's new international privacy policy rollout, Amazon teaming up with Best Buy to sell Fire...
Play video
IRS tax site crashes, Apple's news subscription service
1:07
Today's major tech headlines include the IRS' tax site crash, Apple's news subscription service and a sweeping cyberattack warning...
Play video
Incredibles 2 trailer splits up the superhero family
2:16
The Pixar preview shows Elastigirl getting a new job fighting crime on her own, leaving Mr. Incredible with all the kids.
Play video
Sen. Warner: Silicon Valley needs to work with Congress more
1:50
The Virginia Democrat tells CNET that Congress must learn how tech businesses and products work to help better national security and...
Play video
Rep. Schiff has a question for Zuckerberg too
2:04
The California Democrat tells CNET in an interview that we need to determine the job social media companies like Facebook are expected...
Play video
Zuckerberg not sure law is needed to protect minors' privacy
1:53
Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg won't commit to supporting legislation protecting privacy rights for kids 16 and under.