Technology progresses in leaps and bounds, sometimes leaping into hinterlands or, especially in consumer electronics, bounding over cliffs. There are many new products available whose features are, quite frankly, unnecessary. Examples? Let’s take watches. Simple enough, right? Apparently not. Features have been added seemingly for the sake of listing them in the specifications box, not because anyone would actually use them. Timex makes over 400 models of watches that are water resistant well beyond the depth that a trained scuba diver can dive to without special training. National Geographic sells a collection of aviator watches that have slide rules on the dial. Slide rules, people! It gets more ridiculous than that. Granted, cameras in portable phones can be handy, but a digital photograph frame and home phone in one unit? Such hybrids of different devices that wouldn’t logically go together, such as lights and speakers or—and this takes the cake—an alarm clock and MP3 player that doesn’t play MP3’s as the alarm, seem to be popping up everywhere, which could be advantageous in a dorm setting where space and power outlets are limited, but would otherwise cause an aesthetic nightmare for anyone who does not wish to directly associate pictures of their friends and sweethearts with Mom’s daily “just checking to see you haven’t been abducted, slipped roofies, been run over by a bus, etc. Ohh yes, and keeping up with your classes” calls. Why are all these ridiculous products coming out? Because people buy them. Woot.com alone sold, in 24-hour sale spans, 1,044 alarm clocks with MP3 player that doesn’t play MP3’s as the alarm, 3,374 home phone-digital picture frame hybrids, and goodness knows how many other similarly ridiculous gadgets over the years. Because a bargain is something you don’t need at a price you can’t resist.