Feel-good products

I have seen a bunch of “feel-good” products being launched recently.  Are we all depressed and grasping for something to ground us?  Here are a few of my favorite examples:

   

·         A Web-enabled T-shirt with an inflatable bladder.  When someone s something of yours on a social media channel, it inflates and gives you a “hug”.  I can think of some more personal extensions of this product.  I don’t want anyone to be able to hug me, I want it only to be real friends. And not whenever they anything, but when they intentionally send me an electronic hug.  That would not be hard to set up on Facebook.

·         A portable printer that prints a note about the size of a fortune cookie.  The user hits a button and it prints a customized happy message for you.  I am not sure how much you can customize it, but that part would be important.  I wouldn’t invest in it unless the messages really made me happy.  Or let’s combine this with the t-shirt above and have it print out the hug message send by my friend.

·         A sensor that you attach to appliances or other objects that can be activated electronically.  The sensor scans your face and only activates the item if you are smiling.  I would like one of these for my office door.  No one can come visit unless they are coming with positive things to talk about.  Complainers and grouches not welcome.  Unfortunately, that means my vacuum would never work.