Last Updated on 8 May 2021

I used to receive periodic emails from Think Geek. They bill their products as “stuff for smart masses.”

For the past several years, they’ve sent a product update on April 1st – and typically trick many of their subscribers. The reason they are able to trick is that their ideas are very neat.

USB Pet Rock

Nowadays you can buy all sorts of things to jam into your USB port, ranging from functional items like a USB storage drive, reading light or mini-fans, to toys including… the jelly-fish mood lamp and humping dogs. Think Geek launched the USB Pet Rock. It’s an update of the 1970s fad Pet Rock… but for your USB port.

USB Pet Rock

Throw an 8 GB drive in there and you have something functional. (Although I guess that defeats the purpose, huh?)

Star Wars Tauntaun Sleeping Bag

The description states… “In the sub-zero wasteland of the planet Hoth, only the strong survive… and of course those lucky Jedi protected by the thick skin of a Tauntaun.” Just like the famous scene in Star Wars where Luke was shoved into the belly of a tauntaun so as not to freeze in the snow, your child can unzip and climb into their own Tauntaun Sleeping Bag.

Tauntaun Sleeping Bag

Nice touch, the zipper pull looks like a glowing lightsaber… and the inside looks like real Tauntaun guts. (I can think of at least three friends who would buy this right now).

8-Bit Tie

Last year they April Fooled us with 8-bit pixellated faux fashion… The 8-Bit tie is designed with jagged edges, just like old-school video game graphics, (Yar’s Revenge anyone?)

Think Geek received so many clicks on the “Buy Me” button for this item last year, they decided to actually produce them.

8-Bit Tie

Crazy? Or Crazy Like A Fox?

Perhaps this is a fun, yet sly way to test the demand for new products. If people think the idea is terrible – who cares? It was a joke. If they love it… enough people love it… they can develop the product.