Useless USB gadgets are a dime a dozen but this might really take the cake. Capitalising on our daily use of MSN (or Windows Live Messenger as Microsoft keeps trying to tell us,) Union's i-Buddy believes that you aren't smart enough to understand an emoticon and so will instead interpret what the emoticon is by flashing its lights, flapping its wings and what not. From what I can gather, each i-Buddy syncs to only one friend so if you are really buying into this gadget, you'd need to buy multiple i-Buddies and endure them flapping away while you chat. If that doesn't deter you, then head on over to City Super where they are being sold for HK$165.

ETA: So it turns out that ShoeGeek is a geek after all and not merely obsessed with shoes. After I had posted this entry, she turns over and tells me that she is currently in possession of one of these i-Buddies. This is when the emoticon -_-;; comes into play