NEJE JS0006-3 Fully Assembled Useless Machine Box Toy – Black (2 x AA)
http://www.dx.com/p/neje-js0006-3-fully-assembled-useless-machine-box-toy-black-2-x-aa-340809?p=27131452996820140438

NEJE JS0006-2 Useless Fully Assembled Machine Box Toy – Transparent (2 x AA)
http://www.dx.com/p/neje-js0006-2-useless-fully-assembled-machine-box-toy-transparent-2-x-aa-340811?p=27131452996820140438

If you ever get bored of trolling the internet seeking inspiration for your next big project, try a YouTube search of “useless machine”. After a few hours of watching these pointless, yet hilarious creations, we’re sure you’re going to want to build one. Luckily for us, [Arvid] documented the design of his moody useless machine to get you started.

Why is [Arvid's] machine moody? Well, to fully appreciate the emotional sensitivity of a useless machine,

you flip a switch and the machine flips the switch back… that’s it. [Arvid] implemented a two servo system with a stand-alone Arduino, which allowed him to give his machine a “personality”. Sometimes the switch is thrown back quickly without argument, other times the machine throws a fussy tantrum.

Although the machine is useless, the electronics inside are anything but.

The mechanical simplicity of this pull-string controlled most useless machine is delightful.

The device is [Alex555's] entry in the 7400 Logic competition.

The hardware is built around nine 8×8 LED matrix panels resulting in a 24 x 24 pixel display, perfect for displaying a 21 pixel square QR code.

It’s nigh impossible for a human to read a QR code, but [Ch00f] figured he could make his project even less useful. By multiplexing the LEDs at a very low duty cycle [Ch00f] made it impossible for a camera to capture the entire QR code, even though the pattern of pixels is still visible to the human eye. A fabulously useless build that really steps up the game for unreadable clocks.

We suppose the only thing more useless than a most useless machine is giving it an emoticon face. But that’s exactly what has happened with this project. But you’ll want to seen the whole thing, as the presentation involves much more than an angry box that can shut itself off.

The Almost Useless Machine
http://tinkerlog.com/2012/09/24/the-almost-useless-machine/

“The Almost Useless Machine,” a hobby model created by software architect Alexander Weber, recalls a time when waterwheels were king, powering wood mills to saw lumber for homes, boats, and the rest of society’s conveniences.