The King Tut of hucksters, Veg-O-Matic’s Ron Popeil, sold his business five years ago—ever see his tool that scrambles an egg in its shell?—for $55 million. That got us thinking of automotive cockamamie like gas savers and smokeless ashtrays. What’s out there? We logged on to AsSeenOnTV.com and filled our virtual cart with $144 of the finest and flimsiest items that late-night TV—or, in this case, midafternoon internet—has to offer.
1. Sun Zapper
THE PROMISE: “Provides protection from the blinding sun, as well as reflections from other cars and reflective surfaces.”
HOW IT WORKS (SUPPOSEDLY): The tinted plastic panel clips to your sun visor. It’s like sunglasses but without all that strain on your ears. The “Sliding Sun Terminator” provides extra protection.
DOES IT WORK? It’s supposed to shield you from reflective surfaces but is itself a reflective surface. If you try to stare right through it, you’ll be confused by reflections of the cars behind you, of the rear of your car, and even of your own face. Also, the Sliding Sun Terminator is a small panel so dark it might terminate the driver—or others he crashes into. Flipped up so that the driver isn’t looking directly through it, the Sun Zapper works okay, but the constant play of reflections across its surface and the two-tone view out the windshield are unsettling.
Rating: 1 (out of 5)
ALTERNATIVELY YOU COULD: Drive while wearing a welding helmet.* *Not actually recommended. Just buy sunglasses.
See all of it: http://autos.yahoo.com/articles/auto...products-test/
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