Never let balloons stick to you again

(Credit: ThinkGeek)

Every once in awhile, along comes a gadget that's most useful for what it doesn't produce. A perfect example is the "Static Electricity Eliminator."

All that's needed to work this simple little device is to press its rubber end against any grounded (metal) object until its light flashes, indicating that you're no longer a walking piece of Velcro for laundry just out of the dryer. As Coolest-Gadgets notes, it's particularly handy this time of year when a conspiracy of heaters, carpets, and loved ones threatens to turn you into a victim of spontaneous combustion.