Launch in 1974, the Presto Hot Dogger was an electric hot dog cooker that could cook several hot dogs at once by electrifying metal prongs that pierced the ends of each hot dog - essentially using electricity to heat the meat directly. However, man ...
McDonuts were launched in the late 1980s and discontinued in the early 1990s. McDonald's was known for burgers, fries, and breakfast sandwiches, not bakery goods. Customers didn't associate the brand with fresh donuts like they did with Dunkin' or ...
In 1999 Mattel launched the Rad Repeatin' Tarzan action figure to tie in with Disney's animated film Tarzan. The 12-inch electronic figure could move its arm and repeat phrases when you pressed a button. It came with Tarzan's signature jungle yell ...
In 2007, Bindeez were beads that stick together with water to make art. It contained a cheap chemical that was a pharmacologically active sedative instead of the safer chemical specified by the designers. Several kids went into comas after swallow ...
In 2007, the CSI Fingerprint Examination Kit was a toy kit for kids to dust for fingerprints. However, the dust contained a substance in the powder, specifically tremolite, one of the most fatal forms of asbestos.
The Lone Ranger Atomic Bomb Ring, a promotional item from Kix cereal in 1947, promised kids they could see atomic energy at work. While advertised as "perfectly safe," it contained actual radioactive material and emitted alpha particles close to ki ...
Launched in 2015 and developed by musician Neil Young, Pono was a portable digital media player and music download service for high-resolution audio. It was discontinued in 2017 due to the shift to streaming with services like Spotify and Apple Mus ...
Released in 2000, ZUN energy drink had a rocket-shaped bottle. Beverage distributors were afraid of the liability from people using the bottle as a projectile. Plus it was difficult to attach the fins in the production process leading to many bott ...
Everfresh Beverages was founded in 1994 and filed for bankruptcy in 1995. The flask-shaped bottle design resembled a liquor bottle and encouraged underage drinking. Churches and local groups forced retailers to discontinue the line.
Geotek Communications, who provided mobile communication for fleets of trucks and vans, filed for bankruptcy in 1998 after having gone public. The company struggled to enter the dispatch market and was unable to develop a wireless communications pro ...
