Gadgets, gizmos and snake oil

[Leifer]

I just noticed something in the promo video above....@ 2:18 we see a worker charging his batteries for a portable tool, and the fan generators are spinning fairly fast.
But when he walks past the fans (@ 2:22) we see his hair suddenly blow around....as if there is an off-camera fan helping the fan blades spin.

 

[Critical Thinker]

Surprisingly one of the more popular bogus 'cure all's' being marketed that hasn't found a place in this thread, although there are numerous references to it throughout Metabunk is Colloidal Silver. So when this headline caught my attention it seemed an appropriate time to add it to the list.

From NBCNewYork: Televangelist Gets NY Cease-and-Desist Over Misleading COVID-19 Cure Claim

"The Jim Bakker Show" could be in trouble after it promoted a product with misleading claims that it could possibly help stop the spread of the coronavirus.

The New York Office of Attorney General on Tuesday sent a cease-and-desist letter to televangelist James Bakker, asking the TV program to immediately stop promotion and "false advertising" of its Silver Solution products, which contain silver particles.


The letter came after Bakker invited Naturopathic Doctor Sherrill Sellman on the show to talk about the benefits of Silver Solution. For years, Sellman has been promoting claims that colloidal silver can help with a variety of illnesses including E. coli, fungal infections, STDs, malaria and even the plague.

When asked about whether Silver Solution, sold on the Jim Bakker Show's website, is effective against the novel coronavirus, Sellman responded: "Let's say it hasn't been tested on this strain of the coronavirus, but it's been tested on another strain of the coronavirus and has been able to eliminate it within 12 hours."

On its website, Silver Solution says its products "could promote a stronger immune system, quicker healing, and help support overall wellness."

Products containing this ingredient are sold in many places in spite of it having no findings of it being "safe or effective" . Some of the retailers of these products include Walmart & Infowars .


From WebMD

Colloidal silver is a mineral. Despite promoters' claims, silver has no known function in the body and is not an essential mineral supplement. Colloidal silver products were once available as over-the-counter drug products. In 1999 the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) ruled that these colloidal silver products were not considered safe or effective. Colloidal silver products marketed for medical purposes or promoted for unproven uses are now considered "misbranded" under the law without appropriate FDA approval as a new drug. There are currently no FDA-approved over-the-counter or prescription drugs containing silver that are taken by mouth. However, there are still colloidal silver products being sold as homeopathic remedies and dietary supplements.

A possible side effect from the consumption of products containing silver is Argyria

From WebMD

Argyria is a rare skin condition that can happen if silver builds up in your body over a long time.

It can turn your skin, eyes, internal organs, nails, and gums a blue-gray color, especially in areas of your body exposed to sunlight. That change in your skin color is permanent.

 

[Leifer]

Kailo,
....is an applied plastic patch to the skin, to reduce pain.

Described as a "Nanotech bio-antenna that interacts with electrical signals in your body, naturally relieving pain. " -Kailo promo quote.

(crowdfunding sourced + around $2 million)

CLAIMS:

Kailo interacts with the body's electrical system. Each Kailo contains nano capacitors that work as a bio antenna, assisting the body in clear communication to turn down the volume on your pain.
• Recover faster
• Improve flexibility
• Regain a natural range of motion

Indiegogo, source, as of 3/30/2020

This product recently appeared as an ad when I was YouTube surfing, so it's currently being promoted.
But my skeptical radar antenna got a stiffly.

There is a good "it's bullshit" review of it by someone who is sure it is a scam.... as he has several blog posts about it....
Samuel Pinches, Kailo posts, link.

(not my emphasis/bold)

While these are certainly astonishing claims, amazing claims require extraordinary proof, and here is where things start to get concerning. While Kailo has been promoted on other websites, to date, I have not found anyone on the internet actually examining and critiquing their specific claims.
....
....Ok – there is a lot there that is "sciencey-sounding", perhaps enough to almost be believable. Let's break down the bogus.....
(read on)

Pinches' last blog post tests "Kailo Pain Relief Patches under the microscope – what's inside?"

While Kailo claims the product is patented, the patent that the company owns has nothing to do with pain relief, it is actually about printable flexible antenna technology. When we look at that patent, the product described has a lot of similarities with Kailo:

It seems to be tiny copper particles suspended in a binder, attached to sticky plastic.
Maybe I'll have to order one, and test it ??

 

[Critical Thinker]

For the low low price of over $350 you can buy a USB stick that the promoters claim is an anti-5G Bio Shield.

The BBC (among others) have already wasted their money, so that we don't have to!

A device costing more than £300 promises to protect your family from the supposed dangers of 5G, using ground-breaking quantum technology - but does it work? Of course not.

its website, which describes it as a USB key that "provides protection for your home and family, thanks to the wearable holographic nano-layer catalyser, which can be worn or placed near to a smartphone or any other electrical, radiation or EMF [electromagnetic field] emitting device".

"Through a process of quantum oscillation, the 5GBioShield USB key balances and re-harmonises the disturbing frequencies arising from the electric fog induced by devices, such as laptops, cordless phones, wi-fi, tablets, et cetera," it adds.

The rollout of the new 5G mobile networks began in the UK only last summer and has not yet reached outside urban areas.

Yet across the country there is already a cottage industry offering protection against the supposed negative health effects, even though they have been dismissed by regulators and mainstream scientists.

Each of these USB keys costs £339.60 including VAT, though there is a special offer of three for £958.80.

But, at first sight, it seems to be just that - a USB key, with just 128MB of storage.

"So what's different between it and a virtually identical 'crystal' USB key available from various suppliers in Shenzhen, China, for around £5 per key?" asks Ken Munro, whose company, Pen Test Partners, specialises in taking apart consumer electronic products to spot security vulnerabilities.

And the answer appears to be a circular sticker.

"Now, we're not 5G quantum experts but said sticker looks remarkably like one available in sheets from stationery suppliers for less than a penny each," he says.

'Time dilation'
Mr Munro and his colleague Phil Eveleigh proceeded to dismantle the USB key to find out if there were any whizz-bang electronics inside.

But all they found was an LED light on the circuit board, similar to those on any other USB key.

 

[Mendel]

A device costing more than £300 promises to protect your family from the supposed dangers of 5G, using ground-breaking quantum technology - but does it work? Of course not.

What many people don't realize is that placebos do work -- and against an imagined illness, an imaginary cure promises to have the least amount of side effects! It's just not the technology that's helping people, it's the verbiage.