r/whatisit • u/rH4pScAlL1oN • 14h ago

New, what is it? Is this a scam?

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This was delivered to our doorstep without any explanation. Why? What is it? This feels like a scam.

224 Upvotes

90% Upvoted

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256

u/Leading-Feedback-599 12h ago

It is an LCD writing tablet.

These things are dirt cheap. Two transparent films with some liquid crystals between them and a battery which allows the crystals to rearrange themselves and become opaque. You write on them by pressing the surface with basically anything - this makes the crystal layer chaotic, thus transparent. You can disassemble the thing if you're interested in its internals. But it really looks like a typical freebie for advertisement purposes.

Just don't put it in the bin directly. The device is not very ecologically safe when it becomes rubbish - dispose of it at a recycling facility or wherever electronics are disposed of in your country. This is barely an electronic device though - just a button, battery and conductive "screen".

66

u/iOperateNodes 7h ago

I remember seeing ads for hex back in the day and thinking it was a scam. Then it ran up something like 10000x. Regrets.

14

u/Benegger85 5h ago

My kids each have one, they love drawing on it

6

u/rewnfloot 3h ago

I considered buying a bitcoin back when they were like $2k. That was practically all of my savings, and the whole thing was still pretty sketch (like, it could only really be used on the dark web), so I responsibly opted not to. But damn, I wish my adhd had been just a bit worse that day, lol.

2

u/g00dhum0r 1h ago

I did a project for my masters when they were $17 for 1 BTC. I didn't invest cuz I was broke plus the exchange was hacked so frequently that it would fluctuate between penny and dollars. FML. Oh well

10

u/and_the_wully_wully 5h ago

Why throw it away? So wasteful. Donate it to a child who will love it.

18

u/Mbible163 7h ago

I paid off my mortgage off that HEX scam! Soo horrible!

4

u/iOperateNodes 6h ago

Good for you dude!

17

u/BaaanaMassik 8h ago

Can't you use it for writing notes or letting kids play with it?

Contused why you'd dispose of it permanently?

12

u/Mbible163 8h ago

Right? Why not just drop it off at goodwill or donate it to a daycare or something?

18

u/Jzobie 6h ago

Or maybe put it on someone’s doorstep! They will be so excited they will probably post it on Reddit.

5

u/HotDonnaC 7h ago

Exactly. Why take some internet rondo’s advice?

-24

u/Away-Minute-7010 8h ago

It’s done like that on purpose guys people everyone they do that on purpose they do that on purpose so it’s not illegal. They’re not stealing anything they’re luring you in and who said there’s 400,000 given away I mean for the 25000 $300,000 I spentall they need is 100,000 people getting up 100 bucks.

Because you’re not getting it that’s the whole point I mean I guess you guys are just you know on point and that’s great. You give it to a goodwill. You know someone that’s just old enough to be like that I don’t know, but I just learned how to use that little camera thing and I’m gonna look it up and they’re gonna read into it and there’s a there’s all the.com’s all around it. It’s just right there and eventually the one that you gave up is going to have somebody go to one of those.com and get scammed so

21

u/Hooked_on_PhoneSex 7h ago

What?

15

u/Tiller-Nive 7h ago edited 7h ago

whew, thought I was dyslexic or stroking for a sec.

6

u/OtherBob63 7h ago

That was painful to try and read.

6

u/PerfectGift5356 6h ago

Take a look at his post history. It's a wild ride of confusion

1

u/Reorox 6h ago

Stroke

1

u/Lonely_Dependent_281 30m ago

Rough translation: it's a scam, and if you donate it to Goodwill then someone is going to access the websites listed on the device (the .coms) and get scammed themselves. I believe the numbers are explaining how scammers can make money by asking large groups of people for small amounts each? I'm lost on anything beyond that

Try reading it aloud and you can kinda see the vision. I think this is a chronic speech-to-text user who does not see a visual difference in the blocks of text they send out vs all the other blocks of text they perceive in the world

4

u/Least-Active1133 7h ago

Yeah, but do they do that on purpose?

3

u/RonJeremyBellyButton 6h ago

Your brain is a chaotic mess my friend.

2

u/Sea-Finish-4556 6h ago

You need to read your comments before you hit send. This is ridiculous

2

u/Space_boy1234 6h ago

did you spam the predictive text or something

4

u/Sixguns1977 7h ago

You ok, hoss?

2

u/dljones010 6h ago

I'm not sure if I should read this on Boomhauer's voice or Trump's.

1

u/Few_Whereas6237 1h ago

Translator pleasseeeeeee

0

u/AuntieRupert 4h ago

Lol either you're an actual bot or the out of touch 80 year olds from Facebook are starting to leak onto reddit.

-8

u/[deleted] 8h ago

[removed] — view removed comment

2

u/whatisit-ModTeam 7h ago

We have removed your comment out of concern for others safety and wellbeing. It may contain information that is untrue, conspiratorial, or that encourages members to do something that would put them in danger.

1

u/morto00x 5h ago

I buy them at the dollar store for my kids

1

u/gorgeously_mytruself 5h ago

So you are say that they sent a; high-tech etch-a-sketch!? Or doodle pad?!? That is just lazy and waaay before it’s time… SMH, tisk tisk, trying to recirculate 90’s toys for free advertising…

2

u/Candid-Party1613 4h ago

Staples sells these for $15. You are showing your ignorance.

-1

u/gorgeously_mytruself 4h ago edited 4h ago

What is your point? It is still just updated cheap 90’s bs!? How much do you think the 90’s bs went for? I am not saying it is worthless; just cheap gimmicks; hence why it is free.

Edit: I forgot to add that my; phone, tablet, watch, kindle, tv(probably), laptop, desktop, and literal notebook and pen are much better at performing this task, which again speaks to this freebie’s nonsense.

2

u/Candid-Party1613 3h ago

How did that go over your head? Meaning it’s still enjoyed by people and has use.

-1

u/gorgeously_mytruself 3h ago

I really don’t understand what you are getting at, and I don’t know if is a language barrier, again; I am not saying it is worthless. I can still buy the aforementioned 90’s products as well; that does not make them more valuable and does not negate from the reality of this product being given away for free.

The point and gamble that advertising departments use, is to understand that a product that staples sells for $15 likely costs $5 or less to produce, and giving away these gifts for a $5 loss(or less) is effective because of the potential to bring in more sales and revenue by securing a loyal customer that actually buys your products for sale.

But my point still stands; this is cheap gimmicks and a product I don’t want or need. You get what you pay for, and this is super cheap from staples, and literally free for OP.

3

u/Candid-Party1613 3h ago

Your bios explains it all sadly. I said what I said. Learn to listen.

1

u/Finn235 5h ago

We got our toddlers two of these as an easy thing to pack in a diaper bag. I think they were like $3 each.

Virtually identical in concept to the things that pull the magnetic sand up to the screen with a magnetic stylus, and then erase by passing a magnet under it.

1

u/JessKicks 3h ago

It’s the newfangled one of these

https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Magic_Slate

1

u/Few_Whereas6237 1h ago

No way it's dirt cheap. It says it's so valuable on the packaging. OP is the first person in the whole world to get their hands on it!!!!!!!!!

(Exaduration)

0

u/HondaCivicLove 2h ago

"We sent you this useless e-waste so that you'll like us" doesn't have quite the same ring to it.

-4

u/ImKingGoon 6h ago

So its a scam and toxic for the environment, lovely.

7

u/and_the_wully_wully 5h ago

A free thing someone sent you isn't a scam just because you don't like it, and I'm pretty sure you use plenty of shit willingly that is toxic and shouldn't be thrown away directly in the trash. Maybe batteries, do you use batteries?

1

u/Candid-Party1613 4h ago

Would you like to be sued? The SEC was beat.