The PuchiPuchi is a simple, unoffensive looking device that resembles a cross between an iPod Shuffle and a central locking remote control, but is in fact, much more useless than either of those, yet strangely a little bit desirable.

Made by Bandai, the PuchiPuchi is an 8-button "bubble wrap simulator", designed to feel and sound like real bubble wrap and as you're not actually bursting any bubbles, the PuchiPuchi is the popper that keeps on popping.

Perhaps recognising potential limits in the mass-market appeal of such a device, Bandai have spiced things up a little - every 100 pops, you are rewarded with a bonus sound - for instance a barking dog, a fart, or a sultry voice. And what's more, if you buy one there's a 1 in a 1000 chance you'll get a Puchi Lucky toy with a heart-shaped bubble.

Perhaps what scares us most about this is not that someone has actually gone and designed and made this, nor the fact that it seems to be developing a growing fan club online, nor indeed its price tag of $59 (EUR43 approx). No its the fact that one online commentator has said of the PuchiPuchi:

"Bandai designed the toy with the Puchipuchi bubble wrap company, so it's almost guaranteed to be the most realistic bubble wrap simulator on the market."

What? You mean there are others?