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Tim Hortons is one of the most popular places to go in Canada to get coffee. It has the good and the bad, which sometimes angers customers. Here is the list of the bad. I worked in Tim Hortons for 7 years. I’ve seen it all and tasted it all.

1. Steeped Tea

Steeped Tea was a refreshing idea introduced by Tim Hortons. However, not many customers opt for the tea. Many still wish to buy bagged teas. Sadly, Tim Hortons decided to charge the same amount for bagged teas as steeped teas. This means that the only difference between an XL and Small bagged tea is the amount of water and an extra bag (for larger sizes).

2. Breakfast Sandwich:

Tim Hortons introduced its breakfast program to compete with various other fast food businesses such as McDonald’s. The problem with this is that it is not healthy and nutritious. Processed cheese and bacon are the most fattening items. An additional problem stems from the fact that the food items come frozen, including eggs.

3. Fruit Smoothie:

The smoothie was a good publicity stunt by the marketing department. However, the smoothie is not made from real fruit. They rather use fruit juices to add flavour to their smoothies. These juices are not Tropicana; they are a Tim Hortons’ brand.

4. Lemon Glazed

Caked donuts are not the most popular. To boost sales they added a lemon flavoured cake donut. These donuts were disgusting and thankfully discontinued. This was one way Tim Hortons tried to implement something innovative but failed.

5. Chicken Stew:

This tasted beyond disgusting. It was not selling and many businesses lost money making it every day and throwing it away. Its beef stew counterpart was fabulous. Sadly, they did not keep the latter instead.

Many Pepsi and Coca Cola companies tried but failed to bring out newer products. Many products mimicked top of the line drinks and failed as well. Here are ten soft drink brands which were pulled from the shelf.

1. Tab

This is a diet cola, manufactured and produced by Coca Cola Company in 1963. It was marketed after the successful sales of Diet Rite cola. Since its sweetener was rumored to be an animal carcinogen, the drink was discontinued.

2. Slice:

Everyone loves Sprite…yet when Pepsi tried to mimic the drink with Slice, things did not go as planned. They had various flavors made with grapefruit, peach and lemon-lime etc. With the introduction of Sierra Mist, the brand faded away by 2006.

3. Surge

This was a citrus drink that originated in Norway in 1996. The Norwegian name was Urge and the American name was Surge, under the ownership of Coca Cola. It is no longer being sold in Denmark, Sweden and the United States. Norway still continues to sell the product.

4. Clearly Canadian (Peach):

This is a flavored and sweet sparkling water drink that was popular in the 1980s and 1990s. They used to have a great peach flavor which was suddenly discontinued. On the news it was announced the company is out of flavored ideas altogether. Nothing new is coming out.

5. Hubba Bubba Soda:

This drink came from the Hubba Bubba Corporation. They had both regular and diet version of this drink before it was discontinued. The company itself is a subsidiary of Mars.

People belonging to a certain age group today will swear that they cannot live without their electronic gadgets. However, even they couldn’t help but laugh at how bizarre and unnecessary the following were.

1. The Wearable Computer

The Pomo Wearable Computer was manufactured by Xybernaut in 2002. It was what it sounds like- a computer you can wear. Why would people want to roam around with wires hanging off their heads and limbs, is a good question the company should have asked itself before wasting their money and effort.

2. Zune

This MP3 player was manufactured by Microsoft and the main aim was to ‘kill’ the iPod. It did not even come close to beating the other music player’s popularity as it was ugly, bulky and very expensive. Apart from that, its sound quality was inferior and the music-sharing interface was full of flaws.

3. The Taser Mp3 Player

We all know what a taser is- an electronic device that is usually used by the police to calm down violent criminals but without hurting them. It gives out electric current which prevents the other person from using his muscles. A Taser MP3 player was released in 2008 and it was basically a taster-cum-music player- you could put your favorite tunes into a taser. The company made it in a variety of patterns but nothing could help this bizarre gadget.

4. Apple’s Earbuds

One would think that Steve Jobs would be careful about making sure that the iPod’s earbuds are comfortable and wearable. It’s shocking that they muddle up the sound, fit awkwardly and die out within a short period of time.

5. TwitterPeek

TwitterPeek looks like a smartphone but you can only access Twitter on it and nothing else. Phones today are able enough to allow the user to make calls, send texts, listen to music and use every website in cyber space. So why would anybody want to purchase this gadget? When it was released and its singular feature was made clear, people thought it was a joke but alas, it wasn’t.

These products were banned over the last decade because they were either considered to dangerous or unnecessary.

1. Trans Fats

Most food companies add Trans fat to their products because they stay fresh for a longer period of time. However, the body finds it difficult to break it down and starts suffering from heart disease or high cholesterol problems. Denmark and Switzerland banned certain products that were laced with over two percent of Trans fat.

2. Baby Walkers

Canada banned baby walkers in 2004 because according to statistics, over 1,900 babies were injured while using it. The Ministry determined that this happened because infants do not have the required abilities to use the product safely. Parents in Canada need not worry because studies reveal that baby walkers do not help babies walk faster.

3. Incandescent Light Bulbs

Compact Fluorescent Light Bulbs last much longer than Incandescent Bulbs and use only 25% of the available energy which is why the latter has been phased out by countries like Australia and Cuba. California plans to ban them within the next 8 years.

4. Chewing Gum

Singapore banned chewing hum in 1992 and the bill was revised about 6 years back. People are not allowed to stick their gum under chairs, on the floor or under tables. When somebody stuck it on the doors of the metro, it became necessary to ban it. Those who travel to Singapore are not allowed to carry gum and the Government constantly tells the public about how gum is hazardous to health.

5. Use of Cigarettes on Television and Movies

India banned smoking in movies and on television in 2005 as it was felt that children tend to take up the habit after seeing their favorite actors indulging in it. According to the ban, the actor’s hand is supposed to get blurred out if the scene demands that he should smoke.

Every company tries to diversify either to keep up with the competition or simply to survive. McDonalds did it too but unfortunately, some of their products did not do too well.

1. McGratin Croquette
This was a burger created by McDonalds especially for Japan. It contained mashed potatoes, Macaroni that had been fried silly and shrimp and all of it was served on cabbage. The name was unappetizing enough and it tasted quite odd.

2. Hulaburger

This burger was introduced in 1963 and their target customers were those Roman Catholics who did not eat non-vegetarian food on Fridays. Therefore, the company inserted a thin slice of pineapple between the bread instead of the meat. Needless to say, it was quite a failure.

3. McDLT

McDLT was quite a marvel during its time. The company sold it in a two-sided container- while the bottom part include the bottom half of the bread and the meat, the top part consisted of the other half as well as the tomato, pickles, lettuce, cheese and sauces. Those who were curious enough to buy it had to assemble it all together before eating it. You know what they should’ve done? Walked over to the nearest dumpster and binned it.

4. Arch Deluxe

This burger was meant for adults and the advertisements that were made to promote it showed children turning up their noses and walking past it. Ronald was also shown playing pool and golf- so-called adult sports. The burger was okay but not good enough to help the company earn profits.

5. McLobster

The name says it all. The company took some lobster bits, added tomato and lettuce and mixed it all up with some sauces. Let’s just say that it was not an attractive burger to look at. It wasn’t big enough to satiate the consumer who had to pay 5.99 dollars for it.

May it be a festival, an anniversary or any other occasion, presenting your loved ones with gifts is a very common practice. Gifts are for people of all ages and groups. Some of the items have been quite popular amongst the crowd and comes to our mind as the first choice when it comes to gift someone something special. Here is a list of top 10 items which have proved to be the most sought after gifts this year.

1. Nintendo Wii

Topping the list as the world’s most sought after gift is Nintendo Wii. This gaming system has been designed for people of all ages. The popular game titles such as “Wii Fit” are a do-it-yourself game simulation. Its popularity can be estimated by the fact that it has been rated as the most searched item on Google. The famous “MarioKart Wii”, can also be played using Wii. The Nintendo Wii has been priced at $250.

2. Wii Fit

Standing on the second spot is Wii Fit. This product is most searched for and is an ideal gift for anyone. The best thing about this video game is that helps players not to become couch potatoes as all the games are based on motion sensing technology. Apart from the “Wii Fit “disc comes a balancing board. While staring at the television you can perform various exercises like yoga and aerobics on the balance board.

3. IPod Touch

This is the latest offering by Apple and just like any other Apple product it has become the favorite among the crowds in no time. IPod Touch has become an outstanding alternative for those who like their existing phone or don’t want to pay heavy price for AT&T’s data plan. With a 32 gigabyte hard drive, it is the third most preferred gift.

4. Xbox 360

What do you think would make even a videogame nerd squeal? Xbox 360 Pro. The ultimate gaming equipment stands fourth on the list. The base model comes with a 60 GB hard drive and 500MHz graphics processor. With the Xbox Live you can even play online with your friend on the other side of the world. For those who are crazier about Xbox, there is Xbox 360 Elite which is much more powerful and also $100 more costly.

5. Nintendo DS

The Nintendo DS is part of an all new continuation in the original Game Boy systems, which have been the most popular handheld gaming systems. The Nintendo DS is quite different from its predecessors as it is equipped with a crisp color graphics and a battery life of at least of 6 to 7 hours. Along with this, the product also has a built-in wireless mode allowing players to chat and share games online.

These brand names and related products have made our lives so easy, it is difficult to imagine a life without them. In fact, some have become so common and regular in daily use that we forget the fact that they are specific brand names and not generic terms for that particular product.  Some of these will change as new generations come into prominence, since priorities and technologies change. But there are the top ten ones which have stood the test of time so far:

1. Coke

It is believed that after “Hello” Coke is the most commonly used word in English. It is the shortened form of the brand name Coca-Cola and is used to signify their aerated drink rather than the company itself. However, in common parlance Coke is name which is associated with all black aerated drinks (much to Pepsi’s mortification!)  It has spread its wings all over the world and most modern children and adults cannot visualize a world without it.

2. Cadbury

The term chocolate has become synonymous with Cadbury. One of the original chocolate makers in the world, Cadbury is based in the United Kingdom but is sold worldwide. Often you will hear children asking for a Cadbury rather than a chocolate – even though they may eventually choose to eat some other branded chocolate.

3. Microsoft

Was there a world before Microsoft?  Windows as an operating system for computers seems to have become an essential part of everyone’s lives. Worldwide, Microsoft has replaced Coke as the best known brand. It is now being given a run for its money by other operating systems, but it will be sometime before we remove it from its prime slot.

4. Google

Every internet surfer’s best friend – Google has transformed the world of research and knowledge gathering. There were search engines before it, but now searching for information on the internet has been termed as googling by some. Its amazing technological innovations have made life so much easier for all of us.

5. Xerox

This brand name is no longer in the forefront, but there was a time when all photocopying processes were known as Xeroxing. Even though they make many other products apart from photocopiers – somehow, since they were the innovators, they have become synonymous with photocopiers.

Let us take a close look at the interesting list Top 10 worst products which are generally considered as junk items.

1. Bottled Water

This product tops the list of worst products of modern times and it is an utter waste of resources and money. It banks on an extremely irritating marketing concept of being superior bottled water while we have easy access to safe tap water.

2. Sugared Cereals

What a stroke of genius of having to take something healthy and adding it with lots of sugar to become more appealing to the younger segment in the market.

3. Ab Machines

The massive commercials being resorted to has created a lot of misplaced notions about these supposedly amazing machines. Once we have tried it, these machines normally end up in our storage or in the garage and never to be used again.

4. Microwave Ovens

Despite being the symbol of modern day living, the microwave ovens have been responsible for the lack of decent cooking in most modern homes and even led to the emergence of “chemically-laden” ready meals in the food market.

5. Sleeping Pills for Children

The sleeping pill was introduced by Takeda Pharmaceuticals and has targeted pre-pubescent and pubescent individuals. They were able to devise a work around to US marketing laws in promoting the product without mentioning that there has been no test that was conducted to determine the effect of this product on children.