5 Pieces Of Tech That Never Took Off

We are all familiar with the popular technology of our time. Things such as smartphones, the internet and cars are all things that were developed over a period of time and have changed the way we live our lives on a daily basis. But what of the things that never made it that far?

For every piece of tech that you use daily there are dozens more that went out with a whimper without really making the impact that was expected.

So what happened to these failed devices? Why did they fail in the first place? Was it due to a lack of tech PR and marketing or just simply because the idea wasnâ??t that great in the first place? Letâ??s take a look.

Microsoft SPOTâ??

 

 

You may be forgiven for thinking that everything Bill Gateâ??s touches turns to gold but it seems that his Midas touch didnâ??t quite have the desired effect on this piece of technology. Microsoftâ??s plan was to install this Small Personal Object Technology (SPOT) into many of the household items that we rely on every day in order to make then even more helpful.

The product range included coffee makers that could tell you the weather and smart alarm clocks but never really got going. Microsoft sure gave the product enough tech PR; it was just quickly usurped by smartphones.

The Cat Translator â??

 

 

This Japanese invention was supposed to finally bridge the gap between feline and human communications but sadly it missed its mark by more than a whisker. I know what youâ??re thinking; why on earth did this never catch on? Well it might have had something to do with the fact that they priced it at 7095 yen which is around £50. Either that or the fact that itâ??s clearly the work of a disillusioned, crazy cat lady. But if the Furby can mount a comeback then why not this little beauty?

The Hovercraft â??

 

 

Now you might be thinking â??hang on a minute; hovercrafts are greatâ?? and to a certain extent you would be right but what if I told you that the only public hovercraft in use today takes you from Portsmouth to the Isle Of Wight. Iâ??ve taken that journey and trust me, youâ??ll want to stay on the island rather than take the return trip on the hovercraft; and thatâ??s saying something. If youâ??re thinking of doing a bit of tech PR on behalf of the hovercraft then perhaps you should try riding one first.

InteliData Money Clip â??

 

 

Tired of carrying around all those heavy credit cards and bank notes? Well this invention would have been perfect or you. The people at InteliData thought it would be a great idea if people could carry around all their payment details on a kind of classic 90s floppy disk, but the people soon told InteliData that this wasnâ??t the case. Nowadays we have things like PayPal which are a lot better but sadly not quite as retro.

Boiled Egg Squarer â??

 

 

This is probably the daftest and most pointless piece of tech on the list but it has made it through sheer audacity alone. I donâ??t know about you but Iâ??m fed up of my eggs always being round; even when you fry or poach them the pesky things still stay circular in shape. Well not any more (or at least that would be the case if this device had of caught on) as this piece of amazing engineering allows you to create a square hard-boiled egg. As for why it didnâ??t take oeuf; Iâ??m not egg-sactly sure.

Featured images:

•  License: Creative Commons image source
•  License: Creative Commons image source
•  License: Creative Commons image source
•  License: Creative Commons image source
•  License: Creative Commons image source

Chris Mayhew likes to keep up with the latest technology and is taking a look back on some pieces of tech that never really made it to the mainstream. He is working for marketing agency Eclat who enjoiy fruitful partnerships with many tech based clients.