- 5/24/2025
From exploding smartphones to fraudulent blood testing machines, the tech world has seen its share of spectacular failures. Join us as we explore the most notorious tech disasters that promised to revolutionize our lives but instead crashed and burned. Which of these failed innovations do you remember?
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00:00It came from the third dimension, with its own brain.
00:04Welcome to WatchMojo, and today we're counting down our picks for the times high-tech products
00:09encountered a fatal error. And I could write a comment too, I could just say,
00:14cool photos, and I don't know how to spell.
00:20Number 30. Apple Newton. The Apple Newton, launched in 1993, was ahead of its time as
00:26one of the very first PDAs, or Personal Digital Assistants.
00:30The idea behind Newton is that it's an assistant, something that actively helps you as you capture,
00:35organize, and communicate your ideas and information.
00:37The device was a trailblazer in its category, being the first to include handwriting recognition.
00:42Unfortunately, the feature was buggy, which combined with Newton's price and hefty size
00:47meant it didn't meet Apple's high standards.
00:49Newton is as powerful as a computer. Newton is as simple as a piece of paper.
00:53Ultimately, the device was discontinued, with CEO Steve Jobs pulling the plug in 1998.
00:59Despite the product's failure, it's still interesting to look back on a device that
01:03in many ways was a predecessor to the mobile iDevices of today.
01:06I'd say that Newton is really peace of mind, right in the palm of your hand.
01:10Number 29. IBM PC Junior. In 1984, IBM sought to expand further into the home computer market
01:17with the IBM PC Junior. The PC was intended to perform well with video games and compete with
01:22the Commodore 64 and Apple II PCs.
01:25PC Junior from IBM. The computer that's growing by leaps and bounds.
01:30However, IBM ceased production of the hardware in March 1985, failing due to its expensive price,
01:36in addition to lackluster compatibility and performance with software.
01:39Not to mention its fiddly chiclet keyboard, which IBM even acknowledged by replacing it
01:44with a superior model for free.
01:45There are picture instructions to help you get started,
01:48and special overlays to help you find the right keys.
01:51The home market didn't expand to the degree IBM and many observers thought it would.
01:55IBM CEO John Akers explained,
01:57You can run over a thousand programs with PC Junior.
02:00Number 28. Google Wave.
02:02Google Wave, known in later stages as Apache Wave,
02:06was a web app platform combining features like email, direct messaging, wikis, and social networks.
02:12Google Wave is a new web application designed to help you get stuff done with groups of people.
02:16It was criticized for doing too much at once, and for good reason.
02:19One of its most bizarre features was real-time typing,
02:22meaning that every keystroke you made was broadcast to others.
02:26Better hope you don't make any typos.
02:27If they're also online, they can start editing and replying in the wave,
02:31and you will see their typing live.
02:32After its public release in 2010,
02:35Google would soon announce that development was being passed to the Apache Software Foundation,
02:39with previously hosted content being deleted.
02:42Under Apache, the platform never achieved a full release before it was discontinued in 2018.
02:48So take some time to get to know Google Wave,
02:50and find out how it can make you and your groups more productive.
02:54Number 27. NextCube.
02:56While it was lauded at the time as innovative,
02:58featuring an optical drive, DSP, and an object-oriented program environment,
03:02the NextCube was not a major commercial success.
03:05The high-end workstation failed to compete with the sales of its competitors,
03:09such as the Apple II.
03:10The biggest innovation in the machine is a one-foot square
03:13that Jobs calls comparable to a big mainframe.
03:16Unfortunately, demand was low outside of higher education,
03:20financial institutions, and government agencies.
03:23The computer's high price tag did not help matters either.
03:26However, it does have quite the legacy.
03:28There are some distinct things missing from it,
03:30like, for instance, color and specific application software.
03:37What we now know as the World Wide Web
03:39was first conceived by Tim Berners-Lee on a NextCube in 1990.
03:43Number 26. iTunes Ping.
03:46With Ping, following your favorite artists and their music has never been easier.
03:50In 2010, Apple tried to merge the worlds of music and social media.
03:54A rare blunder for the incredibly popular tech company,
03:57Ping failed to gain traction because of its lack of features and integration.
04:01On the platform, users could follow their favorite artists,
04:04as well as what their friends were purchasing or reviewing,
04:06and what concerts they were going to.
04:08When they accept, you'll be able to follow and comment
04:10on each other's iTunes music purchases.
04:13Ultimately, the service didn't really serve much purpose
04:15if you had literally any other social media platform.
04:18So, it made sense when Apple replaced it
04:20with Twitter and Facebook integration in 2012.
04:23And it's that simple. It's a social network all about music.
04:28Make sense?
04:29Number 25. BlackBerry.
04:31New BlackBerry, huh?
04:32Yeah.
04:33Me too.
04:34BlackBerry was once a smartphone behemoth
04:36and was particularly popular with business professionals.
04:39Unfortunately, the phone, defined by an iconic keyboard,
04:43could not compete in a world that became too fascinated with touchscreens.
04:47Other issues, such as a lack of available apps,
04:49also contributed to its decline.
04:51BlackBerry's death rattle came in June 2010
04:53with the release of the iPhone 4.
04:55They eventually gave in
04:57and put the Android operating system on BlackBerry devices,
04:59but by then, it was past the point of no return,
05:02and the phones have now exited the market.
05:04And despite their downfall,
05:06these iconic phones will always be bricks
05:08in the foundation of smartphone history.
05:11Number 24. Microsoft Bob.
05:13Microsoft unleashed Bob on the public in 1995,
05:17an attempt by the company to create a more user-friendly experience
05:20for the Windows operating system.
05:22The software had a layout that was criticized
05:23for being simple to the point of being condescending.
05:26The user interface was displayed in the form of a house
05:29with rooms that could be entered,
05:31as well as cartoon characters who provided tips,
05:33much like Microsoft Word's iconic Clippy.
05:36And the assistant will then go and search the entire library of help topics
05:39inside of Office
05:40to provide a series of options back to that user.
05:43After pushing it hard,
05:44Microsoft still only managed to sell 58,000 copies of Bob,
05:48far less than the millions they had predicted.
05:51They gave up and discontinued Bob in 1996.
05:54Rest in peace, Bob.
05:55Be careful of the cat. Don't do that.
05:58Number 23. Virtual Boy.
06:00Long before the release of the Nintendo 3DS,
06:03the gaming giant initially tried to bring 3D gaming to the public
06:06with the Virtual Boy.
06:07Virtual Boy. See it now in 3D.
06:10It was an innovative console that was basically Nintendo
06:12experimenting with virtual reality all the way back in 1995.
06:16Sadly, it was not comfortable to use,
06:19and its variety of games was limited,
06:21with only 22 being released in the console's lifespan.
06:24Wait till they get a load of me!
06:28Its monochromatic red display also caused eye strain and headaches.
06:32Nintendo eventually had to face non-virtual reality
06:35and discontinued the Virtual Boy after only a year spent on the market.
06:39Virtual Boy. A 3D game for a 3D world.
06:43Number 22. Uber's self-driving cars.
06:46In all, there are dozens of these sensors, 20 cameras, 7 lasers.
06:50When you envision the future,
06:52driverless vehicles are certainly a staple image of a high-tech society.
06:56While progress on this technology has made significant strides,
06:59there have also been some major missteps.
07:02I've done literally nothing.
07:03I'm just sort of sitting here enjoying the ride.
07:05The rideshare app and transportation company Uber began experimenting with self-driving cars in 2015,
07:10but their trials came to a halt when one of their test vehicles was involved in a fatal crash.
07:15The accident, which occurred in 2018,
07:17was a result of negligence on the part of the safety driver,
07:20who had been looking at their phone as opposed to monitoring the road.
07:24Notably, this was the first ever incident of this kind involving a self-driving car.
07:28Uber has since sold their arsenal of autonomous tech to Aurora,
07:32ceasing their efforts.
07:33So this is the future.
07:35The future is here.
07:36Number 21. HP Touchpad.
07:39The HP Touchpad entered the tablet arena in 2011 to face off against Apple's iPad.
07:44It has a number of features that are designed to bring all your data together.
07:48But with its lack of apps and lackluster performance,
07:51it was a totally unfair matchup.
07:53In fact, the bout was a shockingly short one,
07:55with HP pulling the device from shelves after just 49 days,
07:59making for one of the fastest product deaths the tech world has ever seen.
08:03HP's touchpad sales struggled so much out of the gate
08:06that it almost immediately cut the tablet's price by 100 bucks.
08:09To be fair, not even Google has been able to compete with Apple in the tablet space,
08:13so HP never stood a chance.
08:15Maybe one day a genuine challenger to the iPad will rise,
08:19but we wouldn't count on it anytime soon.
08:21And we'll have a real good time.
08:27Number 20.
08:28Juicero.
08:29When it launched back in 2016,
08:31the Juicero press promised to deliver, quote,
08:33the best juice ever.
08:35Shut the door of the press.
08:37You will hear a lock after you close it.
08:39Well, at least for anyone who could afford the $699 price tag.
08:43Yeah, you heard that right.
08:44700 bucks for a juicer.
08:46Then again, it was Wi-Fi connected.
08:48Yay.
08:49Investors, including Alphabet Inc.,
08:51sank $120 million into the company,
08:54but slow sales led Juicero to reduce prices to $399,
08:59which is actually still really expensive.
09:01Then in April 2017,
09:03a Bloomberg story revealed a surprising discovery.
09:06You could just squeeze the juice packs into a glass,
09:08without paying $400 to have a machine do it.
09:11Humans are lazy, but not that lazy,
09:13and Juicero shut down later the same year.
09:17Number 19.
09:18Samsung Galaxy Fold.
09:20In 2019,
09:21foldable phones were supposed to revolutionize mobile devices.
09:25And maybe they still will,
09:26but the initial launch of the Samsung Galaxy Fold
09:29did not help argue the case.
09:30Artfully encased in its refined, durable body,
09:34fold spine articulates with the strength and precision of luxury timepieces.
09:40After the phone was unveiled in February 2019,
09:43people couldn't wait to get their hands on it.
09:45The first reviews were decidedly mixed, however.
09:48While praising the performance,
09:49reviewers criticized the device's overall fragility,
09:52in particular the plastic-coated screen
09:54and gaps that let in dust and water.
09:57CNET went so far as to describe the inside as,
09:59quote,
09:59toy-like.
10:01Not really what you want from a phone that cost $1,980.
10:05Pre-orders were canceled and refunded,
10:07and Samsung has since made improvements,
10:09but don't expect the Galaxy Fold to,
10:11quote,
10:12reshape the future.
10:13Number 18.
10:14Juju.
10:15I mean,
10:16it looks cool.
10:18Even before this tablet's launch in 2010,
10:21developer Fusion Garage was under a cloud of negative press.
10:24The device was originally the brainchild of TechCrunch founder Michael Arrington,
10:27who called it the Crunchpad.
10:29But Fusion Garage decided to just cut him out of the deal,
10:33leading to a massive lawsuit.
10:35When Fusion Garage released the tablet anyway,
10:37the Juju was universally panned for its criminal lag,
10:40five-hour battery life,
10:42and uncreative interface.
10:44Further criticized was its failure in portability,
10:46thanks to unwieldy dimension specs.
10:48Its elongated form isn't great for portability either,
10:51and as far as tablets go,
10:53the Juju is pretty big.
10:55As a result of poor sales and litigation,
10:57the Juju ultimately gave Fusion Garage their own short battery life,
11:01when the company filed for bankruptcy a few years later.
11:04Number 17.
11:05Sinclair C5.
11:06Marketed as a one-person,
11:12quote,
11:12electrically-assisted pedal cycle,
11:15this now retro-looking tricycle
11:16takes the shape of a pod
11:17straight out of an 80s film's vision of the future.
11:20A safe,
11:21reliable,
11:22pollution-free electric vehicle,
11:24which can be driven on the road by anyone.
11:27Designed with portability and space-friendliness in mind,
11:29the Sinclair C5 was advertised as an alternative to cars and bikes.
11:33That needs no license,
11:35no road tax,
11:36and you can drive whether you're 14 or 40.
11:39However,
11:40in the end,
11:41the C5 was impractical for consumers due to its low speed range,
11:44shoddy weather endurance,
11:46and awkward control scheme.
11:48This led to poor reviews and even poorer sales,
11:51and finally a cease in production less than seven months after its launch.
11:55It then notoriously became known as,
11:57quote,
11:57one of the great marketing bombs of post-war British industry.
12:01Ouch.
12:01For wet weather,
12:02there are side panels in a range of colors,
12:05and a designer-styled weather cheetah to keep you warm and dry.
12:08Number 16,
12:10Palm Folio.
12:11This is the beginning of a product family for us,
12:13and we can see it going in many directions.
12:15Designed to be what would have been the market's first netbook device,
12:19Palm's simple,
12:20slick,
12:20and ultra-convenient laptop was a complete failure at launch.
12:24Announced in 2007,
12:25this Linux-based sub-notebook
12:27was built to serve as a companion for Palm Trio users,
12:30featuring the same email,
12:31organizer,
12:32and web browsing software the phones were noted for.
12:34What we want to do is bring that large screen
12:37and full-cease keyboard
12:38to the data that's on your smartphone.
12:41A little over three months after its announcement,
12:43the Folio ceased further development
12:44following a multitude of negative reviews from critics
12:47and a drastic decline in the company's revenue
12:50in the face of the smartphone wars.
12:51When we started this company in 1992,
12:55it was based on a very simple vision,
12:57that the future of personal computing would be mobile.
13:00Meanwhile, in 2009,
13:01the Trio was replaced by the Palm Pre,
13:03which, despite initial promising sales,
13:05eventually led to Palm's acquisition by HP.
13:09In the future,
13:09people can have these very powerful portable computers in their pocket.
13:13Number 15,
13:14Orkut.
13:14Now you can share almost any page with a single click
13:17using the Share on Orkut bookmarklet.
13:20Named after its developer,
13:21this social networking site was founded on the same premise
13:24as every other one in existence,
13:25to stay in touch with family and friends.
13:27At one point,
13:28one of the most visited websites in America,
13:30Orkut appeared to be well on its way to replacing MySpace,
13:33which, in the mid-2000s,
13:34was a very big statement.
13:36However,
13:37as controversy began to stir around the site
13:39for its concerns with privacy,
13:40fake profiles,
13:41and hate group pages,
13:42the site dwindled in popularity,
13:44seeing a massive drop in active US users.
13:47This would lead the site to lose the battle with,
13:50well,
13:50every other social media platform.
13:52And eventually,
13:53Orkut was totally shut down in 2014.
13:55If you've never heard of Orkut,
13:57you're probably not alone.
13:59While the site did garner some success,
14:01the Economic Times reports
14:02a majority of the users
14:04were from Brazil and India.
14:06Number 14,
14:07the Apple Pippin.
14:08Apple is betting that the TV
14:09will be the preferred viewing device
14:11with a new approach to home computing
14:12called Pippin.
14:14When you think of classic 90s gaming,
14:16Apple doesn't exactly spring to mind.
14:18The Pippin technology platform
14:19was licensed to Bondi Company Limited,
14:22which advertised its Bondi Pippin model
14:24as a gaming console.
14:25However,
14:26they sold less than 50,000 units,
14:28so it isn't that surprising.
14:30Depending on your point of view,
14:31the system was either an overpriced console
14:33or a cheap computer.
14:35Stateside,
14:36the system offered just 18 titles,
14:38but it did offer players the opportunity
14:40to connect to the internet,
14:41or as it was known at the time,
14:43the net.
14:44Unfortunately,
14:45very few people had an internet connection
14:47up to the demands of online gaming,
14:49making the Pippin a pretty useless purchase
14:51and underwhelming experience.
14:54Number 13,
14:55Betamax,
14:56also known as Beta.
14:57Oh, what is that?
14:59This is the Sony Betamax.
15:01Long before the DVD slayed Laserdisc
15:04and Blu-ray crushed HD DVD,
15:06there was the first home video format war,
15:09Betamax versus VHS.
15:10You just select the channel you want,
15:12and with Trinitron,
15:14you get the best picture possible.
15:16Introduced in the U.S.
15:17six months after its release in Japan,
15:19Betamax involved a six-inch wide videocassette
15:21that was much smaller and lighter
15:23than its VHS counterpart.
15:24Initially,
15:25it drew attention with the console's
15:27home recording capabilities.
15:28With the Sony Betamax
15:29and the portable Sony videotape camera,
15:31you can do just that.
15:32You can record what you want,
15:34when you want,
15:34and watch what you want,
15:35when you want.
15:36Still,
15:37despite Betamax's superior image quality
15:39and smoother console engineering,
15:40it was ultimately VHS
15:41that was crowned the victor by consumers,
15:43mainly for its superior playing speeds
15:45and longer running times.
15:47It's the best family entertainment on television.
15:50One more shot, ma.
15:52Come on, smile.
15:53Number 12.
15:54Google Plus.
15:55You know, like,
15:56in your head,
15:56you assign everyone these roles,
15:58and, like, you think,
15:59you know, like,
16:00these are the people that matter
16:01and these don't,
16:02and then, like,
16:03once you, like,
16:03step back and get away from that,
16:04you realize,
16:05oh, these are the people
16:06that were actually there for me.
16:07As the company's fourth attempt
16:09into social networking,
16:10Google Plus was founded
16:11with a slightly different take
16:12on keeping in touch
16:13by allowing users
16:14to group friends,
16:16photos,
16:16and communities
16:17into circles.
16:18That said,
16:19it was basically Google Wave
16:21with a new name,
16:22new interface,
16:23and removed features
16:24in place of less-than-innovative new ones.
16:27In 2018,
16:28a massive security breach
16:29exposed private data
16:31from over 500,000 accounts
16:32on their website,
16:33leading Google to begin
16:35a multi-phase shutdown process.
16:37All applications connected
16:38to Google Plus
16:39were replaced
16:40by a new Google product
16:41called Currents,
16:42which in turn
16:42were later replaced
16:43by Spaces.
16:45Number 11,
16:46the Apple 3.
16:48Apple,
16:48a personal computer.
16:50Complete failures
16:51are quite rare,
16:52but Apple found a way
16:54to do the improbable.
16:55Replacing the Apple 2,
16:57the Apple 3
16:58was meant to push the company
16:59into the business sector.
17:00Instead,
17:01this faulty device
17:02led to near-financial ruin.
17:04Partially due to Steve Jobs'
17:06inflexible demands
17:07and instructions
17:07to not include
17:08a cooling fan,
17:10this device suffered
17:10from overheating
17:11and would break down
17:13after a couple of hours of use.
17:15This was particularly problematic
17:16since it was targeted
17:17towards businesses
17:18rather than hobbyists
17:20and enthusiasts.
17:21Software for the Apple 3
17:22was also scarce,
17:24and the computer
17:24got dismissal reviews
17:26right out of the gate.
17:27See?
17:28Number 10,
17:29Amazon's Fire Phone.
17:31With, you know,
17:32the flick of your wrist,
17:33you can get
17:33an additional menu.
17:35Following the astonishing success
17:36of their Kindle Fire e-book readers
17:38and Fire tablets,
17:39Amazon looked to further expand
17:41their Android-based
17:41Fire OS family
17:42by setting its eyes
17:43on the cell phone market.
17:45Announced as an AT&T exclusive
17:47in mid-2014,
17:48Amazon's take on the smartphone
17:50came with several neat innovations,
17:52including the
17:52dynamic perspective feature
17:54for apps and games
17:55and Firefly,
17:56a text, sound, image,
17:59and object recognition tool.
18:00It's almost like
18:01the world is a hyperlink.
18:03Nevertheless,
18:04the Fire Phone
18:04was met with
18:05underwhelming reception
18:06and sales.
18:07Oh, yeah,
18:08the Amazon Fire Phone.
18:09It comes with Amazon Prime.
18:10Tons of cool stuff
18:11for no extra charge.
18:12Really?
18:13Thus, it was quickly
18:14dropped by retailers
18:15and even pulled off
18:16of Amazon's own store
18:17the following year.
18:18Not so hot
18:19for a device
18:19with Fire in its name.
18:21Fire Phone,
18:22the first smartphone
18:23designed by Amazon.
18:24Number 9,
18:25DMARC Broadcasting Acquisition.
18:28Never even heard
18:28of this company?
18:29You're not alone.
18:30Anticipated by Google
18:31to grow from its
18:32$102 million purchase price,
18:35DMARC was supposed
18:36to be the brand
18:36that would finally get
18:37Google's stagnating
18:38radio advertising initiative
18:40to spread like wildfire.
18:42What helps me
18:42get up in the morning
18:43is the radio.
18:44However,
18:45wary of Google's dominance
18:46in online advertising,
18:48marketers and radio companies
18:49were reluctant
18:50to work with the company.
18:51So,
18:51the unit floundered.
18:52Despite being
18:53one of the more
18:54promising startups,
18:55Google's woeful integration
18:56made DMARC fizzle,
18:58even though remnants
18:58of it were eventually
19:00integrated with Google's
19:01AdSense program.
19:03Log in to your account today,
19:04create your first ad,
19:05and see what AdSense
19:06can do for you.
19:08Number 8,
19:09the backfiring clone licensing.
19:11It's a whole new world
19:12for Apple these days.
19:13Mac clones,
19:14a new OS on the horizon,
19:16fierce competition.
19:17With Microsoft
19:17dominating the PC market
19:19by licensing out
19:19their operating system,
19:20Apple tried to close the gap
19:22by doing the same thing
19:23with their Macintosh.
19:25The idea was to provide
19:26a cheaper means
19:27for consumers
19:27to get used to Apple's system.
19:29But the clones
19:29were often more advanced
19:31than the Macintosh computers.
19:32Unlike Microsoft,
19:34who were mainly into software,
19:35Apple's decision
19:36just resulted
19:37in an oversaturated market
19:38that threatened
19:39to leave them in the dust.
19:40With Motorola
19:41preparing to launch
19:42their Mac-based
19:43G3-powered StarMax 6000,
19:45Apple opted to stop
19:46the licensing program
19:47to save themselves.
19:48I went to the clone vendors
19:50and I said,
19:51guys,
19:51we're gonna go broke.
19:53Number 7,
19:54Philips CD-i.
19:56You'd probably feel
19:57pretty dumb
19:57and maybe even fake it
19:58like you'd already
19:59experienced the ultimate
20:00in games,
20:01movies,
20:01music,
20:02and more.
20:02As mentioned earlier
20:03on this list,
20:04the Apple Pippin
20:05Alright,
20:06and a Pippin CD
20:06will run on a Mac
20:07or run under Windows?
20:09Uh, that's right,
20:09it will certainly run on a Mac.
20:10And Nintendo's Virtual Boy
20:11were both dreadful
20:13attempts at a new console.
20:14Virtual Boy,
20:15see it now
20:16in 3D.
20:17However,
20:18the biggest
20:18out-of-character product fail
20:20is none other than
20:21Philips
20:21with their
20:22Compact Disc Interactive.
20:24Insert disc
20:25and close.
20:26Has anyone even heard of this?
20:28Panned for its graphics,
20:30game titles,
20:30and controls at the time,
20:32it has been consistently ranked
20:33as one of the worst
20:35gaming systems
20:35ever to be put on the market.
20:37This is CD-i,
20:39Compact Disc Interactive.
20:41Intended to,
20:42ahem,
20:43compete with 4th gen giants
20:44like Sega Genesis
20:45and Super Nintendo,
20:46the CD-i
20:47was ultimately
20:48a commercial failure
20:49that cost Philips
20:50to lose over
20:51a billion US dollars.
20:53I get it.
20:54This is cool.
20:54Why do I?
20:55So try serving.
20:57Number 6,
20:58Blockbuster Total Access.
20:59Hey,
21:00I don't have to wait.
21:01Created in response
21:02to the then-rising media empire
21:04that is Netflix,
21:05Blockbuster Total Access
21:06was built
21:07with convenience in mind.
21:08What if you're thinking,
21:09let's watch another movie
21:10right away?
21:11With Netflix,
21:12you mail them back
21:12and wait.
21:13Carbon copying
21:14Netflix's DVD-by-mail strategy,
21:16Total Access also permitted
21:17subscribers to return
21:18their rentals
21:19to a brick-and-mortar location
21:21in exchange for new titles
21:22in or out of their queue.
21:23Say hello to Blockbuster.
21:25They deliver movies
21:26right to your mailbox too.
21:27However,
21:28despite surpassing
21:29its subscriber quota,
21:30the program quickly failed
21:31because most independently-owned
21:33Blockbuster franchises
21:34declined to honor the service.
21:36You're just a mouse click away
21:37from a better way
21:38to rent movies.
21:39One major franchise
21:40even took the company to court,
21:42alleging that Total Access
21:43breached contract terms.
21:45Throw in a patent infringement
21:46lawsuit from Netflix
21:47and you've got quite
21:48the product-fail drama
21:49worthy of a film adaptation.
21:51Netflix was basically,
21:53you know,
21:54get what you want
21:55when you want it
21:56and knew that
21:57they would move away
21:58from the DVD business
22:00to the download video business.
22:03Number 5.
22:04Apple Maps
22:05Beautiful, beautiful maps.
22:08To compete with Google Maps,
22:09Apple released their own version
22:11in 2012.
22:13While things eventually improved,
22:15Apple Maps got off
22:15to such a rocky start
22:17that the company's CEO
22:18publicly apologized.
22:20The application's biggest issues
22:21included misspelled place names,
22:23an inability to differentiate
22:24from cities that shared names,
22:26out-of-date information
22:27about stores and places of interest,
22:29and completely wrong locations
22:31and directions.
22:32Pretty damning problems
22:33for a map app.
22:35Famously,
22:35the app left several users
22:37stranded in a hot Australian park
22:3940 miles from their intended destination.
22:41While Ireland's Ministry of Defense
22:43had to warn consumers
22:44that a non-existent airport
22:45was showing up near Dublin,
22:47Apple would eventually fix
22:48over 2 million errors in the app.
22:51So, yeah.
22:52Huge fail.
22:53Don't tell me this is Zune bad.
22:56I'm sorry, Gavin.
22:58It's Apple Maps bad.
23:00Number 4.
23:01The Zune
23:01So you can actually share your files
23:03with other Zuners.
23:05Zuners, is that a word?
23:06I'm not really sure.
23:07Even the world's largest computer company
23:09isn't safe from the occasional ouchie.
23:11What with its track record of flops
23:13that includes the Spot Watch
23:14and the Kin.
23:15Kin, a Windows phone
23:16born to manage your social life,
23:18living only on Verizon.
23:19But, who can forget the Zune?
23:21Despite impressive reviews
23:22from critics and users,
23:24Zune's entrance into commerce
23:25came at a time
23:26when its primary competitor,
23:27guess which one,
23:28had already established
23:29a borderline monopolized
23:31foothold in the market.
23:32It's so thin,
23:33it's so sleek,
23:34it's so lightweight,
23:36and it's perfect for you on the go.
23:38This, coupled with
23:39inferior marketing strategies,
23:40mediocre software support,
23:42and a lack of innovation,
23:43sent the Zune straight to Flopsville,
23:45with the devices pulled
23:46from production in 2012
23:47and the remaining services
23:49retired in 2015.
23:51Number 3.
23:52Google Glass
23:53Tap the touchpad
23:54to wake up glass.
23:56So far, we've covered tablets,
23:58laptops,
23:59and gaming consoles,
24:00but who would have ever thought
24:01that eyewear would find
24:02its way onto this list,
24:03and from Google, no less?
24:05Whatever happened
24:05to Google Glass?
24:07It's still out there,
24:08but you know what?
24:08Sales of Glass stop
24:10at the end of this month.
24:11Though certainly an innovative
24:12and dandy device,
24:14the Google Glass prototype
24:15was ultimately a failure
24:16for its not-so-wallet-friendly
24:17price tag.
24:18Lack of special features
24:19and the legislative actions
24:21it sparked
24:22due to privacy
24:22and safety concerns.
24:24Hey man, you almost here?
24:25I have no idea.
24:26Uh, dude,
24:27what happened to your face?
24:28I ran into a couple walls.
24:30Moreover,
24:31the product failed
24:32to impress most users,
24:33with many calling the device
24:35more of an intricate eyesore
24:36than a convenience.
24:37The display should be
24:38above your line of sight.
24:40Yep,
24:41just like that.
24:42Google announced
24:42they'd cease production
24:43of the prototype
24:44in early 2015,
24:45and though the company
24:46plans on continuing
24:47to develop it,
24:48Google Glass
24:49is one of the fastest
24:50product flops ever
24:51to be released,
24:52tech or otherwise.
24:54Number two,
24:55Samsung Galaxy Note 7.
24:57This is a phone
24:57that becomes part
24:58of who you are.
24:59Soon after its much-hyped release
25:01in August 2016,
25:03this phone was on fire,
25:05but not in a good way.
25:06Before launch,
25:07there was huge buzz
25:08around the Galaxy Note 7,
25:09with glowing reviews
25:10and record-setting pre-orders.
25:12Then the phone
25:13started exploding.
25:14The last thought
25:15in my head
25:15is that a brand-new device
25:17is going to burn down
25:19my car or my house.
25:21A manufacturing defect
25:22caused the batteries
25:23to overheat
25:23and burst into flames.
25:25As reports spread,
25:26Samsung was forced
25:27to order a recall
25:28in September.
25:29Talk about bad PR.
25:31But wait,
25:31it gets worse.
25:32Samsung replaced the phones
25:34only for the replacements
25:35to also catch fire.
25:37In October,
25:38they ceased all production
25:40of the Galaxy Note 7.
25:41The whole fiasco
25:42cost them billions of dollars
25:43and left their reputation
25:45in crispy tatters.
25:47Before we continue,
25:48be sure to subscribe
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26:03Number 1.
26:04Theranos' Edison Machines
26:05How do you fool investors
26:07at a $700 million?
26:08Apparently,
26:10just talk in a really deep voice
26:11and promise them a miracle.
26:13We've designed it
26:14to allow for the same operations
26:16that a technologist
26:17could do in a laboratory.
26:18Elizabeth Holmes
26:19was 19
26:20when she founded Theranos
26:21in 2003.
26:22She told investors
26:23that her Edison Machines
26:24could perform blood tests
26:25quickly and cheaply
26:26with only microscopic
26:28amounts of blood.
26:29You know the saying
26:30good, fast, cheap,
26:31choose to?
26:32Holmes claimed
26:33that her Edison devices
26:34did all three.
26:35There was no
26:36peer-reviewed evidence
26:37that they worked,
26:38yet she became
26:39a media darling
26:40and Theranos was valued
26:42at $10 billion.
26:44Well, guess what?
26:45The Emperor
26:46was not wearing any clothes.
26:47At the highest level,
26:49we didn't have
26:49the right leadership
26:50in the laboratory.
26:52The Edison Machines
26:53didn't work.
26:54Theranos was making up
26:55their profits
26:55and in 2015,
26:58a whistleblower
26:58brought the whole thing
26:59crashing down.
27:01Are there any other
27:01critical errors
27:02of the tech world
27:03that we missed?
27:03Let us know in the comments.
27:10Did you enjoy this video?
27:12Check out these other clips
27:13from WatchMojo
27:14and be sure to subscribe
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27:16about our latest videos.
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