In the digital world our devices help us a lot in many different spheres. Our work became easier, though it depends on the work. Our leisure time became more interesting. E can visit many different places by staying at home. So as if you intend to visit the casinos, you can gamble at TonyBet and win the jackpot. But not all devices became as successful as their developers wanted them to be. We have prepared a list of failed devices that nobody is interested in.
Instagram Frame
If in 2012 someone needed a photo frame, then it should show photos from Instagram. So the developers of Instacube decided: the frame is on the shelf, showing the feed, profile, or photos by hashtag.
How it all ended The developers overestimated their strength and could not start production on time. And then Instagram changed the API, and frames became useless. The Instacube software base had to be rewritten, and the release was delayed by a year. When the first devices came to people, they were disappointed: the display – the main detail of the gadget – was of terrible quality. It was fuzzy, glared in the sun, and had poor viewing angles. For both price and quality, the Instacube was just a bad Android tablet.
Mini Drone
The Zano mini drone is the sensation of the CES 2015 exhibition. The small quadcopter, which fits in the palm of your hand, flies on its own, takes high-resolution videos and photos, and then sends them to your smartphone. Everyone was talking about the mini drone until people started using it.
How it all ended Zano was useless. He flew no more than five minutes (and should not be less than 15), and he could neither follow the owner nor even hover in the air. The pictures that the drone sent to the smartphone were of such poor quality that it was not even worth trying to take a selfie with it. The developers were optimistic about the well-established production of 200 drones per day, and two months later they announced the liquidation of the company.
Smart Ring
In 2013, when wearable devices were just starting to be talked about, Indian developers decided to release a smart ring – Smarty Ring. It should work like a regular smartwatch. It should show notifications, switch songs, answer calls, search for a smartphone, and so on. True, only concept art with the device and a tiny display was presented on Indiegogo, but the developers did not explain how its functions actually work.
How it all ended The ring was not easy to assemble. A year after the promised release date, the developers showed the first prototype – a massive piece of metal that had nothing to do with concept art. A year later, another prototype was presented. It looked better but looked like a ball-bearing housing rather than a ring. Smarty Ring hasn’t been released yet.
The Smallest Gaming Console
A small, portable Android gaming console that fits into a flash drive-sized case and is stored inside a rectangular controller. GameSticks are brought to visit, connected to any TV, and played. The console was announced in the same year along with the Nvidia Shield, Ouya, and other micro-set-top boxes on Android, so it automatically made it to the list of expected products.
How it all ended You can omit the poor build quality, poor packaging (the box did not have the promised docking station), and a small library of games, where even free ones were sold for money. The main problem was the endless bugs. The controller behaved as it wanted: he traveled to the menu, increased the volume, and paused the game. It was impossible to use the console.