10 failed tools are now everywhere star-news.press/wp

Before they were in every home, some of the most important tools per day were technological artistic lines, which are very strange, very early, expensive or very bad.

In the nineties and early first decade of the twentieth century, the inventors and engineers dreamed of greatly, but consumer technology often fought to provide its promise.

Whether it is a robotic pet that did not love you, a vacuum that continued to select furniture or a digital currency that no one can discover how to use it, many of these innovations failed hard.

But failure was not the end. In most cases, these fluctuations have been planted for the tools that we now take from it.

This list reconsidates the initial models that laughed at the stores, showing how their basic ideas have come back, the best, cheaper and smarter.

1. Electrolux Trilobite → Robot Vacuum)

Electrolux Trilobite (2001) It was the first robotic broom for consumers in the world. Ultrasound and automatic ultrasound sensors included it – but it was short on the ability to use. He missed the corners, struggled with doors and often stumbled. It was out of reach for most 1,600 euros (about 1850 dollars today).

Why failed:

• Cleaning the ineffective edge.

• Repeated mobility errors.

• Very expensive for group adoption.

now:

Robot blanks are now impressive and smart. IROBOT’s Roomba J7+ AI and a front camera is used to avoid the chaos of pets and cables.

Roborock S8 Maxv Ultra Vacuums and MPS with Lidar.

Even EUFY ROBOVAC G30 provides strong performance and charts for rooms with less than $ 300.

2.

Visual Memory Unit (1998) The DreamCast’s strange SEGA addition was a small screen card that could show statistics in the game or play small games. It was fun but limited, thirsty for the battery, low on memory and greatly ignored by developers.

Why failed:

now:

Smart watches like Apple Watch Series 9 and Google Pixel Watch 2 offer a rich experience on the second screen perfectly integrated with your phone.

They support unsuccessful payments, fitness, media control, and even emergency alerts, making them much more than digital accessories.

3. Sony AIBO → Home Robot/Pet Robot)

The original AIBO Sony (1999) A robotic dog with basic sensors and movement capabilities was. He responded to vocal orders and displayed simulation feelings. But its price of $ 2500, repeated behaviors and the lack of real world function made it more modern than the comrade.

Why failed:

• High cost with a little benefit.

• More emotional interaction.

• There is no reform support after 2006.

now:

Modern home robots are divided into functional and emotional corridors. Amazon ASTRO and ELLIQ help in daily tasks and care for the elderly, while re -visualized pets such as AIBO (re -launched in 2018), LONA and Moflin now get to know the faces, respond with careful behavior and learn from interaction.

4. Nintendo Virtual Boy → VR)

Virtual boy (1995) The early Nintendo stabbing was in 3D games, using black red stereoscopic screens. Unfortunately, it had a poor work environment, and a limited library of only 22 games and caused eye and headache strain. It was stopped within a year.

Why failed:

• Neck strain and discomfort.

• Unleasted and weak UX graphics.

• Nausea and health warnings.

now:

VR headphones such as Meta Quest 3 and PS VR2 are full of full color screens, tracking and immersive content libraries. It is lighter, wireless, and useable at work, games, and fitness – offering Virtual Boy vision in every way.

5.

The At & T Eo Personal Communicator (1993) Among the first devices that combine phone, fax, modem, email and PDA functions. But it was weighing more than two pounds, cost up to 3000 dollars and was a weak battery life. It was launched early, and only about 10,000 units were sold.

Why failed:

now:

Smartphones are pressed today – such as iPhone 16 Pro and Samsung Galaxy S25 – with high -resolution applications and cameras, Amnesty International and fast internet, it makes EO look like a stone tablet device.

6.

Zaurus Sharp line, Such as SL-C3000 (2005)It was a rare breed: computers that depend on Linux in the size of the pocket with complete keyboards, pen inputs and developer elasticity. He was loved by Tech Tinkers, but he failed to reach the main current due to high prices (about $ 500 – $ 700), limited call and animal vehicle programs.

Why failed:

• Specialized Call: Very technical for ordinary users.

• Unreliable wireless support; Wi -Fi Clunky was.

• It surpasses the cheaper PDAS and early smartphones.

now:

Zaurus Legacy lives in the Raspberry Pi ecosystem. Raspberry Pi 5 and DIY NAS settings provide UNRAID or Trueenas huge flexibility to broadcast media, automation, or even home servers, all of them with less than $ 100 and called by vibrant societies over the Internet.

7. Pocket PC (Apple Newton → Tablet/Smartphone)

Messagepad Newton’s Apple (1993) It was a pioneer: a mobile device with the introduction of the pen and the handwriting. But she could not recognize the text reliably, the feature of most. It was huge, slow and expensive (~ $ 700), and soon became a joke for a bad reading of simple phrases such as “Al -Take” in the name of “white freckles”.

Why failed:

• It undermines recognition of the intermittent handwriting the basic stadium.

• Expensive and large for daily use.

• The life of the short battery and the limited contact.

now:

Today’s tablets, such as iPad Pro, Samsung Galaxy Tab, and Microsoft Surface, combine the insertion of the exact pen with pressure sensitivity, fast processors and cloud sync.

Hand writing applications such as Notibility and OneNote make blogging smooth. Newton aims to do in the 1990s, it is now dealt with effortlessly by elegant and powerful devices.

8. MINI (VMU’s Chao PET → Nintendo Switch/SWCHEM DECK)

Sega’s vmu (1999) Small “CHO” small games included playing while moving, providing an early mobile reaction associated with a console. But they were shallow, drain the battery and not restart.

Why failed:

now:

Portable games are now competing with full keyboards. Nintendo Switch and Valve Steam Deck AAA games play anywhere, with vibrant screens and real control units. Add cloud games such as GeForce Now or Rog Ally, and mobile games have become a fully environmental system.

9.

Smartcard with a value stored in Finland (1993) and David Chomsoum Digrikash (1990) provided early visions of the digital currency. Avant has worked like a prepaid discount card, while Digicash allowed unknown conversions. Both failed due to low demand, poor infrastructure and organizational road barriers.

Why did they fail:

now:

As of 2025, 134 countries (which represent 98 % of Global GDP) develop or driving digital currencies of the Central Bank (CBDCS). Examples include:

CBDCS is now used in social welfare disbursement, transportation and transfers, which represents a significant development in state -backed digital funds.

10. Air skillet (Farid Van The Wigs)

In the middle of the twentieth century, the Dutch inventor Farid van der Wige I built a massive homemade device To solve a personal problem: How to make crunchy potatoes without oil. It seems that the early air frying pan, made of wood, metal and aluminum network, looks like a scientific project in the backyard more than the kitchen device. It (barely) has succeeded, but it was not intended for mass production.

Why failed:

• Large and non -practical for home kitchens.

• Built from raw materials with misuse.

• The stage of proof of the concept has not yet developed.

now:

The airflow today is elegant, it should be a countertop. It can protect models such as Ninja Foodi Dualzone or Cosori Pro, baked, heat and dehydration, and often replaces the entire ovens.

They use refined thermal pregnancy technology, require minimal oil and come with prior settings, application integration and dishwasher baskets. What started as a giant wooden box is now one of the most popular kitchen tools in the world.

Which inventions in 2025 will you not put your money on?

The history of technology is full of wrong beginnings. However, even the most embarrassing tools and often contain a fragment of the future. It may be indispensable to what was indispensable in 1995 in 2025. Automatic assistants, virtual reality, CBDCS and wearable technology – were mocking in its early form, but their basic concepts proved to be flexible.

It is a reminder that innovation does not always reach its entire formation. Sometimes, it appears wearing red -fitting protective glasses, costing too much and broken after three days. But give him a few years and a few billion dollars of research and development and you may find it in your pocket, run your home or help you pay the price of coffee.

This article does not contain investment advice or recommendations. Each step includes investment and risk trading, and readers must conduct their own research when making a decision.