Wasn’t there a hubbub about the Segway?
this post was submitted on 06 Sep 2023
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Huge.
Only a few people saw it, mostly CEOs and billionaires. They said it could revolutionize cities, which is technically true, as part of a larger transportation shift. But the rest of the public just heard 'this will revolutionize the world'. And they didn't do any focus groups or beta testing or anything outside of their own company, so they didn't have anyone telling them 'I'm not gonna pay $5k for a fucking scooter'.
And then they launched, and people started telling them 'I'm not gonna pay $5k for a fucking scooter'. And then powered skateboards became the Next Big Thing, and then some Chinese companies realized nobody wants to learn to skate just to get around so they put a battery and a motor on a Razor scooter and suddenly Ninebot blew the fuck up.
Then Dean Kamen (inventor of Segway) got killed riding one, and Ninebot bought what was left of Segway.
Oh man, I remember the hype over Segway. "It'll change the world!" Along with the secrecy, like it was nuclear fusion or something.
Ninebot really showed them in the end, by making something nearly as good for like 1/8th the price.
fwiw looks like Dean Kamen is still alive; it was another owner - the one who bought the company from Kamen - died in the accident. someone named Jimi Heselden apparently.
Til the dude who invented Segway died while riding a Segway. That tends to put an end to things quickly.
Nuclear for sure. Reading old science fiction from the '50s is pretty eye opening on what promise it appeared to hold.
In my lifetime, the Genome project. I'm sure a lot of good has come of it, and will continue to do so, but when they first decided to try to decode the human genome, the promise in the air was eradication of so many diseases, increased health and longevity to humanity, etc.
The Internet for sure. It went from something that would allow the entire world to access knowledge, be better informed, make the future a real meritocracy. Instead, we ended up with magats, vaccine-effectiveness deniers, and aggressive stupidity.
The human genome project has been very successful at progressing genetic medicine.
I am willing to accept the absolute worst of humanity on the internet, because we can also have so many amazing things that weren't previously possible.
Accessibility of information to the masses is incredibly important. Isolated populations can learn about the bigger world, get help, and share their experiences. Friends and families can stay connected. People can work together from anywhere, and create value as a team in ways that weren't previously possible. When I was a kid it was just a dream, and now we are living it.
This is true, a lot of people, especially some people from older generations like to talk shit about the internet and modern age (not just social media), and it's effects on us which can be bad but that also depends on the person, with good moderation, internet really is a dream come true isn't it? And we are living it.
Something we shouldn't take for granted for sure in a way.
The Genome project is very interesting for sure, and wow, I am learning a lot of knowledge from others here on this thread because there are some stuff that I had no idea existed before.
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The Metaverse, I guess? It's funny how living in a virtual world has been this hyped-up concept for decades and it finally comes out and it's just kind of...lame for lack of a better word. Maybe it's too early to tell, but it feels like the Web 3.0 Metaverse push hasn't lived up to the hype.
Aside from that, I'd say the Xbox Kinect. Maybe it's just me, but I remember that when the Kinect came out there was a lot of hype about how it was going to revolutionize how people played games. But I don't think we ever really got a Kinect game that lived up to that hype. To be fair, I remember a lot of articles of people doing interesting things with Kinect it's just that none of them really had anything to do with gaming.
Did actually think they would pull something off? It was all 100% advertising hype for a knock off VR Chat.
Back in the Windows 8 days, Microsoft tried to push Universal Windows Platform (UWP), a new application format that could run on any devices running Windows 8: desktops, laptops, smartphones, tablets and even Xbox without any modification while being much more secure by default.
It failed for a multitude of reasons:
- It was a big break from the previous application model. You had to rewrite everything.
- To improve security, it enforced many limitation that legacy apps did not have.
- While it was the only way to create and distribute apps for Windows Phone and Windows RT (a Windows 8 variant for low-powered laptops) their low market share did not incentivize developers to migrate to or create UWP apps.
- It was strongly tied to the divisive Metro UI of Windows 8. People already hated interacting with this part of Windows 8, they had no desire to install apps that would force them into this UI.
UWP still lives on in Windows 10 and 11 as well as in Xbox One and Series: many system apps are now UWPs, as well as all Xbox games and apps, some cross-devices games from Microsoft Studios and some apps in the Windows Store.
Maybe I'm a curmudgeon, but I hate using "apps" on my desktop machine. They're always designed to be friendly for touch interface and smaller screen size, and are terrible to use on my 30" monitor with a 1/8" cursor. I just want my menu bar, toolbar on the left, and status on the bottom, please and thank you.
I hate using most apps on my phone. It's not that I'm a curmudgeon. I'm a developer, and I don't see any good reason for so many damned apps when a browser works just fine.
You'll always get asked about apps whenever a new service or whatever is launched. Even here, there're people asking for a Lemmy/Kbin app.
The worst offenders are the ones who make their mobile site impossible to use so you will download the app. Unmovable banners, incorrectly sized floating menus, and features unnecessarily locked out unless you switch to Desktop mode or use the app. Guess what, I'm definitely not installing it now!
Nah, you're not. It simply is not possible to have a single UI that works just as well on both a touch-driven 5-inch interface and a pointer-driven 20-inch interface. Different input methods require different UIs. But publishers are lazy so they try to pretend you can.
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Google Wave
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The Commodore Amiga was superior to Mac and PC when it came out but unfortunately for the engineers, the business was run by cretins
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Dvorak keyboard layout, maybe
I wouldn't call the Amiga a flop, it just didn't survive. It was reasonably successful for a while.
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3D TV.
Let's be real: most of us knew it was a shitty gimmick.
Both times.
In the 1990s VR was right around the corner, but we didn't have processors, network, it displays we needed to make it happen. Thirty years on, we have the hardware we need, but it remains a niche/enthusiast technology. Motion sickness remains an issue.
Maybe that'll change with Apple's foray into AR.
We’re now running into the soft problems of VR. Things like the weight of the device, the hazards and downsides being disconnected from the real world, the lack of large indoor spaces, etc. are showing the weaknesses in the model of VR we envisioned.
Also, VR platforms are really tightly controlled. PCs got big because you didn’t need to use Dell or Gateway’s App Store to do things. Jail breaking is a thing but not for most people.
Until VR stops feeling like a brick strapped to your face and has true AR capability I don’t think it will get big. And it definitely won’t get big with a bunch of closed ecosystems.
Most people love their proprietary walled gardens. They just don't think like that.
Yeah that's certainly a good one, I am still wary of VR, due to how close it is to your eyes.
I am more hopeful about AR though because you are not locked into a virtual world and that extremely close screen to your eyes, it's basically like see through glasses with computer, hence I am guessing it might be better for your eyes than pure VR?
Cost is going to be an issue for a good while though, and I still don't think they will ever replace or be as big as phones, as some believe it could be, the portability is just unbeatable with smartphones (flip phones making that aspect even better), although maybe AR can compete with computers more?
I'm personally skeptical but a very interesting and futuristic sci-fi tech for sure.
Touchscreen interfaces on work/desktop computers. Twice even! Once in the 90s when touchscreen hardware became cheaper to make, then again around 2010 with Windows 8 and Steve Sinofsky pushing the "everything has a touchscreen interface" approach that bombed horribly.
The fediverse is working on it. Shame, really. Wonder if Reddit's going to do any more stupid shit soon.
It's gonna take a few more self destructive moves by reddit, but we are getting there. I'm always low key suprised reading people here talk about their reddit accounts. 😂
Just leave!
Not considering vaporware or failed products (e.g. Eolo car):
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The Esperanto language. (Yes, I'm old)
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NFTs.
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Blockchain. Yes, it has its use, but it's not the pervasive, all-use game changer it was claimed to be.
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Sony Betamax. Pity because it was better than VHS.
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New Coke. Nuff said.
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I know the metaverse has been commented, and this overlaps, but I'd say VR as a gaming format. I remember all this hype in the 90s - Virtual Boy for example. Now we basically have the tech - like say playstation VR - but it's still really such a niche thing without mainstream traction.
And since i'm in that zone - wearable AR devices like Google Glass, snapchat spectacles, apple vision. I like the idea of having access to a giant screen in a small space but I'm not gonna wear it to my niece's birthday.
VR has been in this perpetual state of having awesome promises but never managing to actually deliver. It requires so many interconnected parts, which in turn need to miniaturized so extremely, that every iteration seemed like a let-down in many ways, or straight up unaffordable for the masses.
I’m speaking as someone who only tested VR devices ones, but has been keeping an eye on reviews and releases since the first oculus was announced. Frequently, I was excited about the possibilities, then disappointed at the product. Even that is just a tiny part of VR history.
Issues of low resolution, low or inconsistent refresh rates, or even any movement in VR at all, causing increasing amounts of nausea for many, will keep it a niche product for a while yet. Even with everything from trackers to powerful computers becoming cheaper by the month, a satisfying experience requires too big an investment in time and money for people to just try it out, imho.
Personally, I think the VR-future will be here once it becomes a normal work and gaming device. Apple’s Vision might finally deliver, but with a starting price of $3500, it will remain niche. Immersed’s announced headset will probably deliver for working in VR, replacing monitors and even acting like a low-end work machine. Wouldn’t be surprised if it costs up to $1500, though, which also stymies large-scale adoption.
Most of these issues come down to insufficiently advanced tech.
We're just now getting to the point where advancements in display and lens technology make it possible to get rid of the screen-door effect at no cost of clarity or FOV, for instance. (Varjo XR-3)
I think 2 major things need to happen for VR to be truly mainstream;
-Size needs to decrease, which increases comfort, so it no longer feels like strapping a toaster to your face. (Bigscreen Beyond)
-More quality content needs to be developed for VR.
PC gaming is mainstream as hell, and people easily spend over $2K on hardware, so I think price is kind of irrelevant (to a point) if people can shift the majority of their desktop gaming, and comfortably spend 10+ hours in VR.
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Intel Itanium was going to take us into 64 bit computing, starting at the high end and working its way down to home pc's.
and then AMD walked in with x86_64 like "what up i got a fat cock and it's backward compatible with all your old code" just 2 years later.
Tulips.
Tulips might be down, but don't fret, mate! Just like in the crypto game, those vibrant petals are gonna bloom and reach for the sky again 🚀 HODL those tulips, and you might be sippin' tea in a garden of riches! 🌷💰
Beanie babies for your retirement.
Personally, I don’t think the Nucleon meets the criteria for being a “flop”. It was just a concept. They didn’t even build a full-size prototype, never mind a production model. By my own definition, the car can’t really be called a flop because there weren’t ever any attempts to sell it.
Cars I do consider flops were the Pontiac Aztec, and if we want to stick to Ford, there’s always the infamous Edsel.
The Nucleon was definitely an oddity, though, and it’s an interesting piece of automotive history. Thanks!
The Aztec was such an ugly but really nifty beast.
Yeah. I especially liked that tent. Looks notwithstanding, it does get points for clever ideas.
Did it actually have disproportionately small wheels, or did the design just make it look that way?
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Minecraft earth kinda got ruined by covid
Minecraft legends development is ending
Minecraft story is unavailable to get (without pirating it)
Hytale might be the only game that will take longer to release then gta6
I mean, depending on your definition of 'supposed to be,' one could argue that the Juicero was, amidst a sea of devices and peripherals obsessed with getting a piece of the action on the Internet of Things, poised to revolutionize the way the home consumer juiced their fruit and veg. It's not even all that difficult to imagine the pitch those responsible might have led with: "No more squeezing, no more cleanup, just fresh-pressed juice delivered to you weekly at the push of a button."
For those readers who don't recall the Juicero, here's what was wrong with it:
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For starters, it was way too expensive. If I told you all this thing did was take a bag of fruit chunks and squeeze it out of a spigot, how much would you think such a device would set you back. $40? $60? $100? Try $699. They did later lower the price... To $399.
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But surely this marvel of engineering would justify the ludicrous price tag, I hear some of you say. Yes, this wondrous device was capable of a great many things, including... Pressing two plates slowly together to crush chunks of fruit and squeeze them out of a bag. And... Well, that's really the whole deal. But certainly not, say, something you could easily do by hand, and save yourself half a grand.
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Actually, I lied about the above part - it was capable of a few other neat things, when connected to the Internet. Well, it required an internet connection to work, so, hope you have that in your kitchen! But it offered so much more than squeezing juice bags slightly better than human hands. It could tell you if the juice bag was expired! Or there was a safety recall! Or a non-juicero brand! And refuse to squeeze the bag in any of those cases.
Obviously, the thing flopped, hard, in one of those rare cases where consumers by and large realized "Hey, this thing is really fucking dumb!" But it called out to a much larger issue, where Silicon Valley entrepreneurs were fetishizing the possibility of the Internet of Things, with similarly ridiculous products shoehorned with 'smart' capabilities. Smart shoes, smart salt shakers, smart umbrellas, the whole fucking nine. Everyone obsessed with collecting data and offering minimal benefit to users in exchange. And the worst part of is, they didn't really make money on the Juicero itself, so over-engineered it was. The long term goal was to charge for subscriptions of overpriced juice bags, at $5 a glass. It was a preview of things to come, I suppose.
I remember they tried to use the environmental angle for marketing. They claimed that they were making use of discarded fruit pulp that would have gone to waste.
But of course it was actually an efficiency nightmare. They shipped the pulp to their factory, then shipped the weight of the pulp plus juice to the customer, who would then throw out half the weight of each package.
It would have been way more efficient for them to just buy the pulp, squeeze it in industrial quantities and sell bags of juice like some trendy health thing. But of course then they would have been a juice company instead of a tech company, and juice companies don't get as much venture capital.
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