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  • Tech - News - Tech Companies
  • Updated: August 25, 2022

The Most Notorious Failures In The Technology Industry

The Most Notorious Failures In The Technology Industry

Google and Apple are indeed not associated with the word "failure''. But for various reasons, some of their products, which industry geniuses worked on for years, failed to live up to expectations.

Sometimes it was because of haste, and sometimes it was because of the CEO's ambitions.   

We find out what went wrong for industry giants and other promising startups.

Among these titles will not be andar bahar online, as this game is beloved by many users around the world. Based on Forbes and Business Insider. 

 

Google Glass

Google Glass is a pair of smart glasses with built-in features like a smartphone and computer, but with augmented reality elements. With this device, you can:

  • Record video and photos;
  • Use augmented reality (e.g., see Google Maps navigation and search engine in front of you, translate unfamiliar words);
  • Launch Google applications (e.g., Google+, Gmail) as well as third-party services like Evernote and Twitter;
  • Receive calls, record voice messages, and make live broadcasts.

At the same time, the innovative device was recognized as "the worst product of its time." 

Reasons for the failure
Conventionally they can be divided into two categories: technical and marketing. 

Even in the early stages of creation, the Google Glass product became a favourite of Sergey Brin - the founder of the company. He knew that the project was far from the final stage of development but decided to present it to the public anyway. In the end, because of the rush, Google released a touted but underdeveloped device to the market. Most users were disappointed and complained about:  

  • The weak battery worked from 3 to 5 hours (the smart glasses were supposed to be worn all day).
  • Lack of GSM module - using the Internet and cellular network via Google Glass was only possible if the device was connected to a smartphone.
  • Impractical and uncomfortable design users with glasses were not allowed into many public places (cafes, cinemas, or government offices). In addition, it was massive and unbearable.
  • Lack of independent adjustment of the glasses - you could only turn off the Wi-Fi and adjust the sound on your smartphone.
  • A dim display - it was almost impossible to see in bright light.
  • Headaches even after a short period of use.
  • Voice control bugs - glasses started to "obey" even without the OK Glass command.

But worse than technical mistakes were the marketing ones. The product was heavily publicized, and after its long-awaited release, the "warmed up" public felt deceived. Here are a few reasons: 

#1. Excessive hype. Google X Labs head Astro Teller himself admitted that artificially drawing attention to Glass was a mistake for the company. The product was already wildly popular long before the end of development.

#2. The product's unclear value to the user. The company failed to explain to customers why they need smart glasses. What tasks do they solve? How can they be used in everyday life? People had to determine the value of a new product for themselves - contrary to the rules of a successful advertising campaign. 

In 2017, Google relaunched Glass, but the smart glasses are now designed for business and industrial use. For example, warehouse workers can use them to view instructions and take control photos. The new Glass Enterprise Edition is indispensable when hands are busy and information is needed in real-time. These glasses even supported the sic bo game. In the U.S., they are used at Volkswagen and Boeing. Google has said that companies using Glasses in their operations have seen a 20-50% increase in efficiency.

Friendster
Friendster is one of the first and most popular social networks of the 2000s. It was initially conceived as a dating site. In the first three months, Friendster gained 3 million new users. But, unlike other dating sites, this one brought people together based on shared interests - friends had a better chance of becoming a couple.

On the platform, users played online games, exchanged messages, left comments, shared content, and posted photos. Friendster became especially popular in Asia - even at the end of its activity in 2011, there were 115 million users. 

In 2003, Google wanted to buy the social network for $ 30 million. Even LinkedIn founder Reed Hoffman was among the investors. So few people thought that Friendster had no future. 

Reasons for failure

Internal problems: 
Low-powered servers - the social network was not designed for many users. For two years, the pages were loaded very slowly, and there were bugs with authorization. Users began to switch to MySpace and Facebook.
The emphasis is on the promotion of their profile. Unlike Facebook, the developers of Friendster did not focus on a news feed to retain users. It was an entertainment service, not a social network in the current sense.
Many "fakes" emerged - fake profiles of stars, movie characters, and pets to accrue friends. Friendster had always encouraged an extensive reach of people, which ruined it - there were more fake accounts. The service tried to deactivate them, but it was too late.
Among external factors, the main one was competition with Facebook. Zuckerberg's product was gaining momentum then, and both social networks were fighting for the same audience - college students. Unfortunately, Friendster lost this battle: it worked slower and entertained more than socialized.

In 2006, the social network was already in decline. Soon the Malaysian payment company bought it for $40 million, but Friendster was not reanimated. Finally, in 2011, all user profiles were deleted, and the project was closed.

Apple Newton
The Apple Newton was the world's first handheld computer. Apple CEO John Scully called it "the personal digital assistant. But instead of being an innovative breakthrough, it ruined the company's reputation and nearly bankrupted it. 

The Newton looked like a tablet and had many innovative features. For example, it could recognize handwriting and transmit data over a distance via infrared. It also had a note-taking app and a phone book, indispensable features for a tablet at the time.

 

Reasons for failure

Specifications did not meet the inflated expectations of the audience:

  • Size - Newton was not compact as the developers promised. The tablet did not fit in any pocket, even though it was called a "pocket personal computer."
  • Poor handwriting recognition - one of the main functions of the device was underdeveloped.
  • The logic of "the more functions, the better" - the developers were tasked with combining an electronic notepad, a pocket computer, and a communication device in Newton. As a result, the device could not perform any of these functions perfectly.
  • High price - at the time, the Newton cost $900, which today is the equivalent of $1500. And that's the basic package, without the extra features that were paid for.
  • In addition to the technical reasons, there were also organizational ones. For example, due to unrealistic deadlines, the team worked under a lot of pressure and a lot of stress. One employee even committed suicide. As a result, Newton was still "raw" by the time of its presentation. In this case, the public was "heated up" to the limit - Apple promoted the novelty long before its appearance. 

The Newton project also had staffing problems: before the product's release, Apple lost two key employees. First, Larry Tesler, the head of the Newton team, left. And just a month before the presentation, CEO John Scully - the mastermind of the project - was fired.

After the failure of the product and Scully's departure, Steve Jobs returned to Apple. No one knows whether the iPod and iPhone would have appeared if Jobs hadn't been born to save the company from bankruptcy. Eight years later, Apple became the market leader in tablets with the iPad. Unfortunately, no one seems to have remembered Newton's failure. 

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