by Joe Doherty, IT World

Tech Fails of 2011: It’s Never Too Soon to Admit Defeat

News
Feb 15, 2011

The year ahead of us will see technology that no one could ever have predicted in 1950, but there will also be some spectacular failures.

This is the year 2011. Flying cars are commonplace. You can get a day’s worth of nutrition from one easy-to-swallow supplement. And, oh yes, Microsoft now owns planet Earth.

Ok, so maybe this isn’t exactly the future we predicted decades ago. That said, the year ahead of us will see technology that no one could ever have predicted in 1950. Smartphones that are as powerful as computers. 3D television. Touch screen tablets galore. But there will also be some spectacular failures.

tech_fails_4-100346061-orig.jpg

Instant custom in-ear headphones.

While extremely convenient, earbuds are, for the most part, uncomfortable. Sonomax thought of this and developed the Sonomax Soundcage. The concept behind these earbuds is having the flexible silicone buds form-fit into your ear canal. Normally, custom earbuds can take weeks to produce. The Soundcage can produce custom buds in seconds. The downside? These $200 headphones look really, really dorky.

Image from Sonomax

tech_fails_5-100346062-orig.jpg

Groom. Suck.

For the shaggy dog owner, buying a vacuum cleaner that can effectively suck up dog hair is something of a must-have. This question is for you dog owners: Have you…and be honest here…ever tried to vacuum your dog? You know, put on a brush attachment and give him a “pat” with the vacuum? I have tried that. And in the animal kingdom, there are few things scarier than a vacuum cleaner. My dog ran when she heard the vacuum…even before attempts were made to vacuum her.

Unfortunately, the engineers over at Dyson are not aware of canine behavior and have produced the “Dyson Groom”. I suppose we don’t need to further explain why this gadget will fail. Unless it also comes with doggie valium.

Image from Dyson