There are few things as frustrating as trying to create something new and successful and then watching it hit the ground running, only to have it all fall apart before your very eyes. And that’s exactly what happened to the iPod headphones in 2003. The result? A failure that left Apple scratching its head and hiring developers to come up with better solutions for the next generation. Let’s take a look at five other gadgets that failed in their use or conception — but are still plentiful on our shelves today.

The iPod Shuffle

The iPod Shuffle was a lofty goal for the original iPod, and it lived up to the hype in a big way. The Shuffle, which hit store shelves in 2003, was a 16 GB MP3 player that players could slide into their pocket to take with them on the go. It was rechargeable, had an included 8GB SD card, and was just 15 bucks — making it the perfect gift for any music lover. The shuffle feature on the Shuffle allowed users to play any song in any random order. It was one of the first consumer electronic devices to incorporate a flash-magnetic-disk drive-based music player. Fast forward to today, and Shuffle players are still being sold, though in a few different sizes, as well as different models with different storage options. In addition to its originality and popularity, one of the Shuffle’s main selling points was its portability.

The Video Game Consoles of the ‘90s

The Video Game Consoles of the ‘90s was a unique line of gaming systems that used light sabers as controllers to play action games, especially Jedi Knight. The NES, SNES, and Genesis were all available as video game systems, but the light saber controls proved to be the most popular among Star Wars fans. One of the most memorable features of these devices was the light saber battle mode, which allowed players to fight against computers or up to three other human players in real-time. Unfortunately for the gaming community, the technology needed to make this a reality was beyond the grasp of many at the time. The NES’ built-in controller only had four buttons, the SNES didn’t come with a light saber grip, and the Genesis only had four buttons.

3D TV Technology That’s Here to Stay

Traditionally, video gamers have avoided the idea of 3DTV, referring to it as “virtual television.” However, recent advancements in display technology have made it possible to display 2D videos in 3D. Even with the advent of 3D television, there’s still a lot of room for improvement. Currently, most 3DTV sets feature a transmissive glass panel that lets light shine through it, producing a 2D image. This glass-on-a-stick design is not only costly but also limits the display to a somewhat static image. In addition, it’s expensive to produce and requires a special 3D light source. Plus, it’s impossible to create a 3D image on a 2D screen.

The Smartwatch of Today

The first smartwatch was the Apple Watch, which came out in 2014. While many consider the Apple watch to be a failure, it’s a great success in another way: It’s inspired several other wearable device manufacturers to launch their smartwatches. The Apple Watch is the most luxurious smartwatch on the market. It’s also the most expensive, with a price tag of around $2000. However, the watches made by other companies have a much cheaper price tag, and they’re often available for less than the Apple Watch. The smartwatch market is still very much a developing industry, and many of the devices on the market are being developed as fitness trackers or medical devices. As such, the features and designs of smartwatches are still changing, and it’s difficult to predict how long this technology will remain relevant and popular.

Gadgets We’ll Never See the Light of Day

There are a lot of gadgets and devices that have been promised to the public and then were never brought to fruition. Many of them were technologies that were once highly promising but were abandoned by their inventors. These might include things such as the: Color TV of the ‘50s Telephone that Could Talk to Satellite Dish That Could Connect Home Units Wireless Remote Control for Home Units Radar that Could See Through Walls Hearers that Could Read Body Electrical Signals Brain Implants That Could Make Humans Smarter And, of course, the: Telephones That Could Be Used as a Handicap Device Eyes that Could Read Wires and Signals Telephones That Could Communicate With Other Telephones

And, finally, Let’s Not Forget About WatchOS 2

Finally, there’s WatchOS 2. This is a new operating system that is being developed by Apple to run on watches made by various manufacturers. It will continue to be developed and released under the watchOS brand. As of now, there is no release date for WatchOS 2. The smartphone industry has changed drastically over the past few decades. New technologies and innovations have come and gone, but some technologies are still with us today, and they just keep on going. The iPod Shuffle, the Video Game Consoles of the ‘90s, 3D TV Technology That’s Here to Stay, the Smartwatch of Today, Gadgets We’ll Never See the Light of Day, and WatchOS 2 are just some of the Tech We Missed in the ’90s. What tech gadgets and devices from the 1990s are you waiting for? Add yours to the list.

Conclusion

The ’90s were a trying time for technology, but some tech products managed to survive and thrive in their respective environments. Some of them even saw their technology evolve to become even more advanced. With that in mind, here are five tech gadgets that failed in their use or conception, but still failed in their use. They may not have had the staying power of some of the more successful products of the ’90s, but they were worth a try.