2015 saw some of tech’s biggest product launches. It was also the year of some of the industry’s biggest slip-ups. This article points out to 4 of the worst tech failures of the year.
Apple Music
The June re-launch of what was once Beats Music left people scratching their heads as it turned out, the final product was actually worse than its competitors. The recommendations are off-base and the interface is confusing. The cloud-based music library is a sore point. It further compounds the idea that Apple simply hasn’t cracked cloud syncing still. Apple opted to shoehorn the service into iTunes. It’s the bane of every Windows user’s existence, the Frankenstein of a software-package has lurched from upgrade to upgrade. It vacuums up features as Apple’s consumer electronics repertoire has gradually expanded.
ITunes tries to do too many things already and shoving a new service in does not help at all. Launching the service could have been an ideal time to revamp iTunes and would have all been slightly more acceptable if Apple Music actually did something new and interesting, but it doesn’t. It’s Spotify, but worse. There’s no free tier, no student discount and costs the same $9.99 per month as Spotify’s premium tier.
Hoverboard
They don’t transport riders safely. Reports have flooded in of 2015’s hot gadget literally catching fire. But YouTube is packed with videos of riders being flung from the safety of the boards. Overstock pulled the hoverboards from stores. And so did Amazon. United, British Airways, American Airlines and Delta have all banned hoverboards from flights. The National Association of State Fire Marshals (NASFM) has issued a warning to consumers. All this drama over a hoverboard that doesn’t even hover! Like really!
Google map maker
The tool was intended to let users update local map areas and along with Google Maps. It has been available since 2008. Until May 2015 serious issues weren’t there in the review process. An Android robot urinating on an Apple logo was spotted. Google Review Policy is crap. Another placed “Edward’s Snow Den” in the White House. Google pulled the plug before any more damage was done, and it wasn’t until August that the company felt comfortable bringing the tool back. Google Map Maker lets anyone add to and update Google Maps.
Apple TV
It took three and a half years for the fourth-generation Apple TV to arrive. And it still felt rushed. First there was the text input, which is a lesson in frustration for its users. Users are expected to hunt and peck along a giant line of letters. Even the Bluetooth keyboard support didn’t make it across. Even the remote app, which CEO Tim Cook demonstrated at the Apple Watch launch as one of his favorite apps, didn’t work with it. Then, there were the bizarre missing text entries in the software. Jeez!
No matter how much advancement in science and technology the world makes, it seems there’s always a fail not too far behind.
