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33 Things That Looked Like The Next Big Thing But Were Very Quickly Forgotten
You can’t always guess what the future will hold. But you can bet your bottom dollar on one thing—there’s bound to be a whole bunch of tech breakthroughs that seemed incredibly important at the time only to have been left by the wayside.
Our team here at Bored Panda has spelunked into the darkest corners of the net to find you some of these tech innovations that seemed so amazing just a handful of years ago but which sound bizarre, hilarious, or even useless now. Check them out below and, as you scroll down, upvote the pics that you liked the most. Got a strong sense of nostalgia? We’d love to hear all about the tech you remember the most fondly, so be sure to write us a comment or two with your thoughts.
Bored Panda chatted about the future of technology and work with Aaron Genest, an expert on labor in the tech and innovation industry. Aaron, who is an Applications Engineering Manager for Siemens Software and the President of SaskTech, said that making accurate predictions about what tech and devices will be long-lived and stand the test of time is a very difficult thing to do. Difficult... but not impossible.
"I'd argue that most people underestimate the timelines necessary to produce the technological goods on which we rely and the investment made to allow them to exist. By looking 'upstream' in that investment space, we can have a pretty good idea of what whole industries are betting on," he said. "For instance, it takes almost two years to develop and produce a computer chip and get it to market for a phone, and five years to get something into a new kind of car. So if we want to have a sense for what, for instance, the gadgets in our cars will look like in 2026, we just need to look at what the car manufacturers are asking their suppliers to design today."
This post may include affiliate links.
#1
The Motorola Razr. Still The Coolest Cell Phone To Be Produced
RELATED:
#2
See-Through Electronics
Lauren Caswell 4 years ago
Hah I had that gameboy. The day I got it I was so excited I almost exploded
#3
Batteries That Let You Check How Much Energy Was Left
Aaron, a manager with Siemens Software, noted that if the industry is investing billions and billions of dollars into certain kinds of chips of technologies, like 5G, the odds are that they'll be around long enough for the companies to recoup their investments. The tech and innovation expert said that prognosticators and 'futurists' make bets based on these upstream industry trends, rather than "on some crystal ball they hide in their robes."
What's more, Aaron shared with Bored Panda how the Covid-19 pandemic has been shaping the job industry and what the future of work might look like. "Many companies, including mine, started a conversation about the future of work as the result of Covid. Siemens has a new and permanent policy where workers can work from home for a few days a week where their job permits. My entire site will adopt this, allowing us two days a week at home and three in the office. I'm sure we're not alone," he shared how Siemens is approaching the situation in a flexible way.
#4
The GE Alarm Clock That Everyone Seemed To Have
Ray Ceeya (RayCeeYa) 4 years ago
Hotels used those a lot and as time went on they ended up in thrift stores when the hotels upgraded
Ivana 4 years ago
Oh dudes, so a friend of mine and her brother were talking about pot one day and their parents walked in. My friend, without skipping a beat says, "And that is why they call it a clock radio; cause it's a clock and a radio." In a way that made it so obvious that she was talking about something far more scandalous two seconds prior. So from that day forward, when I want to make it clear I was just talking about something I didn't want you to hear I say "And that is why it is called a clock radio; cause it's a clock and a radio." Everyone instantly knows you were talking about something else and it is magic!
Daniel Marsh 4 years ago
They came in the mail with Frampton Comes Alive. No seriously... they didn't come with Frampton Comes Alive, but they did comee with mail promotions.
Panda-riffic 4 years ago
I was going to say ... WAIT NOW... you got freebies with FCA? The guitar god Peter Frampton?? :-)
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Laurie Ostergaard-Overbey 4 years ago
damn! still have this one too!! they used to make stuff to LAST
Sheryl Thompson 4 years ago
I'm hanging my head in shame , we've still got one , & it plays cassette tapes.😂
Ashley Conover 4 years ago (edited)
Parents did. This was on my dad's side. In my mom's later years, Alzheimer's, I had to set the alarm on a different alarm clock because she didn't know how to anymore.
Darlynn Margrave 4 years ago
This IS our alarm clock. Been together 46 years. I think it was a wedding present.
Jenny Faulls-Gash 4 years ago (edited)
sleep promoting !!! way better than white,blue or green light clocks or checking your cell !
Jenny Faulls-Gash 4 years ago
Its the best still !!! the red light reduces issues with Melatonin loss apparently that bright white,blue,green light clocks cause...our entire house is red for helping sleep
Thomas Pilley 4 years ago
Once you turned a certain age this thing just showed up at your house
Stephen Hutchison 4 years ago
I just recently had to throw mine out -- it stopped keeping time, strangely enough.
Kelly Hartle 4 years ago
I had one that made this seem revolutionary--the numbers were printed on plastic and flipped whenever the time changed. The noise kept you up all night.
Kris “ADHD_Carrier” Dudoich 4 years ago
Yep, I totally had one of these! I mean, they're not super stylish but they're completely functional.
Dale Overturf 4 years ago
Still have one. Can’t count on a phone to wake me up. Old and reliable.
John Otruba 4 years ago
we bought our own in a Retail Store seeing these were before there was an online to shop with
Sheila Stamey 4 years ago
I love these. They are the nokia phones of the alarm clock world. My cat learned to turn the alarm off on mine so he could sleep in.
Jerry Conaway 4 years ago
Holy s**t. I still have this clock. I have tried many times to find a replacement, but I just can't seem to find one with such personality.
Rick Seiden 4 years ago
Still have it. I broke a year or two ago, so I opened it up, found the loose connection, soldered it back together, and it's still going. I think it's 30 some years old now.
Anna Farrugia 4 years ago
We have one from the 80s and still works we just don't use it anymore
Patty Squarepants 4 years ago
I have one very similar to this and it's almost 35 years old. Still works like new.
Jo Chrisco 4 years ago
They were fantastic. I think these had a place for C batteries in case you lost power....or was it the flip clock from Groundhog's Day?
Leodavinci 4 years ago
Still have mine. Still works. Don't need it really, but it's still there on the dresser.
Bama Belle 4 years ago
I have one that I bought at a thrift store almost 20 years ago. It was old then. Still works great.
Stefaan De Clerck 4 years ago
I still have one of these ... and still using for over 20 years now.
François Carré 4 years ago
Maybe I'm old, but I can't see anything obsolete there. I actually have an alarm clock with the same functions, but not that cool esthetically. Well, yes, I don't use my phone as an alarm clock because I don't like the idea of sleeping next to my phone, that's why.
AzKhaleesi 4 years ago
I loved mine, fell asleep to the radio every night and wherever it is now, it probably still works.
William Teach 4 years ago
I still have something similar. The light is very soft, not enough to really provide light in bedroom, but can look over and see time if necessary while in bed. Also, backup alarm.
Mark Johansen 4 years ago
Now that I think is a fascinating case study. I use my cell phone for my alarm clock now because my cell phone is a better alarm clock than my alarm clock. My cell phone can have an alarm that only goes off on certain days of the week, I can have multiple alarms, I can create a temporary alarm for one time use while keeping my regular alarm (like, I have to get up early tomorrow to catch a plane but then I want to go back to my usual schedule), etc. Why couldn't they make alarm clocks with all these features? I suppose part of the reason is that cell phones already have the sophisticated touch screen interface and the ability to produce sound. I suppose it's not that hard to add some software to make it work as an alarm clock. A lot cheaper than adding a touch screen to an alarm clock.
#5
TVs With A VHS Player Built Into Them
#6
Phones With Internet On Them In The First Place
Lauren Caswell 4 years ago
And it was the "internet", so pointless and hard to use, not just like a web browser
Meanwhile, plenty of companies are open to having 'permanently remote' positions. "This was starting pre-Covid, but is now gaining steam and I'm aware of several people in my 'remote' community of Saskatoon who have accepted permanent positions, working from here, with teams based in other provinces or countries," the expert shared.
Aaron believes that this trend of working remotely full-time is here to stay, even if the pandemic is brought under control. "There are huge advantages in tech to having access to a global workforce without having to provide a global infrastructure. This is very different from offshoring, by the way, but will have (in my opinion) as profound an impact on the way we do business and the way our labor force is constructed."
There's a practical aspect to wanting to work from home (at least part-time) in the future, too. Lots of employees have invested sizable sums of money into creating good working environments for themselves at home. That includes purchasing electronics and furniture to make working remotely as comfortable and efficient as possible. Naturally, those who have made these investments want to continue using those spaces.
#7
Cassette Tape That Let You Connect Your iPod To Your Car Stereo
#8
Digital Mp3 Players With These Songs
Lauren Caswell 4 years ago
Stripped down to nothing because it made them have less data, this was annoying if the song was like that. Only vocals and basic instruments, lots of the track was pared away. Or if you had the song intact, massive file! Mind you I can remember a mb of data being 'huge'
#9
Remember When Laptops Used To Have That Little Rubber Cl!t For A Mouse?
Nobody can deny that the pace at which technology changes is incredibly fast. So much so that some of us (e.g. me) get left behind, clinging to what’s familiar, safe, and doesn’t require us to feel like we’re already pensioners. (No shade on pensioners, though—most of the ones I know are better at adapting to new tech than I am!)
Ramona Pringle, the Director of the Creative Innovation Studio and Associate Professor at the RTA School of Media at Ryerson University, told me all about the changes in tech during a previous interview with Bored Panda.
“We don’t know what the future holds, and anyone who says that they do is selling snake oil. But, there are certain things we can count on: we love stories, and we love to be part of something bigger than ourselves. Be it oral storytelling, books, blogs, movies, or video games, we’ve never lost our love of narrative,” Pringle told Bored Panda earlier.
#10
Portable DVD Players
#11
Watches That Lit Up Blue
#12
Netflix's DVD Service
Lauren Caswell 4 years ago
A great save by netflix: they changed as tech did, which blockbuster refused to do/admit
“Equally true, even when we can’t go into a concert hall or colosseum, we look for ways to be together, connected, and part of a communal experience. The tech might change, but these will continue to be the drivers of our entertainment experiences,” she said that entertainment and connectivity will most likely continue to drive changes in technology in the future.
According to Pringle, over the next decade, we should see big changes occurring in the entertainment tech industry. “Immersion and interactivity have long been goals for creators and media makers when it comes to how technology can influence entertainment,” she said.
#13
Those Backwards Seats In Station Wagons
#14
Movies On An iPod With A 2-Inch Screen
Lauren Caswell 4 years ago
But it was so hi tech! Just before the iPhone kicked flip phones to the kerb
#15
That Singing Fish
“For the last decade, we’ve leaned into virtual reality because of how it enables both of these. We can step inside a world and have influence over it, and the story or experience that unfolds. I think one of the things we can expect moving forward is, in a sense, the opposite of virtual reality. Instead, more of an enhanced reality or fictional reality, wherein the entertainment isn’t in a headset, but instead, all around us,” Pringle highlighted what we might see start popping up with more frequency over the next few years.
#16
Cd Players That Held Multiple Cds At Once
#17
CD Players With 45-Second Skip Protection
Lauren Caswell 4 years ago
So you had 45 seconds of song, then skip! Mine could play well if i didnt move or breathe
#18
Old School PC Microphones
Ray Ceeya (RayCeeYa) 4 years ago
My current mike looks like one of those, but it's black and actually sounds good.
“A decade ago, we didn’t talk to robots. Today, many of us do. Siri and Alexa are some of the more common bots, but we already interface with non-human characters regularly. As technology advances, including augmented reality and mixed reality, I think we can expect that entertainment will be something we can engage with off of the screen, but out in the world, with characters and stories we can engage with throughout the day, or throughout our houses,” the researcher said.
#19
Pagers Are Now Collecting Dust
#20
Thick Big Screen TVs Only Rich Kids Had
Lauren Caswell 4 years ago
That's not just coz of price it's coz crt tv screens had giant backs and weighed a ton, so u needed the big house to go with it
#21
Car Phones
How we engage with one another will also have a large impact on entertainment, according to Pringle. One example of this is the unexpected rise of e-sports. “Whoever would have thought that people would pay money to watch other people play games? Media that engages us and gives us something to gather around, be it together, or virtually, is something that will always appeal to us,” she said.
#22
Robot Dogs
Lauren Caswell 4 years ago
My friend had one, I was so envious! I had a furby I saved up for: it glitched out after one day so they replaced it. Happened 3 times in a row then I gave up
#23
Speakers That Attached To The Monitor
Ray Ceeya (RayCeeYa) 4 years ago
It's 2021 and I have that. Bought the monitor in 2010. Still works great.
#24
A DVD Or VHS Player In A Car
We’re also likely to see “the ebb and flow” of experiences that focus on bringing people together offline, on-screen, and online. “In the last few years, we’ve seen the rise of interactive and immersive venues like the museum of ice cream or the Dr. Seuss experience,” Pringle told Bored Panda about how the divide between what we consider to be tech and not might get blurry. Especially in the field of entertainment.
#25
Digital Cable And Being Able To Watch A Ton Of Useless Channels
Steve Barnett 4 years ago
UK here. I'm so old that I grew up with just three channels. But in '82, we then got a fourth!
#26
These iPhone Apps Where You Drank Fake Beer
#27
Can I Interest You In A Sidekick II With Aol Messenger?
“These are places we can go, with friends and family, and have a shared experience. It feeds back into our online experiences because we can share photos or memories and these environments are designed to foster that. Certainly, as we find ourselves in a time of social distancing, we’re seeing new creative ways of “being together” even when we’re apart. So I think we can expect to see entertainment that helps us connect, be it online or off, and immerses us in an experience, story, or community.”
#28
Hit Clips
#29
A TV With A DVD Player In It
#31
Fake Lighter Phone Apps
troufaki13 4 years ago
Very useful at rock concerts. You get all the fun without the risk of getting burned! lol
#32
Having The Option And The Ability To Update Your Facebook From A Text Message
#33
The Original Ipod And The Million Buttons It Had
Lunar Bicycle 4 years ago
I miss buttons. I like the tactile feel of them, and being able to easily navigate by touch.
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DrBronxx 4 years ago
This list is a bit weird. A lot of them don't match the title at all. Things that looked like the next big thing but were forgotten quickly? For a start, quite a few of them WERE the next big thing, until they were replaced. That's what happens with technology. What a strange list.
Wandaluzt 4 years ago
It's Bored Panda. Copy paste content from another site. Stick a title on it. Bung in some ads. It'll do.
Load More Replies... AzKhaleesi 4 years ago
Sweet baby Jesus I remember all of it. lol remember laser discs? as big as a record (or bigger) but before DVD's? omg.
Son of Philosoraptor 4 years ago
Me too! That's why I'm the Old Man to my crew. 😺
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SumoNinja 4 years ago
Or Teddy Ruxpin. Pretty funny when you slipped in a Metallica tape.
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John C 4 years ago
We're not going to talk about vinyl players that could flip the record over?!?
Flisey 4 years ago
Remember the toothbrush that played music through your mouth while you brushed your teeth?
Aleksandra Szpigiel 4 years ago (edited)
I feel so old now. I remember when cd was coming to the market, i remember dvd coming in. My first games where on floppy disk xD When I was 14 it was a mission to have the smallest cellphone ( nokia was doing it). Now j have a brick with a colour screen instead of a cellphone, and no dvd drive in my pc xD
Nerdy Panda 4 years ago
Wow. You guys had it rough in the olden days. Tiny tv's, flip phones, VHS's(whatever those are they sound annoying), and your couldn't use the internet?? How did you look things up if you didn't use the internet????
Lauren Caswell 4 years ago
Encyclopedias :) and for a brief time in the 90s, an annual cdrom program called "encarta", a digital but pre-internet encyclopedia
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Craig Silberman 4 years ago
most of those always looked like they were fleeting fads, not the "next big thing"
Saint Thomas 4 years ago (edited)
To be fair, all technology is destined to become worthless. Except the novelties ones (see-through cases, apps, etc.), this list is more about technologies that were important/useful in their times, but got replaced by more advanced ones. And those ones will also become obsolete sooner or later.
fuggnuggins 4 years ago
I have one that actually belongs on this list: back when home internet was still very new my friend gave me a CD that installed software that gave free internet access from home. It was dial-up, but free. How was it free? Ads. It randomly showed little animations across the bottom of your screen. Pretty unintrusive and at the time I had no objection to that - not like today in which they're used as a justification to literally spy on personal behaviours and a vector for social manufacture. We were pretty sure that it was going to take off. However, my mate and I, and I presume many others (most internet users were still generally computer enthusiasts and knew their machines at least fairly well) had figured out that the ads were stored locally, so all you had to do was find the folder containing the animations and delete it, then you had completely free, completely distraction-free internet. They closed down within a few years.
Lauren Caswell 4 years ago
Hell yes! Pricey and fancy, and murdered by iphone :D
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Bella, Your Kitty-Loving Queen 4 years ago
Half of this I’ve never seen/heard of in my life ;-;
DrBronxx 4 years ago
This list is a bit weird. A lot of them don't match the title at all. Things that looked like the next big thing but were forgotten quickly? For a start, quite a few of them WERE the next big thing, until they were replaced. That's what happens with technology. What a strange list.
Wandaluzt 4 years ago
It's Bored Panda. Copy paste content from another site. Stick a title on it. Bung in some ads. It'll do.
Load More Replies... AzKhaleesi 4 years ago
Sweet baby Jesus I remember all of it. lol remember laser discs? as big as a record (or bigger) but before DVD's? omg.
Son of Philosoraptor 4 years ago
Me too! That's why I'm the Old Man to my crew. 😺
Load More Replies... SumoNinja 4 years ago
Or Teddy Ruxpin. Pretty funny when you slipped in a Metallica tape.
Load More Replies... John C 4 years ago
We're not going to talk about vinyl players that could flip the record over?!?
Flisey 4 years ago
Remember the toothbrush that played music through your mouth while you brushed your teeth?
Aleksandra Szpigiel 4 years ago (edited)
I feel so old now. I remember when cd was coming to the market, i remember dvd coming in. My first games where on floppy disk xD When I was 14 it was a mission to have the smallest cellphone ( nokia was doing it). Now j have a brick with a colour screen instead of a cellphone, and no dvd drive in my pc xD
Nerdy Panda 4 years ago
Wow. You guys had it rough in the olden days. Tiny tv's, flip phones, VHS's(whatever those are they sound annoying), and your couldn't use the internet?? How did you look things up if you didn't use the internet????
Lauren Caswell 4 years ago
Encyclopedias :) and for a brief time in the 90s, an annual cdrom program called "encarta", a digital but pre-internet encyclopedia
Load More Replies... Craig Silberman 4 years ago
most of those always looked like they were fleeting fads, not the "next big thing"
Saint Thomas 4 years ago (edited)
To be fair, all technology is destined to become worthless. Except the novelties ones (see-through cases, apps, etc.), this list is more about technologies that were important/useful in their times, but got replaced by more advanced ones. And those ones will also become obsolete sooner or later.
fuggnuggins 4 years ago
I have one that actually belongs on this list: back when home internet was still very new my friend gave me a CD that installed software that gave free internet access from home. It was dial-up, but free. How was it free? Ads. It randomly showed little animations across the bottom of your screen. Pretty unintrusive and at the time I had no objection to that - not like today in which they're used as a justification to literally spy on personal behaviours and a vector for social manufacture. We were pretty sure that it was going to take off. However, my mate and I, and I presume many others (most internet users were still generally computer enthusiasts and knew their machines at least fairly well) had figured out that the ads were stored locally, so all you had to do was find the folder containing the animations and delete it, then you had completely free, completely distraction-free internet. They closed down within a few years.
Lauren Caswell 4 years ago
Hell yes! Pricey and fancy, and murdered by iphone :D
Load More Replies... Bella, Your Kitty-Loving Queen 4 years ago
Half of this I’ve never seen/heard of in my life ;-;
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