Even though you’re supposed to recycle electronics, the dustbin of history
is stuffed with technologies that aren’t with us anymore.

Some were victims of historical forces. Take MiniDisc. I LOVED MiniDisc back
in the day with all the evangelical passion of a true fanboy. But alas, no
matter how cool, and no matter how great the sound quality, it was no match
for mp3s ripped to a CD-R and, ultimately, the iPod.

In many other cases it wasn’t that the technology reached the end of its
useful life, or that it was in the wrong place and the wrong time, it was
that they just weren’t a good idea to begin with. These are their stories.

Around 1998 or so Sony debuted a wireless pair of rear speakers for Doly
Pro-Logic surround sound. They communicated with the surround receiver via
IR. Yes, IR. They worked on line of sight, and if someone walked between the
emitter and the speakers the signal cut out.

That wasn’t the worst of it. We briefly had a pair hooked up in the demo
system sound room of my store. The back room shared a wall with the sound
room. Every time one of us used the microwave in to heat our lunch the RF
leaking out of the microwave interfered with the AC power transformers for
the speakers causing them to let out a high pitched squelch of static that
sounded like cats in heat were mating in the sound room.

We didn’t sell many of those.

I could go on all day, but I just wanted to get the ball rolling, as it’s a
topic that all of us can relate to. Have any funny stories about technology
or products that weren’t ready for prime time? Email me or tell us about
them in the comments section below.