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Flashback — Technology
Flashback

Not all tech products succeed once on the market, and some are killed off with little warning. Flashback looked back at failed tech products to see what we can learn by studying their demises. Hosted by Quinn Nelson and Stephen Hackett.

Copyright: Copyright © 2022 Relay FM

Latest Episodes:

5: Three Failed Game Consoles Apr 09, 2020

Show notes

On this episode, Quinn and Stephen explore three failed game consoles: the Apple Pippin, Nintendo Virtual Boy and the Ouya.

This episode of Flashback is sponsored by:

TextExpander, from Smile: Unlock your productivity with TextExpander. Get 20% off with your first year.

Links and Show Notes:

Flashback on Apple Podcasts

Flashback (@_flashbackfm) / Twitter

On the Apple PiPP!N – 512 Pixels

Apple Made a Game Console! - Snazzy Labs on YouTube

Pippin: Apple's Forgotten Game Console - 512 Pixels on YouTube

Apple iPod Touch "The Funnest iPod Ever" TV Ad - YouTube

AppleJack Controller

The Boomerang PlayStation 3 Controller: What Might Have Been - IGN

Katz Media Player 2000 | Pippin @World & Atmark Wiki | Fandom

Unraveling The Enigma Of Nintendo’s Virtual Boy, 20 Years Later - Fast Company

Nintendo’s FAILURE - Virtual Boy 3D Gaming Console - LTT on YouTube

Nintendo Counts on a New 'Virtual' Game - The New York Times

OUYA: A New Kind of Video Game Console by OUYA — Kickstarter

Ouya Teardown - iFixit

Julie Uhrman & Josh Topolsky Keynote | Interactive 2013 | SXSW - YouTube

As the Ouya ships to backers, can a $99 console bring players and developers together? - The Verge

Ouya review: can an indie console take on Sony and Microsoft? - The Verge

Ouya Developers Reveal Modest Sales - IGN

Razer confirms Ouya purchase in bid to take over Android TV gaming - The Verge

Ouya will be shut down for good on June 25th - The Verge

Razer Forge TV - Android™ Gaming in Your Living Room

Is the Wii Mini Worth It? - A Young Austin Evans on YouTube

Wii mini | Nintendo

4: webOS Mar 26, 2020

Show notes

With its webOS hardware, including the Pre, Pixi and more, Palm (and later HP) tried to take on the giants of the early smartphone wars. While webOS was hugely innovative, it wasn't enough to break into the most important market in consumer electronics.

This episode of Flashback is sponsored by:

Backblaze: Unlimited cloud backup for Macs and PCs for just $6/month.

Links and Show Notes:

GEOS (16-bit operating system) - Wikipedia

Graffiti (Palm OS) - Wikipedia

Zoomer-List Archives: Graffiti Arrives!

Palm OS - Wikipedia

Apple Reinvents the Phone with iPhone - Apple

Dear Palm: It's time for an intervention | Engadget

Palm Pre CES Press Event - YouTube

What happened to the original iPhone’s plastic screen? - The Verge

Stephen's Thumb on the Pre Keyboard

Palm Pre review, part 1: Hardware, webOS, user interface | Engadget

Palm Pre review, part 2: Synergy, phone, media, applications | Engadget

Palm Pre review, part 3: Data speeds, backup, battery, Bluetooth, pricing, wrap-up | Engadget

Palm Pre Teardown - iFixit

Palm Touchstone Charger Teardown - iFixit

Palm Pre Admaker Defends "Creepy" TV Commercial | WIRED

Palm Pre Commercial Ad Going With The Flow Tamara Hope - YouTube

Meta-tap (Gesture Area + tap) and Copy/Paste | webOS Nation

Daring Fireball: Apple Announces Web Apps for iPhone

HP TouchPad coming June, webOS for PC beta by year's end | Engadget

Palm Pixi review | Engadget

Palm Pre Plus (and Pixi Plus) review | Engadget

webOS 1.4 Lands on Verizon

Review: Verizon Palm Pre 2 | webOS Nation

Quinn's Zune Video

Palm Pre 3 Demonstration - YouTube

Pre 3 for AT&T review | Engadget

HP Veer 4G review | Engadget

The Long-Lived iPad 2 - MacStories

HP TouchPad review | Engadget

Quinn Nelson on Instagram: “Everyone (especially HP), blatantly copies Apple's packaging. ”

The HP TouchPad 1.0 – Shawn Blanc

HP TouchPad: The final $99 offer - CNET

How I got a $99 HP TouchPad tablet and why I bought it - The Washington Post

Quinn Nelson on Instagram: “I'm pretty sure I got the only one left in my city.”

Quinn Nelson on Instagram: “Installing Android on my TouchPad. :D”

Quinn Nelson on Instagram: “Hai there Android. :)”

Quinn Nelson on Instagram: “ICS on the TouchPad? Love it!”

Palm puts itself up for sale | Engadget

Hewlett-Packard Agrees to Buy Palm - The New York Times

Editorial: Engadget on the death of HP's webOS devices | Engadget

The lost secrets of webOS | The Verge

LG Smart TV w/ webOS

A failed experiment: How LG screwed up its webOS acquisition – Gigaom

LG’s Linux-based webOS Goes Open Source, Again! - It's FOSS

The new Palm is a tiny phone to keep you away from your phone - The Verge

3: The GM EV1 Mar 12, 2020

Show notes

Electric cars may seem like 21st century tech, but they are far from modern invention. Along the winding path to the present was the GM EV1, the first purpose-designed electric vehicle. It went on sale in 1996, but were all crushed within 10 years.

This episode of Flashback is sponsored by:

TextExpander, from Smile: Unlock your productivity with TextExpander. Get 20% off with your first year.
Backblaze: Unlimited cloud backup for Macs and PCs for just $6/month.

Links and Show Notes:

General Motors EV1 Overview - YouTube

1997 General Motors EV1 Electric Coupe - The Henry Ford

GM EV1 History - Business Insider

1925 Doble E-20 Steam Car - Jay Leno's Garage - YouTube

AMC's Electric Car Announcement

The Apollo Lunar Roving Vehicle

GM Heritage Center Collection | GM Vehicle Technologies and the Path to Success

World Solar Challenge 2019

Sunraycer - Wikipedia

Here's a Trip Through the GM EV1 Owner's Manual - YouTube

MotorWeek | Retro Review: 1997 GM EV 1 - YouTube

GM EV1 "Appliances" Ad - YouTube

GM EV1 "The Future of the Car" Ad - YouTube

The Death of the EV-1 | Science | Smithsonian Magazine

EV1 - Driving it the final week before the crusher - YouTube

GM EV1 Funeral (Part 1) - YouTube

Drivers Find Outlet for Grief Over EV1s - Los Angeles Times

As 2011 Chevrolet Volt Nears Dealers, Ghostly EV1 Gets Enthusiasts Excited

There's an Ultra-Rare GM EV1 Abandoned in an Atlanta Parking Garage - The Drive

GM's EV1 Lives On, With EV2 on the Way | PluginCars.com

The EV1 – Wisconsin Hybrid Vehicle

The General Motors EV-1: A Rare Survivor, in Ohio! - YouTube

Own a Piece of GM EV1 Electric-Car History—Literally

Quinn's 1-year review of his Tesla Model 3

Who Killed the Electric Car? (2006) - IMDb

General Motors announces new battery platform, claims $100/kWh soon | Ars Technica

GM announced it's getting back into electric cars after the recording of this episode.

2: The Microsoft Zune Feb 27, 2020

Show notes

In the 2000s, the iPod was a true juggernaut, simply dominating the portable music player market. Microsoft wanted a piece of the pie, and launched the Zune 30, which eventually spread into a line of both hardware products and software services.

This episode of Flashback is sponsored by:

Hullo: A simple, natural pillow designed for comfort. Try it for 60 days.
Backblaze: Unlimited cloud backup for Macs and PCs for just $6/month.

Links and Show Notes:

iPod introduction (23 Oct 2001) - YouTube

History of the iPod mini - YouTube

The iPod Nano Introduction - YouTube

iRiver

Zune 30 - Wikipedia

Universal Music get fee for every Zune sold | Engadget

Labels hit back at Apple, now want share of iPod revenues | Engadget

iTunes Price Changes Take Effect | Billboard

Zune review | Engadget

Microsoft Counting on a Twist to Make Zune Shine in Shadow of iPod - The New York Times

Zune review - CNET

Microsoft Zune | Ars Technica

Microsoft Brings Zune HD Support to the Mac – The Mac Observer

Zune 80 review | Ars Technica

Wired Decides: Zune or iPod This Holiday Season? | WIRED

Microsoft surpasses 2 million Zunes sold. Apple sells 3.53 million iPods a month | VentureBeat

Microsoft Announces the Expansion of the Zune Entertainment Service to New Platform and Markets; Confirms New Zune HD Portable Media Player - Stories

Pollux Automatically Cleans and Tags Your iTunes Library

Zune HD review | Engadget

Zune HD review: Zune HD - CNET

Metro (design language) - Wikipedia

I Used a Windows Phone for a Week in 2018! I Will Miss It. - YouTube

Microsoft’s Zune Delivers Connected Music and Entertainment Experience - Stories

R.I.P. Microsoft Zune, 2006-2011 | TechCrunch

The Zune Is Dead. Here's What to Do With Your Old One | WIRED

Zune Subreddit

Zune Update

Zune Update - ARTWORK

Microsoft's $1 Billion Failure - Snazzy Labs - YouTube

Quinn's video on the Zune, published after this episode.

1: The Newton Feb 11, 2020

Show notes

Today, Apple is well known for its mobile devices like the iPhone and iPad, but in the 1990s, the Macintosh-only company invented the Personal Digital Assistant. However, after five short years, the whole Newton line was cancelled.

This episode of Flashback is sponsored by:

TextExpander, from Smile: Unlock your productivity with TextExpander. Get 20% off with your first year.
Hullo: A simple, natural pillow designed for comfort. Try it for 60 days.

Links and Show Notes:

Knowledge Navigator (1987) Apple Computer - YouTube

Graffiti (Palm OS) - Wikipedia

The Story Behind Apple's Newton - Gizmodo

Let Newton Assist You, Says Apple | The Seattle Times

Watch Apple reveal the Newton’s wonders—mobile faxing!—in 1993

Your World, Your Newton - '90s Apple Promo Video - YouTube

The Simpsons' 'Eat Up Martha' was the first autocorrect fail - CNET

The Simpsons - Eat Up Martha - YouTube

A Guide to the Apple Newton – 512 Pixels

My Great New Writing Machine: A Newton eMate 300 | Low End Mac

Today in Apple history: Newton spins off as its own company | Cult of Mac

Remembering the Apple Newton’s Prophetic Failure and Lasting Impact | WIRED

Newton May Rise Again | WIRED

An Oral History of Apple's Infinite Loop | WIRED

The Newtonians: Worldwide Cult Ditches iPhone for Apple's Distant Past | WIRED

Newton Year 2010 Problem

Getting Things Done

Grant Hutchinson’s Newton Web Server

Worldwide Newton Conference

Love Notes to Newton (Feature Documentary) – Moosefuel Media

An Interview with Noah Leon, the Creator Behind the ‘Love Notes to Newton’ Film Project – 512 Pixels

The Story Behind Apple’s Newton | Low End Mac

Remembering the Apple Newton’s Prophetic Failure and Lasting Impact | WIRED

Einstein: NewtonOS running on other operating systems - GitHub

0: Introduction Feb 11, 2020

Show notes

On this season of Flashback, we’ll be looking at examples of failed tech products or companies.

Links and Show Notes:

Quinn Nelson (@SnazzyQ) | Twitter

Snazzy Labs - YouTube

Stephen Hackett (@ismh) | Twitter

512 Pixels

512 Pixels - YouTube

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