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The Worst Tech of Q2 2006

Posted by ryuzaki0 on from the top-ten-each-quarter dept.

ClickOnThis writes "CNET has an article on the Worst tech of Q2 2006. Their rogue's gallery includes: Segway Polo, the 'Nyko Intelligent Remote 360', and a dishonorable mention for the HD-DVD vs. Blu-ray format war. My personal (un)favorite is the appropriately-named Pantech 300 mobile phone, which is so small you could almost swallow it. From the article: 'When it's in your hand, you will feel like Gigantor. But it's a trick. You are not Gigantor. And if you're at a monster truck rally, bully convention, or Hell's Angels hangout while you're using it, you'll catch some hell for being Mr. Fancy Li'l Mini Phone. A wedgie, Kick Me sign, or stop-hitting-yourself situation might ensue.'"

10 of 106 comments (clear)

  1. I've said it before... by NexFlamma · · Score: 5, Insightful

    ... and I'll say it again; Nintendo renaming the 'Revolution' to the 'Wii' was one of the most ingenious strokes of marketing I've ever witnessed. Never before has the name of videogame console been so talked about, argued about and generally advertised to the average (read: non-gamer) person.

    I get the feeling that in the upcoming console war this name change is going to be proof of the old adage "There's no such thing as bad publicity".

    1. Re:I've said it before... by jdbartlett · · Score: 2, Insightful

      The whole list is fluff. Heck, the whole story is fluff! Some of these actually are products that were designed badly (the Kodak camera, for example), but mostly this is a list of products with poor marketing (Wii) or not-products (polo is an event, not a product, and the product in question is fine as far as technology goes).

      The list should be renamed: Things this editor stumbled into 1Q 2006 that he doesn't like, all of which employ technology in some vague way.

    2. Re:I've said it before... by pyrrhonist · · Score: 2, Insightful
      No one wil have troubles saying it in any English-speaking market.

      Wii do you say that?

      --
      Show me on the doll where his noodly appendage touched you.
  2. Small is bad now? by CosmeticLobotamy · · Score: 4, Insightful

    My phone is smaller than most, and it's still too damn big. I don't use it for anything other than calling people and checking the time, and I don't need it to be big enough to have other functions (not that I don't understand people that do need features and bigness that I don't). I have a lot of crap I need to carry in my pockets, and I don't like having huge, bulging, jagged thighs all the time. I'd pay quite a bit for a truly miniscule phone. Not the one from the article, though, because it's still too big.

    1. Re:Small is bad now? by wizzat · · Score: 3, Insightful

      Seriously, this article is kindof pathetic. I normally don't comment, but wow. The Polo thing.. maybe a bad idea, but hardly a technology. It sounded more like they were petulantly crying over things they simply didn't like. For instance, there's nothing wrong with a small phone. So your camera takes 8 seconds to boot up... that would hardly make it the WORST tech of Q2 2006. Hey, that wouldn't even get an honorable mention from me! Ah well. At least most of the other articles have been interesting.

  3. can I vote for CNET? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 2, Insightful

    That article was so badly written, I thought it was a digg posting. Is there any journalism left in the eletronic age?

  4. Ultra Mobile PC by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 3, Insightful

    Recently I have noticed that a lot of review sites review hardware with a specific purpose in mind. The Samsung Q1 UltraMobile devices are great in an educational setting as well as for mobile employees previously tied to a Tablet PC. Still, the complaints from many review sites is basically "This device is not good for this purpose" instead of a simple "The battery options limit the usable time to 2.5 hours". Explore the specifications and any limitations exposed beyond simple spec sheet and leave us with enough knowledge to determine whether the devices will work in our specific situation.

    BTW, a name change is not "worst tech".

  5. Re:Vista by moranar · · Score: 4, Insightful

    I'm voting for Windows Genuine Advantage. Strangely, that did ship on time. On time to what, I'll be buggered if I know.

    --
    "I think it would be a good idea!"
    Gandhi, about Internet Security
  6. Killer App by Mignon · · Score: 2, Insightful

    Not to take article this seriously, but hopping land mines get my vote for worst tech.

  7. Re:Xbox 360 - Hands Down 'Winner' by radish · · Score: 2, Insightful

    Which is interesting, because all the developers I've spoken to (and yes, I do know some actual game developers actually working on these things) rather like the 360.

    --

    ---- Den ene knappen er powerknapp, den andre er Bender voice knapp "Bite My Shiny Metal Ass"