In the blinding light of all the hot new gadgets we get to see week to week, people have a tendency to gloss over the products and
trends that aren�t faring so well. So, with the year coming to a close, it seems an appropriate time to look back and reflect on the
hyped tech and trends that went nowhere in 2013.
Starting off at #5: smartwatches. These may still yet become a thing, but this was not the year of the smartwatch that everyone
predicted. People finally got their Pebbles, and Samsung did their best to spin the Galaxy Gear, but most of us are waiting to see
if Apple can actually make these things cool. I have a feeling that the nerd stink on this trend may have to air out a little before we
ever see an iWatch.
At #4: Desktop PCs. It�s been doom and gloom for the desktop computer for years now, but 2013 was supposed to turn the tide.
We saw genuinely exciting and innovative Windows 8 machines in all shapes and sizes, hybrids, giant touch screen tabletop PCs,
and a meaningful bump in processor performance. There is a perfect storm of reasons to upgrade your desktop computer, and no
one�s going for it.
We�re also not going for #3: Twitter Music. Launched in April of this year, Twitter Music sent shockwaves through the music
industry. Who would it kill first? Spotify? iTunes? Pandora? Will our children even remember a time before Twitter Music?
I�m willing to bet most of you probably forgot this thing existed until I reminded you. I don�t even know if Twitter remembers. In their
post IPO haze, they probably don�t really care. It�s just a way for them to stream music at their yacht party.
Speaking of companies with more money than sense, at #2: Facebook Home. The latest attempt from Facebook to completely
take over your phone. Launched on the equally doomed HTC First, Facebook Home replaced the entirely functional home screen
of your Android phone with a window into your friend�s Facebook activity. You never have to leave Facebook again. It�s just
always there, in your pocket, desperately trying to figure how to monetize everything you do. Not sure why people didn�t go for
that.
And that leaves us with the #1 Tech Turkey of 2013. At #1: BlackBerry. Remember the good old days when RIM executives were
so high on life... and gin, that they had to be tied down during air travel -- and they still had the winning spirit to chew through their
restraints? These days, morale is so low, they can�t even muster a scandal. Not that it would matter. You could have Mike
Lazaridis come back and twerk up on Justin Bieber holding a burning Canadian flag, and no one would even bother to report it at
this point.
CLOSE
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So there you go, five of the biggest tech industry fails of 2013. For more Top 5s, including my Top 5 tech to be thankful for, visit
Top5.CNET.com
I�m Donald Bell, thanks for watching.
