For the world of technology, 2016 had a ton of highs, but it also had a lot of lows worth remembering.
From the phone that is the Galaxy Note 7 to the modular concept Project Ara and AI chatbot Tay, the year has been tough on manufacturers and consumers alike, with them seeing some of their favorite products or ideas with great potential make a huge splash in the scene, only to fizzle in the end.
Samsung Galaxy Note 7
The Galaxy Note 7 was Samsung's ticket to dominate the smartphone market, featuring an improved S Pen, USB Type-C port, an IP68 dust- and water-resistance rating, hardware deserving of a powerhouse, and more.
However, it fell short because of how it's prone to explode, even after the units were first recalled, replaced with "safe" versions, and recalled again — an ordeal of sorts that owners and fans painfully know.
The whole fiasco led to the handset being banned from U.S. flights, and because some users stuck with it despite the risk, Samsung and U.S. carriers eventually had to roll out a software update that kills it.
Microsoft's Tay
Back in March 2016, Microsoft launched the AI chatbot Tay on Twitter, and it started off pretty well and found a place among the millennials on the social media platform.
In other words, it's capable of interacting with other users and tweeting sarcastically, just like a teenager.
More or less, it seemed to be one of the most interesting bots to go online at the time, but soon after it went live, it became racist and misogynistic within 24 hours due to a "coordinated attack by a subset of people" who targeted a vulnerability present in Tay, Microsoft Research's Corporate Vice President Peter Lee explained.
Pebble
Fitbit recently acquired Pebble for less than $40 million, and the deal was only for the latter's software assets.
That means the hardware side of things was left out of the equation, and as a result, the lives of the Pebble wearables are now numbered in terms of software and services.
As a bit of good news, the people behind the Pebble devices did promise to continue support through 2017, giving users plenty of time to perhaps look for alternatives that can really take the place of their smartwatches.
Google Project Ara
Google's Project Ara was the modular smartphone concept that almost everybody has been keeping tabs on since it was introduced.
The overall development was met with a series of delays and issues, each one disappointing eager consumers.
Ultimately, it was shelved, but it's believed to have an inkling of a chance of materializing by way of partners — or something similar to it, at least.
Vine
Back in October 2016, Twitter decided to shut down Vine without a substantial explanation.
The website and app are still operational, but they only let users download and view six-second videos on the platform. Just to be clear on that, users can no longer upload posts.
However, Vine will still live on as Vine Camera moving forward, allowing users to continue making short clips and leave them with only two options of saving them on their devices or posting them directly on Twitter.
Bonus: VHS
For those who don't know, VHS tapes only died in 2016, and yes, it lasted that long.
The final nail on the coffin was hit only when the last Japanese VCR maker Funai Electric announced it will stop producing the devices and, by extension, killing the VHS.
What do you think of the tech that died in 2016? Drop by our comments section below and let us know, especially if you want to mention others that deserve recognition as well.
