Everyone laughed at these 10 gadgets. Now, they’re in every home

Before they were in every home, some of the most essential gadgets of today were technological punchlines, too weird, too early, too expensive, or just plain bad. In the ’90s and early 2000s, inventors and engineers dreamed big, but consumer tech often struggled to deliver on its promise. Whether it was a robotic pet that couldn’t love you back, a vacuum that kept slamming into furniture, or a digital currency no one could figure out how to use, many of these innovations failed hard. But failure wasn’t the end. In most cases, these flops planted the seeds for the tools we now take for granted. This list revisits the early prototypes that got laughed out of stores and shows how their core ideas came roaring back, better, cheaper, and smarter. The Electrolux Trilobite (2001) was the world’s first consumer robotic vacuum cleaner. It featured ultrasonic sensors and automatic docking — radical for its time — but fell short on usability. It missed corners, struggled with door thresholds, and frequently got stuck. It was out of reach for most at 1,600 euros (about $1,850.00 today). Robot vacuums are now affordable and impressively smart. iRobot’s Roomba j7+ uses AI and a front-facing camera to avoid pet messes and cables. The Roborock S8 MaxV Ultra vacuums and mops with LiDAR guidance. Even the budget Eufy RoboVac G30 delivers solid performance and room mapping for under $300.00. The Visual Memory Unit (1998) was Sega’s quirky add-on for the Dreamcast: a memory card with a tiny screen that could show in-game stats or play minigames. It was fun but limited, battery-hungry, low on memory, and largely ignored by developers. Smartwatches like Apple Watch Series 9 and Google Pixel Watch 2 offer a rich second-screen experience fully integrated with your phone. They support contactless payments, fitness tracking, media control, and even emergency alerts, making them far more than digital accessories. Sony’s original AIBO (1999) was a robotic dog with basic sensors and movement capabilities. It responded to voice commands and displayed simulated emotions. But its $2,500.00 price tag, repetitive behaviors, and lack of real-world function made it more of a novelty than a companion. Modern home robots have split into functional and emotional lanes. Amazon Astro and ElliQ assist with daily tasks and elder care, while reimagined pet bots like AIBO (relaunched in 2018), Loona, and Moflin now recognize faces, respond with nuanced behavior, and learn from interaction. The Virtual Boy (1995) was Nintendo’s early stab at 3D gaming, using red-on-black stereoscopic displays. Unfortunately, it had poor ergonomics, a limited library of just 22 games, and caused eye strain and headaches. It was discontinued within a year. VR headsets like the Meta Quest 3 and PS VR2 offer full-color OLED displays, spatial tracking, and immersive content libraries. They’re lighter, wireless, and usable for work, gaming, and fitness — delivering on Virtual Boy’s vision in every way. The AT&T EO Personal Communicator (1993) was among the first devices to combine a phone, fax, modem, email, and PDA functions. But it weighed over two pounds, cost up to $3,000.00, and had poor battery life. It launched too early, and only about 10,000 units were sold. Today’s smartphones — like the iPhone 16 Pro and Samsung Galaxy S25 — compress all those functions and more into sleek, powerful devices. With apps, high-res cameras, AI chips, and blazing-fast internet, they make the EO look like a stone tablet. Sharp’s Zaurus line, like the SL-C3000 (2005), was a rare breed: pocket-sized Linux-based PCs with full keyboards, stylus input, and developer flexibility. It was beloved by tech tinkerers but failed to reach the mainstream due to high prices (~$500.00–$700.00), limited connectivity, and buggy software. The Zaurus legacy lives on in the Raspberry Pi ecosystem. The Raspberry Pi 5 and DIY NAS setups using Unraid or TrueNAS offer massive flexibility for media streaming, automation, or even home servers, all for under $100.00 and supported by vibrant online communities. Apple’s Newton MessagePad (1993) was a pioneer: a handheld device with stylus input and handwriting recognition. But it couldn’t reliably recognize text, its most-hyped feature. It was bulky, slow, and expensive (~$700.00), and quickly became the butt of jokes for misreading even simple phrases like “catching on” as “egg freckles.” Today’s tablets, like the iPad Pro, Samsung Galaxy Tab, and Microsoft Surface combine precise stylus input with pressure sensitivity, fast processors, and cloud sync. Handwriting apps like Notability and OneNote make note-taking seamless. What Newton aimed to do in the ‘90s is now effortlessly handled by sleek, powerful devices. Sega’s VMU (1999) included small “Chao” minigames to play on the go, offering early portable interaction tied to a console. But they were shallow, battery-draining, and not very replayable. Portable gaming now rivals full-fledged consoles. Nintendo Switch and Valve Steam Deck play AAA games anywhere, with vibrant screens and real controllers. Add cloud gaming options like GeForce Now or ROG Ally, and mobile gaming has become an entire ecosystem. Finland’s Avant stored-value smartcard (1993) and David Chaum’s DigiCash (1990) offered early visions of digital currency. Avant worked like a prepaid debit card, while DigiCash allowed anonymous transfers. Both failed due to low demand, poor infrastructure, and regulatory roadblocks. As of 2025, 134 countries (representing 98% of global GDP) are developing or piloting central bank digital currencies (CBDCs). Examples include: CBDCs are now used for welfare disbursements, transportation payments, and remittances, marking a significant evolution in state-backed digital money. In the mid-2000s, Dutch inventor Fred van der Weij built an enormous, homemade device to solve a personal problem: how to make crispy fries without oil. His early air fryer prototype, made from wood, metal, and aluminum mesh, looked more like a backyard science project than a kitchen appliance. It worked (barely) but was never intended for mass production. Today’s air fryers are sleek, countertop must-haves. Models like the Ninja Foodi DualZone or Cosori Pro can roast, bake, reheat, and dehydrate, often replacing entire ovens. They use refined convection technology, require minimal oil, and come with presets, app integration, and dishwasher-safe baskets. What began as a giant wooden box is now one of the most popular kitchen tools in the world. Tech history is full of false starts. Yet even the most awkward, overhyped gadgets often contain a sliver of the future. What flopped in 1995 might be indispensable in 2025. Robotic assistants, virtual reality, CBDCs, and wearable tech — each was mocked in its early form, but their underlying concepts proved resilient. It’s a reminder that innovation doesn’t always arrive fully formed. Sometimes it shows up wearing red-tinted goggles, costs too much, and breaks after three days. But give it a few years and a few billion dollars of R&D and you just might find it in your pocket, running your home, or helping you pay for coffee. This article does not contain investment advice or recommendations. Every investment and trading move involves risk, and readers should conduct their own research when making a decision.