In 2015, Galileo was an iOS-controlled, robotic motion platform for iPhones and iPod Touches. It allowed someone to mount an iphone to the device and remotely rotate it horizontally and vertically for filming. It was invented by the folks that invented the GorillaPod, a very popular and flexible mini-tripod for cameras. The product didn’t sell well and was shut down after a few years. If they partnered with Apple it might have seen more success.
In 2009, soon after the first iPhone was launched, Private-i was released as a shadow box with a tripod. It attached to an iPhone allowing for hands-free movie watching with built-in shading/privacy. Since the idea was conceived on a plane, Skymall became the key distributor. Unfortunately they charged too much for the device, the case was too bulky and over engineered, and if someone had another case already on the iphone it wouldn’t fit in the Private-i.
Jai Alai is a sport involving bouncing a ball off a walled-in space by accelerating it to high speeds with a hand-held wicker cesta. The sport is dangerous as the ball is hard and travels at high velocities (often over 100 mph). 4 people have died playing Jai Alai.
In 1980, several Hutton branches wrote checks which were greater than the cash they had on hand at the bank, then making a deposit in another bank equal to the amount it wrote at the first bank. This strategy, known as “chaining”, is a form of check fraud. “Chaining” gave Hutton use of money in both accounts until the checks cleared. In effect, Hutton was giving itself a free loan that didn’t carry any interest. Hutton pleaded guilty to 2000 counts of mail and wire fraud. This led to customers pulling their accounts with Hutton, and many of the star performers left for other firms.
Released in 1995 and discontinued in 1996, Microsoft Bob was a cartoon interface designed to be a more user friendly interface for Windows. Bob was criticized in the media and did not gain wide acceptance with users as the interface was slower and more confusing than regular Windows. Its legacy would be observed in future Microsoft products, such as the use of virtual assistants.
Eastern Airlines, strained by labor disputes and a high debt load, ran out of money in 1991 after 65 years of operation.
In 2022 and after 170 years in business, Mills College in Oakland merged with Northeastern University due to financial difficulties. Mills College suffered a significant drop in student applications since it spent more money on administration than instruction, had teacher turnover, and altered student applications.
GE Capital plowed into commercial real estate near the top of the market. And it bought WMC Mortgage, a subprime lender, in the midst of the mortgage crisis. GE’s stock price crashed during the 2008 meltdown in large part because Wall Street treated it as a bank instead of an industrial company.
Disney acquired the Angels in 1996 after creating the NHL expansion team, The Mighty Ducks, in 1992. Disney later sold both teams as they realized it was outside their core competency to operate sports teams. Disney unsuccessfully introduced cheerleaders at Angels games.
In 2016, Beepi, a used-car marketplace, shut down after having raised $149 million. It’s challenges included burning too much money ($7 million a month) before they were at product/market fit, slowness in getting buyers the title and registration for their newly-purchased cars, and consumers’ unwillingness to rely on a third party for the entire car buying process without seeing the car themselves.
