Rubbish tech: 4 products from 2015 we never want to see again

Worst products from 2015: Tech we never want to see again

2015 has been a great year for tech. We’ve seen awesome phones, slick TVs and tablets that want to replace your laptop. But, with the good you have to take the bad. And there has been a lot of bad tech come across our desks this year.

These are the 2015 tech trends we want consigned to Room 101. So we hopefully never have to see them again.



”Hoverboards”


These so called hoverboards make a mockery of zipping through the city in my Back to the Future daydreams.

Most countries and states have rightly banned them from use on public roads and pavements while some cheaper versions have caught fire, never worked or caused injuries from falls.

Related: 2016 is a year to get excited about

They’re two-wheeled self-balancing landmines and should be called death wheels instead. No wait that still makes them sound cool. Douche delivery devices it is then. Get a proper skateboard or bike instead. 



Rubbish VR headsets


As keen as I am for proper virtual reality headsets like the Oculus Rift I’m entirely dismissive of the gaggle of overpriced glorified phone holders 2015 has brought with it.

Don’t get me wrong, Google cardboard is a great way to get your first virtual reality, not least because it’s dead cheap. It’s a great stocking filler, but you won’t play with it for more than half an hour.

Related: Homido review

The rest are rubbish and will turn off anyone from getting the real deal when it finally hits stores. 



Cruddy “Collectors Edition” Games


If you want to spend hundreds on a game you are dying of excitement for then go for it – it’s your hard-earned cash after all. You would expect, though, that some love, care and finesse would have gone into a collector’s edition package.

Kudos then to Projekt Red and the Witcher 3’s Collector’s Edition which came with so many quality goodies it put a few people’s back out carrying it home. 

My finger points accusingly towards the Fallout 4 Pipboy Edition where it remains while wiggling slowly to emphasise my disdain.

Made of cheap plastic and even cheaper velcro the Pipboy has all the quality of a Happy Meal toy except it gives you more of a bitter aftertaste than a slice of warm, soggy gherkin.

Related: Why the Fallout 4 Pip-Boy edition is a huge disappointment

Artificial intelligence weapons

And now to something a little more serious. 2015 brought stark warnings from minds far greater than mine of the danger to humankind from artificial intelligence. I believe those threats, if they exist at all, are some way off.

The use of AI in autonomous weaponry is very much on the horizon, however, with some countries debating their use.

War is horrific and dangerous enough without removing the last vestiges of humanity from life and death situations. Whether it’s drones, automated gun turrets or worse, we must all unite to ensure governments around the world treat this tech with the extreme respect and concern it deserves.

What are your worst products of 2015? Let us know in the comments section below