Awkward Tech Moments in 2012

2012 was a good year for technology. Well..umm...mostly. It wasn't smooth sailing for everyone. Quite a few of the major technology players had their share of embarrassing moments this year, though, some these fails can be attributed to the marketing team rather than the product itself. These are some of my favourite facepalm moments of 2012.

1. Apple Maps

Apple decided that they'd replace the default Google Maps app on Apple devices and provide their own version of Maps on iOS 6. And how did that work out for them you ask? Well, the Eiffel Tower looked kinda ironed out because it was er...flat..like a giant road roller had just run over it. The Big Ben in London had no spokes. Quite a few major bridges and roads were wonky...some were tilted to the side and others looked like roller-coasters! Some areas were covered up in clouds while some areas were blurred and some were in black and white because I guess Apple Maps ran out of color by then. And yes Mumbai, India had only 4 roads! 

The app was crucified by users soon enough. This Tumblr account with user submitted map fails gained popularity immediately - The Amazing iOS Maps. Also, as soon as the Google Maps app for iOS was released, it was downloaded 10 billion times in 48 hours! This staggering number just confirms the discontentment with Apple Maps.

Apple give did a public apology and have fixed the Maps app since, but this fiasco won't be forgotten soon

2. Nokia PureView

What is Nokia PureView? It's an new imaging technology that delivers high image quality, lossless zoom, and improved low light performance.

So what happened? Well Nokia wanted to show off this amazing new technology and hence posted a video on YouTube which it claimed was taken with the Nokia 808 PureView phone. Now watch the video below carefully.

If you look closely, at 00:29 in the video, you'll notice that the camera crew get reflected in a window, and are they shooting the video using a Nokia 808? No! It's a DSLR. The guys at +Pocketnow were the first to discover and point out that the company was misleading consumers by shooting a video on a professional camera and claiming that it was shot on a cellphone using PureView technology.

Nokia has apologized for this fake ad.

3. Oprah loves Microsoft Surface

When the Microsoft Surface launched, Oprah Winfrey endorsed it on Twitter. Her tweet read-

Notice anything odd? Like the helpful info at the bottom that says 'Twitter for iPad'!

So she loves the new Microsoft Surface, but she won't use it. Considering the fact that this was micro advertising for the Surface, it was a real #TwitterFail.

When contacted about Oprah’s tweet, Microsoft was unavailable for comment.

4. The Google Nexus Q

The Google Nexus Q was announced along side the Nexus 7 back in June. While, the Nexus 7 has been a runaway hit, hardly any of us have even heard about the Nexus Q. This quirky gadget could stream content from the Google Play Store to a connected HDTV or stereo and could be controlled using an Android device. And that's about it. Yes, really. All this for $299. You can't do anything else with this orb. No Netflix or Hulu. The lack of functionality soon brought in bad reviews. So then, Google said that they were reworking the Nexus. And now, they just quietly pulled it out of the Play Store. The orb is dead. The end.

[Edit: The newly launched Chromecast seems to be Google's answer to the backlash surrounding the Nexus Q. And at just $35, it's a neat little gadget -July 2013]

5. RIM's Anti-Apple Mob

In July 2012, several people gathered outside an Apple Store in Sydney, Australia, all dressed in black, holding up placards that read 'Wake Up' and also chanting the same. Now, Samsung is famous for taking pot shots at Apple, so, initially, everyone thought Samsung was responsible for this so-called flash mob (Yes, it was intended to be a 'Flash Mob' but, no, it didn't involve any dancing). By the time, RIM (Research in Motion) realized it wasn't getting any credit for the 'Wake Up' campaign, people had already forgotten about it forcing RIM to issue a press release saying that they were the ones behind the campaign and not Samsung. Embarrassing? Yes. Very.