These 6 tech questions were settled in 2024

The Silicon Valley hype cycle follows a familiar pattern: an emerging technology or tech product or service is hinted at, rumored, leaked, reported on, announced, and then shipped. 

That’s the cycle for what actually happens. At any point during this cycle, the rumors or leaks might turn out to be wrong. Companies could change their minds, or internal trials might show that they shouldn’t pursue an actual direction.

In other cases, specific ideas, products, or trends do arrive, but fail to capture the world and fizzle out. Products and ideas that everyone thought would become the Next Big Thing now populate the graveyard of failed tech. These include the Apple Newton, 3D television, the Segway, Theranos blood testing technology, Google Wave, WebTV, the Pebble smartwatch, Project Ara, and many more.