Dot-com Boom's Biggest Duds, From Flooz to iSmell

Carl Bialik from WSJ writes "WSJ.com looks back on some of the boom's biggest busts, and catches up with once-optimistic inventors. A creator of the unfortunately named iSmell, a USB device meant to 'print' smells transmitted by websites or videogames, says, 'It was a heartbreaking experience, because we had put so much into it.' The digital currency known as Flooz crashed and burned when a ring of thieves defrauded the company out of $300,000 using stolen credit cards. Microsoft flushed iLoo down the crapper. CueCat, meanwhile, got a second life as a bar-code reader that doesn't pick up personal information. 'The cat got butchered, but it has spawned a cottage industry,' says the device's inventor."

iSmell?

[X1088LoD]

iSmell? I thought that was the smelloscope, able to smell anything from far away in the galaxy....come to think of it, i dont think it will be invented for another 1000 years, give or take a few (thanks professor farnsworth!)

Nostalgia, Anyone?

[Shubalubdub]

I miss the days when new product announcements read like jokes and saying "the Internet will make bricks and mortar obsolete" wasn't a joke. Now the best we've got is "Oh look, Google made a calendar that works with your email."

iSmell

[paisleyboxers]

I still have that very issue of Wired Magazine that the iSmell was publisized in from like 6 years ago.. I remember being so fond of it because (if i remember porperly) it was a Spumco project. And I wanted so badly for that to become a reality. Viva la Spumco!!!! (and Ren and Stimpy too)

When the business went bad

[Markos]

A foul up at the iSmell datacenter led every customers device to smell like Uranus.

Re:Kozmo.com

[macdaddy357]

Kozmo com was too limited. You need a site where anything is possible! You need Zombo com. [zombo.com]

Re:Kozmo.com

[Aeonite]

You can still get $5 sandwiches delivered in 30 minutes or less from Ninja Burger [ninjaburger.com].

Re:Online Malls

[Cold-NiTe]

I... I still do that...

Re:That might have worked, properly marketed

[moro_666]

if someone calls a product "iSmell" then I Smell a Really Bad Sense for Business.

Re:When the business went bad

[ajs318]

Yes ..... you know, the phone company O2 was originally going to be called CH4 but there was a bit of a stink about it .....

match made in . . .

[glas_gow]

If the iLoo and the iSmell people had got together they would have created a right old stink. This has to be a joke, right? It reminds me of the time I first marvelled at the ability to take my mobile phone into the crapper, then thought better of it.

Re:Sprockets.com

[TapeCutter]

"I worked for Sprockets.com for a couple months as technical support..."

How is Mr Spacely and what's George up to these days...

Re:CueCat

[GoatMonkey2112]

I must have missed something. What's a cuecat? Link?

Re:Boo.com

[AttilaB]

Boo? Who?