Fire up the funeral march, folks. This morning, another device has joined the Microsoft Kin on the ultra exclusive list of devices that were both born and killed off in 2010: the Clear iSpot. Total lifespan: 147 days.
The device had a simple enough (if a bit wonky) premise: it would act as a 4G-fueled WiFi hotspot… but only for Apple’s iOS devices, like the iPod Touch, iPhone, and iPad. That limitation wasn’t too bad though, given that the device itself would only set you back around $100 bucks, and the unlimited monthly plan was only $25 — plus, you could totally hack out those limitations with nothing more than 30 seconds and a fistful of Google-Fu.
Clear’s not saying exactly why they’re killing it off (the hackability, perhaps?), but have said that once the retail stores run out of their current inventory, these things are gone (outside of a small batch kept aside for warranty replacements). If you want one, you best get to your nearest Clear dispensary on the quick!