Topic: - on September 26, 2002 at 12:25:45 AM CEST
GINGER in the papers
Mercury News | 08/13/2002 | Segway has uphill fight to get scooters on sidewalks TIME Magazine: Green Century Mean Clean Machines Contra Costa Times | 08/18/2002 | People-mover bill rolls to Assembly Mercury News | 08/13/2002 | Firm faces battle to get its scooter on sidewalks Mercury News | 08/13/2002 | Segway has uphill fight to get scooters on sidewalks Kleiner Perkins hopes Segway scooter gets on a roll
Cleaning the Digital Device House Boston Globe Online / Editorials | Opinions / Fitness for a fee ABCNEWS.com : Dean Kamen's FIRST Love ABCNEWS.com : A Look at Dean Kamen's Home ABCNEWS.com : Dean Kamen's Model of the Universe Mercury News | 07/31/2002 | Atlanta police still undecided on buying high-tech sidewalk scooters after trial run ABCNEWS.com : Man Shot Dead over Heaven and Hell Argument Doctors in Dallas hope to separate Egyptian twins who are conjoined at the head. Rescuers gave up extraordinary efforts to save more than 40 pilot whales that became beached today for a second time in two days, saying too many were sick or in shock fr ABCNEWS.com : Bin Laden's Son Seen Gaining Power ABCNEWS.com : Nine Whales Die on Mass. Beach ABCNEWS.com : Serbs Protest Ethnic Albanian's Win
ABCNEWS.com : British Panel Opposes Sept 11 Rules ABCNEWS.com : Mexican Garbagemen Find Iridium ABCNEWS.com : Pope John Paul II Arrives in Mexico ABCNEWS.com : N. Korean Minister May Meet Powell ABCNEWS.com : U.N.: Sudan Forces Kill Aid Worker ABCNEWS.com : Pope Lands in Mexico for Last Leg of 11-Day Tour If you had more money than you could ever spend and owned an entire mountaintop with sweeping views of New Hampshire, what kind of house would you build there? Probably ( TechTV | Dean Kamen's Model of the Universe TechTV | Two Way TV Makes Play for US TechTV | Dean Kamen: Genius Inventor BBC NEWS | England | Segway scooter gets UK airing TechTV | Apple, Segway Combine Forces Mercury News | 07/10/2002 | Kleiner Perkins hopes Segway scooter gets on a roll It was first known by the code name Ginger. Then it was called It. Now we all know it as Segway, or, more officially, the Segway Human Transporter -- the self-balancing t BW Online | July 8, 2002 | Zippy Transport for City and Surf An online information service of The Sacramento Bee -- 24-hour local, state, national and world news, plus politics, sports, business, lifestyle and entertainment coverag An online information service of The Sacramento Bee -- 24-hour local, state, national and world news, plus politics, sports, business, lifestyle and entertainment coverag States agree to allow Segway scooters on sidewalks, but safety worries are growing Mercury News | 06/14/2002 | States agree to allow Segway scooters on sidewalks, but safety worries are growing An online information service of The Sacramento Bee -- 24-hour local, state, national and world news, plus politics, sports, business, lifestyle and entertainment coverag Boston Globe Online / Business / Vermont targeting drug firms' gifts Vermont is about to become the first state to take aim at drug companies' practice of lavishing doctors and nurses with everything from ballpoint pens to free trips. Boston.com / Latest News / Business / Vermont takes aim at drug companies' practice of dispensing freebies to doctors Web Shorts HoustonChronicle.com - Vermont aims at drug companies' freebies for doctors BusinessWeek Online: News from C|Net.com Seeking to discover whether big-city streets or bumpy country roads can keep mail carriers from their appointed rounds, the U.S. Postal Service said Tuesday it is set to ABCNEWS.com : Segway Scooter Set for New U.S. Post Office Tests Mercury News | 06/04/2002 | Segway scooter set for new U.S. Post Office tests Offers business, financial and investment news, daily reports on stock trading activity, market trends and industry insights. Also, articles on mutual funds, personal fin DallasNews.com | Dallas-Fort Worth | Health/Science HoustonChronicle.com - Marshall: Time to Segway into the future TechTV | Old-Time Engine Generates New Buzz washingtonpost.com: GOP Takes In $33 Million At Fundraiser GOP Takes In $33 Million At Fundraiser (washingtonpost.com) BBC News | UK | How's the Segway scooter doing? HoustonChronicle.com - Local CEO wins online bid to own exclusive scooter HoustonChronicle.com HoustonChronicle.com - Local CEO wins online bid to own exclusive scooter Boston Globe Online / Business / From hero to zero Kamen Gives the Kids a Shot HoustonChronicle.com - High-tech scooter's safety at issue Mothers and fathers of invention talk shop Washtech.com Washtech.com The San Francisco Examiner The San Francisco Examiner ABCNEWS.com : Atlanta Cops Try Out Segway Scooters After months of speculation, the elusive gizmo referred to as It or Ginger has been unveiled to the public. People - APRIL 24, 2002 HoustonChronicle.com - Atlanta police hope to get leg up on crooks with high-tech wheels IHT: TECH BRIEF Dean Kamen, creator of the much-ballyhooed Ginger scooter, has been named the winner of the $500,000 Lemelson-MIT prize for inventors. Atlanta cops scoot off after criminals on Segway scooters Wired News Mercury News | 04/23/2002 | Inventor of Segway scooter garners coveted Lemelson-MIT prize Argentine Pushes for New Laws (washingtonpost.com) Mercury News | 04/23/2002 | Inventor of Segway scooter garners coveted Lemelson-MIT prize
Segway scooter inventor wins MIT prize BOSTON (AP) Dean Kamen, creator of the much-ballyhooed Segway scooter, has been named the winner of the $500,000 Lemelson-MIT pri HoustonChronicle.com - National briefs Atlanta Organizations Pilot Segway Human Transporters; Roll Out Begins to Ambassador Program, Georgia Power, ARC and Police Department AP Wire | 04/22/2002 | Ex-Subaru President to Head Segway Segway asks Muller to drive MANCHESTER, N.H. (AP) George Muller, the former president of Subaru of America, will become president of the company that makes the Segway h HoustonChronicle.com - Auto Show debuts at new venue HoustonChronicle.com HoustonChronicle.com - Auto Show debuts at new venue IHT: What's up inventor's sleeve? Non-polluting engine for the Segway? - APRIL 16, 2002 Sometimes it takes a village to build a robot. Last weekend a bunch of the radio-controlled contraptions, built by ad hoc villages of students, engineers, teachers, paren Mercury News | 04/05/2002 | Idaho lawmakers approve scooters for use on sidewalks ABCNEWS.com : Political News Summary: April 3: Not Black and White With hundreds of cheering, stomping, and dancing kids, parents, and engineers, this is definitely not your typical science fair. No, this is the Silicon Valley regionals Would you pay a hundred grand for a Segway scooter? Well, three deep-pocketed bidders did last week and Tech Live talks to one of them tonight. Bidders spent a total COAST TO COAST (washingtonpost.com) Mercury News | 03/28/2002 | Teens get charge from robotics Segway auctions close with 6-figure bids TechTV | But Is 'IT' Worth It? First-Ever Consumer Model of the Segway-TM- Human Transporter Sold to Highest Bidders on Amazon.com First-Ever Consumer Model of the Segway-TM- Human Transporter Sold to Highest Bidders on Amazon.com Mercury News | 03/28/2002 | Competition puts student-designed robots to the test TechTV | Thursday on 'Tech Live' IHT: Intellectual glitterati's designs on the world The U.S. transportation system's aged, centralized infrastructure is becoming much more flexible and decentralized (see our Briefing, page 66). It's a metamorphosis not u On 7th Day, Science Fair Rested TechTV | Segway Fetches Big Bids on Amazon You Too Can Bid on 'It' TechTV | High Tech Scooter May Face Roadblock in Japan The self-balancing scooter, billed as a revolution in the way people travel, could run into an obstacle in Japan, where a robotics professor wants recognition for a simil The self-balancing scooter billed as a revolution in the way people travel could run into an obstacle in Japan, where a robotics professor wants recognition for a similia Forbes.com: FEATURE-High-tech scooter may face roadblock in Japan High-Tech Scooter May Face Roadblock in Japan (1/12/2002) USAToday.com Latest News The online edition of Canada's newest national newspaper, National Post: national, world, business, investing, sports, arts, life news, plus commentary, discussion forums Year in review: Toys for big kids The once high-flying world of consumer gadgets went into a tailspin this year as the economy tanked. But that doesn't mean that 2001 was without its share of must-haves a The inventor of the Segway Human Transporter came to the cradle of the automotive industry on Tuesday to sell his idea of a new transportation device that can go where ca Silicon Insider' Michael Malone says the new 'IT' may be a revolution, but not for the reason the inventor expects it to be. Could the Segway be an answer to our transport problems? Or is it just another toy? David Higgins reports. JUST before unveiling his Segway Human Transporter - the most TIME.com: Nation -- Reinventing the Wheel Reason New Zealand News - Technology - Dean Kamen set to unveil mysterious 'IT' invention Here "it" is: the inside story of the secret invention that so many are buzzing about. Could this thing really change the world? TIME.com: Business -- Reinventing the Wheel South China Morning Post brings you the latest online IT news and features on Internet and technology trends in Hong Kong and Greater China. After nearly a year of speculation and media hype, inventor and entrepreneur Dean Kamen will unveil Ginger on ABC's Good Morning America Monday, an invention that some sa Dean Kamen Set to Unveil Mysterious 'IT' Invention (12/01/2001) New Economy, Internet Economy of India, E-commerce, E-governance, Internet, Industry, India, international, online, news, information technology, IT, cyber laws, dot coms Will we manage to get back in the fast lane of growth? Inventor hopes FIRST impressions are lasting REMINDER/It's March Madness for the Mind as High Schools Battle in FIRST Regional Robotics Competition at Drexel PopSci.com | Science | Features | What is IT? IT's all in the timing. The inventor of a mysterious new gadget said to be more important than the Internet has stepped forward to say IT may not change the world, after all. Tech Buzzsaw: How You Lined IT's Pockets - 1/26 103|103 Ginger': Kamen's Stirling Idea Ginger': Kamen's Stirling Idea USATODAY.com Forbes.com: IT's All In The Timing IT's a mystery, and IT may change the world. I N S I D E THE 'IT' FILES: Digital Heavyweights Weigh In on Mystery Invention I N S I D E Dean Kamen, Creator of Mysterious 'IT' Device, Seeks to Dampen Expectations for Invention I N S I D E Dean Kamen, Creator of Mysterious 'IT' Device, Seeks to Dampen Expectations for Invention I N S I D E Dean Kamen, Creator of Mysterious 'IT' Device, Seeks to Dampen Expectations for Invention IHT: Mystery Machine Moves the Pundits A Wheelchair for the World UPSIDE TODAY: IT's bigger than the Web, but what is IT? Executive Briefing A revolutionary new wheelchair
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Published in BayArea.com - Indexed on Aug 21, 2002
SACRAMENTO - The makers of the Segway Human Transporter envision a day when people will leave their cars in the garage in favor of grabbing their electric scooters for quick trips to the grocery store.
But first, they have to get the scooters on the sidewalks.
A bill by Sen. Tom Torlakson, D-Concord, that would allow the devices that resemble lawn mowers on steroids to cruise city sidewalks for a five-year trial faces a showdown today before the Assembly Appropriations Committee.
It may be a bumpy ride.
Published in Time - Indexed on Aug 20, 2002
By ANITA HAMILTON
Posted Sunday, August 18, 2002; 7:31 a.m. EST
The car, at least as we know it, is on the way out. New types of fuel and construction materials are on the horizon, and the look and feel of autos are on the brink of a radical redesign. Driving promises to become more environmentally friendly, stylish and fun. We may not be whizzing around in flying cars like the Jetsons or speeding vertically toward the sky on magnetic tracks as in Minority Report, but we will definitely be traveling in ways previously unimagined.
And we won't just ride in cars a top U.S.
Published in BayArea.com - Indexed on Aug 19, 2002
People-mover bill rolls to Assembly
The Segway motorized device is called a step up from walking; opponents cite pedestrians' safety
By Andrew LaMar
CONTRA COSTA TIMES
SACRAMENTO - A measure allowing a new motorized device that is a cross between an electric golf cart and a scooter to zip down sidewalks alongside pedestrians and skateboarders cleared a critical legislative hurdle Wednesday.
The Segway Human Transporter, a highly promoted electric people mover touted by its inventor as a revolutionary machine that bridges the gap between walking and driving, has won similar approval in 31 states.
Published in BayArea.com - Indexed on Aug 15, 2002
SACRAMENTO - The makers of the Segway Human Transporter envision a day when people will leave their cars in the garage in favor of grabbing their electric scooters for quick trips to the grocery store.
But first, they have to get the scooters on the sidewalks.
A bill by Sen. Tom Torlakson, D-Concord, that would allow the devices that resemble lawn mowers on steroids to cruise city sidewalks for a five-year trial faces a showdown today before the Assembly Appropriations Committee.
It may be a bumpy ride.
Published in SiliconValley.com - Indexed on Aug 14, 2002
SACRAMENTO - The makers of the Segway Human Transporter envision a day when people will leave their cars in the garage in favor of grabbing their electric scooters for quick trips to the grocery store.
But first, they have to get the scooters on the sidewalks.
A bill by Sen. Tom Torlakson, D-Concord, that would allow the devices that resemble lawn mowers on steroids to cruise city sidewalks for a five-year trial faces a showdown today before the Assembly Appropriations Committee.
It may be a bumpy ride.
Published in SiliconValley.com - Indexed on Aug 12, 2002
Posted on Wed, Jul. 10, 2002
Kleiner Perkins hopes Segway scooter gets on a roll
By Matt Marshall
Mercury News
If you're in San Francisco next week, look out for postal workers flying up and down city sidewalks on giant scooters.
They'll be riding on Segway Human Transporters, the 65-pound, two-wheel electric scooter that looks like a futuristic push-style lawn mower. The Segway could be one of the biggest bets ever taken by Menlo Park venture firm Kleiner Perkins Caufield & Byers.
The machine runs as fast as 12.5 miles an hour and was produced by award-winning inventor Dean Kamen.
HoustonChronicle.com - Time to Segway into the future
Published in Houston Chronicle - Indexed on Aug 11, 2002
Copyright 2002 Houston Chronicle
THE MOST DIFFICULT thing about riding the first Segway made available to the public is that so many people stop
you with questions.
Wayne Kinsey, who bought the amazing new scooter with a bid of $160,100 in an online charity auction, said you can't get more than
10 feet at a time between one curious person and the next.
He said he's spent maybe two hours total time riding it, mostly around the Galleria area where he works as president and CEO of
Benchmark. And he is such a fan of the "incredible machine" that he hopes to have an opportunity to open a Houston Segway
dealership.
Published in The Standard - Indexed on Aug 11, 2002
Cleaning the Digital Device House
By Industry Standard Staff
Issue Date: Jul 16 2001
Feel overburdened when carrying all of those 'necessary' wireless gadgets? Well, try this out.
POCKET POWER
My need for all things digital has become a physical problem. Whenever I leave the house, I carry a Palm Vx handheld computer, a Rim Blackberry 857 e-mail pager and an Ericsson T28 mobile phone. Juggling them is awkward, and my pockets are ridiculously stuffed. Rather than invest in a utility belt, I decided to try the Handspring Prism combined with the VisorPhone.
Published in Boston Globe - Indexed on Aug 2, 2002
NE DAY it's wheelchairs for people with two working legs. The next, it's parents paying incredible amounts of money to get their children athletic skills that used to originate in free physical education.
I recently wrote about the Segway, the scooter that is being approved for sidewalks across the nation. In that column, I said if Americans are this far gone as to need personal wheelchairs, then perhaps the Segway company should just make a better wheelchair.
Published in ABC News.com - Indexed on Aug 2, 2002
FIRST, which stands for "For Inspiration and Recognition of Science and Technology," is an annual contest for high school kids who go head-to-head to build the best robot. But the annual event created by Segway inventor Dean Kamen aims to offer competitors more than just a chance at robotic bragging rights.
"It's not likely any other sport you've ever seen before," said Paul Ivanov, a high school student from the San Francisco Bay Area who participated in this year's Silicon Valley regional competition in March.
Published in ABC News.com - Indexed on Aug 2, 2002
If you're a guy, you'd probably build a house a lot like the one Dean Kamen built: massive, masculine, and full of a big boy's favorite toys a Hummer, a Porsche, two helicopters, a massive steam engine, and so on.
"I was thinking about all the neat things you could put in a house if you were a kid and weren't encumbered by the rules of good judgment," said Kamen. "And I decided when I built my house, it's my house, and I don't need to have good judgment!" he laughed.
The 32,000 square foot mansion, which Kamen calls "Westwind," has a bit of ski lodge feel to it.
Published in ABC News.com - Indexed on Aug 2, 2002
Like some other big thinkers of our time, Kamen is a college dropout.
"It occurred to me that if I don't like school and I assumed that getting a job would be similar to that I said, 'Well, what can I do instead of getting a job? I know, I'll work for myself,'" he said.
Working for himself has paid off. Kamen is best known as the creator of the Segway Human Transporter, which he sees as the solution for urban congestion.
"Dean doesn't say, 'I guess I can't change the world.' He thinks he can," said John Morrell, an engineer who works for Kamen at Segway.
But Kamen has his critics, too.
Published in SiliconValley.com - Indexed on Aug 1, 2002
Posted on Wed, Jul. 31, 2002
Atlanta police still undecided on buying high-tech sidewalk scooters after trial run
ATLANTA (AP) - The Atlanta Police Department is undecided about buying new high-tech sidewalk scooters after a test run.
Six of the battery-powered, two-wheeled Segway Human Transporters, which can top out at 15 mph, were lent to the department to patrol downtown during the spring and summer. They will be returned to the company in August.
Chief David Pennington, who will decide whether to make a purchase, has not had a chance to evaluate the vehicles' performance, police spokesman John Quigley said.
Published in ABC News.com - Indexed on Jul 31, 2002
What Do Would-Be Female Strippers Have to Do With Oil?
Stepdad Faces Charges for Feeding Disabled Boy Vodka
Inventor Dean Kamen Does More Than 'IT'
July 30
GODLEY, Texas (Reuters) - An argument over who was going to
heaven and who was going to hell ended with one Texas man
shooting another to death with a shotgun, police said on
Monday.
Johnny Joslin, 20 was allegedly shot by Clayton Frank
Stoker, 21, on Sunday. The two had spent Saturday with two
other men night bar hopping in Fort Worth, about 40 miles
northeast of Godley.
Published in ABC News.com - Indexed on Jul 31, 2002
What Do Would-Be Female Strippers Have to Do With Oil?
Stepdad Faces Charges for Feeding Disabled Boy Vodka
Inventor Dean Kamen Does More Than 'IT'
Sheikh Mohamed Ahmed el-Tayeb, Egypt's grand mufti or top Islamic cleric approved the procedure, said physician Nassr Abdel Al, head of neonatal surgery at Abu el Reesh Hospital in Cairo, who has been caring for the boys who are connected at the crowns of their heads.
Egyptian doctors accompanied the 1-year-old boys to Dallas, Texas, where they were evaluated by craniofacial surgeon Dr. Kenneth Salyer last month.
The Risks
U.S.
Published in ABC News.com - Indexed on Jul 31, 2002
What Do Would-Be Female Strippers Have to Do With Oil?
Stepdad Faces Charges for Feeding Disabled Boy Vodka
Inventor Dean Kamen Does More Than 'IT'
Some of the whales were thrashing in shallow water, while others
were wailing to each other.
"It's heartbreaking," said Christopher Bailey of the
International Fund for Animal Welfare.
Some of the small black whales along the Cape Cod coast were
euthanized after blood tests showed they were ill, Bailey said.
Others were placed on their stomachs so they wouldn't suffocate
while awaiting high tide, but rescuers decided not to try to push
them to deeper water.
Published in ABC News.com - Indexed on Jul 31, 2002
What Do Would-Be Female Strippers Have to Do With Oil?
Stepdad Faces Charges for Feeding Disabled Boy Vodka
Inventor Dean Kamen Does More Than 'IT'
W A S H I N G T O N,
July 29
Osama bin Laden's son Saad has become a rising star in his father's terrorist network, gaining so much new authority that U.S. counterterrorism officials now consider him among their top two dozen targets in al-Qaida.
Saad bin Laden has provided financial and other logistical support for several al-Qaida operations, said one official, speaking on the condition of anonymity.
Published in ABC News.com - Indexed on Jul 31, 2002
What Do Would-Be Female Strippers Have to Do With Oil?
Stepdad Faces Charges for Feeding Disabled Boy Vodka
Inventor Dean Kamen Does More Than 'IT'
DENNIS, Mass.
July 29
More than 50 pilot whales beached themselves on a stretch of Cape Cod sand Monday and nine of them died before vacationers and other volunteers could push the animals back out to deeper water in a feverish rescue effort.
Hundreds of vacationers lined a quarter-mile of Chapin Beach and watched as rescuers tended to the small, glistening black whales, first discovered stranded about 6 a.m.
Published in ABC News.com - Indexed on Jul 31, 2002
What Do Would-Be Female Strippers Have to Do With Oil?
Stepdad Faces Charges for Feeding Disabled Boy Vodka
Inventor Dean Kamen Does More Than 'IT'
BUJANOVAC, Yugoslavia
July 30
Hundreds of Serbs, angered by the apparent victory of an ethnic Albanian candidate in mayoral elections in a tense border region near Kosovo, rallied Tuesday to demand the results be overturned.
About 500 protesters honked car horns, waved Serbian flags and shouted, "Treason, treason," and "Belgrade betrayed us," complaining that the vote in Bujanovac, 175 miles southeast of the Yugoslav capital, had been improperly conducted.
ABCNEWS.com : Argentine Icebreaker Bogged Down
Published in ABC News.com - Indexed on Jul 31, 2002
What Do Would-Be Female Strippers Have to Do With Oil?
Stepdad Faces Charges for Feeding Disabled Boy Vodka
Inventor Dean Kamen Does More Than 'IT'
BUENOS AIRES, Argentina
July 30
An Argentine icebreaker attempting to rescue a German ship trapped in the Antarctic ice pack has itself become bogged down and could spend the next few months at sea, the icebreaker's captain said Tuesday.
The Almirante Irizar, one of Latin America's most formidable icebreakers, has been pulling the German vessel Magdalena Oldendorff to safety since July 19, but plummeting temperatures recently stalled the ships' progress, Capt.
Published in ABC News.com - Indexed on Jul 31, 2002
What Do Would-Be Female Strippers Have to Do With Oil?
Stepdad Faces Charges for Feeding Disabled Boy Vodka
Inventor Dean Kamen Does More Than 'IT'
L O N D O N,
July 30
A special appeal panel ruled Tuesday that emergency legislation passed after Sept. 11, under which foreign terrorist suspects have been held without trial, is discriminatory.
Nine suspects detained under the legislation had appealed to the Special Immigration Appeals Commission against the measure.
The Home Office said the court's finding, which it would appeal, does not make the detention unlawful and that the nine would not be released as a result of it.
Published in ABC News.com - Indexed on Jul 31, 2002
What Do Would-Be Female Strippers Have to Do With Oil?
Stepdad Faces Charges for Feeding Disabled Boy Vodka
Inventor Dean Kamen Does More Than 'IT'
TECATE, Mexico
July 30
A missing pellet of radioactive Iridium that had caused alert along the U.S. border and sparked a massive search by authorities was found Tuesday by two garbagemen at a municipal trash dump in the border city of Tecate.
Soldiers and firefighters cordoned off the trash dump after the foot-long container holding the pellet was found there.
Published in ABC News.com - Indexed on Jul 31, 2002
What Do Would-Be Female Strippers Have to Do With Oil?
Stepdad Faces Charges for Feeding Disabled Boy Vodka
Inventor Dean Kamen Does More Than 'IT'
M E X I C O C I T Y,
July 30
Pope John Paul II began a three-day visit to Mexico on Tuesday to canonize the Roman Catholic church's first Indian saint. He was received by President Vicente Fox and 32 children one from each Mexican state dressed in traditional clothing.
Published in ABC News.com - Indexed on Jul 31, 2002
What Do Would-Be Female Strippers Have to Do With Oil?
Stepdad Faces Charges for Feeding Disabled Boy Vodka
Inventor Dean Kamen Does More Than 'IT'
BANDAR SERI BEGAWAN, Brunei
July 30
North Korea's foreign minister said Wednesday that he would be willing to meet Secretary of State Colin Powell on the sidelines of a regional meeting of South East Asian nations.
Paek Nam Sun said he was "always ready" to meet with Powell.
Paek made the comments as he was entering a breakfast meeting with Chinese Foreign Minister Tang Jiaxuan.
Published in ABC News.com - Indexed on Jul 31, 2002
What Do Would-Be Female Strippers Have to Do With Oil?
Stepdad Faces Charges for Feeding Disabled Boy Vodka
Inventor Dean Kamen Does More Than 'IT'
NAIROBI, Kenya
July 30
Sudanese government-backed forces killed a foreign aid worker and abducted three others in an oil-rich area of Sudan, a U.N. official said Tuesday. A rebel leader said the government killed some 1,000 civilians in a separate attack in the same region.
Word of the alleged abductions and killings came just one week after a major breakthrough in peace talks to end the African country's 19-year civil war.
Published in ABC News.com - Indexed on Jul 31, 2002
What Do Would-Be Female Strippers Have to Do With Oil?
Stepdad Faces Charges for Feeding Disabled Boy Vodka
Inventor Dean Kamen Does More Than 'IT'
July 30
MEXICO CITY (Reuters) - Pope John Paul II landed in Mexico
on Tuesday where he will canonize Latin America's first Indian
saint and beatify two more indigenous people on the last leg of
an 11-day tour that took in Canada and Guatemala.
The TACA airlines jet carrying the pope, his entourage and
journalists arrived at Mexico City's Benito Juarez
international airport at around 7.30 p.m. local time (8:30 EDT)
after a flight of around two hours from Guatemala City.
Published in TechTV - Indexed on Jul 26, 2002
If you had more money than you could ever spend and owned an entire mountaintop with sweeping views of New Hampshire, what kind of house would you build there? Probably (if you're a guy), you'd build a house a lot like the one Dean Kamen built -- massive, masculine, and full of a big boy's favorite toys (Hummer, Porsche, two helicopters, massive steam engine, and so on). Tonight's "Tech Live" takes you on a tour.
A man dreams about building a house like the one Kamen built, but then his wife (or his accountant) steps in and injects a little common sense into the proceedings.
Published in TechTV - Indexed on Jul 26, 2002
Dean Kamen loves machines that move. He loves his Hummer, his two helicopters, his Porsche, even the 100-year-old hand-operated elevator that would carry him to the fourth floor of his hilltop mansion, if only he weren't in too big a hurry to use it. But one of his favorite machines is a gleaming, 4-foot tall assembly of metal and glass in the middle of his hexagonal, vaulted living room. Tonight's "Tech Live" takes you there.
"It's an orrery," Kamen explained to our TV crew. "An orrery is a mechanical representation of the solar system. Usually you'd have the sun in the middle, then the planets orbiting around it.
Published in TechTV - Indexed on Jul 26, 2002
Imagine not just shouting at your favorite sports team while watching it on TV, but actually getting in on the action. As "Tech Live" reports tonight, now you can use your remote control to try to predict a Hail Mary touchdown pass, or even pick which member of the "Big Brother" house will be shown the door.
That's what the British are doing now, and a company called Two Way TV is trying to bring the technology to American shores.
Say you wanted to play along with the show "Who Wants to Be a Millionaire.
Published in TechTV - Indexed on Jul 26, 2002
"He's a great inventor, but we wish he'd use his genius for something else," said Walk San Francisco's Michael Smith, pedestrian advocate and one of many outspoken critics of Segway. "Instead of trying to automate the last aspects of walking, he could try to use it for something that is maybe a bit more healthy."
Segway is Dean Kamen's most recent invention. He has filed more than 150 patents and launched several successful inventions prior to the splash Segway made last year.
Earlier inventions
One of Kamen's first notable inventions was the AutoSyringe -- a device for delivering medicine automatically.
Published in BBC News - Indexed on Jul 23, 2002
Monday, 22 July, 2002, 10:12 GMT 11:12 UK
Segway scooter gets UK airing
A two-wheeled scooter - partly developed by British engineers - goes on show in the UK for the first time on Monday.
The inventors of the Segway Human Transporter hope it will revolutionise the way people travel.
It uses a silicone gyroscope - developed at BAe Systems in Plymouth, Devon - to maintain balance, propelling users along at three times normal walking speed.
The machine has already caused a stir in the US and goes on display at the Farnborough Air Show.
Published in TechTV - Indexed on Jul 21, 2002
No one -- not even dedicated viewers of "The Screen Savers" -- expected any major product announcements from this year's Macworld Expo in Hong Kong, but Steve Jobs, Apple's CEO, has once again fooled the Cult of Mac. The audience applauded several times during Jobs' keynote address, but it grew eerily silent when Jobs called out Segway CEO Dean Kamen.
"We're announcing much more than an amazing new Apple product today," Jobs boldly stated. "You're witnessing a fundamental change in the way people get around in their community."
The lights dropped and brave overtures of "Also Sprach Zarathustra" resounded throughout the auditorium.
Published in SiliconValley.com - Indexed on Jul 20, 2002
If you're in San Francisco next week, look out for postal workers flying up and down city sidewalks on giant scooters.
They'll be riding on Segway Human Transporters, the 65-pound, two-wheel electric scooter that looks like a futuristic push-style lawn mower. The Segway could be one of the biggest bets ever taken by Menlo Park venture firm Kleiner Perkins Caufield & Byers.
The machine runs as fast as 12.5 miles an hour and was produced by award-winning inventor Dean Kamen. Intrigued by Kamen's pitch that the Segway could ``change civilization,'' Kleiner Perkins' John Doerr invested during the heady days of spring 2000.
That was 2000.
Published in TechTV - Indexed on Jul 20, 2002
It was first known by the code name "Ginger." Then it was called "It." Now we all know it as Segway, or, more officially, the "Segway Human Transporter" -- the self-balancing transportation device unveiled last year after months of speculation and rumor. Postal workers and policemen around the country are testing Segway right now, and its manufacturer says it will hit the consumer market next year. Tonight's "Tech Live" takes a look at the invention that aims to change the way people get around.
"We think it allows, for the first time, technology to allow a pedestrian to move more quickly, to carry more," inventor Dean Kamen said.
Published in Business Week - Indexed on Jun 30, 2002
There are all kinds of ways to travel. The Segway Human Transporter, designed by Dean Kamen, is one of the most hyped prototype products of our era. The device combines breakthroughs in self-balancing gyroscopes and electronics to create a battery-powered urban person-mover. Lean forward, and it moves forward. Lean back, and it brakes. The interface on its LCD screen is a friendly human face. The battery packs are recyclable. The 36-kilogram Segway will be on sale in late 2002.
Already available in the market for much less is the electric-powered Xootr Scooter.
Published in Sacramento Bee - Indexed on Jun 20, 2002
Dan Walters: Legislature should put brakes on high-powered drive for Segway
By Dan Walters -- Bee Columnist - (Published June 19, 2002)
Inventor Dean Kamen spent many years and a reported $100 million to secretly develop the two-wheeled, electric-powered device he calls the Segway Human Transporter, which was unveiled to the public last winter amid much media hype.
Is it the breakthrough device that bridges the gap between walking and driving (hence the name "Segway," phonetic spelling for "segue"), as Kamen and other boosters claim?
Published in Sacramento Bee - Indexed on Jun 20, 2002
Inventor Dean Kamen spent many years and a reported $100 million to secretly develop the two-wheeled, electric-powered device he calls the Segway Human Transporter, which was unveiled to the public last winter amid much media hype.
Is it the breakthrough device that bridges the gap between walking and driving (hence the name "Segway," phonetic spelling for "segue"), as Kamen and other boosters claim? Or is it just a trendy toy -- a mobile pet rock -- that will vanish after a couple of pedestrians are clobbered and personal injury lawyers slap zillion-dollar class- action lawsuits on Kamen and his company?
Published in SiliconValley.com - Indexed on Jun 16, 2002
Posted on Fri, Jun. 14, 2002
States agree to allow Segway scooters on sidewalks, but safety worries are growing
The high-tech Segway scooter is still months away from being available to the public, and already half the states have speedily cleared a path by changing their laws to allow the electric-powered vehicle on sidewalks.
The manufacturer has waged a lobbying campaign at statehouses around the country, winning over lawmakers who see the Segway as a remarkable tool to ease congestion and more.
Published in SiliconValley.com - Indexed on Jun 15, 2002
The high-tech Segway scooter is still months away from being available to the public, and already half the states have speedily cleared a path by changing their laws to allow the electric-powered vehicle on sidewalks.
The manufacturer has waged a lobbying campaign at statehouses around the country, winning over lawmakers who see the Segway as a remarkable tool to ease congestion and more.
But worries are growing among doctors and others who fear pedestrians will get hurt by the two-wheeled, 69-pound Segways as the machines zip around at up to 12.5 mph.
Published in Sacramento Bee - Indexed on Jun 14, 2002
Vermont targets practice of drug companies' freebies
By ROSS SNEYD, Associated PressPublished 10:15 a.m. PDT Wednesday, June 12, 2002
MONTPELIER, Vt. (AP) - Vermont is about to become the first state to take aim at drug companies' practice of lavishing everything from ball-point pens to free trips on doctors and nurses.
Under a law that Gov. Howard Dean, a doctor, plans to sign on Thursday, any gifts valued at $25 or more, other than free drug samples, must be reported to the state by pharmaceutical companies.
Published in Boston Globe - Indexed on Jun 12, 2002
Under a law that Governor Howard Dean, a doctor, plans to sign tomorrow, any gifts valued at $25 or more, other than free drug samples, must be reported to the state by pharmaceutical companies.
Critics of the pharmaceutical industry charge that the use of freebies by sales representatives to promote products drives up medical costs by encouraging doctors to prescribe new, more expensive brand-name drugs.
''This disclosure should embarrass this greedy industry into playing fair,'' said state Senate President Pro Tempore Peter Shumlin, a Democrat.
Published in Washington Times - Indexed on Jun 12, 2002
June 12, 2002
No more free lunches for Vermont doctors
From combined dispatches
Vermont is about to become the first state to take aim at drug companies' practice of lavishing doctors and nurses with everything from ballpoint pens to free Caribbean trips.
Democrat Gov. Howard Dean, a doctor, plans to sign legislation tomorrow that will require pharmaceutical companies to report to the state any gifts valued at $25 or more, other than free drug samples.
Last year, pharmaceutical companies spent $7 billion to send gift-laden salesmen to woo doctors and $2 billion more on events for them.
Published in Boston Globe - Indexed on Jun 12, 2002
Vermont takes aim at drug companies' practice of dispensing freebies to doctors
By Ross Sneyd, Associated Press, 6/12/2002 01:37
MONTPELIER, Vt. (AP) Vermont is about to become the first
state to take aim at drug companies' practice of lavishing
everything from ball point pens to free trips on doctors and
nurses.
Under a law that Gov. Howard Dean, a doctor, plans to sign on
Thursday, any gifts valued at $25 or more, other than free drug
samples, must be reported to the state by pharmaceutical companies.
Published in Media Life - Indexed on Jun 12, 2002
page. What the front page will look like remains either undecided or still
under wraps. In the meantime, Yahoo is surveying its users to learn what
they think about its ease of use and performance. News.com's report says
the new design will not be a radical makeover. Yahoo has long resisted
running plus-sized animated ads on its front page, citing the benefits of
having a stripped-down, fast-loading web page instead. But the company
needs the extra cash that more front-page ads would bring in. T0 increase
revenue during the ad slump, Yahoo has started charging for many services.
Published in Houston Chronicle - Indexed on Jun 12, 2002
Vermont aims at drug companies' freebies for doctors
Associated Press
MONTPELIER, Vt. -- Vermont is about to become the first state to take aim at drug companies' practice of lavishing everything
from ball point pens to free trips on doctors and nurses.
Under a law that Gov. Howard Dean, a doctor, plans to sign on Thursday, any gifts valued at $25 or more, other than free drug
samples, must be reported to the state by pharmaceutical companies.
Published in Business Week - Indexed on Jun 7, 2002
The auctions, which went online earlier this week, had drawn interest from a number of people who had missed out on getting a Segway HT through an earlier auction on Amazon.com in February. Before eBay cancelled the auctions, some 28 bids had been placed on one of them, with the price reaching more than $14,000.
In an e-mail eBay sent to John Zuccarino, who bid on one of the scooters, the company said it cancelled the auctions after being notified by Segway that the auctions "infringed on its intellectual-property rights.
Published in CNN - Indexed on Jun 6, 2002
WASHINGTON (Reuters) -- Seeking to discover whether big-city streets or bumpy country roads can keep mail carriers from their appointed rounds, the U.S. Postal Service said Tuesday it is set to expand testing of the much-anticipated "Segway Human Transporter" scooter into six cities.
Postmaster General John Potter said the post office has bought 40 of the innovative Segway devices to begin a second phase of testing in Norman, Oklahoma and five new locations including Memphis, the Bronx in New York City, San Francisco, Chandler, Arizona and a sixth, yet-to-be-determined location.
Published in ABC News.com - Indexed on Jun 6, 2002
WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Seeking to discover whether big-city
streets or bumpy country roads can keep mail carriers from
their appointed rounds, the U.S. Postal Service said on Tuesday
it is set to expand testing of the much-anticipated Segway
Human Transporter scooter into six cities.
Postmaster General John Potter said the post office has
bought 40 of the innovative Segway devices to begin a second
phase of testing in Norman, Oklahoma, and five new locations
including Memphis, Tennessee; the Bronx in New York City; San
Francisco;, Chandler, Arizona; and a sixth,
yet-to-be-determined location.
Published in SiliconValley.com - Indexed on Jun 6, 2002
Segway scooter set for new U.S. Post Office tests
WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Seeking to discover whether big-city streets or bumpy country roads can keep mail carriers from their appointed rounds, the U.S. Postal Service said Tuesday it is set to expand testing of the much-anticpated Segway Human Transporter scooter into six cities.
Postmaster General John Potter said the post office has bought 40 of the innovative Segway devices to begin a second phase of testing in Norman, Oklahoma and five new locations including Memphis, the Bronx in New York City, San Francisco, Chandler, Arizona and a sixth, yet-to-be-determined location.
Published in Investor's Business Daily - Indexed on Jun 1, 2002
Microchip Technology Inc. (MCHP) is making a power play.
The company announced last month it's buying private firm PowerSmart Inc. PowerSmart makes chips that enable long battery life in devices like portable computers.
Microchip Chief Executive Steve Sanghi says PowerSmart will help his company gain a bigger toehold in the analog chip market.
The acquisition is one way Microchip's expanding its product line. "We buy key technologies and try to build them into a significant business," Sanghi said. "Now we're growing our analog business. We're doing a lot of things, some through acquisition and some through internal development.
Published in Dallas Morning News - Indexed on May 28, 2002
A simple computer program, though, can replicate everything, Dr. Wolfram
insists. And therefore, he declares, the scientific study of nature should
be pursued in a very different way from the procedures of the past.
In effect, Dr. Wolfram contends that he has ushered science from its
dark ages to a new enlightenment. It's a claim that will strike many
observers as audacious in the extreme, a conclusion so grand as to be
sure to elicit disbelief.
"That is his strength and weakness," says neuroscientist Terrence
Sejnowski. "If you don't have bold goals, you'll never make bold
advances."
All is computation
Dr.
Published in Houston Chronicle - Indexed on May 26, 2002
May 25, 2002, 12:15AM
Time to Segway into the future
By THOM MARSHALL
Copyright 2002 Houston Chronicle
THE MOST DIFFICULT thing about riding the first Segway made available to the public is that so many people stop
you with questions.
Wayne Kinsey, who bought the amazing new scooter with a bid of $160,100 in an online charity auction, said you can't get more than
10 feet at a time between one curious person and the next.
He said he's spent maybe two hours total time riding it, mostly around the Galleria area where he works as president and CEO of
Benchmark.
Published in TechTV - Indexed on May 24, 2002
Jim Symanski lives a simple life in a one-room cabin he built in a remote section of the California foothills. It's quiet and serene. Until, that is, he starts up his engines. Tonight's "Tech Live" takes you there.
Over the clangs and thumps of his homemade machines, Symanski explains his fascination with centuries-old technology that could change the world.
"I just like building things that are useful, things that go around," Symanski said. "If it goes around, I'll build it."
Symanski builds Stirling engines by hand to power his machine shop in the woods.
Published in Washington Post - Indexed on May 15, 2002
washingtonpost.com
GOP Takes In $33 Million At Fundraiser
Dinner Shatters Record; Sept. 11 Photo to Be Sold
By Mike Allen
Washington Post Staff Writer
Wednesday, May 15, 2002; Page A01
Republicans shattered the record for a single political fundraiser last night by collecting $33 million at a dinner featuring President Bush, and they hoped to increase their pre-election haul by selling donors a photo of Bush calling Vice President Cheney from Air Force One on Sept. 11.
Published in Washington Post - Indexed on May 15, 2002
Republicans shattered the record for a single political fundraiser last night by collecting $33 million at a dinner featuring President Bush, and they hoped to increase their pre-election haul by selling donors a photo of Bush calling Vice President Cheney from Air Force One on Sept. 11.
The activities are part of a Republican fundraising frenzy less than six months before the advent of a law that will bar the political parties from accepting unlimited checks. Throughout Washington yesterday, major donors received private briefings by Cabinet secretaries and top White House officials.
Published in BBC News - Indexed on May 14, 2002
Some people expressed extreme disappointment when the much-anticipated secret invention from Dean Kamen (intriguingly codenamed Ginger or IT) was revealed to be... a scooter.
AP
Dean Kamen's invention may be a goldmine
Given Mr Kamen's engineering pedigree - he had won a prestigious National Medal of Technology - and the calibre of those endorsing IT (among them Amazon's Jeff Bezos and Apple's Steve Jobs), something "revolutionary" was expected.
"It won't beam you to Mars or turn lead into gold. So sue me," said Mr Kamen giving his stand-on human transporter its first public outing in 2001.
Published in Houston Chronicle - Indexed on May 3, 2002
May 3, 2002, 12:51AM
SEGWAYING INTO TOMORROWLocal CEO wins bid to own scooter that most cannot buy for half a year
By ERIC BERGER
Copyright 2002 Houston Chronicle Science Writer
Employees find themselves opening doors a little more carefully these days at Benchmark's offices in the Galleria.
That's because their boss, Wayne Kinsey, is apt to come zipping down the hallway on his new $160,100 toy, a much-heralded scooter
known variably as IT, Ginger or now, officially, Segway.
"I guess it needs a horn," Kinsey says. "Otherwise, it's perfect.
Published in Houston Chronicle - Indexed on May 3, 2002
HoustonChronicle.com -- www.HoustonChronicle.com | Section: Top Story
May 3, 2002, 12:51AM
SEGWAYING INTO TOMORROW
Local CEO wins bid to own scooter that most cannot buy for half a year
By ERIC BERGER
Copyright 2002 Houston Chronicle Science Writer
Employees find themselves opening doors a little more carefully these days at Benchmark's offices in the Galleria.
That's because their boss, Wayne Kinsey, is apt to come zipping down the hallway on his new $160,100 toy, a much-heralded scooter
known variably as IT, Ginger or now, officially, Segway.
"I guess it needs a horn," Kinsey says. "Otherwise, it's perfect.
Published in Houston Chronicle - Indexed on May 3, 2002
SEGWAYING INTO TOMORROWLocal CEO wins bid to own scooter that most cannot buy for half a year
By ERIC BERGER
Copyright 2002 Houston Chronicle Science Writer
Employees find themselves opening doors a little more carefully these days at Benchmark's offices in the Galleria.
That's because their boss, Wayne Kinsey, is apt to come zipping down the hallway on his new $160,100 toy, a much-heralded scooter
known variably as IT, Ginger or now, officially, Segway.
"I guess it needs a horn," Kinsey says. "Otherwise, it's perfect.
Published in Boston Globe - Indexed on Apr 30, 2002
The hottest new technology breakthrough driving one local company's profits isn't a new chip, wonder drug, storage device, or software package. It's the Gillette Mach3 Turbo Razor, with antifriction blade edges, ultrasoft skin guard, new lubricating system, and improved razor handle (35 patents in all). This is the new new economy: Gillette in 2002 is charging $9 for a razor and $2.25 apiece for blades, while tech CEOs are still moaning about tightwad corporate customers.
Published in Wired - Indexed on Apr 30, 2002
FIRST (For Inspiration and Recognition of Science and Technology) was formed in 1992 by Dean Kamen, inventor of the Segway Human Transporter, and Woodie Flowers, a professor of mechanical engineering at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology.
The organization's goal is to introduce high school students to the thrill of tackling real-world technical challenges, as well as to give young nerds an official sport they can excel in.
Kamen, dressed as always in jeans and a denim shirt, was a constant presence at the competition, weaving through the crowds effortlessly on his seemingly ever-present Segway.
Published in Houston Chronicle - Indexed on Apr 28, 2002
April 27, 2002, 10:55PM
High-tech scooter's safety at issue
By CAROLINE E. MAYER
Washington Post
Segway, the high-tech scooter that's been hailed as the future of personal transportation, can travel only 12.5
miles an hour, but it's been winning access to the nation's sidewalks with lightning speed.
In the four months since the heavily touted invention was unveiled to the public, 20 states have passed laws to allow the Human
Transporter, as the scooter's sometimes called, to be used on sidewalks.
Published in Business Week - Indexed on Apr 26, 2002
SAN FRANCISCO--Altering the future ain't what it used to be.
At least that was the sense you got talking to some of the world-changing inventors gathered here Wednesday night for the presentation of the Lemelson-MIT Awards, which recognize key American inventors.
Modern invention is increasingly focused on proprietary, corporate-funded research aimed at achieving narrowly defined business goals. The result has been an intellectual property melee in which companies try to stake claim to ideas as broad as Web links.
Published in Washington Post - Indexed on Apr 26, 2002
Thursday, April 25, 2002; 10:45 AM
Segway, the high-tech scooter that's been hailed as the future of personal transportation, can travel only 12.5 miles per hour, but it has been winning access to the nation's sidewalks with lightning speed.
In the four months since the heavily touted invention was unveiled to the public, 20 states, including Virginia, have passed laws to allow the Human Transporter, as the scooter is sometimes called, to be used on sidewalks.
Similar laws are awaiting the governor's signature in Maryland and two other states, while 16 states and the District are scheduled to consider the issue by the end of the year.
Published in Washington Post - Indexed on Apr 25, 2002
Segway, the high-tech scooter that's been hailed as the future of personal transportation, can travel only 12.5 miles per hour, but it has been winning access to the nation's sidewalks with lightning speed.
In the four months since the heavily touted invention was unveiled to the public, 20 states, including Virginia, have passed laws to allow the Human Transporter, as the scooter is sometimes called, to be used on sidewalks.
Similar laws are awaiting the governor's signature in Maryland and two other states, while 16 states and the District are scheduled to consider the issue by the end of the year.
Published in San Francisco Examiner - Indexed on Apr 25, 2002
Publication date: 04/24/2002
Use scooters in mild pursuits
By Erin McClam
Associated Press
ATLANTA -- Purse-snatchers beware: Atlanta police are riding shiny new $9,000 scooters -- and it will take at least a brisk jog to get away from them.
The city's finest unveiled a battalion of Segway Human Transporter vehicles Tuesday. The battery-powered, two-wheeled scooters can top out at 15 mph.
Inventor Dean Kamen introduced the gyroscope-stablized scooters last fall after keeping them secret for months under the code names IT and Ginger.
Published in San Francisco Examiner - Indexed on Apr 25, 2002
Publication date: 04/24/2002
Use scooters in mild pursuits
By Erin McClam
Associated Press
ATLANTA -- Purse-snatchers beware: Atlanta police are riding shiny new $9,000 scooters -- and it will take at least a brisk jog to get away from them.
The city's finest unveiled a battalion of Segway Human Transporter vehicles Tuesday. The battery-powered, two-wheeled scooters can top out at 15 mph.
Inventor Dean Kamen introduced the gyroscope-stablized scooters last fall after keeping them secret for months under the code names IT and Ginger.
Published in ABC News.com - Indexed on Apr 25, 2002
A T L A N T A,
April 23
Purse-snatchers beware: Atlanta police are riding shiny new $9,000 scooters and it will take at least a brisk jog to get away from them.
The city's finest unveiled a battalion of Segway Human Transporter vehicles Tuesday. The battery-powered, two-wheeled scooters can top out at 15 mph.
Inventor Dean Kamen introduced the gyroscope-stablized scooters last fall after keeping them secret for months under the code names IT and Ginger.
Police in Atlanta a traffic-snarled city that never met a motor vehicle it didn't like are borrowing six of the scooters from Kamen's company for a two-month test run.
Published in CNN - Indexed on Apr 24, 2002
NEW YORK (CNN) -- After months of speculation, the elusive gizmo referred to as "It" or "Ginger" has been unveiled to the public.
The ABC television program "Good Morning America" demonstrated the invention Monday, a two-wheeled, self-propelled scooter that can travel at about 12 mph.
Ginger is the work of the New Hampshire entrepreneur Dean Kamen, who invented a plastic kidney dialysis machine and later a versatile wheelchair that climbs stairs and stands on two wheels.
Published in The Straits Times - Indexed on Apr 24, 2002
Whizz at science, dud at tax returns... Japan's Nobel prizewinner Professor Pyoji Noyori. -- AFP
TOKYO - Professor Ryoji Noyori, winner of last year's Nobel Prize for chemistry, has been ordered to pay back taxes on fees and prizes awarded overseas.
Prof Noyori, 63, of Nagoya University, said he did not understand how to file his tax returns.
He was slapped with administrative penalties for failing to report 32 million yen (S$448,000) in lecture fees and prize money, according to the Asahi Shimbun newspaper.
The professor had settled the matter by paying the state 15 million yen, the reports said.
Published in Houston Chronicle - Indexed on Apr 24, 2002
April 23, 2002, 10:30PM
Atlanta police hope to get leg up on crooks with high-tech wheels
By ERIN McCLAM
Associated Press
ATLANTA -- Purse-snatchers beware: Atlanta police are riding shiny new $9,000 scooters -- and it will take at least a
brisk jog to get away from them.
The city's finest unveiled a battalion of Segway Human Transporter vehicles Tuesday. The battery-powered, two-wheeled scooters can
top out at 15 mph.
Inventor Dean Kamen introduced the gyroscope-stabilized scooters last fall after keeping them secret for months under the code names
IT and Ginger.
Published in International Herald Tribune - Indexed on Apr 24, 2002
But growth in digital service beats analysts' expectations
EGG SETS E-MAIL TRANSFERS: Egg PLC, the biggest Internet bank in Britain, said it would be the first bank in the country to allow customers to transfer money by e-mail.
Egg customers will be able to send as much as £200 ($289) per transaction to recipients with a British bank account and an e-mail address. The free transfers will take three to four working days.
Egg, more than 80 percent owned by Prudential PLC, is competing for affluent online customers.
Published in CNN - Indexed on Apr 24, 2002
BOSTON, Massachusetts (AP) -- Dean Kamen, creator of the much-ballyhooed "Ginger" scooter, has been named the winner of the $500,000 Lemelson-MIT prize for inventors.
The award, given annually, was bestowed in recognition of Kamen's development of the self-balancing scooter and of an infusion pump that has allowed diabetics to lead more normal lives. Kamen, owner of DEKA Research & Development Corp. in Manchester, New Hampshire, holds more than 150 patents.
"He is a true genius.
Published in SiliconValley.com - Indexed on Apr 24, 2002
Posted on Tue, Apr. 23, 2002
Atlanta cops scoot off after criminals on Segway scooters
ATLANTA (AP) - Purse-snatchers beware: Atlanta police are riding shiny new $9,000 scooters -- and it will take at least a brisk jog to get away from them.
The city's finest unveiled a battalion of Segway Human Transporter vehicles Tuesday. The battery-powered, two-wheeled scooters can top out at 15 mph.
Inventor Dean Kamen introduced the gyroscope-stablized scooters last fall after keeping them secret for months under the code names IT and Ginger.
Published in Wired - Indexed on Apr 24, 2002
ATLANTA (AP) - Purse-snatchers beware: Atlanta police are riding
shiny new $9,000 scooters - and it will take at least a brisk jog
to get away from them.
The city's finest unveiled a battalion of Segway Human
Transporter vehicles Tuesday. The battery-powered, two-wheeled
scooters can top out at 15 mph.
Inventor Dean Kamen introduced the gyroscope-stablized scooters
last fall after keeping them secret for months under the code names
IT and Ginger.
Police in Atlanta - a traffic-snarled city that never met a
motor vehicle it didn't like - are borrowing six of the scooters
from Kamen's company for a two-month test run.
Published in SiliconValley.com - Indexed on Apr 24, 2002
BOSTON (AP) - Dean Kamen, creator of the much-ballyhooed Segway scooter, has been named the winner of the $500,000 Lemelson-MIT prize for inventors.
The award, given annually, was bestowed in recognition of Kamen's development of the self-balancing scooter and of an infusion pump that has allowed diabetics to lead more normal lives. Kamen, owner of DEKA Research & Development Corp. in Manchester, N.H., holds more than 150 patents.
``He is a true genius. His commitment to bettering the lives of people is intense and his inventions keep getting more remarkable, said former Baxter International chairman Vernon Loucks Jr., who nominated Kamen.
Published in Washington Post - Indexed on Apr 24, 2002
With Argentina's banking system near collapse, President Eduardo Duhalde urged Congress to quickly pass unpopular legislation intended to prop up the financial system. The cornerstone of the plan is a measure to convert most bank deposits into government bonds to relieve cash-strapped banks. That proposal brought massive protests from angry depositors who surrounded the national legislature last night, closing exits and entrances. Duhalde closed all banks and exchange houses until Congress approves the measures. "If Congress doesn't agree with me, they can choose another president," he said.
Published in SiliconValley.com - Indexed on Apr 24, 2002
Inventor of Segway scooter garners coveted Lemelson-MIT prize
BOSTON (AP) - Dean Kamen, creator of the much-ballyhooed Segway scooter, has been named the winner of the $500,000 Lemelson-MIT prize for inventors.
The award, given annually, was bestowed in recognition of Kamen's development of the self-balancing scooter and of an infusion pump that has allowed diabetics to lead more normal lives. Kamen, owner of DEKA Research & Development Corp. in Manchester, N.H., holds more than 150 patents.
``He is a true genius.
Mercury News | 04/23/2002 | Atlanta cops scoot off after criminals on Segway scooters
Published in SiliconValley.com - Indexed on Apr 24, 2002
ATLANTA (AP) - Purse-snatchers beware: Atlanta police are riding shiny new $9,000 scooters -- and it will take at least a brisk jog to get away from them.
The city's finest unveiled a battalion of Segway Human Transporter vehicles Tuesday. The battery-powered, two-wheeled scooters can top out at 15 mph.
Inventor Dean Kamen introduced the gyroscope-stablized scooters last fall after keeping them secret for months under the code names IT and Ginger.
Police in Atlanta -- a traffic-snarled city that never met a motor vehicle it didn't like -- are borrowing six of the scooters from Kamen's company for a two-month test run.
Published in USA TODAY - Indexed on Apr 24, 2002
inventor writes his own rulesUnder
wraps: How they kept the Segway secretHyped
invention just scoots alongKamen's
'IT' is a scooter, after allHigh-tech
wheelchair to hit market
BOSTON (AP) Dean Kamen,
creator of the much-ballyhooed Segway scooter, has been named the winner of the
$500,000 Lemelson-MIT prize for inventors.The award,
given annually, was bestowed in recognition of Kamen's development of the self-balancing
scooter and of an infusion pump that has allowed diabetics to lead more normal
lives. Kamen, owner of DEKA Research & Development in Manchester, N.H., holds
more than 150 patents."He is a true genius.
Published in Houston Chronicle - Indexed on Apr 23, 2002
National briefs
Copyright 2002 Houston Chronicle News Services
Stranded canine resists attempts to rescue her
HONOLULU -- A dog that has spent 20 days adrift on an abandoned tanker isn't so sure she wants to be rescued.
Fishermen attempting to pick up the frightened dog tried to use peanut butter to coax the 2-year-old mixed breed terrier named
Forgea on Monday, a salvage company spokesman said.
"She keeps going down below decks and hiding," said Rusty Nall of American Marine Corp., the salvage company hired to find the ship
and rescue the dog.
Published in News Bytes - Indexed on Apr 23, 2002
ATLANTA--(BUSINESS WIRE)--April 23, 2002--Segway LLC today
announced the sale, shipment and deployment of 10 Segway(TM) Human
Transporters (HT) to several organizations and companies in Atlanta.
The units will be used by the Central Atlanta Progress Ambassador
Force(R), the Atlanta Regional Commission, and Georgia Power. In
conjunction, the Atlanta Police Department will conduct a 60-day trial
with an additional six Segway HT units.
Published in SiliconValley.com - Indexed on Apr 23, 2002
Posted on Mon, Apr. 22, 2002
Ex-Subaru President to Head Segway
MANCHESTER, N.H. - George Muller, the former president of Subaru of America Inc., will become president of the company that makes the Segway high-tech scooter.
Muller will start May 1, Segway LLC said Monday.
Muller was president and chief executive of Subaru of America from 1993 to 2000, during which the company tripled its revenues, primarily due to the popularity of its Outback and Forester mini-SUVs. He left in June 2000 to work as an adviser with CMR Private Equity.
Published in USA TODAY - Indexed on Apr 23, 2002
MANCHESTER, N.H. (AP) George Muller, the former
president of Subaru of America, will become president of the company that makes
the Segway high-tech scooter.
Muller will start May 1, Segway said Monday.
Muller was president and chief executive of Subaru of America
from 1993 to 2000, during which the company tripled its revenues, primarily
due to the popularity of its Outback and Forester mini-SUVs. He left in June
2000 to work as an adviser with CMR Private Equity.
Published in Houston Chronicle - Indexed on Apr 21, 2002
April 20, 2002, 12:19AM
Auto Show debuts at new venueDream machines, whether fast or slow
By DAVID KAPLAN
Copyright 2002 Houston Chronicle
BESIDE the dark and forgotten Astrodome, the sparkling white Reliant Center exhibit hall announced the
Houston Auto Show.
With more space than it had at its former home, the Astrohall, the 2002 event is the biggest auto showroom the city has ever seen.
And the sugar that helps lure many consumers is all the dream machines they typically see only in magazines. At this year's show,
the unlikely star is a slow-moving vehicle with only two wheels.
Published in Houston Chronicle - Indexed on Apr 21, 2002
HoustonChronicle.com -- www.HoustonChronicle.com | Section: Business
April 20, 2002, 12:19AM
Auto Show debuts at new venue
Dream machines, whether fast or slow
By DAVID KAPLAN
Copyright 2002 Houston Chronicle
BESIDE the dark and forgotten Astrodome, the sparkling white Reliant Center exhibit hall announced the
Houston Auto Show.
With more space than it had at its former home, the Astrohall, the 2002 event is the biggest auto showroom the city has ever seen.
And the sugar that helps lure many consumers is all the dream machines they typically see only in magazines.
Published in Houston Chronicle - Indexed on Apr 21, 2002
Auto Show debuts at new venueDream machines, whether fast or slow
By DAVID KAPLAN
Copyright 2002 Houston Chronicle
BESIDE the dark and forgotten Astrodome, the sparkling white Reliant Center exhibit hall announced the
Houston Auto Show.
With more space than it had at its former home, the Astrohall, the 2002 event is the biggest auto showroom the city has ever seen.
And the sugar that helps lure many consumers is all the dream machines they typically see only in magazines. At this year's show,
the unlikely star is a slow-moving vehicle with only two wheels.
The formula of mixing the practical with the fantastic seems to be working.
Published in International Herald Tribune - Indexed on Apr 18, 2002
Patent filings fuel talk that a new engine is in the works
NEW YORK Dean Kamen's motorized scooter, christened Segway, has sparked the public imagination as few other recent inventions have. A New Yorker magazine cover recently featured Osama bin Laden making a getaway on a Segway.
But recently published patent applications bolster the tantalizing speculation that Kamen may have something much bigger up his sleeve than the cute scooter, which looks something like a motorized push mower with wheels.
Such speculation has been brewing for more than a year now, fueled in part by remarks made by Robert Metcalfe, a friend of Kamen's.
Published in The Straits Times - Indexed on Apr 17, 2002
Non-polluting engine for the Segway?
THE Segway, Mr Dean Kamen's motorised scooter, has sparked the public imagination like few other inventions in recent memory.
But recently-published patent applications bolster the tantalising speculation that Mr Kamen may indeed have something much bigger up his sleeve than the cute scooter.
His friend, Mr Robert Metcalfe, has been quoted as saying that ''it'' was ''bigger than the Internet'' and ''almost as big as cold fusion would have been''.
Published in Los Angeles Times - Indexed on Apr 9, 2002
Sometimes it takes a village to build a robot. Last weekend a bunch of the radio-controlled contraptions, built by ad hoc villages of students, engineers, teachers, parents, siblings and hangers-on from across California, Arizona, Washington and Hawaii, gathered to compete in a regional contest that fused soccer and basketball with high-tech bumper cars. Here was the scene at the Los Angeles Memorial Sports Arena on Saturday:
Robots of every description, each topped with a flashing red or blue light, careered about on a basketball court-size playing area.
Published in SiliconValley.com - Indexed on Apr 6, 2002
The Spokesman-Review, Spokane, Wash.
BOISE, Idaho--Never mind that there aren't any here yet -- the new Segway Human Transporter can now be run legally on Idaho sidewalks.
Idaho lawmakers this year passed HB 550 to define the two-wheeled, upright, self-balancing scooters as essentially the same as motorized wheelchairs, which get the same access to sidewalks as pedestrians.
Idaho wasn't alone.
Inventors of the ``Segway HT'' are pushing legislation in 40 states -- including Washington, where lawmakers got to go for a scoot to try out the newfangled thing, and Florida, where Gov. Jeb Bush rode one through the hallways of the state Capitol.
Published in ABC News.com - Indexed on Apr 3, 2002
NEWS SUMMARY
In the days following September 11, America found this approach and these catch phrases both comforting and motivating, and as much as members of the Chattering Class may roll their eyes over Bush's repeated use of the epithet "good man," or (for the younger chatterers) play drinking games pegged to his frequent use of the word "evildoer," all of this played a big role in sending the president's approval rating over the 80-percent mark and keeping it there.
But when it comes to dealing with the timeless ambiguities of the Middle East, this same approach just isn't cutting it.
Published in TechTV - Indexed on Apr 3, 2002
With hundreds of cheering, stomping, and dancing kids, parents, and engineers, this is definitely not your typical science fair. No, this is the Silicon Valley regionals for the FIRST (For Inspiration and Recognition of Science and Technology) Robotics competition and tonight "Tech Live" takes you there.
Segway HT inventor Dean Kamen launched FIRST 11 years ago to encourage students to explore the worlds of science and technology. He also wanted to promote mentoring programs between high tech companies and the nation's high schools.
Published in TechTV - Indexed on Apr 2, 2002
Would you pay a hundred grand for a Segway scooter? Well, three deep-pocketed bidders did last week and "Tech Live" talks to one of them tonight.
Bidders spent a total of $364,800 to purchase the first three Segway Human Transporters. Proceeds from the Amazon.com auction benefit Segway inventor Dean Kamen's FIRST organization, a non-profit that teaches kids about science and technology.
"I would've been disappointed if we didn't get over 300 [thousand]," Kamen told TechTV. "It's nice that every machine went for over a $100,000, and I was particularly excited that one of them -- number one -- went for over a 160 [thousand]."
That No.
Published in Washington Post - Indexed on Mar 31, 2002
Nearly all of North Dakota's school-age children got an agriculture lesson in the form of a meal made almost exclusively of home-grown products. The menu: hot dogs, nachos, cheese, beans, carrots and milk.
Menus for the Pride of South Dakota School Lunch Day were designed by state child-nutrition specialists to conform with federal guidelines. Grand Forks Public Schools, for instance, served hot dogs made by Cloverdale Foods Co. in Mandan, Dakota submarine sandwiches made with Cloverdale luncheon meat and sunflower nuts from Dakota Gourmet in Wahpeton.
Some schools even taught lessons related to the event.
Published in BayArea.com - Indexed on Mar 30, 2002
These robots can't get your coffee or walk your dog. Their big achievement is picking up a soccer ball and putting it in a goal.
But their teenage inventors, the best in the nation, might design the super-robots of the future.
After working for weeks on their inventions, high school teams from the Bay Area and around the country will put their robots to the test today in a design and engineering competition sponsored by the non-profit organization FIRST (For Inspiration and Recognition of Science and Technology).
Published in Business Week - Indexed on Mar 30, 2002
Three lucky consumers will be among the first to own a Segway Human Transporter, but they will pay a pretty price.
Auctions for three of the devices closed on Amazon.com on Thursday night at $100,600, $104,100 and, after several last-minute bids, $160,000.
Bruce Waldack, an Internet millionaire and the founder of Thruport Technologies, won one of the HTs with the final bid of $100,600. Waldack, who collects vintage computers, sold DigitalNation, a Web hosting firm he founded, to Verio for $100 million in 1999.
Amazon confirmed that all of the top bids on the HT auctions are legitimate, said Carrie Peters, a company spokeswoman.
Published in TechTV - Indexed on Mar 29, 2002
Anyone doubting whether inventor Dean Kamen's Segway Human Transport scooters -- formerly known as "Ginger" and "IT" -- are worth the projected $3,000 to $8,000 price tag better take a deep breath. As "Tech Live" reports tonight, some folks are willing to pay big bucks to get their scooters first.
In a special auction conducted by Amazon.com, bidding hit over $100,00 for each of the three special edition Segways. Bidding on two of the transports closed shortly after the 6 p.m. Thursday deadline.
But bidding on the last one continued well after the deadline.
Published in News Bytes - Indexed on Mar 29, 2002
MANCHESTER, N.H. & SEATTLE--(ENTERTAINMENT WIRE)--March 29, 2002--
Winners from Texas, Virginia, Illinois; Proceeds total $364,800
for youth science organization
Segway LLC, FIRST, and Amazon.com (Nasdaq: AMZN) today announced
the winning bidders on three limited-edition Segway(TM) Human
Transporters (HT), the first self-balancing, electric-powered personal
transportation devices, which were auctioned exclusively at
Amazon.com.
The auction event, which began February 19 and concluded March 28,
raised a combined total of $364,800.
Published in News Bytes - Indexed on Mar 29, 2002
MANCHESTER, N.H. & SEATTLE--(BUSINESS WIRE)--March 29, 2002--
Winners from Texas, Virginia, Illinois; Proceeds total $364,800
for youth science organization
Segway LLC, FIRST, and Amazon.com (Nasdaq: AMZN) today announced
the winning bidders on three limited-edition Segway(TM) Human
Transporters (HT), the first self-balancing, electric-powered personal
transportation devices, which were auctioned exclusively at
Amazon.com.
The auction event, which began February 19 and concluded March 28,
raised a combined total of $364,800.
Published in SiliconValley.com - Indexed on Mar 29, 2002
These robots can't get your coffee or walk your dog. Their big achievement is picking up a soccer ball and putting it in a goal.
But their teenage inventors, the best in the nation, might design the super-robots of the future.
After working for weeks on their inventions, high school teams from the Bay Area and around the country will put their robots to the test today in a design and engineering competition sponsored by the non-profit organization FIRST (For Inspiration and Recognition of Science and Technology).
Published in TechTV - Indexed on Mar 28, 2002
Venice flood barriers
Engineer at MIT designed project proposal to protect Venice from joining the Adriatic Sea. This of course is not a new problem for the city of Venice, which is slowly losing ground to the sea. About 80 huge steel barriers that would be installed outside the city's three harbor mouths could tame the high tides that flood the city. Officials say the project would cost about $3 billion, and take eight years to complete.
Ballet tech
Technology probably isn't something you think of in regards to ballet, but researchers are making leaps and bounds in pointe shoe technology.
Published in International Herald Tribune - Indexed on Mar 5, 2002
MONTEREY, California What preternatural power can prompt Rupert Murdoch, Jeffrey Katzenberg, Richard Dawkins, Neil Simon, Art Buchwald, Frank Gehry and Quincy Jones to sit for hours in a hot room contemplating the nano-sized split ends on gecko toes?
It can only be the TED conference, the three-and-a-half day, $4,000-a-pop annual roundup of brains and glitter in which deep wisdom and technological derring-do are served up on an intellectual pupu platter by 70 speakers and performers.
Published in RedHerring - Indexed on Feb 27, 2002
The U.S. transportation system's aged, centralized infrastructure is becoming much more flexible and decentralized (see our Briefing, page 66). It's a metamorphosis not unlike what is occurring in the energy and communications industries.
Largely built between 1830 and 1960, the interconnected web of roads, rails, and runways for moving goods and people is among the most costly investments in U.S. history. Likewise, upgrading this system with a new, "intelligent" infrastructure is likely to be an extremely expensive endeavor--one requiring a great deal of public and private investment, as well as entrepreneurial spirit.
Published in Wired - Indexed on Feb 24, 2002
She said that within "the next year or so," the genomes of about 70 major potential bioterror pathogens will be available for scientists to use in tracking and
fighting any future outbreaks.
"The likelihood is rather large" that El Niño will
return this spring, said Stephen Zebiak of the
International Research Institute for Climate Prediction.
The warm Pacific Ocean current, which in the spring of 1997 spawned a year of climatic aftershocks around the globe, is expected to bring with it increased inclement weather and mosquito-, rodent- and water-borne disease.
Published in TechTV - Indexed on Feb 23, 2002
What does $60,000 buy you in the transportation world these days? Well, you could drive away with a Porsche Boxster convertible sports car, but if you think that's a yawner, there's always a self-balancing scooter.
Amazon.com is auctioning the first three consumer Segway Human Transporters, the revolutionary motorized scooters unveiled with much fanfare by inventor Dean Kamen late last year.
The machines went on the block at midnight Tuesday with a first bid of $1.75, and by late Wednesday morning had attracted hundreds of bids, with the top ones for each device hitting $51,200, $60,000, and $60,106.
Published in Wired - Indexed on Feb 22, 2002
But the device, now known as the Segway Human Transporter, still has its fans, judging by a heated auction now taking place at Amazon.com.
Three limited-edition models of the Segway Human Transporters are being auctioned at the site. And shortly after the auction appeared on Amazon early Tuesday morning, four dozen or so bids were placed for each of the machines, and the price to beat had quickly climbed to $10,000.
Once the devices are widely available to consumers, sometime later this year, they are expected to be priced at around $3,000.
Published in TechTV - Indexed on Jan 15, 2002
A self-balancing scooter billed as heralding a revolution in the way people travel could run into an obstacle in Japan, where a robotics professor wants recognition for inventing a nearly identical machine 15 years ago.
The claim comes a little more than a month after US inventor Dean Kamen unveiled the Segway Human Transporter and Segway, the company founded to make and sell it, ending a year of speculation and secrecy over the invention that kept the high tech world in thrall.
Published in CNet News - Indexed on Jan 14, 2002
TOKYO--A self-balancing scooter billed as heralding a revolution in the way people travel could run into an obstacle in Japan, where a robotics professor wants recognition for inventing a nearly identical machine 15 years ago.
The claim comes a little more than a month after U.S. inventor Dean Kamen unveiled the Segway Human Transporter, ending a year of speculation and secrecy over the invention that kept the high-tech world in thrall.
"I'm not saying that they took the idea, but I want people to know that it existed before the Segway was developed," said Kazuo Yamafuji, Professor Emiritus at Tokyo's University of Electro-Communications.
Published in CNet News - Indexed on Jan 14, 2002
TOKYO--A self-balancing scooter billed as heralding a revolution in the way people travel could run into an obstacle in Japan, where a robotics professor wants recognition for inventing a nearly identical machine 15 years ago.
The claim comes a little more than a month after U.S. inventor Dean Kamen unveiled the Segway Human Transporter, ending a year of speculation and secrecy over the invention that kept the high-tech world in thrall.
"I'm not saying that they took the idea but I want people to know that it existed before the Segway was developed," said Kazuo Yamafuji, Professor Emiritus at Tokyo's University of Electro-Communications.
Published in Forbes - Indexed on Jan 13, 2002
By Reed Stevenson
TOKYO, Jan 13 (Reuters) - A self-balancing scooter billed as
heralding a revolution in the way people travel could run into an
obstacle in Japan, where a robotics professor wants recognition
for inventing a nearly identical machine 15 years ago.
The claim comes a little more than a month after U.S.
inventor Dean Kamen unveiled the "Segway Human Transporter" and
Segway LLC, the company founded to make and sell it, ending a
year of speculation and secrecy over the invention that kept the
high-tech world in thrall.
Published in SiliconValley.com - Indexed on Jan 13, 2002
TOKYO (Reuters) - A self-balancing scooter billed as heralding a revolution in the way people travel could run into an obstacle in Japan, where a robotics professor wants recognition for inventing a nearly identical machine 15 years ago.
The claim comes a little more than a month after U.S. inventor Dean Kamen unveiled the ``Segway Human Transporter'' and Segway LLC, the company founded to make and sell it, ending a year of speculation and secrecy over the invention that kept the high-tech world in thrall.
Published in USA TODAY - Indexed on Dec 30, 2001
Matt Moyer, AP Dean
Kamen, inventor of the mysterious technology known only as 'Ginger,' spends much
of his time trying to get children interested in science.
NEW YORK (AP) Dean Kamen is not a man who
believes in the power of "no." In the mid-1980s, Kamen bought North Dumpling Island
three acres off Connecticut, uninhabited aside from Kamen himself. He declared
the island's independence (the declaration has no force of law), developed his
own currency (the Dumpling) and signed a nonaggression pact with New Hampshire.
He restored an old amphibious ship to serve the imaginary North Dumpling navy.
Published in National Post Online (Canada) - Indexed on Dec 28, 2001
Louis Lanzano, The Associated Press
Inventor Dean Kamen and his scooter have enjoyed a media blitz.
Earlier this month, as inventor Dean Kamen's Segway scooter was capturing the imagination of newspaper editors and TV producers across North America, Alan Rothschild was sparing a thought for Edwin J. Blood.
More than a century ago, Blood's design for a faster velocipede had just received a U.S. patent. Yet despite two innovative rear wheels that were meant to impart better balance and speed, his 1879 invention failed to catch on with the velocipede-buying public and eventually slipped into obscurity.
Published in CNet News - Indexed on Dec 24, 2001
The once high-flying world of consumer gadgets went into a tailspin this year as the economy tanked. But that doesn't mean that 2001 was without its share of must-haves and hype.
At the start of the year, a curiosity code-named Ginger sparked the imagination of techies. Inventor Dean Kamen had supposedly created a machine that would change the world. Ginger was finally unveiled in early December. It is what so many had predicted: a scooter. But that doesn't mean it isn't a kick.
Meanwhile, game fanatics had their share of excitement this year as they waited for Microsoft's Xbox to make its debut in November.
Published in CNet News - Indexed on Dec 23, 2001
Toys for
big kids
This year's hottest gadgets and biggest flops
The once high-flying world of consumer gadgets went into a tailspin this year as the economy tanked. But that doesn't mean that 2001 was without its share of must-haves and hype.
At the start of the year, a curiosity code-named Ginger sparked the imagination of techies. Inventor Dean Kamen had supposedly created a machine that would change the world. Ginger was finally unveiled in early December. It is what so many had predicted: a scooter. But that doesn't mean it isn't a kick.
Published in CNN - Indexed on Dec 21, 2001
TROY, Michigan (Reuters) -- The inventor of the Segway Human Transporter came to the cradle of the automotive industry on Tuesday to sell his idea of a new transportation device that can go where cars can't.
Dean Kamen, the man behind the Segway -- something like a battery-powered, two-wheeled stool with a handlebar -- expects his self-balancing, single-occupant vehicle to become the best thing between walking and driving a car.
He insisted that his transporter, which can travel about 12 to 17 miles per hour, about three or four times faster than a brisk walk, doesn't compete with the automobile industry, but complements it.
Published in ABC News.com - Indexed on Dec 9, 2001
One of the most protracted product unveilings in modern business history occurred Monday morning, when after more than a year of rumors planted and otherwise Web sites and endless hype, inventor extraordinaire Dean Kamen unveiled his new invention, variously known over the last few months as IT, Ginger, and now Segway.
The response to this new personal scooter/people mover, which looks like a cross between a push mower and a weed whacker, was a resounding, "Oh. … Okay." This was the invention that was supposed to change the world? A self-balancing scooter?
Amateurish PR, But So What?
Published in The Sydney Morning Herald - Indexed on Dec 8, 2001
Just before unveiling his Segway Human Transporter - the most closely guarded, highly anticipated and mega-hyped high-tech project since Microsoft Windows 95 - Dean Kamen nervously composed a letter to his followers. More than a dozen Kamen Web sites had sprung up since January when the American magazine Inside exposed plans for the 50-year-old American inventor's latest contraption, codenamed "Ginger" or "IT (Intelligent Transportation)".
Published in Time - Indexed on Dec 6, 2001
This week the guessing game comes to an end as Kamen unveils his baby under its official name: Segway. Given the buildup, some are bound to be disappointed. ("It won't beam you to Mars or turn lead into gold," shrugs Kamen. "So sue me.") But there is no denying that the Segway is an engineering marvel. Developed at a cost of more than $100 million, Kamen's vehicle is a complex bundle of hardware and software that mimics the human body's ability to maintain its balance. Not only does it have no brakes, it also has no engine, no throttle, no gearshift and no steering wheel.
Published in Reason - Indexed on Dec 4, 2001
Dean Kamen is a smart man. There is no way he couldn't be and invent something as neat as the Segway, the two-wheeled, computerized people mover he just unveiled after a decade of work. In fact, the Segway may be a work of genius, a wacky, rolling Dr. Seuss gizmo brought to life. But Dean Kamen could still be a genius who is wrong about a lot of things.
Kamen is positioning his $3,000 device as the anti-car, and with it is deploying a lot of tired car-hating language in the process.
Published in New Zealand Herald - Indexed on Dec 3, 2001
Dean Kamen set to unveil mysterious 'IT' invention
03.12.2001
(nzherald.co.nz will carry details of "IT" at 6 pm today.)
NEW YORK - "IT", the mysterious, much-hyped invention that a down-on-its-luck hi-tech world has seized on as a possible revolutionary breakthrough in the realm of personal transportation, is ready to be unveiled this evening (NZ time).
IT, also known by the code-name "Ginger," is said to be some sort of personal Hovercraft or radical new transportation device, perhaps one that relies on an emission-free Stirling engine that recycles much of its own heat.
Published in Time - Indexed on Dec 3, 2001
Reinventing the Wheel -- 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5
Fred and Ginger
The world of technology has never been short of eccentrics and obsessives, of rich, brilliant oddballs with strange habits and stranger hobbies. But even in this crowd, Dean Kamen stands out. The 50-year-old son of a comic-book artist, he is a college dropout, a self-taught physicist and mechanical engineer with a handful of honorary doctorates, a multimillionaire who wears the same outfit for every occasion: blue jeans, a blue work shirt and a pair of Timberland boots. With the accent of his native Long Island, he speaks slowly, passionately--and endlessly.
Published in Time - Indexed on Dec 3, 2001
Sunday, Dec. 02, 2001
Reinventing the Wheel
Here "it" is: the inside story of the secret invention that so many are buzzing about. Could this thing really change the world?
BY
On a quiet Sunday morning in Silicon Valley, I am standing atop a machine code-named Ginger--a machine that may be the most eagerly awaited and wildly, if inadvertently, hyped high-tech product since the Apple Macintosh. Fifty feet away, Ginger's diminutive inventor, Dean Kamen, is offering instruction on how to use it, which in this case means waving his hands and barking out orders.
Published in South China Morning Post - Indexed on Dec 3, 2001
Mr Kamen was set to detail his plans this week, a spokesman said, putting an end to nearly a year of media frenzy and Web chat speculation over the nature of IT.
Mr Kamen invented the first portable insulin pump in the 1970s and more recently a stair-climbing wheelchair.
He has used media interviews and conference appearances to promote his pet philanthropy, For Inspiration and Recognition of Science and Technology (FIRST).
FIRST each year sponsors a robotics-building competition to encourage teenagers to become scientists and engineers.
Published in CNN - Indexed on Dec 2, 2001
NEW YORK (CNN) -- After nearly a year of speculation and media hype, inventor and entrepreneur Dean Kamen will unveil "Ginger" on ABC's "Good Morning America" Monday, an invention that some say could change the world and others believe is a motor scooter.
Kamen said all the speculation is overblown. Word about Ginger leaked in January causing a media frenzy. Fueling the hype, one of Kamen's companies, DEKA Research, secured the Web site -- mysterlingscooter.com -- in February, leading some to believe Ginger is a six-wheeled scooter powered by a fuel efficient Stirling engine.
Published in SiliconValley.com - Indexed on Dec 2, 2001
NEW YORK (Reuters) - IT,'' the mysterious, much- hyped invention that a down-on-its-luck hi-tech world has seized on as a possible revolutionary breakthrough in the realm of personal transportation, is ready to be unveiled on Monday. IT, also known by the code-name
Ginger,'' is said to be some sort of personal Hovercraft or radical new transportation device, perhaps one that relies on an emission-free Stirling engine that recycles much of its own heat.
Published in Hindustan Times - Indexed on Dec 1, 2001
"IT," the mysterious, much- hyped invention
that a down-on-its-luck hi-tech world has seized on as a possible
revolutionary breakthrough in the realm of personal transportation,
is ready to be unveiled on Monday.
IT, also known by the code-name "Ginger," is said to be
some sort of personal Hovercraft or radical new transportation device,
perhaps one that relies on an emission-free Stirling engine that
recycles much of its own heat.
Published in Fast Company - Indexed on Nov 16, 2001
Talk about a detour on the highway to the future. Even before the September 11 attack on America, 2001 was shaping up to be a brutal year for the digital economy. There were layoffs, dotcom bankruptcies, and a steady migration of people back to the more solid ( if more stolid ) world of the old economy.
But all bad things come to an end. This year-end edition of Net Company looks at the road ahead for innovation, for business-to-business e-commerce, for the Internet itself. Will we manage to get back in the fast lane of growth? We asked for directions from eight people with experience in and insights on the Internet economy.
Published in Boston Herald - Indexed on May 22, 2000
Inventor hopes FIRST impressions are lasting
Net Life/by Stephanie Schorow
Tuesday, May 22, 2001
America certainly adores its celebrities - whether their fame was earned by deed or by misdeed. Now, we have a celebrity inventor: Dean Kamen.
New Hampshire-based Kamen is the brains behind a mysterious invention code-named ``Ginger.'' His invention, rumored to be a personal transportation device, was praised as earth-shattering by industry leaders who saw it, but those same folks also have insisted it won't live up to the media hype that followed their remarks.
Published in News Bytes - Indexed on Mar 24, 2001
PHILADELPHIA--(BUSINESS WIRE)--March 22, 2001--While Duke,
Kentucky, UCLA and USC will be battling under the boards in the NCAA
East Regional Championship at the First Union Center March 22-24,
Drexel's Daskalakis Athletic Center will be swarming with athletes of
a different kind-- robots.
No, there has not been a miracle genetic breakthrough at Drexel.
It's the FIRST (For Inspiration and Recognition of Science and
Technology) Regional Robotics Competition.
Published in Popular Science - Indexed on Mar 22, 2001
We're desperate for the Next Big Thing and nothing illustrates that need better than IT. Now, nobody knows what IT is exactly, but as dot-com companies, purveyors of the Last Big Thing, bite the dust, we're ready to grasp at anything even if we don't know what it is. IT just goes to show how driving a force new technology can be.
IT started with a story about a quarter of a million-dollar book deal concerning a hyper-secret invention to be introduced next year called IT.
Published in ABC News.com - Indexed on Mar 7, 2001
As the story goes, genius
inventor Dean Kamen creator of the drug diffusion pump and the celebrated
new iBot go-anywhere wheelchair has invented a new product of earthshaking
potential. He is not saying what it is, and he has sworn others to secrecy,
but we do know the following:
It is also code-named Ginger. It is not a medical product. It comes in
two models (Metro and Pro), the former likely to cost less than $2,000.
Kamen showed it Steve Jobs, Jeff Bezos and John Doerr. Bezos reportedly made his "loud, honking laugh" of appreciation.
Published in ABC News.com - Indexed on Mar 7, 2001
"We have a promising project, but nothing of the Earth-shattering nature that people are conjuring up," said Dean Kamen, president of Manchester, N.H.-based DEKA Research, in a statement.
Fuzzy details about Kamen's new product were leaked in a book proposal last week, setting off a wave of speculation in the media and on the Internet about what the invention which is known simply as "IT," or by the code name "Ginger" might be.
Was it a new, revolutionary type of computer or maybe a personal scooter, similar to a hovercraft?
Published in TechTV - Indexed on Feb 21, 2001
Believe me, I'm the last one that wants to keep the stupid "IT" rumor alive. But I, like a lot of Internet geeks a couple weeks ago, can't help myself. How fickle is the Internet when something that was supposed to change the world two weeks ago is now completely off the radar screen?
I'm not here to bring back the news story. I want to make sure that all those who passed on IT emails realize that they were part of one of the most ingenious viral marketing campaigns in recent history.
Hot Topics46811|103~Ginger
Published in ECompany Now - Indexed on Feb 3, 2001
Seeking answers to Dean Kamen's latest invention: What is 'IT'? Rumors, gossip speculation, discussion boards, list of recommended books.
2.
US5971091: Transportation Vehicles and Methods
Kamen owns this patent. Viewing the images online (free) has led some to speculate that Ginger is, indeed, a motorized scooter. Download the entire patent in PDF format (Acrobat Reader required) for $3.00.
3.
CNET: Tech Luminaries Tout Mysterious "Ginger" Invention
"Amazon.com CEO Jeff Bezos says it is a 'product so revolutionary, you'll have no problem selling it.' Apple CEO Steve Jobs says it will change the ways cities are designed.
Published in Wired - Indexed on Feb 3, 2001
Kamen refused to supply further details, so a torrent of theories and gossip began, claiming that Kamen had come up with something that would (once again) Change The World As We Know It. The speculation became so intense it led the now-harried inventor to release a statement on Friday warning people not to expect anything "earth shattering."
In the calm that is following the storm of speculation, some down-to-earth details are starting to emerge. Many reports point to the possibility that IT is simply a motorized scooter. The scooter actually exists as a prototype, and some people have even scooted around on it.
Published in Wired - Indexed on Feb 1, 2001
Kamen refused to supply further details, so a torrent of theories and gossip began, claiming that Kamen had come up with something that would (once again) Change The World As We Know It. The speculation became so intense it led the now-harried inventor to release a statement on Friday warning people not to expect anything "earth shattering."
In the calm that is following the storm of speculation, some down-to-earth details are starting to emerge. Many reports point to the possibility that IT is simply a motorized scooter. The scooter actually exists as a prototype, and some people have even scooted around on it.
Published in USA TODAY - Indexed on Jan 31, 2001
What we do know about it
There is a small group of investors who have seen IT. They
have all signed confidentiality agreements not to disclose details about the
invention. Included among the investors are Apple Computers CEO Steve Jobs and
Amazon.com CEO Jeff Bezos.
According to a report from Inside.com, Dean Kamen,
inventor of IT, held a private meeting with Jobs, Bezos and Venture Capitalist
John Doerr. In his demonstration, Kamen assembled two ITs in 10 minutes using
only a screwdriver and hex wrenches.
All of the parts for these two ITs fit into two large duffel
bags and cardboard boxes.
Published in Forbes - Indexed on Jan 30, 2001
IT's All In The TimingMichael S. Malone, Forbes.com, 01.18.01, 12:15 PM ET
You've no doubt heard about IT, the most hysteria-provoking new product rumor since the Apple Newton.
As the story, which broke last Tuesday on Inside.com, goes, genius inventor Dean Kamen--creator of the drug diffusion pump and the celebrated new iBot go-anywhere wheelchair--has invented a new product of earthshaking potential. He is not saying what it is, and he has sworn others to secrecy, but we do know the following:
It is also code named Ginger. It is not a medical product.
Published in ABC News.com - Indexed on Jan 15, 2001
But is this any way to do science?
Fuzzy details about inventor Dean Kamens new product were leaked in a book proposal earlier this week. Top scientists are saying this is a very unusual way to introduce an idea or a product to the world but its a great sales strategy.
Usually, theres a scientific background and then you would imagine seeing things in published literature in peer review before a new scientific advance is described in a mass-market book, says Nobel Prize-winning chemist and physicist Alan Heeger.
Published in Inside - Indexed on Jan 15, 2001
Using clues from writer Steve Kemper's book proposal on the project (first reported by Inside) -- and an insider's cryptic comments -- a consensus has emerged among experts and amateur observers: IT, if it exists, is most likely some sort of transportation device. Beyond that, commentators largely see what they want to see. Some imagine a frictionless skateboard, employing magnetic levitation, that could be propelled a quarter-mile with each push-off or, more modestly, a cheap, clean, curb-hopping, pothole-skipping scooter. Others envision a Jetsons-style hovercraft fit for kids and groceries.
Published in Inside - Indexed on Jan 14, 2001
Dean Kamen, Creator of Mysterious 'IT' Device, Seeks to Dampen Expectations for Invention
Responding more fully to furor over details leaked via book proposal, he says 'IT' is not 'earth-shattering.'
What Is 'IT'? Book Proposal Heightens Intrigue About Secret Project
Digital Heavyweights Weigh In on Mystery Invention
Saturday , January 13, 2001 02:13 p.m.
Dean Kamen, thrust into the spotlight as the creator of a mysterious device code-named ''IT,'' is seeking to calm the hysteria brought on by the leak of portions of a book proposal that presented his device as being more important than the Internet or the personal computer.
Published in Inside - Indexed on Jan 14, 2001
Dean Kamen, Creator of Mysterious 'IT' Device, Seeks to Dampen Expectations for Invention
Responding more fully to furor over details leaked via book proposal, he says 'IT' is not 'earth-shattering.'
What Is 'IT'? Book Proposal Heightens Intrigue About Secret Project
Digital Heavyweights Weigh In on Mystery Invention
Saturday , January 13, 2001 02:13 p.m.
Dean Kamen, thrust into the spotlight as the creator of a mysterious device code-named ''IT,'' is seeking to calm the hysteria brought on by the leak of portions of a book proposal that presented his device as being more important than the Internet or the personal computer.
Published in Inside - Indexed on Jan 14, 2001
Dean Kamen, Creator of Mysterious 'IT' Device, Seeks to Dampen Expectations for Invention
Responding more fully to furor over details leaked via book proposal, he says 'IT' is not 'earth-shattering.'
What Is 'IT'? Book Proposal Heightens Intrigue About Secret Project
Digital Heavyweights Weigh In on Mystery Invention
Saturday , January 13, 2001 02:13 p.m.
Dean Kamen, thrust into the spotlight as the creator of a mysterious device code-named ''IT,'' is seeking to calm the hysteria brought on by the leak of portions of a book proposal that presented his device as being more important than the Internet or the personal computer.
Published in International Herald Tribune - Indexed on Jan 14, 2001
And at most, according to educated guesses, It is - well, a scooter.
On Tuesday, the media news Web site Inside.com reported that Harvard Business School Press had paid $250,000 - a jaw dropping sum in the world of academic presses - for a book proposal by the scientist and inventor Dean Kamen, to be co-written with the magazine journalist Steve Kemper, about his newest invention.
The device is called It, or by its top-secret code name - better make that formerly top secret - Ginger.
Published in Wired - Indexed on Jan 13, 2001
The Independence 3000 IBot Transporter, demonstrated Wednesday in the Senate and at Vice President Al Gore's home, uses computers to conquer the accessibility problem. The IBot can roll smoothly on four wheels or two wheels. In the two-wheel position, the user can be raised to the same eye-level as he or she would be in when standing.
It uses on-board sensors and gyroscopes that allow it to automatically readjust itself to changes in the terrain and its user's center of gravity.
Published in Upside - Indexed on Jan 13, 2001
Get-rich tip: Invest in "IT."
An invention by 49-year-old scientist Dean Kamen at his New England development company DEKA R&D -- known only as "IT" -- has been getting a big buzz in the tech community of late, Inside.com notes. Enough to win a $250,000 book deal from Harvard Business School Press; enough to secure an investment from Silicon Valley venture icon John Doerr; and enough, even, to induce a "loud, honking" laugh from Amazon's (AMZN) Jeff Bezos.
Published in Upside - Indexed on Jan 13, 2001
Get-rich tip: Invest in "IT."
An invention by 49-year-old scientist Dean Kamen at his New England development company DEKA R&D -- known only as "IT" -- has been getting a big buzz in the tech community of late, Inside.com notes. Enough to win a $250,000 book deal from Harvard Business School Press; enough to secure an investment from Silicon Valley venture icon John Doerr; and enough, even, to induce a "loud, honking" laugh from Amazon's (AMZN) Jeff Bezos.
Published in MSNBC - Indexed on Jan 11, 2001
WHEELCHAIRS CAN GET you around, but they dont get close enough to the places disabled people might like to go. Youve heard the expression confined to a wheelchair? Well actually, if you think about it, its the wheelchairs that are confined to the relatively few smooth, easy-rolling places in the world. But what if somebody came up with a device that, as they say, could go where no wheelchairs have gone before?
It would take someone on a mission. Someone with the money and genius and time to put into the project. It would take someone like Dean Kamen.