Ginger spices up the news with 'wonder invention' rumours

The hype machine has kicked into gear, and mark our words - this is set to be one of the big stories of 2001. Even it it turns out to be a hoax...

Ginger is the code-name for an invention from the labs of respected US researcher Dean Kamen, in Manchester, New Hampshire. A book by journalist Steve Kemper has already been snapped up by Harvard Business School Press who are willing to pay $250,000 - even though it has no idea what the invention actually is.

In fact, not many people do. Among the privileged few are a list of companies and individuals that reads like a who's who of innovators and smart money. Apple's Steve Jobs and Amazon.com's Jeff Bezos have both been given behind-the-scenes demos and are advisors, while backers include legendary VC outfit Kleiner Perkins Caulfield & Byers' John Doerr, and Credit Suisse First Boston.

Notably they talk of a development as important as the PC or even the internet, and Jobs reckons new cities will be "architected" around the device, if an initial report on Inside.com is to be believed. They all sense there's money to be made.

The secrecy is because there's fear large established companies - and the favourites here are the big auto-makers - will either attempt to scupper the device's roll out (potentially pushing for it to be deemed illegal) or copy what's already been developed.

What is Ginger? Some breakthrough in transport or fuel? Who knows.

What's certain is that if Ginger is as big a development as we're being led to believe, it'll be huge. If it's a case of hype for something rather less important, then we've fallen for it, and that's the story.

Either way, coverage won't wane, and however many NDAs are signed, it's likely that loose lips will leak what IT/Ginger is about before its planned 2002 unveiling.

Watch this space, and send your suggestions to editorial@silicon.com.