The Weekly Round-Up: 03.10.03

There's a problem with the Segway Human Transporter (SHT).

The SHT is the personal transportation device controlled by a complex system of gyroscopes that make it impossible for people to fall off them.

The problem is that people keep falling off them (and not just US President George W. Bush who would push anything's 'idiot-proof' credentials to the limit).

Segway has recalled all the scooters it has sold after three riders took a tumble when operating the machines on a low battery charge. One user hit his head and required stitches (see here for more). Hardly life threatening but embarrassing all the same. The glitch can be fixed by a software update.

That would be bad enough except there's another problem - sales of the devices haven't exactly been encouraging.

The company admits it's sold just 6,000 of the devices, all of which are now under recall. This compares with the 50,000 to 100,000 units the company had expected to sell by January 2003.

Apparently, organisations have been taking longer than expected to move from the testing phase to the buying stage. This is hardly surprising really, considering the leap of faith required to get people to accept a completely new way of getting from A to B, curiosity value aside.

It's especially disappointing considering the tsunami of publicity that codename 'Ginger' rode on when news broke in January 2001 of the new invention that would "revolutionise cities and be bigger than the PC".

Websites and newspapers were frothing at the mouth with speculation about the mysterious invention that would change the world (silicon.com was no different).

When it was finally launched in December 2001, the device, which looks like an oversized grass strimmer, was met with polite applause.

You may recall that Apple CEO Steve Jobs was so excited about the device he predicted that entire cities would be built to accommodate it. "If enough people see the machine you won't have to convince them to architect cities around it. It'll just happen," he is alleged to have said.

Based on sales so far you're looking at a modest hamlet in Hampshire rather than a teeming metropolis but the Round-Up wishes Segway good luck in turning sales around.

Being a gadget hound, the Round-Up thinks they're great and would love to take a ride on one. Unless of course the Round-Up fell off and was crushed under the machine (which really would be a case of the SHT hitting the fan).

In the meantime, if you've been lucky enough to take a ride on a Segway let us know what it was like by emailing editorial@silicon.com.

The latest figures from the global record industry organisation IFPI make grim reading for music companies and artists.

CD sales are down 10.9 per cent in value in the first half of 2003 and inevitably it's the P2P sites that are taking the rap.

"Unauthorised file-sharing and commercial piracy" were major factors in the fall, states the report.

The IFPI alleges that in some countries (Canada, Germany, Japan and the US) the uptake of illegally distributed MP3s has reached and in some cases outstripped legitimate album sales.

All of which is going to be music to the ears of the RIAA as it continues its assault on the illegal P2P industry.

Meanwhile, newly launched peer-to-peer trade association P2P United this week offered to negotiate with music industry lawyers while simultaneously denouncing its adversaries as "tyrannosaurical".

Jurassic neologisms aside, one of the association's members, Grokster president Wayne Rosso, couldn't resist taking a swipe at the RIAA over its decision to sue a 12-year old girl.

"What the hell are these guys doing? Who do they think they are? For God's sake! This is absolutely reprehensible. I don't care what anyone says, suing a 12-year-old girl is child abuse," he spluttered with barely contained moral outrage.

In response to the creation of P2P United, the RIAA said in a statement: "It is refreshing to see that P2P United is acknowledging that their members should be more active in educating their users about the consequences of illegal file sharing that is rampant on their network ... But, let's face it, they need to do a whole lot more before they can claim to be legitimate businesses..."

Meow... saucers of milk all round. You just can't beat a good spat.

Who said exams are getting easier these days? A six-year-old boffin from Norfolk has become one of the youngest people to ever pass a GSCE-level exam in computer science.

Six years old!

Clever Aaron Ward was so enamoured with computers that his parents decided to enrol him on a weekly adult education course in IT. Without even knowing he was taking the test, Aaron passed a Level 1 NVQ Certificate for Information Technology Users.

The qualification he received was the equivalent of doing a GCSE at grades D to G. Aaron was apparently "flabbergasted" when he learnt what he'd achieved, reports Ananova. Well done Aaron.

Perhaps "Football-mad" Aaron might be tempted to get into smartcard technology to help his favourite team - which geographically speaking should probably be Norwich City but the Round-Up would wage a crinkly fiver that it's more likely to be Manchester United.

Manchester City meanwhile have already turned to smartcards to boost the club's chances of wresting some silverware from their city neighbours.

It would appear the club has realised you can't rely solely on sulky French strikers to win you anything.

A press release landed in the editorial inbox this week heralding the scheme. Supporters simply wave the smartcards in the general direction of a card reader and the data is fed through CRM software to give the club a better understanding of who attends what game as well as the turnstile they entered through. Fans will soon be able to earn loyalty points in stadium shops and food outlets using the cards.

The release trumpeted in glorious full caps: "MORE FANS EQUATES TO MORE MONEY, WHICH IMPROVES THE CHANCES OF ATTRACTING BETTER PLAYERS AND IN TURN LEADS TO THE WINNING OF MORE GAMES AND LESSENS THE CHANCES OF RELEGATION."

"So while the days of Bovril and stale pies might be fading into oblivion..." adds the author of the press release who evidently hasn't stood in the terraces of any third division teams lately "...by using technology, clubs like Manchester City are able to build better businesses so that fans can keep on enjoying the game and the club can stay ahead of competitors."

Except their more glamorous red-shirted neighbours (and a host of other clubs) the Round-Up wagers...

And finally this week, silicon.com is proud to announce the fourth incarnation of the perennially popular Agenda Setters special report.

We took a gaggle of technology experts, including a CIO, a venture capitalist, an IT consultant, an MP and a silicon.com journalist, locked them in a windowless room and told them they couldn't come out until they came up with the definitive list of the individuals driving the tech industry.

Who would make the list? Chino-wearing software billionaires? Media barons? How about a new breed of 'free spirits' or even the political leaders of the world's biggest countries?

They emerged bleary-eyed from their deliberations and debate a few hours later - apart from the silicon.com journalist who refused to come out until he'd polished off the egg sandwiches - with a list of the top 50 movers and shakers in IT.

There were some regular names and some big surprises, not least the overall winner. To find out who won all you have to do is click here.

You can check out the special report, replete with expert analysis and comment, here, and please take a moment to cast your own vote to determine the silicon.com readers' Agenda Setter.

Until next week the Round-Up will be scanning the news with a cup of hot Bovril and a stale meat pie. In the meantime, have some news and stay out of trouble:

Will IM ever replace email? Money laundering to fuel $4.8bn bank IT bonanza Swen trumps Sobig to top virus league Disaster recovery still not priority for business Severe viruses down, P2P and IM attacks up Jobs beats Gates as most important man in tech