S means...
Sit and Ride?
Certainly looks like it could be a bike seat.... unicycle the Segway.
Either that or it is going after the kiddie market.
With the Segway’s popularity taking off around the world, Toyota has seen the opportunity and designed its own deceptively similar two-wheeled motorised transportation device. Winglet_toshiba Toyota's Winglet: a Segway in disguise? Toyota’s machine is called the Winglet will be available in a 462mm high Type S model, a …
"All three models have a maximum cruising speed of just over 3mph"
Slower than walking, then. Fantastic. So you pay a load of money for something that can't go over kerbs or gravel, isn't environmentally kind in manufacture or disposal, means you take longer to get anywhere, requires storage space and is awkward to transport in any other vehicle - all just to do away with what last dregs of physical activity you retained by walking round the block to the burger shop on your fat creaking legs.
Truly, I have to congratulate Toyota on this milestone innovation: Finally something has taken the title of Mankind's Most Pointless Invention from the leaf blower.
Still, at least the 'S' model means you can buy one for your cat as well, so it can be as fat and lazy as its stupid owner - who will happily no longer have to chase partially-disemboweled mice around the kitchen, because Tiddles will be too slow to catch the damn things on his electric lard chariot.
And they wonder why people are obese. Perhaps they should sell little outriders to stop your flab dragging on the ground.
I've discovered another type of personal mobility device. You sit on it and make it go forward by moving your feet in a circular motion, it can go a lot faster that 3MPH and has a lot further range than 10Km.
There are also specialist models that can go over rough ground. It's could a BI-Cy-Cle. Has any othe El Reg readers come across this innovative mode of transport?
Penguin, because if we all stop buying/using pointless electrical gadgets it might actually mean that there will be some parts of Antartica left for them to live in.
that El Reg seems to shy away from the term 'paraplegic'.
Can't think why. It's legitimate medical terminology for someone who has lost, or lost the use of, both their legs.
The S or M versions look like they could be used by someone suffering this type of disability.
Or is there a problem perceived in using the term 'paraplegic' in the same comment as "lazy short-arsed fuckers".
Or was it the "Dwarfs" reference.
Or is it just OK to mock the fat.
If you're gonna mock one group, it's gotta be open season all round (as it were).
That's what we'll be like soon. All floating about on our electric lard chariots (well coined), barely able to stand because of bone wastage.
As for the chance of running pedestrians over, I wouldn't worry about it. You've got to catch up with them first.
And to the guy squaring up for a row with the Moderatrix: good luck, I'll pop back in from time to time and check on the carnage.
I like Friday afternoons. Do you think there will be a Lego mock-up of some interesting news story today, or has Lester not got back from the pub yet?
PS - Wall-e is a very good film, by the way.
I can't see that anyone skirted the issue of whether these were designed for para's or not. Your rant notwithstanding, these appear to be totally useless devices designed to move otherwise capable people at less than a walking pace for limited distances. Even my grandmother, bless her, walked slowly but surely and doubtless would have had no desire to waste time, effort or money on using one of these.
I thank Bes for the "electric lard chariot". I think it's funny (and yes, I know I'm overweight and out of shape) and in this case most apropos.
We went on the Segway tour of Eiffel tower recently which was great, they really do zip along. People don't buy segways because they are too expensive and I was told they have to be sent to the States for fixing, eg after a mulfunction or crash. These are just too slow and unless they can fly or something, I can't see them taking off...
There's some other 'transport' devices circulating out there, other than the Segway and this latest from Toyota. I've personally spotted our local Montréal police cruising on these things called "T3"; according to the article below they are capable of 40km/h and are pretty good on efficiency.
http://www.canada.com/montrealgazette/news/story.html?id=96e9128b-30a6-41f0-838a-0388136b2e70