Recalling, actually…

Segway, in cooperation with the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission, is voluntarily recalling 6,000 of its human transporters. According to the Segway site, the devices, famous for their ability to balance on two wheels, could tip under low-battery conditions, injuring riders.

I’ve only had quick glimpses of one of these. They haven’t been too popular in Hawai’i, likely due to both the high cost and the fact that they were illegal until recently.

To be honest, I don’t understand the appeal of these gizmos. Sure, they go faster than pedestrians, but if you live in a commuter city – New York, for example – aren’t the sidewalks too crowded to maneuver reliably?

An interesting angle for me, however, is how they’re implementing the recall – all they have to do is patch the Segway’s software. I guess that says something about the hardware, after all.

Here’s the /. discussion, in case you’re interested.