Crapgadget CES, round 9: pimped Segway KIRF

Four wheels, custom rims, a fold-out DVD player, and a metallic paint job? Eat your heart out, Woz. Couple more after the break.

[ImaYam @ Jan 12th 2009 9:37AM]

http://www.theonion.com/content/video/in_the_know_do_you_remember_life

[Eric @ Jan 12th 2009 9:37AM]

Yeah...that's not a segway but a look-alike. Cool paint job, however

[advs89 @ Jan 12th 2009 5:13PM]

My guess is it's more because of the lighting than anything. Yeah, the paint is reflective, but it wouldn't have that showroom look without all the point lights. (I think they're point lights - I'm don't really know anything about lighting) Any factory paint job looks good under showroom lighting.

[Al @ Jan 12th 2009 11:26PM]

lol dude... they're streetlights evenly spaced along the roof. look in the pictures. nt though

[silk @ Jan 13th 2009 3:15AM]

This takes the crapgadget crown.

[joe @ Jan 12th 2009 9:38AM]

And the point of this would be...to look cool in front of the girls?

[Christian_Sweden @ Jan 12th 2009 9:41AM]

What girls? ;)

[IT News Blog @ Jan 12th 2009 9:43AM]

more like... totally date-less for a lifetime

[j_g_puff @ Jan 12th 2009 10:25AM]

The point of it? It improves on the real Segway by solving its main problem: only two wheels. Whoever built this machine did so without the need for all the extra safety-critical hardware that the real segway uses. I bet it costs five times less than the real thing. That's almost enough to make me buy one.

The real question is why Segway didn't think to use 4 wheels in the first place.

[Agent .25i @ Jan 12th 2009 12:34PM]

@ J d puff
Because if segway used 4 wheels, there would have been no technical achievement. The use of four wheels negates the need for balancing. Also 4 wheels bring mobility challenges now. The use of four wheels wont even allow you to negotiate a curb, without either leaning forward to get the rear wheels up, or getting off the damn thing and lifting it.

Looks like some South Compton kid got a hold of it and Chicano'd it up enough to go to the beach mang.

[DT @ Jan 12th 2009 9:48AM]

Wow...this will change the way we build cities!

[fistpittingnork @ Jan 12th 2009 9:52AM]

Bitchin'!

[joe23521 @ Jan 12th 2009 9:58AM]

A four-wheel-drive Segway?

[ImaYam @ Jan 12th 2009 12:12PM]

..for those times you want to go off roading, or start spinning wildly in the snow or ice!

next generation will feature ABS, Traction Control, Windshield Washer+Wiper, 2 speed manual gearbox, and racing tires, and leather hand-rests!

[IIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIII (BarCODE) @ Jan 12th 2009 1:15PM]

It's not a real segway. It's a copycat that tries to steal Segway Inc's thunder and does not compare to the original.

http://www.amazon.com/Silver-Human-Transporter-Electric-Scooter/dp/B001AEYZQA/ref=sr_1_6?ie=UTF8&s=sporting-goods&qid=1231783254&sr=8-6

[GadgetNut @ Jan 12th 2009 2:23PM]

I think I saw this being used by the roving security guys at the Taget lot. I don't know, I was also busy that time sorting my store coupons on my way in...still looks cool btw :-)

[lol @ Jan 12th 2009 10:04AM]

You know...for it to be a geeked out segway clone, you'd think they'd do better than a CD player.

"Hey baby, wanna take a ride on my kirf?"
uh...
"yeah my other kirf's my penis"
*walks away*

[roach @ Jan 12th 2009 10:36AM]

Woz caught leaking in his segway.

http://cache.gawker.com/assets/images/gizmodo/2008/11/woz_segway_pee.jpg

[SOOPERGOOMAN @ Jan 12th 2009 3:12PM]

maybe you should have cut out the far right of the picture because this one is NSFW. His penis is sticking out. ROFLMAO

[Fitz Stewart @ Jan 12th 2009 10:38AM]

Just want the earbuds, but will take the Zune too!

[absinthe party @ Jan 12th 2009 10:39AM]

Ugh. This is going to make mall security at least twice as annoying as they already are.

[Eric AHAF @ Jan 12th 2009 10:47AM]

Where does the dvd play to?

[GingerFox @ Jan 12th 2009 10:54AM]

the inbuilt.... uh oh never mind

[Rich @ Jan 12th 2009 10:59AM]

That's totally craptastic!

[Neil @ Jan 12th 2009 12:20PM]

>>The real question is why Segway didn't think to use 4 wheels in the first place.

Because what you'd end up with is cr@p. A real Segway will ride across sand, gravel, and grass. It'll climb moderate hills. It'll roll off curbs and remain standing. The piece of junk you're looking at here won't do any of that, because the back wheels are too small. They'll get stuck on anything other than smooth pavement. The Segway may not be the world's most practical device, but it's a whole lot better than this thing.

[JohnPA2006 @ Jan 12th 2009 12:33PM]

I'm sorry, Woz is the man and all , but anytime I see someone on one of these things.
I just feeling like kicking them off , or clotheslining them, WWF style.

Get a Diamondback or a Mongoose and be a man.
Or heaven forbid, WALK.

Enough with overweight security personel. or pleasantly plump police officers.

[Matt @ Jan 12th 2009 12:42PM]

Good luck trying to clothesline a 200 pound guy on a 110 pound device coming at you at 12 mph...

That's be like clotheslining an NFL linebacker sprinting toward you at full speed

[Golferal @ Jan 12th 2009 12:49PM]

I was at CES with my Segway (have a bad ankle and can't walk for extended distances) and spent more time talking to people and answering questions about Segways than actually seeing the exhibits.

It seems that every time there's a story about Segway here a lot of people make negative comments about how dorky they are and such, but I can tell you that everyone I talked to was excited about it and wanted to know if they could rent one. I let at least 20 people ride it around, including some the of the booth people at Motorola, HP, Sony, and Samsung (a hot little chick even!), and and one security dude.

Even if my ankle heals, I'm seriously going to try to take it in the future!

[Electromodo @ Jan 12th 2009 1:24PM]

The original Segway is cool and all, but the four-wheeled KIRF Segway is definitely a crapgadget!

[michaelportent @ Jan 12th 2009 1:05PM]

By the headline, I was expecting it to look more like the Segway equivalent of Nelly's Escalade. Shinier rims! Shinier!!!

[Nacho PATA @ Jan 12th 2009 1:41PM]

Much like when I am driving my car, when on my Segway I'd always rather be watching a DVD. I mean, the thing drives itself, right, just like the auto pilot on my Cooper Mini.

[Golferal @ Jan 12th 2009 1:43PM]

I own a Segway (see post below) and can tell you that a good majority of individuals who own them use them not becuase of of laziness, but because of some sort of injury or condition that limits mobility, including Woz (http://www.segwaytoday.net/SegwayToday/Podcast/Entries/2007/8/27_Segway_Today_episode_3.html).

Before owning one myself and becoming part of the Segway "community" , I had no idea that there were so many people using them as mobility aids. In fact, I would estimate that other that commercail use (police & security), the majority of the owners are physically disabled and use their Segway to enhance their lives. For me, it also allows me to run short errands at work so I don't have to fire up my gas hog Tahoe.

So the moral of the story is don't assume that someone is lazy just because they are on a Segway. There may be a reason, and that reason may not be obvious.

[Golferal @ Jan 12th 2009 2:31PM]

Oops, my bad.. This was supposed to be a reply to JohnPA2006 above.

[yrag @ Jan 12th 2009 3:45PM]

WTF?!

Real or faux Segway, I NEVER got the point.

If I'm going to move on wheels (motorized or otherwise) I want to do it sitting down!

I have always found standing in one place for any extent of time much more unpleasant than simply walking UNLESS, I'm going to travel quite a long distance—then as stated above, I want to do it sitting down. No wonder America's fat.

[philippe @ Jan 14th 2009 2:57AM]

No Segway on this page, it's a Gyropod
look at more Segway and Gyropod news on "Segway iInformation"
http://www.segway-in-paris.com/

[AndrewP @ Jan 14th 2009 12:50PM]

We all know this isn't a Segway.

[ashton @ Jan 14th 2009 10:19PM]

ahahahahaha! why? why are these things made?! if you're on a segway (look-a-like) you don't need a fold out dvd player to distract you from the rapid speed of 2 mph you're going! totally a hazard.

[ROADMASTER @ Jan 15th 2009 6:06AM]

Seg-gay : (segway with training wheels)