There have been some bad start-up ideas in the hardware world (powerline technology seems to have accounted for a lot of the UK’s tech start-up failures) but we tend not to point at them and laugh. It would be impolite, of course.
But over at Suckystartups they take great pleasure in pointing out new websites that they find amusing. There seem to be a lot of 'me-too' social networking sites out there. I guess the thing about starting up a website is that you don’t need $100m like you do in the semiconductor world.
Anyway, with web start-ups you don’t feel too bad about laughing because its probably been set up by a college student and (hopefully) doesn’t mean the end of jobs for hard working folks with families.
At Electronics Weekly it crossed our minds that a website for start-ups could feature a showcase section but then I found someone had done it - startupshowcase. But, but, but... “Startup Showcase is currently under development and will launch in 2002,” the site still says.
Comments (3)
> There have been some bad start-up ideas in the hardware world (powerline technology seems to have accounted for a lot of the UK’s tech start-up failures)
Hey, powerline technology is a great idea, surely, and the way forward for home networking! Or is it just me?
AW
Posted by Alun Williams | October 22, 2007 3:32 PM
Posted on October 22, 2007 15:32
I've spent 20 years in the UK's high-tech industry, and five of those were as an investor in high-tech startups. In all that time, I've come across one company failure that revolved around powerline technology.
What is Alex's personal agenda against powerline ?!
R
Posted by Russell Haggar | October 30, 2007 6:35 PM
Posted on October 30, 2007 18:35
Sorry, no personal agenda. I can think of two firms off-hand in the UK that went down the powerline plug (hole): nSine and Lanergy.
Maybe the technology has moved on by now but our tech editor Steve Bush at Electronics Weekly says he thought the problem with powerline is that it turns your house into a wireless transmitter. Maybe EMC issues have been resolved to acceptable levels of safety by now.
Posted by Alex Mayhew-Smith | October 31, 2007 4:22 PM
Posted on October 31, 2007 16:22