I remember during dotcom 1.0 when fifteen startups were announced for every possible business idea conceivable under the technology of the day. Somebody beat you to market with the first online underwear store? Brag you had the first online *organic* underwear store, or the first online underwear store “with a portal model.” It didn’t help, but it made investors feel special.

The good people behind “The Monolith” seem to be trying the same thing. They’re not first to market (see for example the Fiik electric skateboard, which we discussed here a few months ago). So they brag it’s “the first and only skateboard with motors in the wheels”. Why does this matter? It doesn’t.

Looks like a skateboard.

They claim it will go 24mph, which is obviously a lie. Well, maybe on a downhill. You control it with an iPhone app, assuring that people will die. Good thing it’s going to cost $1399, so nobody will buy one. Actually, it’s a kickstarter so it probably won’t ever even be produced.