Perhaps this reveals how deeply my Seventies and Eighties Anglophile tendencies were, but it seemed that there was nearly a decade when (Sir) Clive Sinclair couldn't lose. Three-wheel commuter vehicles, DIY computers (Did I build a ZX80? Oh yes!), watch calculators, pocket televisions, patents on all kinds of things. I do not think he ever made much money, but his name alone was worth prestige.

The modern-day analogy would be Dean Kamen. The Segway is only one of his great innovations and is a good example of something that was a great idea that quickly fizzled out of public attention. Segways are still great and are still being made (I think), but the name is no longer a synonym for something as innovative or exciting as it once was.

HTH
-Daniel