Row bikes aren't new. I've never ridden one, although I would definitely try if I had the chance. By most accounts they're fun and a great workout, but not as fast as pedals. Of necessity, you only apply power about 50% of the time, which is the problem with other linear-power modes, too.
This is a Rowbike. I actually saw one of these near Columbus/Delaware, OH. Looked pretty neat.
The other major player in the rowbike field is Thys, in the Netherlands. It uses cables; and personally, I think gear-driven would be more desirable from a reliability standpoint.
When I Googled "row bike" I noticed at least a couple of row-powered trikes, too; so the
Power Pumper is nothing unique. Not that it would need to be, but I would hope they wouldn't oversell its speed.