APRIL FOOLS: Virtual Keyboard Causes Blindness

[Jon Westfall]

<div class='os_post_top_link'><a href='http://www.smallunit.com/news-ap-reuters/bluetooth_virtual_keyboard.html' target='_blank'>http://www.smallunit.com/news-ap-re...l_keyboard.html</a><br /><br /></div><i>"In what authorities are saying is one of the most horrific accidents they have ever seen, a local man has been struck blind by a mobile peripheral designed to enhance, not destroy, his life. The man, identified as James Norfolk of Center Blvd. was taken to St. Lucy's Charity Hospital early yesterday complaining of vision loss. The staff there was shocked to see that his retina had been degraded due to prolonged exposure to laser light. The man had recently purchased a Bluetooth Virtual Keyboard to use with his PDA for quick note taking and writing, the device appearing as a godsend to him in his flourishing writing career."</i><br /><br /><img src=http://www.pocketpcthoughts.com/images/web/2003/1986885469.jpg><br /><br />When this product was released, we all doubted it's ability to be used as an effective input device, but I don't think any of us thought it could hurt us! I bought one of these a few weeks ago and have played with it a bit, but I think I'll be a little more leary of making it my standard travel keyboard after seeing this piece!

[Ecks]

wow..he goes blind eh...its 4am here in toronto..and its def going to be an interesting day of news..;-)..

[code-frog]

It's 2:30 AM here in Boise, Idaho and I just bought this entire site and all the profits from Jason Dunn for $10. Well he actually lost it to me in a bet. I bet him that people would post April fools pranks on his site and well... Of course he might be the guy that's now blind to...

- Rex

[KTamas]

MY GOSH!!

I was using one of these a while ago.......

*screams*

*runs off to the eye doctor*

[surur]

I would be careful with a story like this. Slandering a company still counts, even on 1 April.

Surur

[Typhoon]

...So that's what caused my blindess!...

[Kacey Green]

I would be careful with a story like this. Slandering a company still counts, even on 1 April.

Surur There's a thin line of defense though, they are reporting it from another site. Would it be slander or failure to check facts?

I like how it plays on people's fear of lasers, I also find it a bit morbid.

[WorksForTurkeys]

and all along I thought it would be my seeing a 50 yr old Sharon Stone naked on IMAX that would be the cause of my blindness. :wink:

[Pony99CA]

I would be careful with a story like this. Slandering a company still counts, even on 1 April.
Actually, I believe that courts have upheld that humor/satire is immune from such charges. Why do you think comedians can say OJ and Robert Blake killed people without saying "allegedly" or that Michael Jackson is a child molestor? (Well, we know that truth is the best defense, don't we.) :rotfl:

Also, since this isn't a spoken medium, but a written one, the charge would be libel, not slander.

Steve

DISCLAIMER: I'm not a lawyer, but I play one on furums.

[palur]

I for once thought that it was real! I was to give a talk on handhelds in medicine and this laser keyboard was my favorite slide. I was about to delete the slide.
I think one should be careful about bringing down the sales of a product because it was published on a reputable site and not on a comedian or a goofy site. I hope the joke would be well taken.

[WorksForTurkeys]

I would be careful with a story like this. Slandering a company still counts, even on 1 April.
Actually, I believe that courts have upheld that humor/satire is immune from such charges. Why do you think comedians can say OJ and Robert Blake killed people without saying "allegedly" or that Michael Jackson is a child molestor? (Well, we know that truth is the best defense, don't we.) :rotfl:

Also, since this isn't a spoken medium, but a written one, the charge would be libel, not slander.

Steve

DISCLAIMER: I'm not a lawyer, but I play one on furums.

The ruling regarding the immunity of satire from slander / libel charges was upheld in the 1990s when Al Goldstein (Screw Magazine &amp; Midnight Blue TV) was sued for (at least) one of the satirical commercials (but in really poor taste) they produced and ran in the magazine and on their cable tv show. (you can probably look up the citation in Lexis but, why give them the money?)