
04-01-2006, 10:00 AM
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Executive Editor, Android Thoughts
Join Date: Aug 2006
Posts: 3,233
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APRIL FOOLS: Virtual Keyboard Causes Blindness
"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."

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!
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Dr. Jon Westfall, MCSE, MS-MVP
Executive Editor - Android Thoughts
News Editor - Windows Phone Thoughts
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04-01-2006, 10:09 AM
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Ponderer
Join Date: Jan 2003
Posts: 51
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wow..he goes blind eh...its 4am here in toronto..and its def going to be an interesting day of news..;-)..
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Ecks
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04-01-2006, 10:20 AM
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Intellectual
Join Date: Aug 2006
Posts: 127
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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
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04-01-2006, 10:33 AM
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Thinker
Join Date: Dec 2006
Posts: 450
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MY GOSH!!
I was using one of these a while ago.......
*screams*
*runs off to the eye doctor*
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04-01-2006, 10:56 AM
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Mystic
Join Date: Aug 2006
Posts: 1,734
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I would be careful with a story like this. Slandering a company still counts, even on 1 April.
Surur
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04-01-2006, 11:36 AM
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Sage
Join Date: Oct 2004
Posts: 794
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...So that's what caused my blindess!...
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04-01-2006, 02:32 PM
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Pontificator
Join Date: Feb 2004
Posts: 1,097
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Surur
I would be careful with a story like this. Slandering a company still counts, even on 1 April.
Surur
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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.
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04-01-2006, 03:14 PM
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Intellectual
Join Date: Aug 2006
Posts: 177
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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:
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04-01-2006, 08:02 PM
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Swami
Join Date: May 2004
Posts: 4,396
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Slander?
Quote:
Originally Posted by Surur
I would be careful with a story like this. Slandering a company still counts, even on 1 April.
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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.
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04-01-2006, 08:41 PM
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Intellectual
Join Date: Nov 2002
Posts: 193
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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.
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