Set the Sith Afire

Ohhh, I would love to buy one of these little monkeys.

I'll admit it. I want one to just have one. That does not mean I don't understand the dangers, as I am not stupid and am thoroughly capable of reading the provided warning material. That knowledge, combined with what I already know about lasers is enough to stave off even the mere thought of fucking around with this wee beastie.

But I still want one. :)
 
I am shocked at how many ignorant comments there are in this thread. This device - while not having the potential to be immediately lethal such a gun is inherently much much more dangerous. Equating access to this device to gun control is ludicrous at best.
Without the proper eye protection any individual or animal that is exposed to less than 1/4 of a second will become permanently blind. If you see the light, tough shit your blind - period. There is no sound, no warning, no time to look away, no time to close your eyes, no time for you to even register seeing the light. At this wavelength the blindness is not immediate however, and this is actually one of the most dangerous aspects of this device. You can use it briefly and have a huge impact on the number of individuals without any alarm being raised. For example if someone goes into a mall with a gun how many people can they kill before someone notices? Compare that to flashing this on random surfaces in the mall.
I do not care how responsible you think you are, the possibilities for misuse are extremely high. If you buy this you better guarantee that there is no possible way that any other organism has any chance of exposure. You would be held liable for criminal charges and animal cruelty even it was an accident.
 
I remember pointing my laser pointer (I use it for airsoft) at a glass of water and it glowed rather brightly, that's just a cheap laser pointer. Now i wonder what will happen if i were to point a 1w laser at a something like a car windshield and having a miniature sun glowing in front of you.
 
Just bought two. The waiting list appears to be about 1-2 weeks until shipment. Apparently over 2,400 orders have been placed for this laser since the 9th.

Hopefully the beam is properly formed and the outputted power accurately advertised. Still, a blue laser within a reasonable price and nearly 1 watt at that. Cripes.
 
Dirk13 said:
I am shocked at how many ignorant comments there are in this thread. This device - while not having the potential to be immediately lethal such a gun is inherently much much more dangerous. Equating access to this device to gun control is ludicrous at best.
Without the proper eye protection any individual or animal that is exposed to less than 1/4 of a second will become permanently blind. If you see the light, tough shit your blind - period. There is no sound, no warning, no time to look away, no time to close your eyes, no time for you to even register seeing the light. At this wavelength the blindness is not immediate however, and this is actually one of the most dangerous aspects of this device. You can use it briefly and have a huge impact on the number of individuals without any alarm being raised. For example if someone goes into a mall with a gun how many people can they kill before someone notices? Compare that to flashing this on random surfaces in the mall.
I do not care how responsible you think you are, the possibilities for misuse are extremely high. If you buy this you better guarantee that there is no possible way that any other organism has any chance of exposure. You would be held liable for criminal charges and animal cruelty even it was an accident.
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Yes they should be regulated but the comparison with guns is not that far into left field. No matter how loud the gun is, it's not as though you can dodge the bullets. And delayed blindness doesn't quite have the stopping power you need when Security is after you.
 
srangara said:
Yes they should be regulated but the comparison with guns is not that far into left field. No matter how loud the gun is, it's not as though you can dodge the bullets. And delayed blindness doesn't quite have the stopping power you need when Security is after you.
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get a direct hit and it is instant. get a close reflection and it can be instant.
 
I can easily see these things being regulated like firearms. However one of the things with the second amendment's current interpretation says that any weapon can be regulated but no weapon can be completely banned from private ownership.

Sly said:
Spyder III in action!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MzsNGiV1YXU
Click to expand...

Phoenix333 said:
A few videos of actual lasers in action:

1watt 808nm laser setting a toothpick on fire (imaging this is your retina instead):
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xKlzraZQKWs

4watt Argon laser burning.... just about anything:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3di1Btb6LbA

Definitely not toys.
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I became blind just by watching videos of the laser. How come it seems like these jackasses are being rather cavalier about these lasers and they aren't going blind or catching on fire.
 
The video posted by sly is the old model from last year. There has yet been a video to be posted of the new arctic (blue) laser.
 
here is the first mainstream news story i've seen.

http://www.foxnews.com/scitech/2010/06/16/deadly-star-wars-lightsaber-wicked-lasers/

A handheld laser likened to a Star Wars lightsaber -- and so powerful it can instantly blind and "set fire to skin and other body parts" -- can be bought readily (and inexpensively) online.

The device -- with a beam 1,000 times stronger than sunlight on the skin -- is touted by makers as "the most dangerous laser ever created." And Wicked Lasers' Spyder III Pro Arctic lasers cost less than $200.

Trading standards chiefs in England said they were "seriously concerned" about the sale of the model in the country, and have warned against its use. As well as blinding, burning and causing cancer, its Hong Kong-based maker admits that "a split-second laser light in a plane cockpit (...) can be disastrous."

Star Wars fans are among hundreds of people who have already shown an interest in buying the laser, for sale to the general public.

Laser safety expert John Colton, director of Lucid Optical Services, told Sky News Online that the lasers were "horrendously dangerous."

"Under no circumstances should they be on sale on the Internet," he said. Colton said the 1W beam was 1,000 times stronger than laser pointers normally available to the public.

They could be "deadly" if aimed at car drivers or even pilots in planes, he added.

Wicked Lasers said the device would have cost thousands to build not long ago, but technological advances have made it available much more cheaply.

"This laser possesses the most burning capabilities of any portable laser in existence," the website reads. "That's why it's also the most dangerous laser ever created."

The website goes on to warn that "extremely dangerous is an understatement to the power of 1W of laser power. It will blind permanently and instantly and set fire quickly to skin and other body parts."

It adds that users should use eye protection and must read and agree the "Laser Hazard Acknowledgment Form."
 
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