Didn’t see this here yet…pretty cool.
EDIT: Is this “Hardware?” Maybe it belongs elsewhere. Meh.
Wait. It really would burn people? Is this even legal? And why am I thinking about buying one? (for home defense, obviously)
This seems unlikely to me. In the comments section of the linked article, a couple of guys have a vid showing off one they ordered, and they blow up a car. I don’t see something like this being legal. I think it’s a hoax.
My favorite comment from the article:
Where can I buy a shark to strap this to?
It’s a laser, not a light saber.
Yes, you can ignite things with it. You can pop balloons. You can light matches.
You can even shine it on human skin and burn him/her. After which you may be charged by assault.
You can even shine it up in the sky at airliners and blind the pilots. After which you may be charged with all sorts of attempted murder charges.
FDA CDRH (Center for Devices and Radiological Health) regulations govern the use of lasers on a federal level. State laws may further restrict the use of lasers.
Lasers like this are why doctors can fix our eyes with Lasik surgery.
Yes, but can I stab people with it?
We really have to mention star wars every time the subject of lasers come up?
God I hate you so much, Gizmodo.
Did you look at the product photo?
So… yeah.
Yes.
Very slowly.
Did you look at the product photo?
So… yeah.
"Your honor, he stabbed the victim at the rate of 2 mm per hour.
There are seem to be work related regulations regarding lasers above a Class 2 in the UK. If any aircraft or helicopters are in the vicinity the Police will be round, regardless of whether you are pointing it at one or not as they are particularly twitchy with lasers these days. 1W Class IV lasers like this don’t seem to be uncommon in the hobbyist world and there seem to be few available on the market. As it can render people permanently blind, I’m surprised it’s not subject to some form of regulation.
To do really serious damage you need to be in the kW range. Industrial cutters are 1 kW+
You can stab me in the eye with your pencil and blind me too. Lasers don’t blind people, pencils do. Or something.
Please feel free to try and stab me in the eye with a pencil from 500m away.
Sure. Let me roll down the window of my car and hold it out the window.
I’m still 500m from the car.
You can blind me from 500m away with a projectile weapon, a laser like this, or perhaps one of those eyeball cooking microwave weapons. I think all should be subject to some form of regulation, because I wouldn’t want one of those 15 yr old chav idiots that buy stupid boy toys like these lasers to have his hands on any of them. Class them as air rifles or something.
Permanently-blinding class-4 lasers are the new pepper spray.
Stop touching yourself Kent.
Err… yeah, slingshots are ridiculously accurate at range and a lot more damaging at a one-hundredth of the price. Yet, for some reason, kids aren’t compelled to shoot you with projectiles.