Friday, November 9, 2007

iPhones Toxic? Is Apple a Daily Dose of Danger?


There's a point where technology, health, politics and the environment meet and often clash. Right now, you'd think that the venerated (by some) Apple iPhone is the equivalent of the poisoned apple handed to Snow White by her wicked, wicked stepmother.

It's a nasty brew: the long-awaited iPhone, California's Center for Environmental Health, Greenpeace, a fake story about threatened European demonstrations, California laws, and of course, lawsuits. As MacNN reports, the dirty details allege that the techno-darling iPhone is laced with things that can seep into you via your skin.

Even worse, the CEH declared, there's dangers from "ingestion" if you touch the product and then put your fingers in your mouth. (Didn't your Mom warn you about that?).

CEH also warned that there's double danger when iPhoners "place the products in their mouths during normal use." To date I've never yet placed a cellphone, Palm Pilot, or the cords/headphones for any of them in my mouth, but that's just me. Something about being able to talk easier without the unit bouncing around on my tongue.

The headphones have come under especially heavy criticism. Regardless of whether you hold them, lick them, or tote them, puppy-like, in your mouth, critics say that the iPhone exposes its Fanboys (and girls) to a grocery list of nasty, noxious ingredients.

Among them, according to Greenpeace, which has seen red over the iPhone, are: " PVCs and brominated flame retardants (BFRs)" In hauling Apple into the courtroom fruit-basket-turnover circuit, the CEH alleges that those slim little wires and cables are larded with "DEHP (Di-ethylhexyl Phthalate) and DBP (Di-n-butyl Phthalate)".

California's Proposition 65 says products with those ingredients must carry a warning label. The iPhone and its doo-dads don't.

Greenpeace alleges that half of the phone's internal and external workings contain dangerous materials. And, GP says, Apple and Steve Jobs had promised to de-toxify their products.

Although the Greenies definitely want to peel this Apple, it turns out that the frequently-repeated stories about protests during today's Euo-launch of the iPhone are wrong numbers. Greenpeace makes that clear in its blog.

On the other hand, one Greenpeace official, Rick Hind, has said that the iPhone's toxins could damage kidneys, as well as being a "reproductive hazard." So maybe the iPhone won't be your first choice for, phone sex.

Somewhere, someone has to make the call on whether or not the iPhone really is dangerous to your health. Until then, E.T., don't phone home--and everyone else, please keep your iPhone out of your mouth.

Memo to Steve Jobs--if your product sounds like it's made from mutated forms of pesticides, maybe it's time to dial up another version. Unless, of course, you're going for the "I'll talk on (or around) my phone until I start to glow in the dark" crowd.

Thursday, November 8, 2007

Spirit of Nantucket: Coast Guard Rescue; Cruise Ship Aground

Virginia Beach-- The Coast Guard mounted a rescue operation for "The Spirit of Nantucket", a cruise ship carrying dozens of people.It is rated to manifest more than 100 people.

According to early reports, the vessel began taking on water early this morning. The captain ran it aground.

The ship was on a 10-day jaunt from Alexandria, VA to Charleston, S.C.

Wednesday, November 7, 2007

Facebook: Viral News, Your News!

Hang it up, CBS, ABC, NBC, CNN, Fox and all you other "news" sites. The Facebook News Network has arrived.And it's hot, hot hot!

From the irritatingly peppy news music to the eagle-eyed staff, whiplashing from camera angle to camera angle, the Facebook News Network brings you the news from Facebook. Who has a new friend? Who added a new video?


And incredibly importantly, hard-hitting news on what someone who you don't yet know (but you can change that!) is doing somewhere. In this groundbreaking news venture, the FNN team takes it to the wall. Yes, they dare all with "in your face" reports from comments left on walls.

FNN's got game. It's got video, too. We predict that FNN will soon be among the top, top, top items on YouTube.

And that Stephen Colbert will be jealous. Stephen, what's on your wall?

FNN: no wars, murders, financial scandals, nasty weather, missing kids or other airwaves clutter, just real people news in the ultimate crowdsourcing. It's viral, virtual, and highly viewable.

The only questions are: how long will it take for the FNN to win its first Emmy?

And most importantly of all, when will my Facebook news make it to FNN?

In other breaking news, Mashable wants to know if you should be allowed access to social networking at work. Get in on this early. Heck, Facebook it. You might wind up a star!

YouTube: Advertising for a Finnish School Shooting

Tuesday, November 6, 2007

Lakshmi Tatma Survives 40 Hour Surgery; Extra Limbs & Organs Removed

Tiny Lakshmi Tatma has survived a marathon 40-hour operation by 30 doctors.

Lakshmi is two years old, and has never been able to stand or walk. She's attached to what doctors call a "parasitic twin," another baby that didn't fully develop.

She has four arms, four legs, four kidneys, two stomach cavities, tangled nerves and two chest cavities. Born in a remote village in India's Bihar, the child had to be hidden when a circus tried to buy her. .

A team of 30 doctors separated two fused spines Tuesday. The surgery in Bangalore was the little girl's only chance of living a normal life.

Rub-A-Dub: Texas Man, 87 Rattlesnakes Share Tub








Yea, I know. Everyone's got a hobby. But Jackie Bibby, the "Texas Snake Man" spends his free time with rattlesnakes.

Bibby hung out in a bathtub with 87 rattlesnakes yesterday. He was fully dressed, the snakes came as they were.

Bibby's latest record-grabbing stunt took place in a clear plastic tub created for him by the Guiness world record folks. Yesterday's lounge-in (eat your heart out, Yoko), lasted for 45 minutes and broke his prior chillin' with rattlers record by 12 snakes.

Bibby didn't boogie his booty. Nope, he says that his success with fully-fanged, venomed rattlers is based on calm and slow, if any, movements. And, apparently, just plain liking rattlers.

He also holds the word record for suspending rattlesnakes from his mouth their tails. Ten of them--and Guiness says so.

Not only that, but Bibby's cuddled head first into a sleeping bag with 20 rattlesnakes. When he went in feet first, he shared the bag with 112 snakes.

Although he's got some great authentic pickup lines (hey, baby, wanna see my snake; world-record certified!), getting someone to curl up with him might put him behind the curve.

Bibby's website offers a fascinating look at his hobby and his action-packed life. A chemical dependency counselor, he's appeared in movies, and on TV. His fun stuff also includes riding rodeo bulls, hang gliding, and sky diving.

The Dublin, Texas man has been doing his snake thang for more than 30 years. He's had to be hospitalized eight times for snakebite.

I'd called that a charmed record. Why does he do it? I'll let you know after I talk with the one and only Texas Snake Man.



Photos: publicity stills, courtesy of the Texas Snake Man.