The Association of American Educators (AAE) has lodged a complaint with the Apple Corporation over its new, fifth-generation iPod Nano, which includes a retractable 2 1/2-inch steel blade inside in the aluminum casing.
The iPods were bad enough when they just distracted students with violent hip-hop music, explained Karl Sobczak, the associations secretary and assistant superintendent of the Chicago Public Schools. But at least before you couldnt shank someone in the lunchroom with one. Well, not effectively.
Apple is downplaying the concerns, though, saying that the blade which pops out when the click-wheel is spun rapidly counter-clockwise is just one of numerous new Nano features, including a video camera, a voice recorder and a pedometer, as well as a GPS app that can locate the nearest coffee bar.
But a source close to the company, who spoke under the condition of anonymity, said the blade was among several strange requests from Apple CEO Tim Cook after media reports surfaced that the company needed to reinvent itself to stay on top of the tech world.
The knife was just the start. We had to talk him out of the laser and the grappling hook, said the source, noting those will probably debut with the next iPod Touch.
But Cook defended the new feature. Everyone knows that blades under three inches are legal in most states, he noted. And between us, this little device saved my keister more than once when dealing with some of those crazy-ass Apple fanboys.
Ironically, most teenagers surveyed say they dont plan to use the blade at all.
Dude, what do I need a knife for? asked Josh Elkind, 20, a Tufts University student who made headlines a while back when he accidentally inhaled his iPod Shuffle. Im just psyched to have the video camera so I can shoot naked movies of my girlfriend.
From Cap News.
