Sadly, things that we love and give us excitements can hurt us eventually. You may love tech, but some of it can spell trouble. Of course, everything can hurt you badly if used improperly, but these tech products may still hurt you even when you have used them sensibly enough.
Of course, none of major manufacturers want to end up being sued by an injured consumer; those products are already shipped with enough warnings. But, because those warnings are omnipresent in nearly all products on the market, lengthy and released in smaller prints; it is easy to understand why we often overlook them. Often, we don’t even bother to read the manuals, let alone warnings. All that we can think of is just to dive right in and have plenty of fun.
Of course those warning are there for a good reason. So, one day, if you get a brand new piece of tech product, take a few deep breaths first and try to fight the urge to use it immediately. Read the packaging, manuals and labels to examine any warning and things that can damage the product and of course…..you. Sometimes new risks are discovered after those products hit the shelves, so try to be really vigilant by reading relevant news on the Internet.
Nintendo 3DS
It would be the next portable gaming system released by Nintendo, but there is one obvious problem: it might physically damage a child’s eyes. Nintendo has recently issued a warning about the risk of ocular damage if children under six use the device in 3D mode. Fortunately, it is still relatively safer if used in 2D-mode.
Nintendo Wii
It is the first console that brings motion gaming to the masses. There are already instructions from Nintendo about how to use the product properly. The warning also appears each time a Wii game is played, and the manual shows us important things we should adhere to even when the system is not being used. On video sharing sites, such as Youtube, you’ll find many clips on Wii accidents. In April 2010, Amanda Flowers from Manchester, UK, claimed that the injury she sustained from a Wii Fit accident had caused sexual disorder problems. Fox News reported that each week, about 10 people are hospitalized due to Wii accidents.
Nintendo Virtual Boy
This device was among Nintendo’s worst failures. It has a ridiculous setting process and a warning that the device shouldn’t be used by children under 7 years old. Virtual Boy may cause permanent damages to a child’s eye, one of the reasons why Virtual Boy never took off.
Microsoft Kinect
It takes Nintendo’s idea one step further. No controllers needed; you control the game only with limbs and gestures, unfortunately, in the heat of the game you can become an instrument of destruction! Of course, the user manual has some warning about the danger posed by flailing limbs. People may inadvertently move into the playing area and a collision may happen. There are also many documented cases about people hitting their playing partners accidentally, while using Kinect.
Laptops
Using notebooks on lap is one of the most favored positions for many people, especially when tables are not available nearby. Almost no one read warning stickers on laptops, but using it for hours on your lap can cause TSS (Toasted Skin Syndrome). Affected area can be discolored or darkened. Although it is usually harmless and treatable, in very few cases, it can trigger cancer. And of course, we can’t stress enough the risk of exploding battery on your lap. In one incidence, an exploding Dell laptop had caused the destruction of a Ford truck.
Apple iPod Shuffle
The earliest iPod Shuffle models may look a bit like gum, which triggered some jokes about eating the portable music player. Curiously, Apple replied by posting a warning about the risk of eating an iPod Shuffle. Even so, it may cause choking hazard on toddlers.
Fake PlayStation Controllers
Sony released numerous warnings about the risk of using 3rd-party Playstation controllers. There are some risks that these could explode or ignite.
Sony PlayStation Move
In the world of gaming, more movements equals to more risks and it includes the Playstation Move. Of course, the Move is a relatively newer device and doesn’t cause too much problems, but the fact that it is used just like Wii, accidents bound to happen.
Small buttons
Small buttons are ridiculous, we, humans are not meant to continuously hit those tiny buttons with our fingertips. A new kind of disorder called, “BlackBerry Thumb”, describes pains and other set of symptoms on thumbs, on those who use mobile phones often. This condition is closely related to “Gamer’s thumb”.