14-Year-Old Discovers iPad Smart Cover Magnets Can Shut Off Implanted Defibrillators

[Arran]

Yes this is true, the point of contention is that she did not discover this. It's been well documented for years. It's the wording of the article that is misleading as if this is a shock to the tech world and this 14 year is a whistleblower or something

"Discovery" is such a vague word. There are two types of "discovery".

1. The personal discovery where you learn something everybody knew. (e.g., Cats bite if you annoy them.)
2. The ground-breaking discovery where humanity learns something new. (e.g., Higgs Bosons)

This is definitely a (1)

And that's nothing to be ashamed of. Columbus's Discovery of America was also a (1), since America's existence wasn't exactly news to the natives.

 

[FirstNTenderbit]

Yep, really discovered it.





iPad User Guide - Page 126

Question: What's the least effective way to bolster your argument about common knowledge?

Answer: Tell someone the knowledge can be found on page 126 of a pdf

 

[jrswizzle]

Question: What's the least effective way to bolster your argument about common knowledge?

Answer: Tell someone the knowledge can be found on page 126 of a pdf

Or, one could easily comb the Table of Contents for the "Safety" section (which beings on page 125) and start there.

I'm sorry, but if I had a pacemaker, or any device, regulating my heart I would be looking at the safety regulations for any electronic device. Especially one which had a marketed cover that attached magnetically....

The fact that this chick's daddy is a Dr. further indicates this story is a joke....

 

[Amazing Iceman]

People who get Pacemakers or Defibrillators are always warned to stay away from magnetic and electromagnetic sources, as these devices are very sensitive to these sources.

The iPad needs those magnets to keep the cover closed.

Just think about it, there are lots of everyday products that have magnets or generate electromagnetic radiation. Even a pair of headphones do. Also, some wallets, purses, carrying cases, flashlights, pens, key-holders, refrigerator, electric doors, speakers, musical instruments, and the list continues forever.

 

[etrinh]

Don't be so serious Sam. People in this forum make fun and joke all the time. I found his comment funny. Not a useful contribution but funny nevertheless.

So are you suggesting that this information shouldn't be shared. Or better yet - are you insinuating that a 14 year old's science experiment is something to be mocked?

 

[Burger Thing]

The average random person doesn't need to care. Those with defibrillators implanted do care, and they would know. One of my colleagues has one of these buckyball toys on his desk. Lots of strong magnets. I didn't know they could be dangeroues to some people, but I am sure the people who they are dangerous to would know. Just like I wouldn't have a clue which foods contain nuts because I don't care, but someone with a serious nut allergy would know.

Now you have done it. Again. Common sense and logic won't be appreciated by some of the usual suspects around here, though.

 

[etrinh]

I agree with you. We do need to take personal responsibility for our own lives. Education can ony go so far but people have to want to seek knowledge also.

I believe the only reason this is even news is because Apple was used as the electronic device. The student could have really used any tablet with magnets device for his/her science experiment.

It's great we are teaching children to have a thoughtful process. I would have preferred a sampling along with other known/marketed devices that are similar to the iPad for a better experiment but the student probably couldn't afford to buy all the tablets that are on the market.

So where do we stop?

Do we have to post a notice on any device that incorporates a magnet that it could be dangerous to:

- People with Defibs
- People with pacemakers
- People with metal implants
- People with electronic/hydraulic prosthetics
- Credit cards
- Speakers
- Hard drives

There comes a point in life when people have to take responsibility for themselves. When you have a defib put in, you will be told, quite clearly, that you magnets interfere with it. Its YOUR responsibility to protect it.

The only reason this is a news story is because it's an apple product, you could've done this "experiment" with any product containing magnets.

----------



On defibs it's by design. You can use a magnet to turn them off, if you need to.

 

[SongEmu]

Dumb.

Macbooks also have strong embedded magnets, as do ALL hard drives (not SSDs). Some Samsung portable devices do too. Anything that can mimic the iPad's smart cover also...

This article does not deserve to be on an Apple specific site, leave this fear-mongering for Gizmodo...

 

[FirstNTenderbit]

Or, one could easily comb the Table of Contents for the "Safety" section (which beings on page 125) and start there.

I'm sorry, but if I had a pacemaker, or any device, regulating my heart I would be looking at the safety regulations for any electronic device. Especially one which had a marketed cover that attached magnetically....

The fact that this chick's daddy is a Dr. further indicates this story is a joke....

I realize this is a losing proposition for me but here goes. Please gain perspective. Recognize the fact that you're talking about a 14 year old little girl. 14 year old girls are not chicks. Your love of Apple should not cause you to negatively connote anything about a kid. This site is populated with adults (allegedly) but I'm hard pressed to see it based on some of the commentary. Rant over

My original points stands. Crisss1205 mentioned page 126. You go back one page and that makes the argument stronger? Really?

Most people never read product manuals. They tend to end up in the trash after the box is opened. A lot people have no idea the iPad has magnets. I would venture to say the majority have no idea. Why did the kid make her "discovery" on an iPad? Because she had one. Discovery. There's a huge overreach I will admit. It wasn't a discovery.

It was a science project for a 14 year old kid. As adults, some of us seriously need to get a grip.

 

[Thunderhawks]

Gerry & the Pacemakers 1965:

It's Gonna Be Alright

Now let's watch the stock price go down , a class action lawsuit to be filed and some senator get involved to outlaw magnets.

Forgot: Somebody has to have a patent on this.

TGIF

 

[iKen1]

Wow, how is this news. I can see why she didn't win the competition. Basically, she's discovered that a magnet disables something that is designed to be disabled by a magnet. Nope, I still can't see how this is news.

 

[pirg]

I realize this is a losing proposition for me but here goes. Please gain perspective. Recognize the fact that you're talking about a 14 year old little girl. 14 year old girls are not chicks. Your love of Apple should not cause you to negatively connote anything about a kid. This site is populated with adults (allegedly) but I'm hard pressed to see it based on some of the commentary. Rant over

My original points stands. Crisss1205 mentioned page 126. You go back one page and that makes the argument stronger? Really?

Most people never read product manuals. They tend to end up in the trash after the box is opened. A lot people have no idea the iPad has magnets. I would venture to say the majority have no idea. Why did the kid make her "discovery" on an iPad? Because she had one. Discovery. There's a huge overreach I will admit. It wasn't a discovery.

It was a science project for a 14 year old kid. As adults, some of us seriously need to get a grip.

You're not getting the point. It's not the fact that she did a science experiment, it's the fact that this is front page news.

Why is this deserving of front page news? Magnet interference with defibs and pacemakers are well known and documented, apples safety documentation makes mention of this AND you better believe that people who have pacemakers are aware of it.

This story is published as a discovery by a14 year old and its not. It's a high schooler doing a science experiment.

The people who need to get a grip are the ones who are suggesting that this is late breaking news. Why weren't any of the other science experiments at this girl's school featured? I'm sure that all were great and none of them were groundbreaking discoveries either.

The reason? Because Apple articles get clicks.

 

[poorracerkid]

Whoops!

 

[b.c.]

in other related 'news' ...

"14-Year-Old Discovers Galaxy Note II S-Pen Can Cause Choking Death in Pets and Young Children"

 

[jrswizzle]

I realize this is a losing proposition for me but here goes. Please gain perspective. Recognize the fact that you're talking about a 14 year old little girl. 14 year old girls are not chicks. Your love of Apple should not cause you to negatively connote anything about a kid. This site is populated with adults (allegedly) but I'm hard pressed to see it based on some of the commentary. Rant over

My original points stands. Crisss1205 mentioned page 126. You go back one page and that makes the argument stronger? Really?

Most people never read product manuals. They tend to end up in the trash after the box is opened. A lot people have no idea the iPad has magnets. I would venture to say the majority have no idea. Why did the kid make her "discovery" on an iPad? Because she had one. Discovery. There's a huge overreach I will admit. It wasn't a discovery.

It was a science project for a 14 year old kid. As adults, some of us seriously need to get a grip.

My posts really have nothing to do with this story being about Apple (though I'd be willing to bet we'd never see a similar situation involving Samsung - not enough publicity there).

Regardless of her age, the fact remains she has a device in her chest which controls functions of her heart. Her father is in fact a Dr. The notion that she has "discovered" that the magnets in an iPad can cause disruption of that device's functions (whether be design or otherwise) and that this is somehow a story is laughable.

Whether we believe the girl is old enough to know this and take precautions is beside the point as she has a doctor for a father who should know better.

And my point about the table of contents was not to say, "oh take it back a page" but to say that your insinuation that one would need to comb through 126 pages to find the safety regs (essentially saying it is within reason one would miss them, even if they were looking) doesn't add up as all one would need to do is (a) be cautious minded and (b) to look in the table of contents (which spans only a few pages) to find the heading "Safety". From there, its only reading ONE PAGE to find the paragraph or two on defribs and pacemakers.

Nothing to do with Apple, and more to do with the fact that the "dumbing down" of our society is only accelerated by the public's need to have everything handed to them or plastered in big neon letters in front of their face.

Since when did thinking with common sense (even a 14-yr. old girl) get trampled on so? And regardless of that, why does this doctor father feel like this is a large enough "discovery" to present it to 8000+ doctors?

Laughable.....reeks of someone (the father) trying to gain 15 minutes of fame with a "discovery" that on the surface sounds scary (the magnets in the iPad could cause a life-threatening situation for those with pacemakers and the like) when the reality is, anyone who has one (and certainly any doctor) would already know that magnets/electromagnetic fields mess with these devices and should be wary of any electronic device - especially one with a HEAVILY marketed cover that connects via magnets.

And yes, I find it ridiculous that Apple gets singled out here when in fact most every modern tablet and some smartphones include magnets in them as well. And it's not just the smart cover, but many third party cases that utilize this feature.

 

[2bikes]

Analogy fail.

No, this is more like the diabetic not realising that the food they were eating was loaded with sugar...an even closer one would be a person with a severe allergy not knowing that the food they were eating contained an allergen.

No matter which way the fanboys here try to spin this, are they trying to claim that educating people on this issue can be a bad thing? In my opinion if it stops one person from doing something stupid which seriously risks their health, why not?

I don't understand which way is the spinning of this. A little boy discovering the magnet in iPad could stop pacemakers, or the fact that all electronic devices could harm a pacemaker, but this news is a little more dramatic because it involves Apple. Educating people is a very good... for the ones that want to be educated.

A person with a pacemaker has the ultimate responsibility. A person with allergy has the ultimate responsibility. Saying they didn't know the food contained allergen is similar to saying `I didn't know the coffee cup was too hot I burned my hand`.

 

[samcraig]

it's the fact that this is front page news.

Why is this deserving of front page news?

The people who need to get a grip are the ones who are suggesting that this is late breaking news.

Because Apple articles get clicks.

Other that MR - where is it "front page news." It's front page news here because it's great link bait. Obviously. Was it covered elsewhere - yes. But not as front page nor "breaking" news.

And I'll play the devil's advocate you often play. If this were about an Android tablet - do you think the link bait would be any less on this site. Which is the only site - I can tell - that has this featured as "front page news"

 

[Rocko1]

So are you suggesting that this information shouldn't be shared. Or better yet - are you insinuating that a 14 year old's science experiment is something to be mocked?

Get off your high horse. Anyone with a pacemaker or internal medical devices has been told what NOT to put near their chest/device. It's part of the medical consultaton. Magnets, cell phones, mp3 players, etc. If they fail to head these warnings then accept whatever outcome that may occur.

 

[pirg]

Other that MR - where is it "front page news." It's front page news here because it's great link bait. Obviously. Was it covered elsewhere - yes. But not as front page nor "breaking" news.

I was talking about MR. obviously.

I'll play the devil's advocate you often play. If this were about an Android tablet - do you think the link bait would be any less on this site. Which is the only site - I can tell - that has this featured as "front page news"

If this were about android tablets, yes it would still be link bait. Why wouldn't it be?

 

[SMDBill]

Those were a lot of hostile posts I just read through to find that people can't see the simplicity of her "discovery".

At age 14 iPads are quite popular. They are with all ages. She just decided, since many people may use an iPad in body positions you wouldn't use a desktop or laptop in (directly on the chest near the heart) that maybe it could cause harm since those magnets can interfere with the defib, just like any other magnet can.

Why isn't it just ok that she "realized" there are magnets in an iPad, they're really really popular, and perhaps that magnet could cause potential harm to someone whose heart may be relying on that defib? All she did was put 2+2 together to get 4, with 4 being the fact that it may not be clearly obvious to all users, particularly more elderly users who may never snap a cover onto an iPad, and perhaps it would be important that the world know it to help that one person who has a defibrillator, uses an iPad on their chest, and simply may not know there are magnets in there that can temporarily disable the defib.

I don't get why people take offense that an Apple product is mentioned as having a magnet that may not be well known to the entire world, and that could do harm to a very small segment of users to the point where their life could be in jeopardy in the right scenario. It's surely not a slam on an Apple product, more like a public service announcement to me. At 14, and if Daddy didn't help 'discover' that, good on her. But even if he did help, as most of us have helped a kid with a science project, still good on her for the willingness to tell people that maybe using the device in a certain way could be harmful if they have a medical condition that requires an implanted defibrillator.

 

[Rocko1]

Those were a lot of hostile posts I just read through to find that people can't see the simplicity of her "discovery".

At age 14 iPads are quite popular. They are with all ages. She just decided, since many people may use an iPad in body positions you wouldn't use a desktop or laptop in (directly on the chest near the heart) that maybe it could cause harm since those magnets can interfere with the defib, just like any other magnet can.

Why isn't it just ok that she "realized" there are magnets in an iPad, they're really really popular, and perhaps that magnet could cause potential harm to someone whose heart may be relying on that defib? All she did was put 2+2 together to get 4, with 4 being the fact that it may not be clearly obvious to all users, particularly more elderly users who may never snap a cover onto an iPad, and perhaps it would be important that the world know it to help that one person who has a defibrillator, uses an iPad on their chest, and simply may not know there are magnets in there that can temporarily disable the defib.

I don't get why people take offense that an Apple product has a magnet that may not be well known to the entire world, and that could do harm to a very small segment of users to the point where their life could be in jeopardy in the right scenario. It's surely not a slam on an Apple product, more like a public service announcement to me. At 14, and if Daddy didn't help 'discover' that, good on her. But even if he did help, as most of us have helped a kid with a science project, still good on her for the willingness to tell people that maybe using the device in a certain way could be harmful if they have a medical condition that requires an implanted defibrillator.

You are missing the point. People with these medical devices installed in them ALREADY know this. It's no discovery except by her and uninformed people. It's not some breakthrough.

 

[pirg]

Those were a lot of hostile posts I just read through to find that people can't see the simplicity of her "discovery".

At age 14 iPads are quite popular. They are with all ages. She just decided, since many people may use an iPad in body positions you wouldn't use a desktop or laptop in (directly on the chest near the heart) that maybe it could cause harm since those magnets can interfere with the defib, just like any other magnet can.

Why isn't it just ok that she "realized" there are magnets in an iPad, they're really really popular, and perhaps that magnet could cause potential harm to someone whose heart may be relying on that defib? All she did was put 2+2 together to get 4, with 4 being the fact that it may not be clearly obvious to all users, particularly more elderly users who may never snap a cover onto an iPad, and perhaps it would be important that the world know it to help that one person who has a defibrillator, uses an iPad on their chest, and simply may not know there are magnets in there that can temporarily disable the defib.

I don't get why people take offense that an Apple product has a magnet that may not be well known to the entire world, and that could do harm to a very small segment of users to the point where their life could be in jeopardy in the right scenario. It's surely not a slam on an Apple product, more like a public service announcement to me. At 14, and if Daddy didn't help 'discover' that, good on her. But even if he did help, as most of us have helped a kid with a science project, still good on her for the willingness to tell people that maybe using the device in a certain way could be harmful if they have a medical condition that requires an implanted defibrillator.

Again missing the point. There's nothing wrong with the science experiment, there's nothing wrong with her letting people know, the problem is issuing it as if it's a flaw of ipads and she just blew the top off the whole thing. She didn't discover it, she merely replicated a well known fact.

So like I said, I'm sure every kid in her school did a science experiment that replicated something that was well known. Where is their article? Why is this "discovery" any more important than the other experiments?

 

[crisss1205]

Who else remembers getting the manual with their iPad? Who here has downloaded that manual? Who remembers even getting a LINK to that download in their iPad box.

Question: What's the least effective way to bolster your argument about common knowledge?

Answer: Tell someone the knowledge can be found on page 126 of a pdf

Open Safari on your iPad, tap on the bookmark icon, then scroll down to "iPad User Guide".

There you go. It is preloaded on every iPad.

Also, it is on page 3 of the little printed safety information guide that is included with every iPad.

 

[7enderbender]

I don't have a pacemaker or defibrillator but mechanical watches. So I naturally despise it when companies build in more or less strong magnets anywhere without the option to remove them.

I knew apple did this on their laptops for the power plug but had no idea they were hidden in the ipads as well. They should stop doing that.

 

[FirstNTenderbit]

You're not getting the point. It's not the fact that she did a science experiment, it's the fact that this is front page news.

Why is this deserving of front page news? Magnet interference with defibs and pacemakers are well known and documented, apples safety documentation makes mention of this AND you better believe that people who have pacemakers are aware of it.

This story is published as a discovery by a14 year old and its not. It's a high schooler doing a science experiment.

The people who need to get a grip are the ones who are suggesting that this is late breaking news. Why weren't any of the other science experiments at this girl's school featured? I'm sure that all were great and none of them were groundbreaking discoveries either.

The reason? Because Apple articles get clicks.

I do get the point. You are right. It's about clicks. Apple is a company that moves the needle. We are in total agreement on this point. My bone of contention lies primarily in two areas.

1. The tone of the MR post doesn't quite match the original Bloomberg article. It completely leaves out the motivation behind the girl's experiment. Intentional? I hope not. I would like to believe MR is better than that.

2. People posting asshat comments about a kid's science fair project. She didn't write the Bloomberg article nor did she write the MR post. But you wouldn't be able to tell that by the most of the comments on this thread. I'm a pretty positive person (my wife says naive) and I get disappointed when people display the less appealing sides of their personality.