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Businesses Idle

California Company Markets A $2,400 2W Laser Bong That You Need to Wear Protective Glasses To Use (vice.com) 110

Silicon Cali is now selling a massive device that uses a two-watt, 445 nanometer laser to light the bowl of a bong, according to an article shared by dmoberhaus: This is about 400 times more powerful than the average laser pointer, which has an output of about five milliwatts. Silicon Cali even sells special glasses that are meant to protect your eyes while looking directly at the laser when you take a hit. "The laser is not that dangerous, it's not going to cut your finger off or anything crazy like that," Justin Zelaya, the founder of Silicon Cali, told me in an email. "It may sting a little bit if you get your hand in the way but kind of like a magnifying glass."

Zelaya told me that he worked with five other people to produce the bong and that their backgrounds range from "Bitcoin core developer to a mad scientist, like myself...." The glass, which is custom blown in California, is lined with color-changing LEDs. The entire thing is controlled by a phone app.

Each laser bong is being sold for $2,400 -- which as far as I can see is worth every damn penny.

The company only plans to sell 45 of these "limited edition" devices...
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California Company Markets A $2,400 2W Laser Bong That You Need to Wear Protective Glasses To Use

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  • by addikt10 ( 461932 ) on Saturday November 03, 2018 @05:58PM (#57587394)

    What could possibly go wrong?
    All it really needs is a sticker saying "Do not look at laser with remaining eye"

    • by arth1 ( 260657 ) on Saturday November 03, 2018 @06:30PM (#57587504) Homepage Journal

      Indeed. I think "stoned people" belong on the list of people who should not be trusted to handle 2000 mW lasers.

      • Much less 2 μW!
      • by msauve ( 701917 )
        Yep. It's strange that legal pot comes in containers with doper-proof caps.

        "Each laser bong is being sold for $2,400 -- which as far as I can see is worth every damn penny."

        A Bic lighter costs a buck. There are lots of other ways to generate heat which don't cost $2400. A fool (Daniel Oberhaus, the author of that quote) and his money are soon parted. That's probably a good thing - stupidity should be painful.
        • by Mal-2 ( 675116 )

          It does? I haven't gotten it in a proper prescription bottle, ever so far. Sometimes I'll put it in one because they seal so nicely, but weed comes in much flimsier containers with simple flip lids. They're not bad for keeping an air seal, but they're not as good as the "push down and turn" caps. I'm sure they're also much cheaper to make (being one piece), and use somewhat less plastic.

      • by Mal-2 ( 675116 )

        I'm willing to bet a disproportionate number of buyers will be enginerd types, and that very little will go wrong with them that isn't the result of deliberate experimentation.

      • Comment removed based on user account deletion
    • by Mal-2 ( 675116 ) on Saturday November 03, 2018 @10:03PM (#57588118) Homepage Journal

      It seems to me that the whole laser-to-bowl volume should be wrapped in the goggle material and/or something completely opaque, and that the laser should refuse to operate if it's not. That's just a basic industrial safety interlock, and this is pretty much an industrial bong. It's not hard to design a box that will happily leak air but not light. That pretty much describes every camera.

    • What could possibly go wrong?
      All it really needs is a sticker saying "Do not look at laser with remaining eye"

      "Dave's eye's not here, man!"

    • Sigh.
      How far Slashdot has fallen. Pitiful.

      OK, I'll say it:

      My Eyes! The goggles do nothing!
  • testing (Score:4, Insightful)

    by KiloByte ( 825081 ) on Saturday November 03, 2018 @06:00PM (#57587400)

    Sounds like they tested their product -- a lot, and that their business plan involves giving prospective buyers a test drive.

    • Sounds like they tested their product -- a lot, and that their business plan involves giving prospective buyers a test drive.

      Sounds like April Fools day was in November this year.

  • Hopefully the technology evolves.

  • Been there done that (Score:4, Interesting)

    by goosesensor ( 1431303 ) on Saturday November 03, 2018 @06:04PM (#57587414)
    A friend and myself have been making anywhere from 200mA - 1.6A lasers, and indeed smoking weed with them for years.
  • If you're like me, and assumed this meant "illuminate" the bowl, you'll be pleasantly surprised by the video.
  • Why do you have to point out it's a Californian company in the headline? States are usually not mentioned there for product announcements.

    • I agree.

      Like it was necessary to mention that something like that comes out of Cali.

      That's like saying some ridiculous ruling about patent law came out of Texas. It simply goes without saying.

  • by etash ( 1907284 ) on Saturday November 03, 2018 @06:28PM (#57587494)
    that's way overpriced, wicked lasers have been selling lasers of this power at a fraction of the price for years
    • What's crazy to me is that they use this expensive technology to just crudely burn weed. For less than $500 you can get a good vaporizer that's still expensive, but is less wasteful and healthier. It also allows everyone to share fresh greens... or so I've heard. Less mess and cleanup too.

  • Portable vaping for flower is better

    • by Mal-2 ( 675116 )

      Bong cleaning is easy.

      First, put in some table salt. A couple tablespoons will do.

      Then put in about half as much 90% isopropanol in as you would water.

      Cover all the holes, and shake the hell out of it. The salt will act as an abrasive to remove the tar, because it won't dissolve in alcohol. The 10% water in the solvent will make the salt a little slushy, but this is good.

      Then rinse it out and let it dry, or put it back in service once you can no longer smell alcohol.

      Stem cleaning should also be done with al

  • Any mishap with those glasses, such as getting a bit silly and having them shift slightly on your face so that a specular reflection of laser light off of some dust particle in the air reaches your eye, and you are instantly blinded for life. Not a good idea while high.

    • by SumDog ( 466607 )

      You should never need the glasses. The laser shoots down into the bowl. You'd have to get your head under the mouth piece and look up into the lighter. It's gimmick anyway. It's not going to make it any better to smoke than a traditional lighter or better yet, a mini vape.

      • It's gimmick anyway. It's not going to make it any better to smoke than a traditional lighter or better yet, a mini vape.

        Unless quantum-entangled weed gets you twice a high.

        (For reference, it seems someone is claiming to have created/observed quantum entanglement in bacteria [evolving-science.com]. )

        • Unless quantum-entangled weed gets you twice a high.

          More like it will get you high and not high.

          You won't know which until your cat tells you.

          • by Mal-2 ( 675116 )

            You mean you won't know which unless your cat tells you. Because if the cat tells you anything at all, you're probably high.

      • by Anonymous Coward on Saturday November 03, 2018 @07:55PM (#57587776)

        You should never need the glasses. The laser shoots down into the bowl. You'd have to get your head under the mouth piece and look up into the lighter. It's gimmick anyway. It's not going to make it any better to smoke than a traditional lighter or better yet, a mini vape.

        At 2W, you do need the glasses. This is a Class 4 [wikipedia.org] device. Even diffuse or indirect beam viewing can burn your eyes out before your blink reflex kicks in.

        The glass of the bong could reflect things in ways that you don't predict. The smoke particles - a piece of leaf or ash at the wrong place at the wrong angle - would be enough to create a serious hazard.

        Worse yet, it's green. Basically the optimal (pessimal) wavelength to maximize absorption by your (disporportionately red-reflecting green-absorbing) retina.

        • by Ol Olsoc ( 1175323 ) on Saturday November 03, 2018 @08:55PM (#57587970)

          At 2W, you do need the glasses. This is a Class 4 [wikipedia.org] device. Even diffuse or indirect beam viewing can burn your eyes out before your blink reflex kicks in.

          I was nailed in the eye by a laser once, a few watts. It was being bounced around as someone adjusted one of the mirrors. Doctor said it was pretty miraculous that it only hit the white of one of my eyes, and I was lucky I wasn't blinded.

          Worse yet, it's green. Basically the optimal (pessimal) wavelength to maximize absorption by your (disporportionately red-reflecting green-absorbing) retina.

          When I read that sentence, it was very clear that you do know exactly what you are talking about.

          Mods, get this post to +5 informative ASAP.

        • Worse yet, it's green.

          Actually it's blue, but the rest of your post is on point.

          But since we're here we can talk about the colour clashing of a bong lighting up green while firing a blue laser. There's an old saying for those who aren't in high-fashion and thus unable to pull off this stunt: "Blue and Green should never be seen, especially not without a colour in between".

        • So the new updated meme should be: just smoke it--no need to look at it with remaining eye

      • You should never need the glasses. The laser shoots down into the bowl. You'd have to get your head under the mouth piece and look up into the lighter. It's gimmick anyway. It's not going to make it any better to smoke than a traditional lighter or better yet, a mini vape.

        Looking at TFA, there are plenty of reflective surfaces to send the light into places it can do damage. So perhaps you can try getting baked with this device sans eyewear, then report back to us on how safe it is.

        Using one of those Braille keyboards.

      • by gweihir ( 88907 )

        Reflection. Some idiot holding a piece of metal in the laser-path. It will happen. The glasses are fore show, though, they are just to avoid the lawsuits from the idiot blinding himself.

    • by gweihir ( 88907 )

      Indeed. In sane countries you cannot even get more than 5mW without being a certified laser-safety expert. That laser is like a chainsaw without any safety.

  • Great. Now we just need some perspective-enhancing alien pheromones to smoke through this Laser Hookah [wikia.com] in a Star Wars themed cantina and perhaps there can finally be a permanent Israeli / Palestinian ceasefire.
    • Laser Hookah [wikia.com]

      It all makes sense now. Figures it would be Rick and Morty fans that created a real-life version of a method to smoke pot that is impractical, unsafe, and extremely overpriced. Real stoners would never bother with something this daft.

  • by Anonymous Coward

    Do. Not. Fix. It.

    Bongs don't need lasers.

  • by Anonymous Coward

    Perfect for that 80â(TM)s fan watching Kung Fury on VHS and smoking his Laser Bong.

  • "The laser is not that dangerous, it's not going to cut your finger off or anything crazy like that"

    It takes something like 15 J per square centimeter or so to cause third-degree burns. How thin is the 2 W beam?

  • Go out and buy a Pax vaporizer for way less money, way less risk of permanent eye damage and a much better general smoking experience. Funnily enough, a Pax loaded with loose pipe tobacco is a better overall experience than smoking tobacco in a pipe. And of course that's the ONLY WAY I USE IT! Yeah.
    • You're telling me stoned people did something stupid? Now way!

      (Former stoner here. My income has increased 500% since I stopped getting stoned.)

      • by Mal-2 ( 675116 )

        Funny, it's the reverse for me. The smoking went way down after my income fell off. The smoking was half the reason I was able to stay sane long enough to keep that job as long as I did.

  • Sounds like something Rocket from Guardians of the Galaxy would come up with -- and he wouldn't bother putting any laser warning labels on it, and laugh uproariously at the fool stoners who did end up frying an eyeball with it.

    Come now, stoners; a 2W laser at any wavelength is not Amateur Night shit for casuals -- let alone stoned casuals -- to be fooling with. There will be a lawsuit.
  • Ob (Score:4, Funny)

    by Hognoxious ( 631665 ) on Saturday November 03, 2018 @08:36PM (#57587920) Homepage Journal

    which as far as I can see with my remaining eye is worth every damn penny.

    FTFY

    Anyone else surprised it isn't Musk selling these?

  • If you can't trust hardware engineering from "Bitcoin core developers" and mad scientists, what can you trust?
  • it's not going to cut your finger off or anything crazy like that...

    You need the $5000 deluxe model for that.

  • Bongs, power lasers, California!

  • By having a laser calibrated vaporize a specific amount of distillate, you could better control how much you're about to inhale than trying to suck on a pen with a heating coil. Then I won't get entirely too high because the physical process of smoking is new enough to me that I can do it wrong, like what happened on Monday.
  • A fool and his money are soon parted.
  • Ok, so it does "something" with lasers. Does it work like some vapourizers that use infrared as well as other non combusting techniques? or is it a $2400 lighter.

    This is a poorly written writeup and i would definitely wait for a proper review before passing judgment. A pure "smoking" experience is the holy grail of the vapourizer market, so if you can do it more pure like with lasers, that that would be interesting to know!

    With legality comes a brave new world of science!

    • by gweihir ( 88907 )

      It is a $2400 lighter, that is pretty dangerous compared to a normal lighter in addition. A product for idiots with money.

  • Quantum Cannabinoids :)
  • The psychoactive components of marijuana boil off prior to actual combustion of the plant's woody material, so a gradual heating releases more of the desired products. A quick rise to high temperature simply burns the psychoactives along with the wood.

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