This story isn't for the faint of heart. In fact, we wouldn't really recommend it for anybody, but we'll soldier on regardless. Thomas Martel hails from Colorado, and after upgrading to an
iPhone, he decided his big hands were just too much of a burden to bear. "From my old Treo, to my Blackberry, to this new iPhone, I had a hard time hitting the right buttons, and I always lost those little styluses," says Martel. So what's a man to do? Why, get those digits downsized, of course. Thomas went under the knife for a new technique called "whittling." The doctors made a small cut in each thumb and shaved down the bones, then they adjusted the muscles and fingernails to fit the new thumb size. Martel's new thumbs look a tad effeminate, and there's always that problem of expense and general discomfort, but he thinks the procedure "will pay for itself in ten to fifteen years. And what it's saving me in frustration - that's priceless." Whatever you say, Thomas.
Update: InformationWeek is
reporting this story as false. North Denver News hasn't pulled it yet, but given the far-fetched nature, we're certainly having doubts of its authenticity. Either way, we don't recommend you running out and getting your thumbs whittled any time soon.
Update 2: We called North Denver News, still no response, we'll keep you posted.
Update 3: North Denver News finally
confirmed the story as a hoax. "Satirical social commentary," as they put it.
[Thanks to everyone who sent this in]
posted August 10th 2007 6:38PM
I give this man two (unaltered) thumbs up for the effort!
I don't know in which category to put this...
In the ridiculous or in the sick section...
Engadget Taken Again! Sources, Anyone? http://blogs.business2.com/apple/2007/08/hoax-alert-ipho.html
well....I think it paying for itself in 10-15 years is absurd, the technology will be so different then, probably speech operated (which WE ALREADY have....this guy just spent probably the worst money of his life. And I actually don't believe a word of this, seems like a hoax to me....But Engadgt, you never let me down, so It's really probably not a hox, but very ridiculous....What a Moron!
Faslane
have any of you considered how large some peoples fingers and thumbs are ? mine are large enuf they casue me alot of problems when using mobile devices.....
http://northdenvernews.com/content/view/925/2/
They have admitted it was a humor piece. My god, some people will believe anything!
Humor piece requires it to actually be funny.
YHBT. HAND.
That's why these thumb button technologies are so unhelpful. It's the just the regular cellphone buttons in another form. I use Kyocera 7135 and Palm Pilot's Graffiti technology is far superior - few of my cellphone carrying friends can match the speed and quality of text messages I send out. iPhone hasn't pushed the boundaries of text entering interface at all.
I thought it was microsoft's thing to get there costermers to upgrade their hardware before they could use there devices.
Oh no, the kool-aid drinkers of the Cult of Apple aren't nuts or anything...
why not try this sleek innovative product?:
http://www.thylus.com/
They should have pulled a Dan Rather: "Well, the original story might be a hoax, but it's basically correct."