Hercules 400 laser makes you a man for a mere $3,000

We get it, lasers are awesome. You know, you can burn things and blind people and stuff, what's not to like? But at some point -- let's say the $3k mark, for the sake of argument -- you're just starting to look silly, that's all we're saying. The Hercules 400 Laser happens to hit just such a price point, with 400mW of power that's capable of burning through cardboard and thick plastic. Back in our day we had to use ingenuity and a magnifying glass to set things on fire, but we would've sold our family into slavery for a shot at one of these, so the point is kind of moot.

[Via Uncrate; thanks Frank]

[Blackster @ Nov 20th 2007 2:30PM]

yeah, lightsabers ^^

[Shane @ Nov 20th 2007 3:34PM]

George Lucas is SO gonna sue...

[Jonathan-DBOSS @ Nov 20th 2007 4:18PM]

Laser Tag Xtreme!

[frank stallone @ Nov 21st 2007 1:32PM]

does it come with sweet jedi skills?

[steve @ Nov 21st 2007 1:39PM]

I definitely want that model, but the blue lasers are really cool too.

[dataminer49er @ Nov 20th 2007 2:31PM]

Hercules! Hercules! Hercules!

[BubbaGump @ Nov 20th 2007 3:51PM]

BeetleJuice!!! BeetleJuice!!! BeetleJuice!!!

[Khris @ Nov 20th 2007 4:04PM]

Sherman! Sherman! Sherman!

[Garst @ Nov 21st 2007 3:08AM]

Bloody Mary! Bloody Mary! Bloody Mary!

[Billy Fiul @ Nov 20th 2007 2:32PM]

[Insert witty and relevant joke here.]

[Bob @ Nov 20th 2007 2:37PM]

This is Legal ?????? Burning up stuff and potentially may cause harm to people ......

[Jeebus @ Nov 20th 2007 8:11PM]

You mean like matches?

[striggity @ Nov 20th 2007 2:33PM]

I'd so buy one of those (if not for the $3000 price tag, of course)

[chavis1 @ Dec 27th 2007 3:22AM]

the best place to get em' is www.laserglow.com

[shanoboy @ Nov 20th 2007 2:34PM]

Wow, it's almost halfway there to being a real life light saber.

[Mike @ Nov 20th 2007 2:36PM]

Finally, I have a means to destroy children's balloons from a distance.

[spass @ Nov 20th 2007 4:40PM]

but can it defrost my chicken?

[Mike @ Nov 20th 2007 8:39PM]

Yes, it will also temporarily re-animate the chicken and have it walk into the pro boxer-endorsed grill of your choice.

[David Cole @ Nov 20th 2007 2:52PM]

Damn! My mad science budget is stretched too thin with that DNA sequencer that I scored last week.

[Bob @ Nov 20th 2007 2:37PM]

This Legal ? Burning up stuff and harming people ...........

[Chris @ Nov 20th 2007 3:23PM]

Guns are also legal. And knives...forks, scissors, sharp mechanical pencils, swords, etc.

[Jeff @ Nov 20th 2007 3:32PM]

Kinda difficult to bring down an airplane with a gun or a sword. Lasers, however, have already been used to blind pilots at altitude.

http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,143494,00.html

(It's an AP story, that's just the only site I could find that carried this particular one.)

I don't really see a reason why lasers like this should be easily available to the general public. Do we have some great need for a device like this that was going unfulfilled up to this point?

[tcc3 @ Nov 20th 2007 4:49PM]

If you criminalize death lasers then only criminals will have them.

[Benson @ Nov 20th 2007 7:21PM]

@Jeff
No, there's no great need for them. Your point?

Now, is there some great need to make possession of this (or anything else) illegal?
Aren't laws against wrongful acts sufficient, since the only reasons offered against it are that someone might commit a wrongful act?

As far as the reason why they should be easily available to the general public now, that's because technology has improved to the point where a laser of this power can be packaged this conveniently and sold at this price.
The combination of pricing and packaging constitute easy availability, and there's no reason why artificial difficulties should be added.

[mabhatter @ Nov 20th 2007 10:11PM]

actually lasers this powerful usually have FCC restrictions on them. You'd have a hard time getting one sold to your residence as this would not be residential rated, but probably not to your workplace.

What we really want to know is how much Sharks cost!!!

[Duh @ Nov 20th 2007 11:49PM]

"Kinda difficult to bring down an airplane with a gun or a sword. Lasers, however, have already been used to blind pilots at altitude."
@Jeff: That's why most planes have guns on them.

[Todd @ Nov 20th 2007 2:38PM]

FYI - a 400mW laser also does a great job of melting car door locks, effectively preventing someone from putting the key in, and opening their locked car door....not that I have ever done that, I'm just sayin'.

[Jason @ Nov 20th 2007 2:47PM]

BS.

No way only 400mW could melt the metal in a door lock. You'd need at LEAST 10W (10,000mW) and 100W (100,000mW) to do it quickly.

[Andrew @ Nov 20th 2007 3:33PM]

You don't need to melt the metal. Melt the plastic surround and they're going to get fucked.

[starkruzr @ Nov 20th 2007 3:44PM]

Melt, no.

*Defrost*, yes. Which would be really awesome, imo.

Would also be nice for starting campfires. From A MILE AWAY.

[Ryan Lynd @ Nov 20th 2007 3:58PM]

Good thing for automatic door locks. ;)

[ethana2 @ Nov 20th 2007 4:01PM]

The Hercules 400: Only /you/ can start forest fires from a mile away.... unless some other idiot buys one.

I'm still creeped out by the military grade one being able to fire into someone's brain and kill them. Could something like that be powered by a satellite?

[Toadlet @ Nov 20th 2007 2:42PM]

You'll put your eye out, kid!

[mushrooshi @ Nov 20th 2007 2:42PM]

I see these advertisements all the time in Popular Mechanics and Popular Science

[Flashpoint @ Nov 20th 2007 2:48PM]

"but we would've sold our family into slavery for a shot at one of these,"

LOL Hahahahahahah

These are devices that the average citizen should NOT BE ALLOWED TO HAVE.

Ranks right up there with#

Tasers
Stun Guns
GUNS
cellular jamming devices
grenades
fireworks
access to explosive/weapons plans on the internet
crazy glue.


IN THE WRONG HANDS These things kill innocent people.
There are NO "right hands".

I could see someone burning people's retinas with this or starting MASSIVE FIRES in California with it.

As much as I'd want one, I'd leave it right where it is.

[getz76 @ Nov 20th 2007 2:56PM]

Come and get my gun. Better bring your own, though.

[Khris @ Nov 20th 2007 3:00PM]

Hillbilly humour just isn't funny to the rest of us.

[Blah @ Nov 20th 2007 3:09PM]

Why do I get the impression that, given any political power, you would craft the most controlling nanny state ever devised?

[getz76 @ Nov 20th 2007 3:09PM]

Khris,

What humor?

Actually, the elitist remarks are the ones that do not do so well. Fascist.

[CraigJ @ Nov 20th 2007 3:11PM]

Lasers don't kill people, people kill people.

[Urza9814 @ Nov 20th 2007 3:17PM]

So basically, Flashpoint, you're in favor of abolishing the Bill of Rights? I mean, I see freedom of speech and right to bear arms rather clearly on that list of yours.

Seriously though, you saying people shouldn't be allowed to hunt? I mean, I'm not a hunter myself, but it's a hell of a lot better than the mass produced factor meat most of us eat.

[Khris @ Nov 20th 2007 3:26PM]

@ getz76

Isn't the point of the comment section for the elitists to gather and exchange witty banter with one another?

Sorry you don't fit in. Better luck next time.

[Chad @ Nov 20th 2007 3:33PM]

I bet that Flashpoint is super fun at parties.

[getz76 @ Nov 20th 2007 3:39PM]

@ChrisJ,
"Lasers don't kill people, people kill people"

Shh... Chuck Norris might hear you.

@Khris,

Who said I wanted to fit in? I wouldn't need a gun, then. I was just getting on you for perpetuating the stereotype that all gun owners are "nuts" AND "rednecks". I am not a redneck.

Also, my NRA membership gets me better discounts than any other membership around, including my internet minister ordination. Only the greyhairs using their AARP memberships get better discounts.

Nice comment below regarding "Scenario #3", though. :)

[starkruzr @ Nov 20th 2007 3:44PM]

There are actions that citizens *should not be allowed to take*. Blinding someone with one of these is a good example.

I can think of plenty of legit uses I'd have for a device like this:

1) Defrosting car locks
2) Cutting just about anything
3) Lighting fires (campfires, fireplaces, etc.)
4) Self-defense? Sure, why the hell not?
5) Fun with optics (experimentation)

That's just the beginning, I'm sure there's more. The point is, you don't outlaw baseball bats because they happen to be such terrific melee weapons.

[Zeus the God @ Nov 20th 2007 5:26PM]

Wow. This gets me pretty angry. So, Flashpoint, what you're saying is guns should be banned?

I have the RIGHT to own firearms, and I have been practicing that right since my childhood. I own many firearms, and am completely and totally educated about each one and understand AND practice complete and total safety with them.

The only people that should NOT be allowed to own firearms are criminals and those who are not responsibly fit to do so.

[Wwhat @ Nov 20th 2007 9:17PM]

What's that BS about defrosting carlocks with a laser? you can just insert one of those heated little rods on batteries and defrost them, or spray some WD40 in in advance so you don't have to defrost them in the first place, or move to a warmer place even.

I agree that 400mw is much too much to be put in the hand of your random dork on the street, and that has nothing to do with a 'nanny state'.

[Super S @ Nov 20th 2007 9:41PM]

@Flashpoint

I agree with you. It just doesn't seem like a necessity to have one of these.

WOW!! I can point a laser 10miles away, and blind 100 people in the process, what's the point? You can't see the dot ten miles away.

@starkruzr

Those seem like pretty silly uses for a handheld laser. Why not get the proper tools to such tasks?

@Wwhat

While reading through these comments, I was waiting for someone to say what your said.


@ Those who were talk about having guns

Why need a gun? Unless you are a hunter, what is the purpose? So that way someone in the future can find it and shoot themselves/you with it? Unless you're living in some area of town where the only way to walk safely across the street is to point a gun at everyone, then I really don't see the point. (And if that were the case, you need to move)

I do know there are people out there who take care and are properly responsible with the weaponry, and I commend you for it.

[CraigJ @ Nov 20th 2007 10:32PM]

@SuperS. The same reason you have a smoke alarm, health insurance, etc. The unfortunate truth is that criminals have guns and other weapons, even though in most cases they are not legally supposed to have them, hence the term criminal. My community of 24,000 hasn't had a murder (there might have been one this past summer, but that was with a car) in the past year, or in the last 5 years as far as I can tell, and guess what? Over 50% of the residences here contain at least one gun. There have been no accidental shootings either. It is common knowledge that this is the case and that is a significant deterrent. People just don't screw around here, because there is a real possibility that the person you are trying to rob/carjack/rape is going to pull out a 9mm and shoot you. And I like it that way.

[Scott @ Nov 21st 2007 11:58AM]

Aren't you the same guy that just said he works for Lockheed Martin? Oh man, the irony!