On Inclusion of Magnets
The iPad 2 and newer models contain 30 magnets used to affix the Smart Cover to the iPad. This allows you to attach your Smart Cover, or other aftermarket covers, in a variety of positions. Apple has recently been incorporating magnets in a number of their products including the MagSafe adapters and sleep switches in their portables. The glass of some of the newer, but not newest, iMacs is also held on with magnets.
Recently, a 14 year old girl from Stockton, California named Gianna Chien completed a school science fair project with help from her father (her father is a Cardiac Electrophysiologist and was able to arrange some patient testing for this project). In her presentation, she showed how the magnets in the iPad 2 can inadvertently turn off implanted defibrillators for about 1/3 of patients as these devices are designed to be turned on and off via magnets.
Normally this wouldn’t be making the rounds as “big news” in the Mac community, as heart patients who have these devices implanted are warned about magnets when these are installed. Apple’s documentation also warns of the risks associated with these devices (they recommend keeping it at least 6 inches from your chest). The reason this story has become so popular, though, is that despite the warnings provided, many iPad users do not know their device contains 30 individual magnets with no purpose but to attach a cover.
As more of these “intimate” gadgets find their way into consistent daily use, we need to ensure that we are conscious of how they interact with our surrounding environment and bodies, and the risks/benefits of these effects. I’m not saying we need to wear tinfoil hats and keep cell phones on the opposite side of the house, but merely to remain aware of small and proven issues, such as the one Gianna Chien brought to light at her science fair.
