how do you guys feel about this?

[KTP]

It has been out for a few months but I just found out about the Casio DLP projector that uses 24 1 watt 445nm blue laser diodes.  It seems the enterprising (but maybe irresponsible) folks at wickedlasers have ripped apart the projector and installed these into a flashlight size pointer they are touted as a light saber and selling for about what a 15 year old can earn in a few weeks mowing grass ($200).  I know green lasers have been around for awhile, and people have been making relatively high power pointers out of them, but when you start to get into the class IV 1 watt territory with a dangerous wavelength like 445nm in a device that is obviously meant to be extremely portable, I start to get concerned.  At 1 watt you can barely blink fast enough to prevent damage if someone playing around with one of these shines it in your face.  In the youtube videos I found online they are flashing them at cars and generally jackassing around with them.

Maybe not worthy of a drive time rant but do you guys think this will become a big concern in the near future?  I know enough about lasers that if I ever saw a blue dot from one of these on me I would consider it assault and act accordingly.

[Zero999]

Dangerous lasers can also be found inside DVD burners which can be cheaply bought off ebay.

Such a laser pen would probably be treated as an offensive weapon in the UK which is illegal to carry around with you, unless you can prove there's a valid reason to be carrying it.

[KTP]

The dvd player diodes max out at around 200 to 300mW (maybe some up to 500mW if overdriven) and the 660nm wavelength, while still extremely damaging to the retina is not as bad as 445nm.

Here in the USA we have very few regulations on laser pointers.  I am not even sure if a person could be arrested if they were shining them around in public, much less arrested for just carrying one.  Everyone over here is so concerned about someone shining them at planes when it is much more likely the first people to get injured by these things will be some Joe in a movie theater who turns around to look at a kid putting a dot on the back of his head.

[Zero999]

I thought they were more dangerous because the light emitted by them is invisible so one doesn't know they're getting burned but if you're right, I'm wrong - 660nm is a visible wavelength.

[mikeselectricstuff]

Cheap high-power diodes - cool!
Idiots packaging them so any dickhead can cause injury/damage - totally dumb.
It only takes one moron to do something stupid with one, resulting in public outcry, sensational press stories, incompetently drafted knee-jerk legislation causing problems for legitimate users and responsible  hackers.

[EEVblog]

In Australia we have had idiots shining them into the cockpit of planes (commercial airliners) and helicopters.
As such a I believe there are now big harsh penalties against such gross foolishness.

Dave.

[ThunderSqueak]

I saw that 1w laser a few weeks ago, and agree... I don't like that any kid these days can purchase them.  We have had kids shining lasers into cars as they pass by.  There are no penalties here for owning or concealing a weapon (do not even need a permit to conceal a handgun).   I wonder how the courts would look on assault with one of these.  The thought of a kid getting one and being stupid scares me.