Maybe you've got a nice new ultra-zoom camera and you're just dying to try it out. Maybe you're an aspiring (or actual) celebrity photographer aiming to turn a few bucks by exploiting people's privacy. Well,
don't mess with Roman Abramovich:
Russian billionaire Roman Abramovich has a rather curious new addition built in to his latest oversized yacht. The 557-foot boat Eclipse, the price tag of which has almost doubled since original plans were drawn to almost $1.2 billion, set sail this week with a slew of show-off features, from two helipads, two swimming pools and six-foot movie screens in all guest cabins, to a mini-submarine and missile-proof windows to combat piracy.
It might not seem like somebody with such ostentatious tastes would crave privacy, but along with these expensive toys, Ambramovich has installed an anti-paparazzi “shield”. Lasers sweep the surroundings and when they detect a CCD, they fire a bolt of light right at the camera to obliterate any photograph. According to the Times, these don’t run all the time, so friends and guests should still be able to grab snaps. Instead, they will be activated when guards spot the scourge of professional photography, paparazzi, loitering nearby.
Now, according to Wired, if he does zap your CCD he's violating the law (at least British law). But it's not to hard to imagine some inventive company making a CCD-zapper that celebrities can carry around them as they carry on.
Print | posted @ Friday, September 25, 2009 3:29 AM