Israeli Security Opens Fire on a MacBook. Thrice.

[Darth Sushi]

Israeli Security Opens Fire on a MacBook. Thrice.
December 15, 2009 by Marcus Yam

" The Israeli border security didn't take too kindly to Apple's latest notebook, firing three rounds into the unibody MacBook.

Most of us here love our computers and also love to blow things up. Just ask Chris Angelini with his exploits around CPUs and firearms. Things, however, weren't so funny for Lily Sussman, who blogged on her Wordpress account about a run in she had on her way through the Israeli border.

While it's standard practice these days for border patrol to scan through a traveler's luggage, discharging a firearm three times into a bag containing a laptop isn't an action that seems good for security control.

An announcement played over the sound system, interrupting my break in the sunshine. First in Hebrew, then Arabic, then in English. It was something along the lines of, ” do not to be alarmed by gunshots because the Israeli security needs to blow up suspicious passanger luggage.”

I went inside to check on my bag. I had left it unattended, where they instructed. It was still there so I went back outside.

Moments later a man came outside and introduced himself as the manager on duty. And then, “I’m sorry but we had to blow up your laptop. “

What….all my client case notes and testimony, writing, pictures, music and applications. Years of work. NO!!!! What?? Are you insane?? What were you thinking? THAT’S ALL MY WORK!?

After much yelling, crying and frantic phone dialing (don’t be alarmed if I called you repeatedly this morning), he took me outside to see the wreckage. It turned out it hadn’t been quite blown up, but rather shot through with three bullets. We were able to extract the hard drive, seemingly unscaved. Thank goodness…

Here are some other pictures of the damage to the Unibody MacBook.

"

Source: http://www.tomshardware.com/news/mac...rity,9269.html

[Totti]

That's why you never leave your bag unattained in Israel.....

[NA_Magus]

Wow what were the chances of not putting a bullet through the harddrive?
(3 bullets... of x circumference.... mac surface area...)

[bobbintb]

Wow what were the chances of not putting a bullet through the harddrive?
(3 bullets... of x circumference.... mac surface area...)

lol. seriously.

[hyperp4]

Whoa! Those are some perforations. I am going to take my .45 and an old P2 laptop to the hunting camp next month and try this for myself.
Powered Up Laptop vs. Cold Fast Lead (copper).

[mcbogster]

hope hes got apple care !!!!!

[zoe68]

send it back to apple, ask if it could be repaired under warranty, as there seems to of been an internal fault on this model leading to a few interanl explosions....(overheating issues by the looks of it....pmsl)

[xuxoxux]

I knew Israel had internet issues, but damn.
How the fuck do they claim the ability to destroy people's stuff without any real cause?

[Skiz]

"News"?

[JGB]

That's why you never leave your bag unattained in Israel.....

Even when they've directly told you to do so?

If I was directed to leave my bag unattended in a signed area for that purpose by those border guards, somehow I don't think I'd ignore them for long.


EDIT: Also, shooting it is just strange anyways. If it was explosives, nothing good will come of shooting that.

If it was some sort of other nasty material, I can't imagine the containment of it would have been much improved by adding bullet holes. And lastly, if it was none of the above, why shoot it at all, other then as a reminder not to leave things around I suppose. They didn't even wipe the data.

The other lesson to take from this is FFS if you are travelling cross borders, leave a damn backup at home.