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Sat, Nov 21, 2009 - 05:17 PM EST  —  AAPL: 199.92 (-0.59, -0.29%)  |  NASDAQ: 2146.04 (-10.78, -0.5%)

Man surgically alters thumbs to better use Apple iPhone
Friday, August 10, 2007 - 09:18 AM EST

"Thomas Martel, 28, of Bonnie Brae is a big guy. So he has a hard time using the features on ever-shrinking user interfaces on devices like his new iPhone. At least, he did, until he had his thumbs surgically altered in a revolutionary new surgical technique known as 'whittling,'" James Benfly reports for The North Denver News.

"'This is really, on the edge sort of stuff,' explains Dr. Robert Fox Spars, who worked on developing the procedure. 'We're turning plastic surgery from something that people use in service of vanity, to a real tool for improving workplace efficiency,'" Benfly reports.

"The procedure involved making a small incision into both thumbs and shaving down the bones, followed by careful muscular alteration and modification of the fingernails. While Martel's new thumbs now appear small and effeminate in comparison to his otherwise very large hands, he says he can still lift 'pretty much anything I could lift before the surgery - though opening spaghetti sauce jars has been a problem. That was a big surprise,'" Benfly reports.

Full article here.

[Thanks to MacDailyNews Reader "MT" for the heads up.]

MacDailyNews Take: They should've altered Martel's and Dr. Franken... er, Spars' brains before they started "whittling."

(The article is dated August 8th, not April 1st - that was the first thing we checked.)

[UPDATE: 8/14/07, 10:59am EDT: The publication has now admitted that the article is meant to be a joke.]

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Aug 10, 07 - 08:22 am Comment from: nukeman

what when will the iPhone implants become available? grin

Aug 10, 07 - 08:22 am Comment from: MikeR

Dumb & dumbest!

Aug 10, 07 - 08:23 am Comment from: M.X.N.T.4.1

What a prat.

Aug 10, 07 - 08:24 am Comment from: Ralph

Geeze he couldn't wait for future improvements from Apple. Maybe if I whittle my hands my cock will fee bigger.

Aug 10, 07 - 08:24 am Comment from: Twisted Mac Freak

This isn't so strange. After he breast feeds his talking monkeys, Thomas bounces on his spring-loaded knees over to the tentacle farm where he keeps his giant eye on thousands of egg experiments. SSDD.

Aug 10, 07 - 08:26 am Comment from: shen

got the link wrong, should point to "the onion"

Aug 10, 07 - 08:26 am Comment from: Emil

I actually thought it was typical Microsoft to require their users to upgrade their hardware in order to use a new product smile

Aug 10, 07 - 08:31 am Comment from: TapRight iPhone Stylus

He could use the TapRight Stylus from http://tapright.igiki.com

Aug 10, 07 - 08:35 am Comment from: George W Bullshit

two average americans supporting the president.

Aug 10, 07 - 08:37 am Comment from: Bartsimpsonhead

He also drops from 1st place to last in the Thumb Wresting league...

Aug 10, 07 - 08:38 am Comment from: marko

I actually had my pinky removed and have been using it as a stylus since June 29th. no regrets works great. Although it did start to stink for a while I'm past that now. Now it just looks like beef jerky.

Aug 10, 07 - 08:39 am Comment from: allgood2

what? No picture? What kind of reporting is that? I want to see his slightly effeminate thumbs.

Aug 10, 07 - 08:45 am Comment from: ron

And it's not even April 1st.

Aug 10, 07 - 08:46 am Comment from: Twisted Mac Freak

It would have been less painful to just add static charged nipple extenders. And a better conversation starter as well.

Aug 10, 07 - 08:49 am Comment from: drbyers

this guy gets two thumbs down!

Aug 10, 07 - 08:51 am Comment from: hotinplaya

IN RELATED NEWS, "Dr. Robert Fox Spars"
has applied for

"Works with iPhone" certification for his procedure.

Look for the “Works with iPhone” logo to find accessories designed to connect specifically to iPhone and certified by the developer to meet Apple performance standards.

Aug 10, 07 - 09:02 am Comment from: Johnny Yardrocks

Ralph... I just spit out my coffee when I read your post.

Aug 10, 07 - 09:06 am Comment from: Andy C.

@marko
lol, thanks for the laugh!

Aug 10, 07 - 09:12 am Comment from: Jerome

Idiot. Complete and utter idiot.
Technology is supposed to adapt to us, not the other way around.
And such a permanent mistake.

Aug 10, 07 - 09:16 am Comment from: MacRaven

The has been getting stranger every day. Today was no exception.

Aug 10, 07 - 09:19 am Comment from: Buster

This should be required reading for all Proctologists.

Aug 10, 07 - 09:25 am Comment from: justified

@MacRaven,

Yeah. I've been wondering what's up with The myself. A and And have been acting a bit suspicious, too.

Aug 10, 07 - 09:34 am Comment from: macaholic

@ralph.
Maybe i will get my cock whittled down, so the ladies will stop grimacing in pain.

Aug 10, 07 - 09:51 am Comment from: What an Idiot, and I'm not talking about the guy w

@GeorgeW... only a real twit would take a hilarious story and try and politize it. Give it a rest butthead.

on topic - the real question is, what handle won't be typing on MDN for the next couple of weeks because of "personal difficulties!"

Aug 10, 07 - 09:56 am Comment from: @ macaholic

You want to check exactly where you're putting that thing.

Aug 10, 07 - 10:14 am Comment from: No Squirtize For You

"politize"

Is that like
Martinizing ?

Aug 10, 07 - 10:21 am Comment from: Whammo

This is the trend at Apple lately, making devices that are not human body friendly

Case's in point:

1: The small keyboard of the iPhone, Solution? Allow rotation of the keyboard.

2: Glossy screens on computers causing eyestrain and headaches. Solution? Provide Matte option on computer screens.

3: Mighty Mouse is not ergo friendly, hurts the hand to use and mouse ball gets stuck. Solution? Rethink the Mighty Mouse.

Aug 10, 07 - 10:51 am Comment from: Shiva

Did the idiot doctor tell him he couldn't 'unwhittle' his thumbs?

The does get stranger and stranger.

Aug 10, 07 - 11:01 am Comment from: Unfettered

My wife and I have been pinching clothespins which I modified by whittling on our infants index fingers with the intent to cause her to grow nice pointy tips for touchscreen navigation.

She cries a lot anyway, and we're sure she'll thank us when she's old enough to appreciate it.

Aug 10, 07 - 11:13 am Comment from: Global Activiation

Future MDN column: Spaghetti Jar dysfunction, now known as Steve Jobs Syndrome (SJS) forces thumbless masses to new Zunephone.

Aug 10, 07 - 11:18 am Comment from: Jonathan Ive Done It Now

Well... dang, I guess maybe I *did* lay that keyboard out a little close... Guess there'll be no Queen's award for me this year... OTOH, maybe I should start looking for plastic surgery IPOs...

Aug 10, 07 - 11:22 am Comment from: Grifterus

I see a class-action suit from the "big people" (when are they call themself for what they are: OBESE) to Apple for discriminating them because of the little size of the touch screen in the future

Sir, if your thumb is of the size of the screen itself, face it: YOU HAVE A PROBLEM! And appreciate the fact that is a medical condition, but it's still a problem.

And I'm no skinny guy, but man, there are limits.....

Aug 10, 07 - 11:27 am Comment from: B-Sabre

I have to say I am somewhat skeptical of the article about whittling. I mean, the iPhone has only been out a month or so. In that time, this guy has 1) bought an iPhone, 2) used it enough to decided his meathooks are too big, 3) found a surgeon to do this technique, 4) had the surgery, and 5) recovered enough from it to comment on its effectiveness.

All that in 30 days? I don't think so....

Aug 10, 07 - 11:30 am Comment from: mr angry

Isn't a good thing he can't open Spaghetti jar now he might lost weight to even up his hands.

Aug 10, 07 - 11:32 am Comment from: marcos

I suppose he had to take them out of his ass first.

Aug 10, 07 - 11:47 am Comment from: No Squirt For You

"I suppose he had to take them out of his ass first."

Not necessarily.

Aug 10, 07 - 03:49 pm Comment from: Greg L

I'm not so convinced that's a real story.

Aug 11, 07 - 02:52 am Comment from: Richard

This is big hoax. Please check your sources before you publish this sort of stuff. http://blogs.business2.com/apple/2007/08/hoax-alert-ipho.html

Aug 11, 07 - 12:26 pm Comment from: WhittledDown

But there was the true story of a Windows user who had to have his dick shortened to 3 inches when he started using Macs so that he wouldn't feel out of place in the shower at Apple events.

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