Entertainment
Suicide Pod User Found With Disturbing Marks, Company Boss In Custody
By Brian Myers
| Published
Dr. Florian Willet, who heads a right-to-die organization named “The Last Resort,” has been in the custody of Swiss authorities since the death of an unnamed woman who opted to end her life in the company’s care in September. The self-activated euthanasia took place inside a Sarco suicide pod, meant to give the user a quick, painless, and dignified death. It’s been revealed that the user bore strangulation marks on her neck, however, prompting some to call foul play.
Death With Dignity
The Sarco suicide pod is the brainchild of Dr. Philip Nitschke, who founded a “death with dignity” organization named Exit International. His aim was to craft a “painless and autonomous” method for a terminally ill person to peacefully end their life. His invention was put to use for the first time last month when “The Last Resort” used a 3D printer to create the pod and allow the now-deceased person to end their life in it.
The autopsy is said to include information regarding “strangulation marks on the woman’s neck,” which is why Swiss prosecuting attorney Peter Sticher decided to “extend the scope of the investigation to include murder.” But while the prosecutor has so far refused to publicly confirm any of the reports, a source close to “The Last Resort” has offered plausible explanations for the marks that do not include murder.
The unnamed source stated that the strangulation marks may be from the patient suffering from skull base osteomyelitis. This rare infection can be fatal if not treated.
Strange Marks Found On The Body
“The Last Resort” has not officially given a statement about the alleged strangulation marks other than to state that “without the full autopsy report, (we) cannot comment on the ‘suspicion’ of ‘injuries’ on the neck of the first Sarco user.” The autopsy was performed on September 23, and the organization maintains that it has been hidden from the company and its lawyers. But “The Last Resort” maintains that the suicide pod was used in accordance with Swiss laws.
Not much public information about the suicide pod’s last user has been released. It’s been confirmed that the unnamed deceased person was a 64-year-old woman from the United States who had two adult children, both of whom supported their mother’s right to end her life in this manner. It’s also been released that the woman suffered from a rare auto-immune condition that was not treatable.
A Controversial Device
The Sarco suicide pod can be created using a 3D printer. This million-dollar development has the user enter the pod and, when they are ready, press a button that releases a nitrogen capsule. Once the capsule has burst, the oxygen in the pod is quickly reduced to a fraction, while the CO2 levels are maintained at a very low amount.
The user undergoes a process called hypoxia inside the suicide pod, making them quickly lose consciousness. Their brain is thus deprived of oxygen while they are out, and death quickly and painlessly takes the user. While this was the first known time that the Sarco suicide pod was used on a person, it’s been reported that every eight days, a British citizen travels to Switzerland to undergo some form of assisted suicide.
Sources: Leading Britain’s Conversation
Entertainment
LA public schools pass screen time limits for students in a first
Los Angeles public school students may be returning to the age of college-ruled notebooks and Scantrons, following a Tuesday school board vote that will limit the use of computers, laptops, and tablets in classrooms.
Titled “Using Technology with Intention,” the new resolution mandates the creation of grade-level and subject-specific screen time limits across Los Angeles Unified School District (LAUSD) schools, including a complete ban on device usage for kindergarten and first grade. The use of one-to-one devices, like individual Chromebooks, will be discouraged for second through fifth grades, as well.
Revised guidelines will also address video-aided lesson plans, access to video streaming platforms like YouTube, and expanded restrictions on gaming and social media platforms.
District staff must present the revised tech use policy by June, which will go into effect for all LAUSD students beginning with the 2026-2027 school year. Guidelines will be reevaluated every year, and schools are tasked with tracking and sharing student screen time numbers with parents.
Mashable Light Speed
The resolution cites increasing concern about the effect of screen time on young minds and alleged screen addiction, including recent Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) studies that show a correlation between high screen time and adverse health effects. The board was unanimously in favor of the tech restrictions, with one recusal.
“We know that tech is not going away and can be a powerful tool in the classroom. This is not about going backwards. This is about rethinking school time and screen time in schools to ensure we are doing what actually helps students learn best,” board member Nick Melvoin said during Tuesday’s meeting.
“This is not about going backwards. This is about rethinking school time…”
Advocates, parents, and even students have spent the last year lobbying for greater tech restrictions following the passing of a 2025 bell-to-bell cellphone ban restricting the use of personal devices during school hours. Schools Beyond Screens, a national classroom tech safety coalition founded by LAUSD parents and teachers, helped craft the resolution in collaboration with board members and co-sponsors Melvoin, Karla Griego, Tanya Ortiz Franklin, Jerry Yang, Kelly Gonez, and Rocío Rivas.
“Now is the time for a safe and science-backed approach to classroom technology, one that is not guided by Big Tech talking points like screen value over screen time,” the organization wrote in a press release following the decision.
“There is much work to be done, and this is only the beginning, but today, we are proud, grateful, and – for the first time in a long time – hopeful. Our kids may yet have the kind of public education that they deserve — one that is proven effective and free of undue digital distraction, harmful content, and corporate exploitation.”
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Social Good
Family & Parenting
Entertainment
The Bang & Olufsen Beosound Explore Bluetooth speaker is at the lowest price weve seen all year
SAVE $75: The Bang & Olufsen Beosound Explore Bluetooth speaker is on sale for $224 at Amazon, down from the standard price of $299. That’s a 25% discount.
$224
at Amazon
$299
Save $75
Packing up for an adventure means figuring out how to bring along a soundtrack. A trip to the cabin or a lakeside campground all deserve to be experienced with a great playlist. If you could use an upgrade before summer to get a waterproof Bluetooth speaker, check out this deal at Amazon.
As of April 22, the Bang & Olufsen Beosound Explore Bluetooth speaker is on sale for $224 at Amazon, marked down from the normal price of $299. That’s a 25% discount that takes $75 off the price. It’s also the lowest price we’ve seen at Amazon so far this year.
A compact speaker with a scratch-resistant aluminum shell is exactly what we should be packing on adventures. With an attached carabiner, the B&O Explore speaker is designed to clip onto your backpack when you hit the trail. Or you can utilize the rubber base to set it on a rock or even in the sand. It’s both waterproof and dustproof, adding to the durability.
Bang & Olufsen notes this model gets up to 27 hours of playtime before it needs to recharge. It weighs under 1.5 pounds, so it won’t add much bulk to your gear. It takes about two hours to recharge the Beosound Explore.
Mashable Deals
Before summer kicks into high gear, add the Bang & Olufsen Beosound Explore speaker to your pack. It’s ready for any adventure you have planned.
Entertainment
Get some new wrist candy with the CMF Watch Pro 2 at its lowest price ever
SAVE $39.01: As of April 22, get the CMF By Nothing Watch 2 Pro for $39.99 at Amazon, down from its usual price of $79. That’s a discount of 49% and the lowest price we’ve seen.
$39.99
at Amazon
$79
Save $39.01
There are tons of smartwatches on the market if you’re in need of one. But if you’re willing to look beyond the Apple Watches or Samsung devices out there, you’ll find an awesome alternative from the Nothing brand that’ll save you some serious cash. Not only is it more affordable than the competition, but it’s got everything you could want and then some. In fact, one of the models is on sale right now.
As of April 22, get the CMF By Nothing Watch 2 Pro for $39.99 at Amazon, down from its usual price of $79. That’s $39.01 off and a discount of 49%. It’s also the lowest price we’ve seen.
This affordable smartwatch not only comes in an attractive form factor, but it has just about everything you could ask for. It has your average comms tools like Bluetooth calling and gesture control, a built-in mic and speaker, contacts, message reminders, and music control. But from there, it offers a wide range of sensors and data to help you take control of your health.
It offers a portable blood oxygen saturation monitor, a heart rate monitor, sleep tracking, and so much more. All of this data, including workout information, steps, and much more, can be synced across all your favorite fitness apps, including Apple Health and Google Health Connect. There are 120 sports modes to choose from, GPS positioning, and even a 3D warm-up exercise guide to help get you on your feet each day.
Mashable Deals
With interchangeable watch straps and an attractive face, this extremely reasonable smartwatch is definitely one to rival Apple and Samsung. You’ll want to grab yours while it’s still down to the lowest price we’ve seen.
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