Friday 10 June 2011

Would You Sell a Kidney for an iPad 2?

Kidneys: You have two of them, so why not sell one for an iPad 2? A Chinese student reportedly did just that, but is regretting the decision now that his health is worsening.
The 17-year-old boy was contacted over the Internet by a broker who told him he could peddle a kidney for 22,000 Yuan (about $3,393).
"I wanted to buy an iPad 2 but could not afford it," the boy told the Shanghai Daily newspaper.

The broker arranged the surgery and the boy's right kidney was removed on April 28 in Hunan Province, China. His parents had no knowledge of the procedure. When he returned to his home in neighboring Anhui Province, his mother contacted the authorities immediately. Police called the broker, but predictably, his phone had been turned off.

The surgery was performed at Chenzhou No. 198 Hospital, which Shanghai Daily said is "not qualified to perform organ transplant." The hospital also claimed it was unaware of the procedure because it had been outsourced to a private businessman.

Apple products have caused a feeding frenzy in China. The launch of the white iPhone at Beijing's flagship store even turned violent last month when an alleged scalper tried to jump the line. Since the first Apple Store opened in China about three years ago, demand for Apple products has grown exponentially in the country. In fact, out of all of Apple's retail locations, Chinese Apple Stores average both the highest traffic and the highest revenue.

When Apple reported its Q1 earnings last month, it said that quarterly revenue from China quadrupled, soaring to $2.6 billion, or about 10 percent of the company's total revenue.

The iPad 2 has been wildly popular around the world and Apple has struggled to keep up with demand. Chinese scalpers are reportedly making about $400 a day buying the device in the U.S. and sending it back to China for resale.

The kidney case is currently under investigation; there's no word as to whether the boy got his iPad.

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About Shubham..

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Jamshedpur, Jharkhand, India
A cant-live-without-technology type of teen...Blogger by hobby...