Talk About Your Hot Phone Calls!

[Brad Adrian]

<div class='os_post_top_link'><a href='http://story.news.yahoo.com/news?tmpl=story&u=/nm/20030821/od_nm/odd_dutch_handset_dc_1' target='_blank'>http://story.news.yahoo.com/news?tm...ch_handset_dc_1</a><br /><br /></div>Complain all you want about your mobile phone and it's unwieldy form factor, short battery life and dropped connections. At least you've probably never experienced what happened to this poor lady in Amsterdam: her mobile phone burst into flames!<br /><br /><img src="http://www.pocketpcthoughts.com/images/adrian/flamephone.jpg" /><br /><br />"A 33-year-old Dutch woman sustained slight face and neck burns after her mobile phone burst into flames, the Amsterdam police said Thursday. The incident, which occurred Tuesday, happened after the woman dropped her phone in a music store in central Amsterdam. It caught fire when she picked it up and switched it back on, a police spokesman said. She was treated for superficial burns by an ambulance team that rushed to the scene."<br /><br />The news report goes on to say that the woman had been using an aftermarket replacement battery in the phone and that a Nokia spokesperson claims that this is more common than you'd expect.<br /><br />I guess I'd expect Nokia to say that aftermarket batteries are "bad," but sometimes we're not left with much of a choice, are we? For example, my Motorola phone is about a year old, and already the battery is shot; however, neither Motorola nor Verizon still even sell a replacement battery for it.<br /><br />So, I guess this story has taught me several lessons:<br /><br />• ALWAYS have your phone checked after it gets banged around or dropped.<br />• Don't assume aftermarket batteries are safe.<br />• Here's another way that hands-free sets make phones safer.<br />• Always carry your medical insurance card when visiting music stores in Amsterdam.

[wizardmaster2k]

nice to hear about combustable phones.

[Certified Optimist]

• Here's another way that hands-free sets make phones safer.

...and if you're using a hands-free set, don't keep it in your pocket but in a fire resistant hip-pouch...

Otherwise you'll may encounter an alternative nasty surprise...

[PlayAgain?]

Fair dinkum to Nokia, they warned us about this last year before there was any incident.

[Ekkie Tepsupornchai]

• Always carry your medical insurance card when visiting music stores in Amsterdam.
...or perhaps leave the cellphone at home or at the hotel when considering visiting a music store in Amsterdam! :wink:

[aroma]

AHA! I knew it! Nokia is manufacturing their phones from the recycled rear bumpers of old Ford Pintos! :lol:


(I sure hope someone out there gets this joke!)

- Aaron

[lapchinj]

(I sure hope someone out there gets this joke!) - Aaron

Not a joke! It seems that the aftermarket manufacturers are using recycled Pinto bumpers. The phone manufacturers are partially responsible since they don't sell replacement batteries in order to sell more phones!! :twisted:


Jeff-

[GoldKey]

Talk about burning up the minutes on your plan! :rotfl:

[Jeff Rutledge]

Talk about burning up the minutes on your plan! :rotfl:

You beat me to it! I wanted to be the first with the smart-a$$ comment. I was going for something more along the lines of "Perhaps she was in a heated debate." :silly:

[SandersP]

So it's the lithium-ion battery casing got cracked and air leak into the lithium component. Instant combustion.

I hope they will do a better job with future fuel cell. Pressurized combastible material anybody? Imagine a future device with lithium ion and fuel cell built into unit. Boy It's a natural handheld explosive device.

[ECOslin]

• Always carry your medical insurance card when visiting music stores in Amsterdam
But in a different pocket.

Edward

[Twain]

Realistically, the best option is to do what I do... Always buy all of the accessory gadgets (including batteries) from the device manufacturer when you buy the device. If you wait until much later, there is a good chance, particularly with cell phones, that the "approved" accessories made by the device manufacturer will no longer be available.

[Pony99CA]

Complain all you want about your mobile phone and it's unwieldy form factor, short battery life and dropped connections. At least you've probably never experienced what happened to this poor lady in Amsterdam: her mobile phone burst into flames!\
Shouldn't this have been posted at Stupidphone Thuoghts? :lol:

Steve

[Pony99CA]

I hope they will do a better job with future fuel cell. Pressurized combastible material anybody? Imagine a future device with lithium ion and fuel cell built into unit. Boy It's a natural handheld explosive device.
I wonder if fuel cell devices will be allowed on airplanes. Imagine being told you can't take your Pocket PC on the plane because it's considered an explosive.

Steve

[maximus]

I hope they will do a better job with future fuel cell. Pressurized combastible material anybody? Imagine a future device with lithium ion and fuel cell built into unit. Boy It's a natural handheld explosive device.

I am not going to put a bag of hydrogen so close to my face. Not in this life, mate :|