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Nokia Investigating Reported Cell Phone Explosions

Iphtashu Fitz writes "C|Net's news.com is reporting that a man in the Netherlands suffered burns to his leg when the Nokia phone in his pants pocket exploded. This is the second reported incident of Nokia phones exploding, the first one being back in August when a Dutch woman's phone exploded in her hand. Nokia blamed the first incident on a third party battery that the woman was using and warned customers to only use Nokia parts and accessories with their phones. However this most recent explosion involved a new Nokia phone with a Nokia battery installed."

264 of 379 comments (clear)

  1. This is scary by l810c · · Score: 5, Interesting
    I've had my most recent Nokia for 2 years. It can get Really Hot when I talk for a long time(>20 minutes). It actually gets uncomfortable to hold to my ear.

    Is it about to explode? Any links on what signs to look for before your cell phone battery explodes? A search for 'exploding battery' on Nokia.com didn't return any results. Seems like they should take a more proactive approach and at least issue a warning. I couldn't find any.

    1. Re:This is scary by sirvulcan · · Score: 3, Informative

      my phillips xenium got quite hot after long calls.. none of my nokia's get hot on long calls (3310 && 8210). Although i think i might keep a closer eye on them now> An offical warning would be reasonable

    2. Re:This is scary by Richard_L_James · · Score: 5, Funny
      > It can get Really Hot when I talk for a long time(>20 minutes).

      Does this have anything to do with the type of calls you are making ??

    3. Re:This is scary by Lost+Penguin · · Score: 5, Funny

      "Any links on what signs to look for before your cell phone battery explodes?"

      If the caller ID says "Mossad", do not answer.

      --
      I am the unwilling control for my Origin.
    4. Re:This is scary by dattaway · · Score: 2, Informative

      What type of battery? Lithium batteries can be interesting if they are overcharged. Dendrites may form on the plates if they overcharge, leading to a possibility of a short circuit. Its been said that lithium batteries can store close to the energy density of gasoline. You know where this is going?

      All lithium laptop batteries I have seen have a little controller that meters the charge to prevent overcharging. They might skip this component for each battery cell in smaller batteries, such in cell phones due to economy (read: cheap.)

      NiMH batteries appear to have a different failure mode than lithium from overcharging. They just seem to degrade in performance.

      4 out of 5 terrorists prefer lithium batteries.

    5. Re:This is scary by a.koepke · · Score: 4, Insightful

      I used to work for Radioshack/Tandy Electronics and have good experience with batteries. All rechargeable (and normal Alkaline) batteries heat up when large amounts of power are drawn from them. When you are on a call the phone is using the most power.

      We has remote control cars that took 10 NiCad AA batteries and lasted about 20 minutes. When you took out the batteries they were really hot due to how quickly the power had been drawn out of them.

      It is quite normal for a battery to heat up when it is put under a high load or used for an extended period of time. When its both, as in >20 minute call, I can understand that it would heat up quite a bit.

      The thing about this incident that I find concerning is that this phone exploded in the guys pocket when battery consumption is at its lowest. The other case mentioned was while the person was on the phone and if there is a defect that is when it would be most likely to show due to it being when the battery is under the highest load.

      --


      (\(\
      (^.^)
      (")")
      *This is the cute bunny virus, please copy this into your sig so it can spread
    6. Re:This is scary by dougmc · · Score: 3, Interesting
      Its been said that lithium batteries can store close to the energy density of gasoline.
      Not quite. But it's getting up there ...
      NiMH batteries appear to have a different failure mode than lithium from overcharging. They just seem to degrade in performance.
      Actually, a NiMH or NiCd cell can also short itself out, especially if damaged in some way (like dropped.) This creates a `hot smoker' where the battery will get *very* hot (NiCds have lower internal resistances than NiMHs, so they get even hotter) and can even cause fires. But they don't usually explode ...
    7. Re:This is scary by cyril3 · · Score: 3, Insightful
      what signs to look for before your cell phone battery explodes

      Given that it has happened twice so far after they sold X million phones I'd worry more about lightning strikes if I was you.

    8. Re:This is scary by netsharc · · Score: 1

      No idea, but I think the way it works is, the network only sends the caller's number, and the phone does a comparison of the number with the ones it has stored in its address book, displaying the name in case of a match. I don't think the protocol even has support for looking up names from a database and sending them over the network, with a few thousand cells and calls a second it would be very resource intensive.

      --
      What time is it/will be over there? Check with my iPhone app!
    9. Re:This is scary by Barbarian · · Score: 1

      Well, it's not so resource intensive that the landline telephone company can't send the name and number (and date and time!) with each call to a landline phone.

    10. Re:This is scary by lgftsa · · Score: 5, Funny

      Yes, long distance calls use more power, as they have transmit the signal further.

      Talking loudly can mitigate this, as the AGC(automatic gain control) detects the higher volume, and so doesn't need to amplify the radio signal quite as much. Not a big saving, but every bit counts.

      You can also (if you have a phone with an external antenna) lean the tip of the antenna against a metal object(street sign, light post, scaffolding, etc) and the signal will be inducted into the object and act like a really big antenna. You can see this on those car antennas which are mounted on rear windows without drilling a hole - they use electromagnetic induction as well.

      Finally, if the signal is really boarderline, you can try changing the polarization of the signal from vertical to horizontal by holding the phone parallel to the ground. This is a trick used by people on the edge of TV coverage areas, and especially on campervans and RVs. Some antennas are even motorized so you don't have to get out and fool about with a spanner and the U-bolt.

      If nothing else works, try circular polarization. This is tricky, as you have to spin around with the phone's antenna as the center of rotation.

    11. Re:This is scary by ForestGrump · · Score: 1

      Typically, it happens when its those 1-900 numbers....

      --
      Is it true that more people vote for the winner of American Idol, than vote for the president? -Ali G.
    12. Re:This is scary by LinuxOnHal · · Score: 1

      Wow...some people get ALL the jokes

      --
      Trying is the First Step to Failing --Homer Simpson
    13. Re:This is scary by Bilestoad · · Score: 1

      If you can handle an exploding battery you might, just might, be EXTREME enough for N-GAGE!

      But sales so far suggest its an extremely select group :-)

    14. Re:This is scary by flab007 · · Score: 1

      True.. but then again: it happened twice *here* in The Netherlands! Given the odds and the amount of phones sold, what's the chance that these two cases happened on this little spot on the planet? Or is it because of how the Dutch use their phones? ;)

    15. Re:This is scary by lgftsa · · Score: 1

      sigh I really thought the circular polarization bit was enough of a giveaway, but obviously I was wrong.

      BTW, I have this bridge I inherited.....

    16. Re:This is scary by Moofie · · Score: 1

      I am so proud that I didn't recognize that as humor.

      Moving along.

      --
      Why yes, I AM a rocket scientist!
    17. Re:This is scary by antic · · Score: 1

      Well, I guess that we won't be permitted to have cell/mobile phones on flights any more...

      Just imagine:

      *takes phone up to stewardess*

      "Back off everyone, I've been on the phone for 19 minutes and the thing will blow at any second. Everyone get on the floor, and I want this plane flown to, err, hmm ... Sweden!"

      --
      'Thats they exact same thing a banana wrench monkey.'
    18. Re:This is scary by gmby · · Score: 1

      Gee: "It can get Really Hot...."

      Sounds like a good sign to me.

      --
      I don't want a pickle; I just want a Motor-Cycle! A four foot cop arrived with a five foot gun!
    19. Re:This is scary by bigsmelly · · Score: 1

      Every accidentally carried a battery in the same pocket as your keys... it gets bloody hot i can tell you! I've burnt myself that way.

      I'm wondering if the contacts on the phone used for charging may have been shorting against loose change or keys.

    20. Re:This is scary by Jellybob · · Score: 1
      Actually, a NiMH or NiCd cell can also short itself out, especially if damaged in some way (like dropped.) This creates a `hot smoker' where the battery will get *very* hot (NiCds have lower internal resistances than NiMHs, so they get even hotter) and can even cause fires. But they don't usually explode...

      I had that happen to me once carrying a couple in my pocket, they shorted with my keys, and the first I knew of it was when I realised my leg felt like it was burning. The things had got to being nearly too hot to take out of my pocket by that point.
    21. Re:This is scary by thempstead · · Score: 1
      ahhh ... so the annoying people on my train in the morning must be talking long distance then ...

      t

    22. Re:This is scary by sjames · · Score: 1

      Is it about to explode?

      Personally, I wouldn't want a battery to get that hot near my head. The hotter it gets, the more internal pressure builds up. If it gets too hot, the best scenerio is that the safety vent releases the pressure and the caustic contents of the battery (naturally, this is a one time event for the battery). The worst case is that the vent is improperly designed and the battery case bursts. How hot is too hot will vary by the battery design and quality control.

    23. Re:This is scary by bill_mcgonigle · · Score: 1

      Given the odds and the amount of phones sold, what's the chance that these two cases happened on this little spot on the planet?

      Maybe the higher atmospheric pressure below sea level has something to do with it? (and there's everything Americans know about The Netherlands. OK, there's also the bits about legal pot and prostitutes, bicycle theft, and no gun ownership.)

      --
      My God, it's Full of Source!
      OUTSIDE_IP=$(dig +short my.ip @outsideip.net)
    24. Re:This is scary by kabocox · · Score: 1

      Thanks for the info. I'll quote it as informative slashdot news that could save PHBs lives.

    25. Re:This is scary by glesga_kiss · · Score: 1

      Yup, that's how it works, it's down to the phone to find the name. Besides, a central database system wouldn't work because there would be quite a few "mom"'s in there!!

    26. Re:This is scary by glesga_kiss · · Score: 1
      The power in a NiCad battery is astounding compared to normal ones. I used to short AA NiCads all the time for kicks when I was younger. Would melt the wires and produce some strange smells, something an alkaline could never do. Afterwards, the batteries were literally too hot to touch. Once I had a NiCad short with something metalic in my pocket, and I actually got a small skin burn from it.

      I probably wouldn't have done it had I known that they could explode though!

    27. Re:This is scary by BostonPilot · · Score: 1

      I'm a pilot, and in the aircraft I fly with NiCd batteries, there are many warnings systems, etc., because the batteries can thermally run away. If you're lucky, the battery just melts through the aircraft and fall out the bottom. If you're unlucky, it explodes and takes the nose off the aircraft. Seriously.

    28. Re:This is scary by Jennifer+E.+Elaan · · Score: 1

      Interestingly, shorting NiCD's isn't especially harmful to the battery. Assuming you didn't melt the case, the batteries were almost certainly still good.

    29. Re:This is scary by Jennifer+E.+Elaan · · Score: 2, Informative
      Generally, unless you are overcharging it at a very high charge current, it is very difficult to make a NiCd explode. The things are very tough to that sort of abuse.

      The one you really don't want to mess with is Lithium Ion. The chemistry inside the battery is so volatile that even slight overcharging can lead to rapid disassembly.

    30. Re:This is scary by madcow_ucsb · · Score: 1

      Yeah, but my landline caller ID shows the name of the person/business calling just fine...no local database there, it just shows my mom's name rather than "mom".

    31. Re:This is scary by scotti · · Score: 1

      Perhapes the operator could interrupt the call with a message about "reaching minimum safe distance" from your phone.

    32. Re:This is scary by PiratePTG · · Score: 1
      >remote control cars that took 10 NiCad AA batteries

      If you look at the design of most radio contolled cars and planes, they have some sort of cooling for the batteries. Radio control planes usually have some sort of cowling that directs air over the DC motor and the battery pack. I've also seen radio controlled race boats that have small copper tubing as coils wrapped around motors and batteries, and have a water pickup that forces cool water into the cooling system to keep the batteries and motors from overheating...

      There was also an arson case in Nashville, TN some many years back where two 9 volt batteries were connected to each other and then thrown into a room, where they finally heated up enough to catch fire and then set the carpet and interior on fire...

      --
      The number 1 problem of working in a cubicle - 23 power cords, 1 outlet...
    33. Re:This is scary by Richard_L_James · · Score: 1

      I used to work for Radioshack/Tandy Electronics and have good experience

      Surely that statement is an oxymoron...... :-)

    34. Re:This is scary by glesga_kiss · · Score: 1

      Never seen landline caller ID myself, a premium service around these parts. It's been free on mobiles here for many years though.

    35. Re:This is scary by Ironica · · Score: 1

      The thing about this incident that I find concerning is that this phone exploded in the guys pocket when battery consumption is at its lowest.

      You're assuming that the phone wasn't engaged in an open call when it was in his pocket.

      Don't you get those "pocket calls" from friends' cell phones? most of them are actually "purse calls" from my mother. "Mom? MOM? MMMMOOOOMMMM!!!!! TURN ON YOUR KEY GUARD!"

      The best is when she gets my home phone by accident, and I come home to a 30-minute answering machine message... then I can call her and tell her what she ordered for lunch just to freak her out. But she still hasn't quite gotten the habit of hitting Menu -> * automatically when she's putting the phone away.

      --
      Don't you wish your girlfriend was a geek like me?
    36. Re:This is scary by phrogeeb · · Score: 1

      You do of course realize that the Mossad is a branch of Israeli intelligence, not a religious extremist terrorist group, right?

      If the joke was in reference to covert technology, and you were actually thinking about the Mossad when you posted, then I apologize (and don't think the joke is quite as funny.)

      However, if you were intending to reference "Hezbolah" or "Islaamic Jihaad" etc., I wanted to make sure that you were aware of the discrepancy.

      Thanks.

      --

      ------

      "Will the highways on the Internet become more few?" --George W. Bush, in Jan. 2000

    37. Re:This is scary by madcow_ucsb · · Score: 1

      Premium service here too, but I got it to avoid telemarketers. But now that we have our DNC list, maybe I can trash it.

    38. Re:This is scary by ralphclark · · Score: 1
      Israel is a religious state.

      Israel's policy of supporting religious settlers in Palestinian territory could be construed as extremist.

      Israel's policy regarding Palestine (and its aggression toward Lebanon) could be construed as terrorist.

      Mossad is an instrument of Israel.

      Mossad are not averse to committing hostile acts on foreign soil.

      religious + extremist + terrorist = ???

      You decide.

    39. Re:This is scary by phrogeeb · · Score: 1

      Perhaps you and I disagree on the definition of the word "terrorist".

      Israel's policy of supporting religious settlers in Palestinian territory could be construed as extremist. = Building houses (even if it is on land that another ethnic group with more than dubious legal clame purports to own) is terrorism? As in a violent act against innocent civilians? (If this is what you meant, and I can hardly see how you could have meant otherwise, I find it disgusting that you would compare that to attacks that maim and kill both Arab and Israeli citizens.)

      Israel's policy against Palestine? What, per your definition, is Palestine? Because last time I checked a map of the world, there was no such thing.

      Hostile acts on foreign soil is terrorism? I consider it war. Terrorism, again, per my definition, targets civillians, whereas the strike in Lebanon was on self-proclaimed militant soldiers of radical Islam. These men (i.e. the men that were killed in the terrorist training camps) would be offended if you were to indicate that they were anything other than soldiers.

      I do not agree with everything Israel does. But I'm not sure what I would do differently if I were in control. At Oslo, Israel tried to give Arafat everything that he had asked for, and Arafat walked out. Land for peace will not work - it is a tangible for an intangible. Once the Palestinians have Israeli land, Israel cannot take it back. Palestinians, on the other hand, can easily take back pledges of peace, and once the damage is done it's done.

      And yes, I support a two-state solution.

      I'm off to rest up for my SATs tomorrow. Wish me luck, and may the gods of moderation mod us down for our blatant OTness.

      --

      ------

      "Will the highways on the Internet become more few?" --George W. Bush, in Jan. 2000

    40. Re:This is scary by bobbozzo · · Score: 1

      I think it was a reference to movies in which cell-phone bombs were used by government agencies to kill terrorists.

      Can't think of the movie offhand though, but it involved a woman going undercover in a cell.

      --
      Nothing to see here; Move along.
    41. Re:This is scary by Puppet+Master · · Score: 1
      Any links on what signs to look for before your cell phone battery explodes?

      Is it making a ticking noise?
      That's the first sign that somethings not right...

      --
      The day Microsoft creates a product that doesn't suck, it will be known as the Microsoft Vaccuum Cleaner!
  2. Hey... by The+Human+Cow · · Score: 5, Funny

    Is that an exploding cell phone in your pants, or are you just happy to see me?

    --
    The Human Cow - bringing you scrumtrelescence since 1995
    1. Re:Hey... by Really+Strange · · Score: 1

      "What have I got in my pockets?"--Bilbo

    2. Re:Hey... by CGP314 · · Score: 1

      BANG!

      AHHHHHHHHHH!

      Exploding cell phone it is then.

  3. Verizon by damiena · · Score: 5, Funny

    Can you hear me now?

    *BOOM*

    1. Re:Verizon by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 4, Funny

      *BOOM*...

      Can you hear me now? Cause I sure as hell can't hear you now...

    2. Re:Verizon by SpikeSpegiel · · Score: 1

      Except that Verizon stopped using Nokia phones 2 years ago, the last supported phone was the 5185.

      Verizon doesn't like Nokia

    3. Re:Verizon by 3th3rn3t · · Score: 1

      omg !
      ill never hang up to a spam call again in my life
      Yes, mr automated computer voice, ill buy anything you want.

      *sigh*

    4. Re:Verizon by jandrese · · Score: 1

      Sideshow Bob: There might be a slight ringing in your ears. Fortunatly you will be nowhere near them.

      --

      I read the internet for the articles.
  4. N-Gage by BigDork1001 · · Score: 2, Funny

    One things for sure, the N-Gage sure isn't exploding off the shelves.

    --
    "Armed forces abroad are of little value unless there is prudent counsel at home" - Cicero
    1. Re:N-Gage by sl0ppy · · Score: 1

      doesn't surprise me. $300 for a gameboy? i think not.

    2. Re:N-Gage by t0ny · · Score: 1
      If the N-Gage actually exploded, at least it would be useful as a demolition device. As is, it sucks as both a game device AND a cell phone.

      Is it really a bust? My local Gamestop was telling me they had about a gazillion preorders...

      --

      Manipulate the moderator system! Mod someone as "overrated" today.

    3. Re:N-Gage by wampus · · Score: 1

      PRE-orders... then the reviews came out. Gamestop will have a gazillion of them things on the shelves after a few days.

    4. Re:N-Gage by lee7guy · · Score: 1

      Couldn't be he was referring to the N-Gage as an "$300 Gameboy"?

      Naaah

      --
      Ceterum censeo Microsoftem esse delendam
    5. Re:N-Gage by t0ny · · Score: 1
      Ugh. N-Gage. Everyone knew it was going to be a dog even BEFORE it launched. Did you see their display?

      What crack fiend designed the thing? How the HELL did they think making the customer forced to

      1. open the case, 2. remove the battery, 3. replace game cartridge, 4. replace battery, 5. close up case (most difficult step), 6. power on unit

      would somehow equate to a serious competitor to the GameBoy Advance SP (which is possibly one of the best-designed electronic devices ever)?

      Kudos to whoever conned Nokia into actually paying them MONEY for thinking this shit up.

      --

      Manipulate the moderator system! Mod someone as "overrated" today.

  5. Sounds like defective batteries by Chronos56 · · Score: 1

    This reminds me of the bad capacaters that showed up on a bunch of motherboards a couple of years ago. I wonder if these exploding batteries are the result of industrial esponage gone wrong line in the caps case?

    1. Re:Sounds like defective batteries by Orne · · Score: 4, Informative

      The bad capacitors were faulty because some manufacturers opted for cheaper electolytics that expanded too much when they heated up... fixed volume, increasing pressure due to temperature, and they pop.

      Nokia claims that they haven't changed materials... my guess is that these phones are getting hotter faster, probably drawing more current to run all the new features they keep adding, and the chemical batteries aren't reacting well.

    2. Re:Sounds like defective batteries by Afrosheen · · Score: 1

      It's not Nokia's fault, I found a picture of the third party battery that exploded in the lady's hands. Printed in Mandarin on the battery:

      Hacked by Chinese!

    3. Re:Sounds like defective batteries by ed1park · · Score: 1

      It may not necessarily be that the battery is defective, but the circuits/logic that controls power usage overtaxing the battery.

  6. Bang! by mezron · · Score: 1

    Can you hear me now? ;)

  7. Dark Humor by giraphe · · Score: 1

    Would it be wrong to laugh at something like this? I mean, just imagine how funny it would be watching this happen to somebody while they were talking.

    1. Re:Dark Humor by rootofevil · · Score: 1

      only if they were in their SUV, doing 45 in the fast lane, and took out 3 others of their kind at the same time.

      --
      turn up the jukebox and tell me a lie
    2. Re:Dark Humor by Richard_L_James · · Score: 1

      Yes it would be wrong. As it wouldn't be very funny

    3. Re:Dark Humor by bhtooefr · · Score: 1

      Except it's Motorola who makes the Nextel and Verizon PTT phones.

  8. Big Deal!! by whiteranger99x · · Score: 4, Funny

    So you can say the message will self-destruct in 5 seconds.....

    They've been doing that in Mission Impossible for YEARS! :P

    --
    Join the TWIT army now!
    1. Re:Big Deal!! by identity0 · · Score: 1

      But did they make the messenger self-destruct, too?

    2. Re:Big Deal!! by Fesh · · Score: 1

      Ever watch the Inspector Gadget cartoon? Happened every episode.

      --
      --Fesh
      Kill -9 'em all, let root@localhost sort 'em out.
  9. DAMN! And I thought this was a decent phone... by SoTuA · · Score: 1

    well, I've always bought nokia because they survive any fall (I even saw a nokia 3320 fall four floors and survive... cracked shell, but the phone worked) but now you've kind of made me nervous...

  10. If this were America... by wrinkledshirt · · Score: 4, Funny

    ...you know those two poor souls would be getting sued by the company right about now.

    --

    --------
    Bleah! Heh heh heh... BLEAH BLEAH!!! Ha ha ha ha...

    1. Re:If this were America... by seriv · · Score: 1

      can you sue me now?
      -Seriv

    2. Re:If this were America... by bhtooefr · · Score: 1

      Doesn't apply here. There were no warnings on the phone that it might overheat if it is in your pants pocket - even if it's only got genuine Nokia components. There were "CAUTION: HOT!" warnings plastered all over the McD coffee cup.

  11. IMPORTANT by I+don't+want+to+spen · · Score: 5, Funny

    Don't set your ring tone to the 1812 overture ....

    --
    Don't go to a brothel if you want to buy broth
    1. Re:IMPORTANT by natefanaro · · Score: 1

      What about the Imperal Death March? That's my girlfriend's custom ring tone!

    2. Re:IMPORTANT by Beryllium+Sphere(tm) · · Score: 1

      Instead, program your phone to voice-synthesize "Help! I'm mellllting!!".

    3. Re:IMPORTANT by stfvon007 · · Score: 1

      I can imagine it now. Practical jokes by roommates or co-workers against people with voice synthisized rings, resetting ring announcements to something like "Phone has finished downloading pornographic images, whould you like to view them now?" then calling it when the owner is in a public place.

      --
      All misspellings and grammatical errors in the above post are intentional and part of my artistic expression.
    4. Re:IMPORTANT by Piquan · · Score: 1

      Don't set your ring tone to the 1812 overture ....

      He didn't. It was the Haydn's Surprise Symphony.

    5. Re:IMPORTANT by madcow_ucsb · · Score: 1

      hmm sounds like in high school when we used BO to make a lab computer a row up randomly pop up netscape (this was long ago...) to some gay sex site and then start making siren sounds and flashing "PORNO ALARM" on the screen drawing attention to all nearby. Of course there was only one person anybody did that to...but man it was funny to see him frantically try to make it stop (and he couldn't without rebooting...)

      As for cell phones, luckily I'm tied into Verizon's proprietary and ultra-expensive GetItNow (TM) Technology, so the chances of me getting ANY ringtone on there are practically nil.

  12. The thought makes me Cringe by l810c · · Score: 1

    He had his cellphone in his Pocket and burned Just His Legs. I'll not be slipping my Nokia in my pocket again. My wife and I would like to have one more child.

  13. Here we go again by tintruder · · Score: 1

    This is getting to sound like the story last year where the guy in England burned his crank on a laptop that got hot while he was engrossed in porn.
    If people are uncomfortable with a hot phone on their ear, perhaps try a headset?
    Maybe also keep your phone somewhere that the terminals don't get shorted out with gum wrappers or whatever.

  14. Product testing by seriv · · Score: 1

    This shows that Nokia obviously needs to work more on product testing. I mean you expect cell phones to have problems with software or something minor. Sounds more like a prank cell phone then a real one.
    -Seriv

  15. Okay... by Pig+Hogger · · Score: 1, Funny

    What's the DTMF sequence to make the phone explode, so I can blow the next telemarketer's phone?????

  16. news report... by dilvie · · Score: 2, Informative

    I saw a local news report last night about the same thing. In Utah. I don't remember what channel it was on, but I assumed it was an isolated incident. Maybe there's something more to it...

  17. That hurts, by TLouden · · Score: 2, Funny

    now Nokia can't use explosions as an excuse to sell more of their parts. And they thought putting 'prizes' in some of the phones would help them sell more.

    --
    -Tim Louden
  18. Exactly what is exploding? by MavEtJu · · Score: 2, Interesting

    Does anybody know what is actually exploding? Is it the battery? Is it the CPU? Is it one of the memory chips? "The telephone is exploding" is almost as vague "his house blew up".

    --
    bash$ :(){ :|:&};:
    1. Re:Exactly what is exploding? by pctainto · · Score: 3, Insightful

      Most definetely the battery. Lithium Ion batteries are known to explode when they go out of the normal operating specs. ALL LiIon batteries have control circuits which keep the dis/charging within the safe bound (keeping from overcharging/discharging). LiIon batteries are very explosive when they are not in a controlled environment, so it seems that the control circuit simply failed.

      --
      I think my principles are reachin' an all time low
    2. Re:Exactly what is exploding? by Alien+Being · · Score: 1

      "the control circuit simply failed"

      Maybe I'm over-simplifying it, but haven't they ever heard of fuses?

    3. Re:Exactly what is exploding? by digitalpeer · · Score: 1

      ALL LiIon batteries have control circuits which keep the dis/charging within the safe bound (keeping from overcharging/discharging).

      Well, some of them do. I used to have myself a blast when I was younger. I'd take a lighter or a blowtorch (because it has a longer nozzle) and heat up watch batteries. Even been known to throw a couple in a camp fire. These are the same little sealed Lithium batteries like the one on your motherboard. To say the least, one of those little things creates a pretty significant explosion (enough to put a ring in your ears). Don't know much about the physical intestines of cell phone batteries, but all you needed to make these things explode was heat- not necessarily generated by discharging the batteries. Heat from an RF power amplifier might be something to worry about.

      (Don't do it.)

  19. What model? by Exiler · · Score: 1

    I never wanted a cellphone before, but if I'm promised pyrotechnics...

    --
    Banaaaana!
  20. This sounds like ... by switched4OSX · · Score: 4, Informative

    what the Isreali Mossad used to (and probably still do) to suspected terrorist phones. Inside agent would swap his phone with one modified with plastic explosives. Then they would call the terrories, and when he put his ear to phone it would blow it off.

    1. Re:This sounds like ... by eggmit · · Score: 4, Funny

      I think it blew off more than his ear. If all they wanted was a removed ear, they could enlist the aid of Mike Tyson.

    2. Re:This sounds like ... by mrogers · · Score: 1

      Then they'd just arrest anyone they saw with one ear.

    3. Re:This sounds like ... by switched4OSX · · Score: 1

      Sorry, I should have elaborated. There was enough explosives packed into it to blow a big enough hole in the guys head to kill him. Of course, it doesn't take too much C4 to accomplish this.

    4. Re:This sounds like ... by sinserve · · Score: 1

      Why can't the guy doing the phone-swapping do the killing too?

    5. Re:This sounds like ... by RajivSLK · · Score: 1

      They actually had a seperate remote that would set off the explosives. Also they didn't call the target themselves, they had to wait (sometimes for days) for a someone else to call the target. Then a voice analysis expert had to confirm the indentity of the person on the phone before they would set off the charge.

    6. Re:This sounds like ... by bill_mcgonigle · · Score: 1

      Why can't the guy doing the phone-swapping do the killing too?

      Probably for psycholological reasons. The enemies of the state are always wondering if that's their real cell phone or a plant. Every time they go to answer a call, they get jitters. Come to think of it, they live in 'terror'.

      --
      My God, it's Full of Source!
      OUTSIDE_IP=$(dig +short my.ip @outsideip.net)
    7. Re:This sounds like ... by Zirnike · · Score: 1

      Or Michael Madsen.

      --
      I'm not shy, I'm stalking my prey
  21. Exploding batteries... what do you mean by that? by shadow099 · · Score: 1

    I question what do you mean by explode... Did some of the battery acid spill out??? or are we like talking fire and brimstone here??? I would think most likely the battery just burst, aka the acid leaving the battery case.. but the article really does not say.

  22. Re:DUPE... i think... by RexHowland · · Score: 1

    It's not a dupe. The previous article involved third-party batteries, which Nokia could blame for being faulty.

    What's scary this time is that, apparently, this was an original, first-party battery.

  23. hmmm by the_other_one · · Score: 2, Funny

    Perhaps they should ban these things on airliners.
    At least untill they have safe alchohol filled fuel cells.
    Instead of these new fangled battery things.

    --
    134340: I am not a number. I am a free planet!
  24. Re:Maybe.. by LucidityZero · · Score: 2, Informative

    Holland != Norway

    --
    Sig.i>
  25. Re:DUPE... i think... by sirvulcan · · Score: 1

    that story is about the first incident which we are told of in this article "the first one being back in August when a Dutch woman's phone exploded in her hand. Nokia blamed the first incident on a third party battery that the woman was using and warned customers to only use Nokia parts and accessories with their phones"

  26. Batteries do explode and its not just Nokia... by toupsie · · Score: 5, Informative
    I have a Microsoft Wireless Intellimouse that is powered by double-a batteries. On night, I was surfing the web and heard a loud POP. No, I wasn't surfing porn. I spent 5 minutes wondering where this loud sound came from. I looked at my tangled mess of power strips plugged into power strips. I looked all over and found nada. Then thinking I had just imagined the sound or had my ear pop for some reason, I went back to surfing but my mouse wouldn't work. Sure enough, one of the brand new, brand name double-a batteries exploded in the mouse. It destroyed the inside electronics of the mouse. Thank Microsoft uses a sturdy plastic in them or it could have been a very painful right hand.

    Remember, batteries are full of energy -- DUH! One defect and BAM! you have a little bomb after prolonged use. One reason you shouldn't throw them in a fire unless you are really drunk and have track shoes on.

    --
    Strange women lying in ponds distributing swords is no basis for a system of government.
    1. Re:Batteries do explode and its not just Nokia... by YellowElectricRat · · Score: 1
      I have a Microsoft Wireless Intellimouse that is powered by double-a batteries. On night, I was surfing the web and heard a loud POP. No, I wasn't surfing porn. I spent 5 minutes wondering where this loud sound came from. I looked at my tangled mess of power strips plugged into power strips. I looked all over and found nada. Then thinking I had just imagined the sound or had my ear pop for some reason, I went back to surfing but my mouse wouldn't work. Sure enough, one of the brand new, brand name double-a batteries exploded in the mouse. It destroyed the inside electronics of the mouse. Thank Microsoft uses a sturdy plastic in them or it could have been a very painful right hand.

      Damn... Ending up with a painful right hand without surfing porn... Scary.

    2. Re:Batteries do explode and its not just Nokia... by Unregistered · · Score: 1

      Kinda like when i tried to recharge non-rechargeable batteries. Though, the explosion wasn't more thn a pop with a little battery juice leaking out when i blew the battery. Didn't even hurt the charger.

    3. Re:Batteries do explode and its not just Nokia... by wierra · · Score: 1

      Its gonna sound strange but i have also had this happen eith a microsoft wireless Intellimouse. Maybe it microsofts way of saying dont use our products with linux. lol Wierra

    4. Re:Batteries do explode and its not just Nokia... by cyt0plas · · Score: 1

      I had one blow up once, but I wasn't using a charger. Yeah, I was holding it in my hand. Ow. Fortunatly, it was a watch bsttery, but it still gave me quite a jolt.

      --
      Contact Me (got tired of viruses emailing me).
    5. Re:Batteries do explode and its not just Nokia... by sirsex · · Score: 1

      I was going though the house the other day replacing batteries in the smoke alarms. A while later I sitting on the couch, and it felt like something stung me. I jump up to find the 9V in my pocket had rubbed up next to a nickle. Hot enough to discolor the coffee table where I dropped it.

      Those little things can pack a punch when used all at once. A tazer works on two 9Vs.

    6. Re:Batteries do explode and its not just Nokia... by gid · · Score: 1

      I've also found that you should not dispose of dud D model rocket engines in fires, because you'll forget about them and about 30 minutes later or so they come shooting out.

    7. Re:Batteries do explode and its not just Nokia... by DaedalusLogic · · Score: 1

      "One reason you shouldn't throw them in a fire unless you are really drunk and have track shoes on."

      I always have track shoes on when I'm drunk... helps me run from the fat chicks at bars...

  27. Maybe if they spent more time working on phones by Dancin_Santa · · Score: 3, Informative

    Originally a tire company (!!!), Nokia has expanded quickly into other markets completely unrelated to the core of their business. Since they moved into the cell phone business, it seems to have become their top priority, however even this focus is slipping. They are turning towards building home entertainment appliances like set top boxes and TiVo-like devices. Unfortunately, like when they moved towards cell phones and their tire business suffered, their cell phone quality is sufferring because of this refocusing on new markets.

    1. Re:Maybe if they spent more time working on phones by E_elven · · Score: 1

      Uh, Nokia has been making TV stuff for years and years.

      --
      Marxist evolution is just N generations away!
    2. Re:Maybe if they spent more time working on phones by femto · · Score: 1

      It was quite strange when I visited Finland to see a pile of gumboots sitting in the corner with a big 'NOKIA' brand on the front. Apparently every Finn has a pair of Nokia gumboots.

    3. Re:Maybe if they spent more time working on phones by funkdancer · · Score: 1

      Yep, my Nokia Multigraph 445XPro is still proudly serving me today. And it's a 1998 model.

      Nokian tyres are awesome, they make the best studded pushbike ones ever. Of course I don't need them anymore now that I've moved from Norway to Australia...

      http://www.nokian.com/history_en.html

      --
      ISO certified == THX certified
    4. Re:Maybe if they spent more time working on phones by KrispyKringle · · Score: 1

      What are gumboots?

    5. Re:Maybe if they spent more time working on phones by ma++i+ude · · Score: 5, Informative
      (No, I don't work for Nokia. Yes, I'm a Finn.)

      Informative? Well, at least it's not informed. Nokia has been around in one form or another for over a century. Nokia is actually a fusion of three companies and three businesses: wood (since 1865), rubber (1898) and cables (1912). The name "Nokia" is actually a place in Finland. Yes, we all know it sounds Japanese.

      Through the years Nokia has bought other companies and expanded its business into new areas. In fact the company had practically nothing to do with electronics until the late 80's. The company has continued to narrow down its focus, unlike the parent suggested.

      Particularly under Jorma Ollila, Nokia decided to focus on electronics and especially communications and started to sell its other functions away. Most of newly formed companies wanted to be associated with the Nokia brand, so many chose names with suitable connotations. Therefore, you now have Nokian tyres (the 'n' at the end of the word is the genitive case, so the word actually means "Nokia's tyres"), NK cables and Nokian footwear. Pretty much every Finn has a pair of (old 'Nokia' or new 'Nokian') rubber boots. Fine boots them. Used them in the army too.

      Anyway, calling Nokia simply a "cell phone company", or calling for Nokia to become one, is misinformed. Although mobile phones are definitely the most visible area to the consumer, the company provides a much wider range of communication solutions including mobile base stations and networks. In the consumer market they've made a few lemons though; the IP55 ADSL router, a rebranded Webramp, comes to mind, as does the N-Gage. :) But the MediaMaster was/is a fine product.

      --
      You can't shut us down! The Internet is about the free exchange and sale of other people's ideas!
    6. Re:Maybe if they spent more time working on phones by ma++i+ude · · Score: 1

      I think that's supposed to mean rubber boots. Wellingtons, if you are thus inclined. My guess is the poster was a Swede.

      --
      You can't shut us down! The Internet is about the free exchange and sale of other people's ideas!
    7. Re:Maybe if they spent more time working on phones by SSJ2+Labsuit · · Score: 1

      Don't forget they also make crappy portable game systems.

    8. Re:Maybe if they spent more time working on phones by WIAKywbfatw · · Score: 1

      You're either a troll or a moron, I can't decide which.

      Nokia has been making mobiles for years, and they are no "also ran" in the field, they're practically market leaders, both in terms of technology and sales.

      I've owned three handsets in my time and two of them have been Nokias. The things are so damn good from all viewpoints - ergonomics, software, etc - that I'd never even consider anything else if I was recommending a dedicated mobile phone. (And, before you ask, I've played around with virtually every other brand out there that you care to mention - Ericsson, LG, Motorola, Sagem, Samsung, Sharp, Siemens, Sony, etc, so I'm no novice.)

      As many other posters have pointed out, all batteries are potential "bombs", even brand new disposable AAs. And damaged batteries (those that have been dropped, etc) are potentially more dangerous still. To single out Nokia when you don't know all the facts is just stupid, but to suggest that perhaps the best if not the biggest mobile phone manufacturer doesn't concentrate on their phones enough is definitely obtuse.

      By the way, I should point out that you're flat out wrong, that Nokia has recently focussed on intensification rather than diversification. It has sold off some of its other businesses, such as its monitor division, which was sold off about 4 years ago.

      Next time, get youre facts straight please.

      --

      "Accept that some days you are the pigeon, and some days you are the statue." - David Brent, Wernham Hogg
    9. Re:Maybe if they spent more time working on phones by Constrain_Me · · Score: 1

      I used to have a pair of Nokia rubber boots. Best pair I've ever had!

    10. Re:Maybe if they spent more time working on phones by mijok · · Score: 1

      Actually, the company making TV sets etc. isn't the same as the mobile phone company anymore. A few years ago a company from Hong Kong bought Nokia's TV manufacturing and along with that the permission to use the "Nokia" name on them for a certain number of years (yes, the brand image is worth a lot so that pushed up the price).

      --
      Karma. Moderation. Is my .sig good now?
    11. Re:Maybe if they spent more time working on phones by slashhax0r · · Score: 1

      Uhh. dude. I just bought NOKIAN tires... Perhaps you're confused?

  28. Preparing for the next "Winter War?" by vudufixit · · Score: 1

    Perhaps the Finns really meant these as cleverly disguised grenades to hand out to citizen-soldiers in case the Russians invade again?

    1. Re:Preparing for the next "Winter War?" by vudufixit · · Score: 1

      Hi, Anonymous Coward. They did that for the sake of pragmatic survival, not ideology. In addition, I don't think there are too many nazis for them to ally themselves with these days, except some pathetic neo-nazis.

  29. To-do! by EuropeanSwallow · · Score: 1

    Remember to keep cell phone away from my short-n-curlies...

    Ouch!

  30. Singin' Soprano by MeauxToo · · Score: 2, Funny

    Sure hope he ain't singin' soprano with a cell phone exploding so close to the family blueprints.

  31. Pocket by writermike · · Score: 1

    Proposed Nokia ad:

    Is that a phone in your pocket, or... AGH, AGH, AGH!

    --
    If Nalgene water bottles are outlawed, only outlaws will have Nalgene water bottles.
  32. On Purpose? by interiot · · Score: 2, Interesting
    Jason Kottke links to suggestions that the Nokia phones detect batteries which aren't made by Nokia, and when it detects on, it puts the phone in maximum-current-draw mode to try to encourage the user to buy a Nokia battery, and this could be causing the exploding batteries.

    Of course, this is an allegation that'd be hard to prove without insider verification. Or possibly, with some astute multimeter readings.

    1. Re:On Purpose? by tanveer1979 · · Score: 3, Informative
      FUD, true FUD, nothing of this sort happened. The only way in the current batteries to find out wether it is a nokia, is to include extra circuits. I have disassembled enough batteries to know theydont have any such thing inside.

      And before you think that maybe the current characteristics can be used, it is not possible. Current, voltage etc will change with change with temp and also with time.

      Only thing may be that nokia batteries may come with current draw protection and may be more resistant to an inherent defect in the phones
      --
      My Aurora : http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=o91ZsGwJYyg
      FB : https://www.facebook.com/TanveersPhotography
    2. Re:On Purpose? by interiot · · Score: 1
      I kind of assumed Motorola/Nokia etc's standard practice was to put microchips in the batteries...

      Hrm. I don't have a nokia battery with me, but a motorola battery here I guess seems to be microchip free (the lump felt turned out to be a diode).

    3. Re:On Purpose? by Russ+Steffen · · Score: 1

      Hmmm, what if there were an RFID tag in the battery and a reader in the phone. It could be embedded in the plastic shell and never be found even in disassembly.

      I'm that saying that's the case with Nokia, but it's a technical possibility, and there certainly enough companies out there snarky enough to do that.

    4. Re:On Purpose? by Captain_Chaos · · Score: 1

      Jason Kottke links to suggestions that the Nokia phones detect batteries which aren't made by Nokia, and when it detects on, it puts the phone in maximum-current-draw mode to try to encourage the user to buy a Nokia battery, ...

      The second exploding phone had a Nokia battery...

    5. Re:On Purpose? by glesga_kiss · · Score: 1
      Mod parent "uninformed".

      The only way in the current batteries to find out wether it is a nokia, is to include extra circuits.

      Yes, and they all have this circuit in modern batteries. Even laptops 6-7 years ago had serial communications busses. My laptop of that age has a different serial number for each battery that can be accessed by the PC.

      Most phones are the same. My phone can get lots of information about the battery, it's capacity, current voltage, temperature and so on. A manufacturers ID is pretty much a given. Anything beyond ye olde NiCad technology has this kind of thing.

      So yes, it would be entirely possible and very easy to have the phone treat some batteries differently. Not to say that they are doing it of course.

  33. tsk tsk... by Epistax · · Score: 1

    This is a rather extreme method of fighting off those people who talk very loud into their cellphone at the worst possible moment talking on and on and..

    I retract my previous statement.

  34. Nokia for sale! by Trejkaz · · Score: 1

    On a completely unrelated note, does anyone want to buy my used Nokia 6385?

    It occasionally wears a towl on its head and worships Allah, but I don't think it's a suicide bomber.

    --
    Karma: It's all a bunch of tree-huggin' hippy crap!
    1. Re:Nokia for sale! by seriv · · Score: 1

      Thats just unnecessary. I mean come on, it is an article about cell phones, no need to target arabs.
      -Seriv

    2. Re:Nokia for sale! by Trejkaz · · Score: 1

      Hey, you used the word first. :-)

      --
      Karma: It's all a bunch of tree-huggin' hippy crap!
  35. Not the second reported case by FortissimoWily · · Score: 2, Informative

    "This is the second reported incident of Nokia phones exploding, the first one being back in August when a Dutch woman's phone exploded in her hand."
    Actually, there have been two cases reported *this week* by The Register, as well as the one back in August, so it's not the second reported incident at all. ;)

    What I want to know is, when will we see the first exploding N-Gage?

  36. LiON and NiMH batteries... by TheLocustNMI · · Score: 4, Informative

    ...are both very volatile power systems. Being an remote-control electric flight enthusiast, I have heard too many stories about NiMH cells exploding ("it sounded like a shotgun blast!") and LiON batteries burning up cars. They are fine if they aren't damaged or defective -- but a NimH or especially LiON cells that have been damaged can be VERY dangerous.

    Me, I'm waiting for nuclear-powered cellphones! Chernobyl in your pocket!

    1. Re:LiON and NiMH batteries... by pe1chl · · Score: 1

      Or fuel cells... a charge of H2 and O2 in a small box should be fun as well.

    2. Re:LiON and NiMH batteries... by lxs · · Score: 1

      or especially LiON cells that have been damaged can be VERY dangerous.

      Well duh, if the cell is damaged then the lions can escape. Any zookeeper can tell you that's dangerous.

    3. Re:LiON and NiMH batteries... by Fryboy · · Score: 1

      Didn't anyone warn you LIONs are dangerous?

  37. It was bound to happen by Cat_Byte · · Score: 1

    Nokia phones can handle email, spammers out of control, it was bound to happen...A spammer flamed him.

    --
    Two roads diverged in a wood, and I - I took the one the bus load of girls just went down.
  38. Think of the odds! by shplorb · · Score: 5, Informative

    Q: How many phones do Nokia sell each year?
    A: Millions

    Q: How many of their phones explode each year?
    A: 1 or 2

    Q: How many cars are sold each year?
    A: Millions

    Q: How many people die on the roads each year?
    A: Thousands

    Conclusion: You have a greater chance of dying in a car crash than having your mobile phone explode.

    1. Re:Think of the odds! by OmnipotentEntity · · Score: 1

      Yes, but how many cars randomly explode in a year. Car Accidents are the person's fault. Exploding Cell Phones are the companies fault, and they should issue a recall. Or at least a warning.

      ___________

      --
      "Build a man a fire warm him for a day, set a man on fire and warm him for the rest of his life."
    2. Re:Think of the odds! by Anonymous+CowWord · · Score: 1

      While it may be statistically true, don't forget that car accidents can be avoided (in most cases) by careful driving. How do you avoid a cell phone explosion other than to stop using it?

      --


      Disclaimer: My opinions are my own and do not, in any way, reflect the opinions of my employer or university.
    3. Re:Think of the odds! by notyou2 · · Score: 1

      I REALLY wish I had mod points... somebody moderate this guy up!

    4. Re:Think of the odds! by Bastian · · Score: 1

      But what if your mobile phone explodes in the wreck resulting from you failing to notice the light changing because you're dictating a shopping list to your spouse on the phone, resulting in you rear-ending the person in front of you at full speed?

    5. Re:Think of the odds! by POds · · Score: 1

      And the chance of dying in a car crash whilst talking on your mobile phone increases, no doubt.

      --


      Giving IE users a taste of their own medicine since 2005 - http://pods.-is-a-geek.net/
    6. Re:Think of the odds! by EvanED · · Score: 1

      "Car Accidents are the person's fault."

      Car accidents are *someone's* fault, but all to often its people who hold no blame. They are rear ended, or hit by a drunk driver, etc.

    7. Re:Think of the odds! by crywolf · · Score: 1

      Q: How many phones do Nokia sell each year?
      A: Millions

      Q: How many of their phones explode each year?
      A: 1 or 2


      Conclusion: the cost of settling is less than the cost of a recall. Therefore, no recall.

      --
      CAUTION: Product may be hot after heating
    8. Re:Think of the odds! by Pendersempai · · Score: 1

      Q: How many of the deaths due to auto accidents are preventable by the car manufacturer?
      A: None of them, presumably.

      Q: How many of the cell phone explosions are preventable by Nokia?
      A: All of them, presumably.

      That's why this is a big deal, or at least has the potential to be a big deal.

    9. Re:Think of the odds! by ZorbaTHut · · Score: 1

      I can see it now.

      "The car crash wasn't my fault! The cellphone I was talking on exploded!"
      "You were talking on a cellphone while driving?"
      "Errr . . ."

      --
      Breaking Into the Industry - A development log about starting a game studio.
    10. Re:Think of the odds! by lnjasdpppun · · Score: 1
      First off your trying to compare deaths to injuries. How many people have been killed by mobiles? None that I know of.
      Q: How many of the deaths due to auto accidents are preventable by the car manufacturer?
      A: None of them, presumably.
      Fight club anyone? A * B = C, if C is less than the cost of recall.... I do believe this happens but not to a large extend but it still shows its possible for car manufacturers to stop more injuries from occuring.
    11. Re:Think of the odds! by MegaFur · · Score: 1

      Q: How many of the deaths due to auto accidents are preventable by the car manufacturer?
      A: None of them, presumably.

      Well that's not what the Narrator in Fight Club would have us believe:

      Narrator: A new car built by my company leaves somewhere traveling at 60 mph. The rear differential locks up. The car crashes and burns with everyone trapped inside. Now, should we initiate a recall? Take the number of vehicles in the field, A, multiply by the probable rate of failure, B, multiply by the average out-of-court settlement, C. A times B times C equals X. If X is less than the cost of a recall, we don't do one.
      Business woman on plane: Are there a lot of these kinds of accidents?
      Narrator: You wouldn't believe.
      Business woman on plane: Which car company do you work for?
      Narrator: A major one.

      --
      Furry cows moo and decompress.
    12. Re:Think of the odds! by Tim+Colgate · · Score: 1
      Q: How many of the deaths due to auto accidents are preventable by the car manufacturer?
      A: None of them, presumably.

      Q: Do anti-lock brakes (ABS) save lives?
      A: Yes

      Q: Do car manufacturers fit ABS as standard to all cars?
      A: No

      Q: Should there be legislation to make ABS compulsory on all cars?
      A: ??

    13. Re:Think of the odds! by Psykechan · · Score: 1

      So, if my Nokia phone explodes while I was driving, is that death attributed to the car crash?

      Nokia, the company that brought you the smash hit phone game system; the N-Gage, announces a thrilling new way to talk anywhere; the Nokia Pinto.

    14. Re:Think of the odds! by Quasar1999 · · Score: 1

      But does the phone have an airbag?

      --

      ---
      Programming is like sex... Make one mistake and support it the rest of your life.
    15. Re:Think of the odds! by theLOUDroom · · Score: 1

      Yes, but how many of those deaths on the road are also caused by cellphones?

      --
      Life is too short to proofread.
    16. Re:Think of the odds! by deuist · · Score: 1
      Conclusion: You have a greater chance of dying in a car crash than having your mobile phone explode.

      And you have an even greater chance of dying from a car crash if you were distracted on your mobile phone.

    17. Re:Think of the odds! by deuist · · Score: 1
      Conclusion: You have a greater chance of dying in a car crash than having your mobile phone explode.

      That's a bad analogy. Car accidents occur often because of the driver, not the car itself. I'm sure if using a cell phone was as complicated as driving a car, we would see more explosions.

    18. Re:Think of the odds! by Pendersempai · · Score: 1

      Don't be dumb. The reason that there was a scandal with firestone tires is PRECISELY THE REASON that there is (perhaps) a scandal involving Nokia phones detonating on your face. Both are preventable by the manufacturer; hence, both invoke public outcry.

    19. Re:Think of the odds! by Pendersempai · · Score: 1

      Yes, of course, Fight Club. It shows nothing. Certainly, it's possible, but the risk of such a strategy (national outcry, Arthur Anderson-style drawing and quartering of the entire corporation) offset the cost-benefit analysis that Tyler Durden so smugly explicates.

      By the way, quotes from movies are not an overly credible source. Try making explosives with the method Tyler Durden gives you; that's wrong too.

    20. Re:Think of the odds! by Pendersempai · · Score: 1

      "Q: Do anti-lock brakes save lives?"

      Good question. Insurance companies think that they do not, and they've got their actuaries to back them up.

      ABS is give-and-take. On the one hand, it takes less mental and physical agility to stomp on the brake pedal than to pump it. On the other hand, you can stop significantly sooner if you're good at pumping the brake in a car without ABS than if you rely on ABS. Moreover, ABS lends a false sense of security: when you're rounding a corner, it can't prevent you from spinning out, yet people believe that it can.

      The statistics suggest that there is no advantage whatsoever to ABS.

      A: Learn before you post.

    21. Re:Think of the odds! by Pendersempai · · Score: 1

      "Well that's not what the Narrator in Fight Club would have us believe"

      Surprise! There is a reason that the narrator in Fight Club is not a credible news source.

    22. Re:Think of the odds! by Ironica · · Score: 1

      Yes, of course, Fight Club. It shows nothing. Certainly, it's possible, but the risk of such a strategy (national outcry, Arthur Anderson-style drawing and quartering of the entire corporation) offset the cost-benefit analysis that Tyler Durden so smugly explicates.

      First of all, it wasn't "Tyler Durden," it was his other personality, before he even met that side of himself.

      Second, he was alluding to actual practices by the Ford Motor Company. They have in the past (and may still, though they're much more careful about it) weighed the cost of a recall against the cost of lawsuits stemming from a defect, and make a purely financial decision on whether to recall the product. There's summaries of several such cases here.

      --
      Don't you wish your girlfriend was a geek like me?
    23. Re:Think of the odds! by MegaFur · · Score: 1
      Surprise! There is a reason that the narrator in Fight Club is not a credible news source.

      LOL. Yeah, true. I was just having fun quoting Fight Club and spreading FUD and cynicism.

      But, OTOH, Tyler was telling the truth about the cigarette burns in movies, so it's not all lies either.

      --
      Furry cows moo and decompress.
  39. Re:REDUNDANT?!?!?!! by puck71 · · Score: 1

    Because there's not a mod category for "wrong"

  40. Phone battery internals by wrmrxxx · · Score: 1

    Probably not so really battery acid: mobile phone batteries are typically Lithium Ion rather than lead acid like a car battery that can leak acid.

    The Lithium Ion batteries in modern phones burn very well, and can even explode. They heat up when they are being charged, and they can also heat up under load, i.e. when the phone is transmitting. The battery pack that you attach to the back of the phone usually contains not only one or more Li-Ion cells (each cell produces a nominal 4.2V and most phones operate with that), but a temperature sensor and a small circuit board with a protection circuit on it.

    The temperature sensor is used during charging to cut out charge if the battery overheats, to avoid it catching fire and/or exploding. I'm not sure if phones also monitor the battery temperature during normal use.

    The protection circuit on the output of the cell stops the battery from discharging too deeply, because Li-Ion batteries are hard to recharge if they go too flat. It also usually limits the output current (i.e. the speed at which the battery can be discharged) to prevent sparks or overloading and presumably overheating.

    Despite the disadvantages (limited lifespan of the cell is another), lithium ion batteries offer important advantages over other types of battery technology. They are small and light, and can be partially discharged then recharged repeatedly.

    The article doesn't go into the detail of the cause of the incident. It could have been the temperature sensor failing, resulting in overcharge. It could have been something totally unrelated, but it seems most likely to have been the battery: its the most obvious explosive part in the phone.

    1. Re:Phone battery internals by tap · · Score: 1

      Pretty good info. However, the nominal voltage of Li-ion batteries is 3.4V or 3.5V, depending on the type. The maximum voltage they reach during charging is 4.1V or 4.2V, but they quickly drop down to the nominal voltage.

      Lithium batteries are required to have a built in fuse, to keep them from exploding if they are shorted. Bare lithium cells have a built in thermisor based fused. Cells for OEM use in sealed battery packs don't have a built in fuse, but use an electronic one in the battery pack.

    2. Re:Phone battery internals by wrmrxxx · · Score: 1

      Yep - I was thinking of charging voltage but writing nominal for some reason. Good thing I don't use my brain for anything important.

      I had a sealed pack opened up just recently, from an Ericsson phone. It had a thermistor based fuse built in to the wire (more like a strap) that ran from one end of the battery to the protection circuit at the other end. It was held firmly against the cell (I guess for good thermal transfer) by the design of the case. It was also the reason I had the battery open - the pack had failed because this thing had gone permanently open circuit. Needless to say I didn't try to repair it. A battery pack that doesn't work any more is much better than one that explodes.

  41. Sounds like fun by baneblackblade · · Score: 1

    I'd previously been of the opinion that cell-phones are evil!! but now, I really really really want one! And if they could provide instructions in the manual for how to make them explode, preferably with a timer feature, then I'll buy a bundle!

  42. Ah... by BrokenHalo · · Score: 1
    Ah, exprosions! Very nice!

    :-)

    [Max Headroom: "War"]

    1. Re:Ah... by Penguinshit · · Score: 1


      Ah.. Nokia isn't an Asian company. Try again.

    2. Re:Ah... by muzthe42nd · · Score: 1

      Mine was made in Hungary, so Nyaaah, you're an idiot.

      --
      Pfft - Sorry, what?
  43. Re:battery by Cyno01 · · Score: 2, Informative

    The battery probably shorted against your keys or something in your pocket, reminds me of the time i picked up a cap from somewhere, nothing to powerful, but it was in a plastic bag which i placed in my pocket. Being thin plastic, both the leads poked through the bag and discharged into my leg, didn't hurt to much, but it was quite a shock. *ducks bricks resulting from bad pun*

    --
    "Sic Semper Tyrannosaurus Rex."
  44. Its a feature, not a bug by used_rugs · · Score: 1
    Phone Options :

    Silent
    Ring Once
    Ringing
    Ringing and Vibrating
    Ringing, Vibrating and Exploding

    Initially INTEL came up with the idea, but their chief developer leaked the information after being tortured at Guantanamo Bay.

  45. Sounds like urban legend. by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 2, Interesting

    The bad capacitors on motherboards just leaked. It's rare to get one exploding, in fact you only would in a PSU, where there's substantially more current than in a cell phone.

    Batteries don't explode in a cell phone situation. It's physically just not possible. Perhaps if they were charging and provided with an external power source that's greater than they can handle. They can certainly leak, they can get warm, but there's no way a battery in use in a device without external power can just "explode"

  46. Sigh.... by bongholio · · Score: 1

    IMHO (as a cellphone hater), this is a feature. :)

  47. yet another reason not to talk and drive... by keith.bronstrup.com · · Score: 1

    explosions can be very distracting. Espescially if they happen an inch from your face or in your pocket -- or anywhere in your vehicle, for that matter. Even a headset won't save you there, buddy!

    But, I wonder, if my phone exploded and caused an accident, could I sue the manufacturer?

    And, in other news, a Beowulf cluster of exploding Nokias has just taken out the terrorist group known as Al-Queda. God Damn, about friggin' time! Oh--- sorry, we're still on th air, aren't we? **POP** **BANG** **POP** **POP** OH FUCK! MY PHONE! Uhmm... and yours? And... Is everybody okay? It appears that all of us had Nokia phones on the set tonight; and... uhmm... they all exploded. Can't sue though. Wouldn't feel right, after they got rid of Osama for us.

    I know -- wishful thinking. But at least I'm thinking.

    --
    Error 666 - SCO source has been found in your Linux kernel. Please remove it.
    Formerly kdsolutions
  48. Terrorism! by Aardpig · · Score: 4, Funny

    Obviously the work of the Teleban...

    --
    Tubal-Cain smokes the white owl.
    1. Re:Terrorism! by dublin · · Score: 1

      Obviously the work of the Teleban...

      Someone please mod Parent up as +1 "Punny"...

      --
      "The future's good and the present is nothing to sneeze at." - Roblimo's last ./ post
    2. Re:Terrorism! by MGS+Hartman · · Score: 1
      Mossad did it to take out an Arab T.

      Now that's tele-BOOM!!!

      ... blow your head .. clean off.

  49. The cause of the explosions... by nmoog · · Score: 1

    It may have exploded due to being in close proximity to a WiFi network, or an AM radio...

  50. the new model in the incident is a Nokia 7210 by Little+Hamster · · Score: 1

    The Atlanta Journal-constitution also has a story about this. The story reports that it's a 7210. I guess owners of the 7210 beware :)

    1. Re:the new model in the incident is a Nokia 7210 by cyril3 · · Score: 1
      I can see it now.

      Teenage Boy.

      Vibration Alert

      Pants Pocket

      I'm sure something exploded.

  51. I misread this by Nucleon500 · · Score: 1
    I misread the title as "Nokia Investigating Reported Cell Phone Exploits." I'd love to combine those - an exploit which would let you make others's cell phones explode.

    What's McBride's cell phone number?

  52. Not just Nokia... by ArcCoyote · · Score: 1

    My Panasonic EB-310TX (ATT) nearly blew up in my car. I left it on the cig lighter charger overnight.

    Didn't think twice about doing so, cause:

    A) It's a genuine Panasonic charger sold to me at an ATTWS store
    2) Original Panasonic Li-Ion battery. No 3rd party junk here, and all of about 30 minutes of talk time.
    D) The AC charger shuts off when the battery is charged.

    Apparently the car charger isn't so smart. When I picked up that phone the next morning I dropped it real quick. It was too hot to hold. The battery pack had swelled enough to force it away from the phone body.

    Needless to say, the phone was cooked. It would stay operational for all of about 10 seconds before powering off or rebooting. The ATTWS store tried a new battery for me, didn't help.

    I ended up getting the Motorola T721. Now this is a nice phone, and I've yet to run down the battery, even after talking on it for 3 hours straight.

    My point is, any Lithium/-ion/-polymer battery is made with a very reactive metal. If overcharged, it will get hot and leak gases, and lithium+gases+heat = Boom.

  53. This is nothing but a field test.. by Genjurosan · · Score: 1

    A field test for the new weapon of the Bush administration. Created for the Homeland Security department by Nokia, the phones are programmed to explode when called by a source number, known only by the CIA, and in conjuction with a 2 beep tone. Once the tone plays the phone explodes and blows the head of the suspected terrorist.

    Perfecto!

    BTW, I'm a Bush fan; however, I simply couldn't resist.

    1. Re:This is nothing but a field test.. by gl4ss · · Score: 1

      you know why finns would help gwb?-)

      i do. we love conan o'brien ans his gwb jokes are hilarious(with the moving mouth), we cannot let them stop! though, now we have continued supply of arnold jokes too..

      anyways.. quick calculations show that nokia makes nearly 200 million phones nowadays per year, maybe they could change the battery type though.. but when talking i'd imagine bulk of explosion to go to your hand instead of your head(the battery is on the other side of the phone). i'd be intrested in also the exact phone model...

      --
      world was created 5 seconds before this post as it is.
  54. One word... by SoSueMe · · Score: 1

    ...American.

  55. so... by cap'n+foolsy · · Score: 1

    This is the second reported incident of Nokia phones exploding, the first one being back in August when a Dutch woman's phone exploded in her hand.

    OT: someone set her up the bomb? seriously though, was she seriously injured? what kind of explosion was it? was it just a *poof* and lots of smoke or was it more of a *kaboom* - like a firework? i wouldn't be too worried about the former, but the latter scares the hell out of me. i've seen people who've had fireworks explode in their hands, and it's not pretty. much less what that sort of thing could do to your face/neck...

    --
    It might look like I'm standing motionless, but I'm actively waiting for my problems to go away
    1. Re:so... by sithlord2 · · Score: 1



      According to a Belgian newspaper, the second victim had serious burns on her leg and was taken to hospital.

      --
      ...You are over-qualified and under-paid. If we give you a raise, we will break the cosmic balance of the universe.
  56. Re:Hmmmm by mrseigen · · Score: 1

    How do you remove them from the wall after the shards get embedded in it?

  57. I *told* her! by EvilStein · · Score: 1

    Damn it, I told my girlfriend that she just talked way too much on the phone...

  58. To heck with the nuclear cellphones... by phorm · · Score: 1

    You don't need nuclear batteries, you could charge them up anytime by plugging into one of these

  59. whoa by mantera · · Score: 1



    I had a cellular phone relatively early, back in the days of 1993. It was a Sony. I stopped using it, and using cellphones all together after i started getting headaches after talking on them. Most worrisome to me was that the phone got uncomfortably hot when I talked on it for any significant time, and then afterwards I'd start feeling that heat in my brain, sorta the side I was the using the phone just deeper my ear, almost an inch or two inside. I concluded I could do without that considerable amount of radiation and I was unwilling to go through the Tobacco-industry-versus-consumers over-whether-smoking-is-bad-for-you several-decades-debate-before-the-corporate-spin-r uns-out-of-tricks, so i hardly ever use a cellphone now although i own one, except for receiving calls, which if i'm close to a landline i quickly let people know i'd call them back or call them later. Other situations I used cellphones were I'd have something wrong with the car on a motorway, or mostly, as a voicemail device.

    That said though, the idea of something exploding in my pants is even more unwelcome. I assure you the contents of my pants might even be more sensitive than my head. I never understood people who were comfortable carrying their cellphones in their pants. Testicles are very sensitive to radiation and there is only a layer of skin covering them. I almost never carried my cellphone in my pocket. Recently i stopped using a laptop in my lap too, preferring to use it on a desk, or using some hard thick material such as a folder between me and it. Testicles are too precious.

    1. Re:whoa by forkboy · · Score: 1

      The energy delivered by electromagnetic waves that are involved in cellular communication is not sufficient to ionize molecules. I assure you that you won't get cancer from this. Radiation-induced mutations are strictly due to ions and free radicals that are created by bond breakage interaction with free electrons on DNA molecules. (specifically the nitrogen atoms in the peptide bonds in the amino acids that make up the protein strands) If you're not forming electron deficient ions and radicals, you're not mutating your DNA. Sorry.

      The energy is, however, sufficient to cause slight vibrations in the chemical bonds in your cells, causing the increase in perceived temperature. This probably will not hurt you any more than touching a warm piece of metal to your skin will.

      On the down side, some studies are showing that RF energy can cause certain chemicals to cross the blood-brain barrier when they shouldn't be, but that's not necessarily carcingenic, just (possibly) neurotoxic. These are new studies, though, and it's not conclusive yet.

      --
      This message brought to you by the Council of People Who Are Sick of Seeing More People.
  60. no no no.... by mrscorpio · · Score: 1

    In SOVIET RUSSIA, company sues you!

    Chris

  61. Dont need fuel cells by POds · · Score: 1

    I was worried about the fuel cells doing this when the first come out in laptops late next year or early 2005, but it looks like we dont need fuel cell powered devices to make things go boom.

    I would have never expected a normal battery to expload. but if these can, is there a larger risk of fuel cells exploading? and if they do, wouldnt the explosion be much larger?

    Just another reason why i dont need a mobile/cell phone :) (and dont want one)

    --


    Giving IE users a taste of their own medicine since 2005 - http://pods.-is-a-geek.net/
  62. Don't worry about ur testicles... by khenson · · Score: 1

    If the mean ol' cellphone/laptop/radiation monster sizzles ur man-gables I'll sell you mine.

    ...and being a /.'er - they're seldom used...

    1. Re:Don't worry about ur testicles... by mantera · · Score: 1



      i'm into open source; it got me into the habit of being thrifty with money and wasteful with time, therefore, I no longer buy stuff or have the life to use it :-p

      That said, since testicles are essentially hardware, i'm curious how much you'd sell 'em to me for.

  63. Anti-terrorist phone by kumachan · · Score: 1

    I think he must have accidentally been given the new Patriot Nokia cell phone, with new improved anti-terrorist capabilties as required under the Patriot Act. Features include 50 grams of C4 in battery, that can be detonated by CIA, FBI, IRA, IRS, DMV. Though it will also explode when user is involved in car accident, is shot or falls off cliff. *this is the forerunner to the same explosives placed inside the Star Trek consoles which explode whenever the Enterprise is shot at by aliens or the computer overloads.

    1. Re:Anti-terrorist phone by quaxzarron · · Score: 1

      Yup, I know this one...

      it has an undocumented feature which causes it to explode when you use the words "al quaeda" or "osama" or "george bush"...

      and there is a documented bug that causes the phone to mistake "all kinds of" or "oh some more" or "keanu reeves" for the above

      --
      .sig(Anarchy Rules)
  64. The humor increases in direct proportion... by Atario · · Score: 1

    ...to how loudly/obnoxiously the cretin is yapping into it.

    --
    "A great democracy must be progressive or it will soon cease to be a great democracy." --Theodore Roosevelt
  65. actually... by rebelcool · · Score: 3, Informative
    nokia started out as a paper company in 1865*


    *Kerin, Berkowitz, Hartley, Rudelius.
    Marketing: 7th edition.

    --

    -

    1. Re:actually... by __aaqnaz2869 · · Score: 1

      Toilet Paper I believe

  66. Old batteries? by chrome · · Score: 1

    7210's are very old. Is it possible that the old battery just simply degraded to a dangerous level?

    It makes sense that there would be a short usable life for rechargable batteries.

  67. Talk about your dual mode cellphone... by rune2 · · Score: 1

    It now doubles as a genade. Reach out and explode someone....

  68. Sorry! by PHAEDRU5 · · Score: 3, Funny

    The IDF deliveries to Fatah (et al.) got delivered elsewhere by mistake!

    Whoops! Next: Suicide murderers in Helsinki.

    (Where's Mannerheim when you need him?)

    --
    668: Neighbour of the Beast
  69. Exploding phone almost boon for Nokia by Theovon · · Score: 1

    First exploding cell phone: "Only Nokia parts are reliable. Buy only from Nokia. Give us more money!"

    Second exploding cell phone: "Well, I guess Nokia parts aren't reliable either."

  70. They don't like the term explosion. by Chuck+Chunder · · Score: 3, Informative

    According to this article the mobile phone companies prefer "venting with flame".

    Coincidently I was looking at this stuff a couple of days ago. My Nokia 8250 had started turning itself off when in use. I wasn't sure whether it was the battery dying or the phone so I went to borrow a spare battery to test with.

    When I opened the phone I noticed that rather than being flat the battery was bulging out as if it was pregnant. The bulge was enough that it was difficult to get the battery cover back on.

    I now have a whole new phone (another Nokia, a 7250i).

    --
    Boffoonery - downloadable Comedy Benefit for Bletchley Park
    1. Re:They don't like the term explosion. by Fesh · · Score: 1

      Referencing the article, it looks like it's not discharge (use) of the battery that's the hazard, but impoper charging... So the comments about phones heating up during use may not be getting at the problem here.

      --
      --Fesh
      Kill -9 'em all, let root@localhost sort 'em out.
    2. Re:They don't like the term explosion. by madcow_ucsb · · Score: 1

      Heh reminds me of an UPS (one of the little single PC ones) we had at work once. One day the thing failed (can't remember how we knew this). We tried to pull out the battery to check it but it wouldn't come out. After struggling for quite a while, we got it out and the whole side of the thing was bulging like crazy (all those circles on the bottom were popping out and stuff) and it was hot as hell. Made us wonder how close we came to having the thing blow up on us.

      Scary thing is that the battery was so hot that it felt warm for hours.

  71. Similarly by Chuck+Chunder · · Score: 1

    It's not a good idea to dispose of disposable lighters in this way.

    --
    Boffoonery - downloadable Comedy Benefit for Bletchley Park
  72. Turnabout is fair play by Alex+Reynolds · · Score: 1

    Too bad about the fellow getting burnt.

    At least now we can watch someone sue the pants off of Nokia.

    -Alex

  73. So THAT'S where they went! by The+One+and+Only · · Score: 2, Funny

    I wondered where the designers of the PowerBook 5300 went...

    --
    In Repressive Burma, it's not just your connection that dies. slashdot.org/comments.pl?sid=314547&cid=20819199
    1. Re:So THAT'S where they went! by dave1212 · · Score: 1

      haha I'm still waiting to see if mine gets really hot sometime.. then I'll start to worry.
      Kind of like the notoriety of it ;)

  74. Intolerable by djtripp · · Score: 1

    There are 2 things I hate, people who drive and talk at the same time, and the Dutch (with exploding phones). Now if a Finnish person's Nokia blew up, I think there would be a national scare.

    --
    "This is you left and that's your left. This is your right and that's your right. You're gonna die!
  75. Was it the charger? by apetime · · Score: 3, Informative
    I remember seeing something about this on a TV show I saw while I was in Japan. The phones they tested all had 1st-party batteries, but the chargers they used were non-standard, like the little cases you can hook up nine-volts with, or quick recharging ones.

    I don't remember the details, but something about heat building up during the charging vaporized something inside, making the case rupture spraying acid all over the place. Apparently, the phone could still explode a few minutes after it had been disconnected.

  76. location, location, location by bbc22405 · · Score: 1

    Hmmm, sounds like he should have left that cellphone in his other pants...

  77. Obligatory Fight Club Reference by defile · · Score: 1

    Two TECHNICIANS lead Jack to the BURNT-OUT SHELL of a
    WRECKED AUTOMOBILE. Jack sets down his briefcase, opens it
    and starts to make notes on a CLIPBOARDED FORM.

    JACK (V.O.)
    I'm a recall coordinator. My job is
    to apply the formula. It's a story
    problem.

    TECHNICIAN #1
    Here's where the infant went through
    the windshield. Three points.

    JACK (V.O.)
    A new car built by my company leaves
    somewhere traveling at 60 miles per
    hour. The rear differential locks up.

    TECHNICIAN #2
    The teenager's braces around the
    backseat ashtray would make a good
    "anti-smoking" ad.

    JACK (V.O.)
    The car crashes and burns with
    everyone trapped inside. Now: do we
    initiate a recall?

    TECHNICIAN #1
    The father must've been huge. See
    how the fat burnt into the driver's
    seat with his polyester shirt? Very
    "modern art."

    JACK (V.O.)
    Take the number of vehicles in the
    field, (A), and multiply it by the
    probable rate of failure, (B), then
    multiply the result by the average
    out-of-court settlement, (C). A
    times B times C equals X...

    CUT TO:

    INT. AIRPLANE CABIN - MOVING DOWN RUNWAY

    Jack is speaking to the BUSINESSWOMAN next to him.

    JACK
    If X is less than the cost of a
    recall, we don't do one.

    BUSISNESS WOMAN
    Are there a lot of these kinds of
    accidents?

    JACK
    Oh, you wouldn't believe.

    BUSINESS WOMAN
    ... Which... car company do you work
    for?

    JACK
    A major one.

    Turgid silence. Jack turns to the window. He sees a
    PELICAN get SUCKED into the TURBINE.

  78. Hmm... Terrorist batteries by iamacat · · Score: 1

    So can people actually make batteries explode on purpose? I sure hope this car doesn't park under my appartment building.

  79. Ah HA! by stfvon007 · · Score: 1

    So THATS where the RIAA is from! Somehow I suspected they were soviets......

    --
    All misspellings and grammatical errors in the above post are intentional and part of my artistic expression.
  80. Re:Is that an explosion in your pants? by MGS+Hartman · · Score: 1

    Those Nokia phones are just awful.

    In anything that has NiMH or Li-ion there's a fairly serious amount of power in those batterries.

  81. Yeah, but with a car... by wrinkledshirt · · Score: 1

    With a car, at least there's no chance of being caught in something that looks like a Monty Python skit.

    --

    --------
    Bleah! Heh heh heh... BLEAH BLEAH!!! Ha ha ha ha...

  82. Real world lemmings by snowtigger · · Score: 1

    WOW ! Can you imagine the possibilities with this thing ?

    We will finally be able to play Street Lemmings with real people. As soon as we know the sms code for blowing someone up, all we have to do is to give the people on the street a backpack of bricks, an axe, a parachute and a few more things.

  83. Innovation!! by FyRE666 · · Score: 1

    I wonder if there's a custom nokia class for this "explosion" technology for java. This could really tickle a game up a bit - you know, add to the experience. "You lose the level - you lose your hands ;-)"

  84. A statement from Nokia by boer · · Score: 2, Informative

    Accoding to this news (sorry, in Finnish) from today, Nokia denies that any original Nokia battery had ever exploded. Cheap third party batteries are a growing problem, because they usually lack safety components that prevent the battery from overheating when it's dropped or short circuiting.

    --
    (This sig intentionally left blank)
  85. Correcting the FUD(again) by tanveer1979 · · Score: 1
    Maybe yes. But why. No company would like gets its reputaion tarnished. Nokia has a big industry share.

    Lets get to the economics too. Adding such a thing with adequate protection mechanisms will require approximate 10000 gates microchip, plus some analog circuitry. This increase in cost does not justify this.

    Moreover batteries are not replaced much nowadays(in GSM). Battery life for a meduim user is around 18 months, and after that time many people change phones. And one thing what people discount is that if such a thing happened we will have thousands of exploding phones, not just one or two. This is more of a freak error. Maybe some nokia phones have a defect which is masked by good quality batteries, or maybe batteries are not designed properly to take such loads.

    If you are really worried about this, don't. Your battery wont just explode. first the symptons come. If your battery heats up excessively while talking change it. And buy good quality batteries, manufactured by reliable manufacturers. Not necessarily nokia could be any comply

    --
    My Aurora : http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=o91ZsGwJYyg
    FB : https://www.facebook.com/TanveersPhotography
  86. Okay, phreaks here... by SharpFang · · Score: 1

    Admit, what code do you send to the phone to make it explode!

    --
    45 5F E1 04 22 CA 29 C4 93 3F 95 05 2B 79 2A B2
  87. Re:battery by John+Allsup · · Score: 1

    I always wrap cells up in paper when carrying the around. First, you can roll it round in such a way as the paper separates a couple of cells, and the rest insulates them from anything around. (I usually wrap them in pairs, since I've got nothing that requires an odd number of them.)

    (For AA: Take A5 sheet; put AA cell in middle of one of the short edges; roll it round the cell once; put the second cell next to it, roll it up and fold the ends over, sticking one inside the other to keep the whole thing from unrolling.)

    As for shorting: this is the problem with cells that have a low internal resistance. For a more extreme example, take a typical lead-acid cell that you'd get in your car. This can quite happily explode (in the real explosion sense) when shorted (the heat boils the liquid (H2SO4 IIRC) blows the cell open spraying the acid all over the place.) That said, I've only heard this (not stupid enough to actually try it.)

    p.s. people can cause the above problem if they use jump-leads incorrectly, wiring + to -, - to + rather than + to +, - to -.

    --
    John_Chalisque
  88. You all missed.. by adeyadey · · Score: 1

    ..what is probably the more significant link in the article. Worry less about 1-2 phones exploding per year, and more about the consequences 20 years down the line of putting a powerful microwave transmitter up to your head - to quote from the linked text:

    Voice-only devices are giving way to real heavy Internet-ready devices with a lot more guts that, at least theoretically, may not be that great to have right next to your head, said Bryan Prohm, a wireless industry analyst at market research firm Dataquest.

    --
    "You lied to me! There is a Swansea!"
  89. It's the power amplifier (in)efficiency by dtmos · · Score: 4, Informative

    The heat you feel in a cell phone after talking on it for a time likely is due to the heating of the radio frequency (RF) power amplifier (PA) in the phone's transmitter, not the battery.

    The PA must generate (depending on the type of phone you have--GSM, CDMA, etc.--the range to the cell tower, and other factors) somewhere between 0.2 and 1.0 Watts of RF power output. For lots of good reasons, and despite the best efforts of lots of engineers at lots of places, the conversion efficiency of battery power to RF power of cell phone PAs is around 35%--meaning that approximately two-thirds of the battery power consumed by the PA is converted to heat, instead of RF power, as you talk. Since everyone likes a small, light-weight cell phone, there is no dedicated heat sink (or external fan!) for the phone's PA; instead, most designs usually use the cell phone's frame to conduct the waste heat away from the PA. The frame, of course, conducts the heat to the outside world, which in this case includes your ear.

    In many cases, to avoid the loss of an RF transmission line from the bottom to the top of the phone (which would result in even more inefficiency) the PA is placed next to the antenna, near the top of the phone--thus exacerbating the ear-heating effect. Since the heat generated by the PA has remained more-or-less constant over the years but the mass of the phone has decreased, the temperature the phone reaches in this situation has increased, making it more noticable. Handling this temperature rise is part of cell phone design, and one of the many tradeoffs that occur in them. Keep in mind that, since it is produced by energy stored in the battery that could otherwise be used to extend talk or standby time--two selling factors near and dear to the hearts of cell phone manufacturers--designers would eagerly reduce generated heat if they could do so without violating other design parameters, like product cost.

    The type of heating you're experiencing sounds completely normal and safe to me. I would expect that heating of the battery itself would be unrelated to whether you talked on the phone or not. Rather, it would occur either (a) during charging with a defective or improperly designed charger, or (b) randomly, as a cell shorts out and its stored energy heats itself (and its neighbors) up, and the built-in protection circuitry either fails or (in off-brand batteries) is nonexistent. You can protect yourself against both of these possibilities (to below the lightning-strike and meteorite-collision probability levels) by simply buying and using name-brand batteries and chargers.

  90. can some1 sell me one? by jago25_98 · · Score: 1

    Sounds really exciting, just imagine how much more thrilling those phone calls are going to be never knowing if it'll explode at anytime - and with the rushed calls you're save money too

  91. Investigators begin at the source by Illbay · · Score: 1
    --
    Any technology distinguishable from magic is insufficiently advanced.
  92. Sell them to the Mossad by fuzzybunny · · Score: 1


    I could imagine that these things could be put to killer use by the Mossad.

    And it would save them having to handle all those nasty explosives and things. And if the Palestinians get upset, they can say "hey, don't blame us, we just gave you all free phones. Sue Nokia!" and they wouldn't do it because nobody hates Finland! Except for Sweden, maybe, and I don't know many Swedish Palestinians.

    --
    Cole's Law: Thinly sliced cabbage
  93. I think Ralph Nader should get involved. by winstarman · · Score: 1

    I guess there's a subtle reason for why I've never been fond of Nokia phones. Anyone ever had a Samsung SCH series phone explode?

    But what if it exploded next to your head?

    yikes.

    R-

    --
    Hard loop..... huh?

    Dynamic Designs
  94. Hoax email in the offing? by Channard · · Score: 1

    Anyone else think we'll be seeing a hoax chain email soon saying.. 'If you get a text with subject x / from party x delete it as reading it will make your battery explode'?

  95. X-Shok, anyone? by Channard · · Score: 1

    Well, maybe if they could rig up one of these electric shock devices in a mobile phone.

  96. They're in the wrong business obviously .. by onosendai · · Score: 1

    Nokia should start buying into the great Military Industrial Complex. What with this this and now the N-Gage, all they seem to be doing these days is handling bombs.
    It's a joke, laugh ...

    --
    <? include ('signature.inc'); ?>
  97. Back door? by nmg196 · · Score: 1

    This is probably a Nokia engineers back door! She probably got a text message which contained the phrase "DIE DIE DIE" and this signalled the phone to short the lithium battery :)

    Is it true they don't have text messages (SMS) in America - or was someone making that up?

    Nick...

    1. Re:Back door? by Ironica · · Score: 1

      Is it true they don't have text messages (SMS) in America - or was someone making that up?

      They may have honestly thought that, because we don't use it so much here... probably because most cell phone providers charge extra for it. I can pay another $10 a month for unlimited text message reception (though the number of free outgoing texts is limited), or I can pay 10 cents for every message I receive or send. Or I can cancel the ability to receive/send messages altogether, which I may do, since idiots like www.411freegift.com aren't likely to give me 10 cents every time they spam me, and Cingular isn't too helpful on blocking unsolicited messages only. (I've only gotten two so far, but it could add up fast.)

      --
      Don't you wish your girlfriend was a geek like me?
    2. Re:Back door? by nmg196 · · Score: 1

      Well I guess that's the difference - in the UK you don't pay to receive text messages unless they're special text messages designed to charge you for something (reverse SMS billing/micropayments). Normal texts are free to receive and there's no monthly cost - just 5-20p (depending on tarriff) to send a text message. You pay a bit more if your text message has a picture or sound attachment...

      So if you get spammed - it's free, but annoying. Thankfully I hardly ever get any spams, and if I want, I can opt to only receive texts from people who are in my phonebook - meaning it'll ignore all the spams anyway.

    3. Re:Back door? by Ironica · · Score: 1

      if I want, I can opt to only receive texts from people who are in my phonebook - meaning it'll ignore all the spams anyway.

      Wow, what amazing technology they've invented over there in the UK. I wonder how it is that your cell phone science researchers are so far ahead of ours.

      Or maybe it's just that our economics researchers are far more advanced in telling companies how to squeeze every short-term cent out of their customers, without regard to the long-term goodwill of their userbase...

      Bitter? Me? Noooooo.... never!

      --
      Don't you wish your girlfriend was a geek like me?
  98. Re:Maybe.. by Ch_Omega · · Score: 1

    First of all, the Norwegian climate is anything but hot, and second, this happened in Netherland. :)

  99. This is Only the Begining by marXian · · Score: 1

    Considering the number of phones Nokia have out there its remarkable that only one or two have GONE OFF EARLY...

  100. A little C4 by The+Tyro · · Score: 1

    goes a long way... forget the ear; it wouldn't take much to "blow your head clean off" (in the immortal words of Clint Eastwood).

    I believe the Mossad also did this with the headrest of a car that a terrorist leader was driving... inventive folks, the Mossad... they're like geeks with an unlimited supply of high-explosives.

    As an aside, that's one of the reasons why the Mossad is perhaps the most feared intelligence organ in the free world... they are (and have been) inventive, and ruthless. Apart from the occasional screw-up (the reputed botched assassination of a Moroccan waiter in Norway in the early 1970's is one example), they have carried out assassinations of terrorists in multiple locations in the world... mostly in the wake of the massacre of Israeli atheletes at the '72 olympics by Black September (a palestinian militant group).

    The Mossad is very good at what they do... and exploding phones are one of their specialties.

    --
    Even if a man chops off your hand with a sword, you still have two nice, sharp bones to stick in his eyes.
  101. Blue Mouse of Death by javatips · · Score: 1

    Was it the mouse with the blue laser? If so... You now understand why MS switched to a blue laser!

    Next thing, MS is going to file for a patent when you mouse communicate with MS server to report that it just crashed!

  102. Is that a rocket in your pocket? by Hooligan+Rob · · Score: 1

    ... No, just my exploding cellphone.

    --
    I'm looking California... but feeling Minnesota...
  103. Re:This looks like the start of an urban legend by mangu · · Score: 1
    I think someone is spreading FUD here.


    Probably. Or else, someone is setting up grounds for some legal action against Nokia.

  104. Comment removed by account_deleted · · Score: 1

    Comment removed based on user account deletion

  105. Meanwhile... by Lurgen · · Score: 1

    ... on a rooftop not too far away a sniper is annoyed he missed.

  106. Thankyou by jarran · · Score: 1

    Interesting. The Nokian Gazz has long been the tyre of choice for mountain unicyclists like myself. I always wondered if Nokian was somehow related to Nokia.

    Mystery solved. +1 informative.

  107. The N-Gage by poot_rootbeer · · Score: 1

    Oh, ok... so THAT'S why Nokia designed the N-Gage so that you have to take the thing apart and remove the battery to get to the game cartridge port.

    That way when the battery explodes, the game cart won't be launched across the room, making it hard to find and retrieve.

  108. Don't be so sure.. by AftanGustur · · Score: 1


    The thing about this incident that I find concerning is that this phone exploded in the guys pocket when battery consumption is at its lowest.

    1-800-BIGMAMA: "Now put the handset in your pocket, honey, and rub it up and down, YEAH LIKE THIS OHHH YeS YeS BABY GIVE IT TO MEE IM COMING BOOOOMMMM, _______ Huh ?, he just hung up . well another happy customer served.

    --
    echo '[q]sa[ln0=aln80~Psnlbx]16isb572CCB9AE9DB03273snlbxq' |dc
  109. Re:Maybe.. by the_consumer · · Score: 1

    What about the big pussy joke guy? I'd vote for him if he ran on a platform "All big pussy jokes, all the time".

    --
    "If you're thinking what I'm thinking, you're right." -
  110. Obligatory Simpsons reference by MayorDefacto · · Score: 1
    "...individuals acting in a secretive fashion are often involved with UFOs or other paranormal phenomena, e.g., telephone explosions."

    ...and this guy's the head of the Spaceology Department at the Correspondence College of Tampa!

  111. First cell phones, then printers? by Generic+Guy · · Score: 1

    From the story, it sounds like Nokia is blaming "unauthorized" third-party batteries for the problem.

    In other news: Taking a cue from cellphone makers, inkjet printer makers announced they will incorporate exploding cartridge systems to prevent you from using cheaper, third-party ink in them.

    --
    { - Generic Guy - }
  112. Explosions by PiratePTG · · Score: 1
    I don't know about cellphone batteries exploding, but I know *I* used to explode when I got my daughter's cellphone BILL each month!!

    --
    The number 1 problem of working in a cubicle - 23 power cords, 1 outlet...
  113. Well... by xmda · · Score: 1

    I heard on the radio the other day that in Great Britain, about twenty people each year get injured using, hold your breath: calculators!

    After hearing that, nothing surprises me anymore...

  114. So the rumor is true by chord.wav · · Score: 1

    It seems Nokia released some phones with movieOS in them.

  115. Laptop batteries... by DigiShaman · · Score: 1

    Explode with the force of 1/4 stick of dynamite if the cells are faulty. And in this case, I'm willing to bet the cells in the aftermarket Nokia batteries are Sanyo brand. I won't go into further detail due to the NDA I had to sign. But I will say this, when sub-quality manufacturing goes into producing batteries, you have yourself a potential chemical BOMB!.

    --
    Life is not for the lazy.
  116. Lithium plus water? by Shanep · · Score: 1

    I've heard that if Lithium is mixed with water, it explodes. Does anyone know if this is true?

    I heard that an Australian army soldier was killed while walking in waist deep water when his (I guess typically badly treated) army radio battery got wet.

    I'd love to know if this is true and Lithium is really *that* explosive?

    --
    War crimes, torture, lies, illegal spying... Would someone give Bush a blowjob, already, so he can be impeached?