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How a Helium Leak Disabled Every iPhone In a Medical Facility (vice.com)
dmoberhaus writes: In one of the strangest system admin tales of all time, one IT guy details how a new MRI machine managed to disable every single iPhone, Apple watch and iPad in a medical facility while leaving the rest of the devices untouched. Eric Woolridge, a system administrator at Morris Hospital in Illinois, said in a detailed post on the r/sysadmin subreddit that helium was to blame for the malfunctioning iPhones. "[T]he MRI installation involves supercooling the giant magnet in the machine by boiling off liquid helium," reports Motherboard. "This evaporated helium is usually pumped out of the facility through a vent, but this vent was leaking the helium into the rest of the facility. In all, about 120 liters of helium (or about 90,000 cubic meters in its gaseous state) was pumped out of the MRI room and an untold amount leaked into the rest of the hospital."
In a blog post, iFixit notes that helium atoms can wreak havoc on MEMS silicon chips. "MEMS are microelectromechanical systems that are used for gyroscopes and accelerometers in phones, and helium atoms are small enough to mess up the way these systems function," reports Motherboard. What's odd is that Android phones were not affected. Apparently, the reason "is because Apple recently defected from traditional quartz-based clocks in its phones in favor of clocks that are also made of MEMS silicon," reports Motherboard. "Given that clocks are the most critical device in any computer and are necessary to make the CPU function, their disruption with helium atoms is enough to crash the device."
In a blog post, iFixit notes that helium atoms can wreak havoc on MEMS silicon chips. "MEMS are microelectromechanical systems that are used for gyroscopes and accelerometers in phones, and helium atoms are small enough to mess up the way these systems function," reports Motherboard. What's odd is that Android phones were not affected. Apparently, the reason "is because Apple recently defected from traditional quartz-based clocks in its phones in favor of clocks that are also made of MEMS silicon," reports Motherboard. "Given that clocks are the most critical device in any computer and are necessary to make the CPU function, their disruption with helium atoms is enough to crash the device."
It's more than just $$$, it's space. Instead of a discrete quartz crystal somewhere, they can etch a little resonator right on an existing chip.
W..w..W - Willy Waterloo washes Warren Wiggins who is washing Waldo Woo.
Meh. You think removing the headphone jack gives more battery capacity, too. Right?
"Space?" They charge a premium for the larger models. Go figure.
"National Security is the chief cause of national insecurity." - Celine's First Law
Because they're idiots who don't realize what they're dealing with, that's why.
The only way to prevent such waste is to increase the price of helium to such a point that everyone dealing with helium, when possible, will try to re-capture it once it's been used.
#DeleteFacebook
You don't understand the problem thats why.
The whole concept of a helium shortage was a made up event for corporate America to take over the US Helium reserve.
Many oil production facilities vent out helium because the cost to capture and transport to market are too high compared to the return on the investment on the next quarters finical reports.
And there is nothing more important then next quarters finical reports, our pensions depend on them, our IRA depend on that, sometimes our bonus depends on the next quarters finical reports.
We have to listen to our CorpPolitical overlords, reusing helium will just make the problem worse, the price for helium will go down and thats not good for profits.
... when applied to other peoples expensive Apple gadgets.