Finding a Quality Cell Phone Repair Center

June 14th, 2010

Over the past several years there has been a huge growth in the number of cell phone repair centers nationally.  While this is good for all parties involved it does create an area of concern – Who should you chose to repair your cell phone?

  • As we mentioned in an earlier blog (DIY Repair), not all repair solutions are obvious.  Finding a shop that can truly isolate and repair your issue may not be so easy.  For example, in the case of many LG models, speaker and/or microphone issues may occur because of a damaged charger port but can also result from a problem with the display (as it is part of the audio circuit).  Therefore, it is vital that you choose a repair shop that has the ability to be capable of determining the root cause of an issue in order to perform effective repairs.
  • The second critical piece – the shop must have the ability and tools to properly make the necessary repair.  There is a certain amount of technique know-how that comes with experience and not from training classes offered by other repair centers.  The technique we employ for our board level repairs has been developed and perfected over many years of doing repairs.  Additional training should come from one of the manufacturers or formal technical classes. (Our techs, at a minimum have received formal training through Nokia and Motorola) With respect to tools, much of the soldering done now requires specialized equipment.  Simple soldering irons are no longer useful for many repairs.  We use a variety of high end soldering irons, pre-heaters and re-work stations.  The change to lead-free solder has made these tools critical for proper repair.  Also, given the more densely populated and smaller printed circuit boards, electrostatic discharge (ESD) is a major concern, and shops must have, use and maintain protective devices, including mats and wrist straps. Otherwise, damage to board components is likely. (While it the effects may not show up immediately, latent damage is a real concern.)  High end shops will generally use a constant monitoring system and / or frequently test the devices being repaired to ensure they are working as designed and that they are not being affected by any ESD.  So, seek out repair shops with years or practical experience, additional training from OEM manufacturers or technical courses, up-to-date tools and equipment, and ESD safety and monitoring devices.
  • The quality of parts used CAN impact the quality of the repair.  Thanks to high demand, low quality replacement parts have flooded the market.  To keep a competitive edge by charging a lower price for repairs, many shops will use these low end parts.  While the customer saves money, these parts are prone to higher failure rates.  Electrical components like LCDs and flex assemblies are the biggest concern, but many housings and glass lenses (like those for the iPhone) are also not made to manufacturer specifications.  They tend to be thinner and, as a result, break easier.  High end shops will only use OEM or like OEM quality parts.  This generally results in a higher repair cost, but you can be assured the repair will hold as designed. Thus, it would seem like a wise decision to ask the repair shop what parts they use in their repairs so you can have greater assurance of the highest quality repair of your device.
  • The final piece in locating a quality shop – testing and quality control.  Whether customers bring their phones into a local shop or mail them in, they should expect that they won’t discover any unresolved issues when the repaired phone is returned.  While it is not possible to guarantee a 100% defect free rate, every effort must be made by the repair shop to minimize the possibility of errors.  Nothing is worse than receiving a phone back from repair only to find something amiss, especially if that ‘something’ may not have been the original problem!  People who bring their phones into a local shop for repairs have an advantage as they can test their phone upon pickup and have any unresolved or newly discovered issues fixed immediately. Not as easy for those who send their phone in for repair; time and distance complicate the situation and can cause customer frustration.  This makes it essential to know the testing and quality control procedures of any shop you would go to for repairs.  To that end, our testing and QC procedure can be found at http://www.blueridgewireless.com/qc.html.

As we’ve already blogged extensively, be very skeptical of shops that claim the ability to effectively repair water damaged cell phones.

There are plenty of repair shops out there offering quality work done by experienced, skilled techs with up-to-date tools and equipment using premium parts at a fair price.  These shops return to the customer a fully tested and inspected product and back their work with a guarantee.  There are, unfortunately far too many shops that do not meet these criteria and should be avoided.  So, if you are in need of a cell phone repair center, be careful, do your homework, and ask questions before you decide with whom to trust your repair.

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Quick Response Codes

May 26th, 2010

Have you come across a box like this and wondered what it was?  They are Quick Response Codes (QR Codes).  They were created in 1994 by Denso-Wave for aiding in the tracking of  parts used in the vehicle manufacturing process.  Today they have become the next tool used by marketers and are aimed at smart phone users.  They are matrix codes or 2D bar codes.

So why are they created in place of bar codes?  QR Codes offer a number of significant advantages over traditional bar codes.

  • Due to the square design, they offer more encoded information than can be contained within a single bar code.  Data can be stored horizontally and vertically.  Traditional bar codes can only store about 20 characters while QR codes can store hundreds (300 is generally the recommended limit).
  • They can contain a variety of information including text, website addresses and links, contact information including phone numbers.
  • They can be read from any direction.
  • They can be read by any number of devices that contain a camera and a code reader, eliminating the need for customer equipment and software.
  • Each time the code is read, it can be tracked.

Currently, these codes are widely used in Japan and Europe by advertisers due to their versatility.  They are starting to make their way into the marketing portfolio of US advertisers.  With the ability of smart phones to download code readers, these codes can be readily created and read, providing an avenue for quick response to ads.  The user merely opens the code reader program and points the camera at the code.  The software then decodes the matrix revealing the text, a website link or other information.

The code above, if read correctly, is a special promotion.  Other codes will allow contact information to download to your phone without having to enter it by hand.  QR codes can be used to provide additional product information that would not readily fit on packaging, provide links back to a store’s website or offer unique promotional offers.

With the ability to place QR codes on everything from business cards to shirts, their potential uses are endless.  With the ability to track response to them, they are fast becoming a valuable marketing tool.

Look for Blue Ridge Wireless to begin using more QR codes in the near future!

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Deception in Advertising? – Aftermarket Battery Ratings

May 17th, 2010

In our last blog post, we made reference to ‘recent reports’ regarding aftermarket batteries.  Our recommendation to purchase only OEM batteries due to build quality, overall useful life and potential safety risks associated with aftermarket batteries is supported in independent testing.

Batteries are rated in terms of there capacity.  Capacity is directly related to the amount and quality of the electrode and electrolyte material used in construction.  The typical measure of capacity for cell phone batteries is in milliamp hours (mAh).  The greater a battery’s rated capacity, the greater usable power available or the longer it can be utilized depending on the draw required by the device.  A 1200 mAh battery can provide either 120 milliamps for 10 hours or 100 milliamps for 12 hours.

The typical criteria used by many in select what battery to purchase generally comes down to price and the mAh rating.  It is no coincidence that the majority of aftermarket batteries advertise a higher capacity rating AND sell for a lower price than most OEM batteries.  Unfortunately, reports now show the batteries do NOT live up to their rating (not surprisingly as they need to use lower quality materials and less of them to maintain a lower price point).

from Mobilecrunch.com:

Are third-party cell phone battery manufacturers deceiving their customers?

1400mAh. 2500mAh! 10 million mAh! Ah-ah-ah!

The vast majority of consumers don’t have a clue as to what those little numbers on their cell phones battery mean. Like with processor clock speeds and television refresh rates, we all tend to just assume that bigger numbers = better product. So when Joe Consumer sees some third-party manufacturer touting their batteries with ratings double that of what the official battery offers, it seems like a killer deal.

Alas, it appears that some of these third-party manufacturers might be pulling the oldest marketing trick in the world: flat-out lying.

Armed with a nothing but a fancy battery testing suite and a desire for honesty, a gent named Doug Simmons set out to put third-party battery ratings to the test. He asked his online cohorts to loan him their third-party wares, and the brawl began.

His findings? While OEM batteries are clocking in at right around the promised rating, third-party batteries.. aren’t.

Now, no one really expects the “official” batteries sold on eBay to be.. you know, official. And they most certainly aren’t. Pitched as being one-to-one matches with the real deal, some of these bootlegs are failing to perform even half as well as the original.

… But it goes beyond eBay: even amongst the (fairly pricey) batteries of some of the more well-known third parties (like Seido, or Mugen), (Doug Simmons)  is seeing discrepancies left and right. Take Seido’s 1600mAh replacement for the Nexus One, for example. The battery is pitched as being about 14% stronger than the Nexus One’s original 1400mAh battery (which, by the way, tested at a very acceptable 1357mAh) — but in Doug’s tests, this “bigger” battery is actually clocking in at a lower capacity (1317mAh) than the original.

Doug’s only tested around a dozen batteries so far, but the results are eye opening; while the OEM batteries are almost always reasonably accurate to their promised rating, the third-party batteries are consistently 20-30% weaker than advertised. Check out his results so far here — and if you’ve got a new-condition battery for him to take a crack at, be sure to get in touch.

The bottom line: When a replacement is needed make sure you purchase a new battery from the same manufacturer as your phone and do so from a reputable supplier.

A special thanks to Doug Simmons for his efforts.

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Before You Buy That Aftermarket Battery…

April 30th, 2010

We have long advocated against the use of aftermarket chargers and batteries.  Within this blog we have primarily focused on chargers, as there has been far less written about their use elsewhere.  But given the number of issues our customers have experienced with low quality batteries this week alone (and given recent reports on aftermarket batteries), this seems like a good time to post on the subject.

For purpose of this discussion, it is important to note what may be obvious: There is a difference between batteries! Today, most cell phones use Lithium Ion batteries.  While they are lighter, do not display the ‘memory’ issue of Nickel Cadmium and Nickel Metal Hydride batteries, and they have a slow discharge rate when not in use, the Lithium Ion batteries are not as durable and they are more susceptible to internal failure than either of the Nickel-type batteries mentioned.  In addition to the material used, the manufacturing process and any potential lack of properly working internal safety circuits will affect the overall life, capacity and safety of the battery.  Details among these characteristics contribute to differences among battery types and between high quality OEM batteries and those from most aftermarket manufacturers.

Materials:

Most aftermarket manufacturers, in an effort to keep retail pricing low, will generally use lower quality materials or materials that do not conduct current as well.  They tend to have a lower ability to store and dissipate a charge, resulting in a shorter usable life and a greater failure rate.

Build process:

The basic components of a Lithium Ion battery are fairly straightforward – an anode, a cathode and an electrolyte (essentially, ‘positive’ and ‘negative’ sources in an electrically conductive solution).  The overall construction of a Lithium Ion battery consists of a pressurized container that holds metal coils and the electrolyte (highly flammable in this case).  The cells also contain separators designed to keep the anode and cathode from touching.   The production process invariably results in metal fragments being released into the electrolyte.  While elimination of these fragments is not completely possible in the best production situations, poor production processes will result in larger and more fragments.  As a battery heats up during charging and use, these unwanted fragments will move within the electrolyte; should they come into contact with and damage the separators, a short circuit is possible.  Then only bad things are likely to follow!

Short circuits in batteries have been known to cause explosions as a result of increases in pressure due to overheating; battery fires have occurred when short circuit ‘sparking’ has ignited the flammable electrolyte; and if they haven’t exploded or burned, batteries have melted from high temperatures caused by short circuits.

While any Lithium Ion battery is susceptible to these dangers, the more expensive, higher quality OEM batteries are generally manufactured to a higher standard and with better quality control, greatly reducing the risk of these occurrences..

Safety protection:

Given the potential hazards associated with Lithium Ion batteries, a number of safety devices designed to prevent damage to the cells during charge / discharge and overheating are built into the circuitry of all Li-Ion batteries. These could include a monitor of cell voltage to prevent over charging or discharging, control switches to cut off the charge or discharge, internal pressure monitors and vents, and thermal fuses/interrupts designed to guard against excess heat.

While these safety features are required the use of lower quality materials in most aftermarket batteries plus the difficultly in determining which aftermarket batteries are manufactured properly and, therefore, are safe, strongly suggests that any cost savings is not worth the risk.  And that risk becomes even greater for the lower-cost end of the aftermarket and especially for any of the counterfeit batteries readily available.

Logically, therefore, it would be best to avoid aftermarket question marks and possible counterfeits when you need to replace your battery, so when a replacement is needed make sure you purchase a new battery from the same manufacturer as your phone and do so from a reputable supplier.

Additional resources:  Battery University

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One More Reason to NOT Use Aftermarket Chargers

April 7th, 2010

In a previous blog (http://cli.gs/jeG64u) we stated the importance of using only OEM chargers due to the potential damage that could be done to your cell phone when using low quality, aftermarket ones.  The biggest issue with these non OEM products is that they generally do not have the correct overload circuit protection or provide the correct charging output.  This ultimately leads to damage to the charger and, in many cases, the cell phone.  While we did not address the issue with respect to car chargers, the same rule applies – ONLY use OEM chargers.

The reason for re-hashing the topic is due, in part, to the number of cell phones we are seeing as of late that exhibit catastrophic failure after use of these chargers and based, as well, on a story told to me by a service tech at a local automotive repair shop who indicated that low quality, cheap chargers could seemingly also lead to major vehicle damage!

A client came in to the shop with a new, late model Cadillac that was continuously blowing the fuse for the 12 volt power source (cigarette lighter).  Unable to isolate any electrical problem after extensive testing (the same result reached by the dealership) the tech continued troubleshooting by trying to indentify when the fuse would blow.  He finally figured out that the failure occurred every time the vehicle owner used his car charger or the charger for his GPS device.

Both chargers were aftermarket (bought at a mega discount store and branded with the store’s logo).  Within a short period of use, the fuse would blow.  A quick test using an OEM charger confirmed that the vehicle’s electrical system worked as intended.  There was no failure.  The aftermarket chargers were not rated correctly for the devices they were intended to charge.  As a result, the devices continued to attempt to draw current from the chargers ultimately exceeding the safety circuit in the vehicle.  Fortunately, the Cadillac’s safety protection worked as designed.  Had the electrical circuit within the vehicle failed, these aftermarket chargers might have caused significant damage to the electrical system.

As an added note, these particular chargers had their own internal fuses.  These were designed to trip BEFORE the vehicle’s own safety protection did.  They did not, highlighting a major safety concern.

If you need to replace or purchase a charger for your cell phone, make sure it is OEM.

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If you trust your ‘life’ to your cell phone, back it up!

March 15th, 2010

It has been drilled into us for as long as I can remember.  We are constantly reminded of it. Computers fail. Back-ups are a must.  The consequences of failing to adequately and regularly back-up your data can be costly.  Much of what is lost can never be recovered. What can, will take time and money.  Most of us have already learned this lesson. Backing up our computers has become part of our life.  We got the message.  Unfortunately, many have failed to connect that message to their cell phones!

Cell phones have become so much a part of our lives that they now contain most of the information critical to our daily ‘survival.’  We no longer even remember phone numbers of family members or our closest friends. For most, our phones are the only place these phone numbers exist. For others, it is also the only place birthdates, anniversaries, and email and physical addresses for friends, family and business colleagues are stored.   We trust our appointments, task lists, photos, music and more to these indispensible devices.  What few think about – cell phones fail too! And as with computers, the consequences of their failure are costly.

Cell phones today, especially smart phones, are essentially small hand held computers, yet we fail to treat them as such. They are used and abused and no thought is given to what happens when they fail. And, unlike computers, they are also far more likely to be damaged, lost or misplaced, thereby increasing the potential for losing data.  We are no longer surprised that, on any given week, several people come in desperate to recover data that had been stored on their phones because they never thought about or took the time to back it up. Sadly, most often, the information they want to retrieve cannot be recovered. The best advice for avoiding this kind of problem? – Think computer, and back up your cell phone data regularly.

There are a number of options that exist for backing up your data:

  • Memory cards – Most phones today accept SD (secure digital) cards.  The best advice is to store your photos, videos and music on these cards. If the phone fails or is replaced, your information remains safe and can be readily moved.  (It’s still recommended that these cards be copied to another location in the event the phone is lost.)
  • Online, wireless back up – Many service providers and several independent companies offer a remote back up service.  For a monthly fee you can back up the contact information (and more) on your phone automatically or on demand.  This service will allow you to then restore the information to a replacement phone.  The cost can be as little as $2 per month.  Keep in mind if you switch service providers, you may not be able to ‘restore’ your data to the new phone.
  • Pre-packaged software – Most smart phones and PDAs are packaged with the necessary software and USB cables to sync your device with your computer.  (The hardest part for me to understand is the number of business users with these devices that fail to utilize this software only to lose everything!!)  The software easily installs on your PC, takes a few minutes to configure initially, then automatically syncs your phone with your PC each time it’s connected.
  • Independent software – There are a number of companies that offer software and USB packages that allow you to back up and modify your data on your computer. These work well and are reasonably priced.  Take note that some are model / brand specific and not all models are supported so changing brand or model of phone could be a hassle, but your data will be safe.
  • Back up services offered by a local store / repair center – Most offer a convenient service that allows the transfer of data from one phone to another, but a few specialized shops offer services that will make a true back up copy of your data.  The service we offer includes providing a print out or spreadsheet file if desired, storing the primary back-up on a secure system, and storing a second copy off site.

There are additional options out there as well – just be sure to use one and back up your cell phone data on a regular basis.  If you need help finding the best solution, just give us a shout!

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Cell phone spoofing: You can’t trust your caller I.D.

February 17th, 2010

Re-published with permission from Dan Marries at KOLD News 13, Tucson; original story and video can be found at http://www.kold.com/Global/story.asp?S=11989659

By Mika Highsmith – bio | email

TOLEDO, OH (WTOL) – While many use caller I.D. to protect privacy and screen phone calls, that option is being taken away by an activity called spoofing.

Spoofem.com owner Greg Evans says spoofing is simple. The user enters the number they want to appear on the caller I.D. It can be any number, from the White House to your grandmother’s house.

“You can masquerade an email, a telephone number, or a text message and make it look like it came from someone else,” Evans said.

In addition to faking an email or text message, spoofing includes features like voice disguising and call recording.

Spoofing can be dangerous because it can be used for such nefarious purposes as checking someone’s unprotected voicemail and calling from a local bank asking for sensitive information.

If that isn’t scary enough, spoofing helps scam artists cheat millions of Americans.

One scam victim received a phone call, supposedly from her grandson asking for $5,000 because he’d been injured. The caller I.D. read “Toronto Hospital.”

These scammers make big bucks for a small price, spending only $10 for 60 minutes of spoofing. And as the economy goes down, the number of victims will only go up, says Dick Eppstein of Toledo’s Better Business Bureau.

“Understand this exists, and you can not trust your caller I.D.,” Eppstein warned. He says catching scam artists isn’t easy. “You find out the guys who’s doing it is in Madrid, what do you do then?”

Though spoofing is proven to have a level of danger, it is still easily accessible. A bill was proposed to Congress in 2007 that would have prohibited the sale of caller I.D. spoofing services, but it never passed.

Senator Sherrod Brown says banning it all together would be unconstitutional and others argue there are good uses for it. Legitimate bounty hunters, private investigators and collection agencies, for example, use spoofing to help catch criminals.

“You have to reach a balance, draw a line here where you want legitimate free speech and legitimate profit making activities to be allowed,” Brown said.

However, Brown admits the laws aren’t keeping up with technology, and to remedy that, the U.S. Senate is considering a bill that would make fraudulent use of spoofing illegal.

But crooks don’t abide by laws, so you must protect yourself.

  • Set up a password for your voicemail; it’s even possible for iPhone users with visual voicemail
  • Be sure to verify all calls before reacting and never give out personal information
  • Ask if you can call them back, if they protest or hang up, you can almost be sure you’re being spoofed.

Copyright 2010 WTOL. All Rights Reserved.

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Why Wet Cell Phones Cannot be Repaired (Part 2)

February 10th, 2010

We have already outlined in a previous blog post that water / liquid damaged cell phones are beyond economic repair, if repairable at all.  In this follow up we have decided to outline WHY.  Quite simply, the proper procedure is tedious, time consuming and requires replacement of a significant number of parts.  Keep in mind, that while you may only be experiencing a minor issue (a few keys not working), there can be significant additional latent damage that will lead to additional failures over time.  And if this potential for further damage is not taken into account then it shouldn’t be difficult to realize that the phone cannot be truly repaired as any ‘fix’ likely will be only temporary, until the unforeseen damage materializes.  So, we find it unacceptable to consider a liquid damaged cell phone repaired unless it is done correctly by making sure we address not only the obvious but the not-so-obvious damage as well.  To simply ‘fix’ the issue at hand will result in your spending money on a non guaranteed ‘repair’ with a high probability of future failures.  And repair shops that offer or claim to be able repair liquid damaged phones very obviously lack the knowledge and/or don’t understand why the repairs are not economically feasible.  So, let’s examine the process in some detail.

The first step is up to the user: The battery should be removed IMMEDIATELY.  This will minimize the chance for further shorts by removing the primary electrical source.  (It will not eliminate the threat of damage since there will be an internal battery and stored electrical capacity within the circuitry of the phone.)  Users are smart to rely on internet advice about removing the phone’s battery.  However, there are way too many pointless suggestions offered on the internet about how to deal with wet phones, such as heating the phone with a hair dryer to dry it or “Old Wives”  tale  remedies like using rice to absorb the moisture.  It is important for the owner of a water/liquid damaged cell phone to realize that no ‘internet remedy’ will address the core issue of electrical damage to the phone.   The best advice to follow when you have a water/liquid damaged phone is to get it to a qualified repair shop as soon as possible.

Once a damaged cell phone arrives at the shop it needs to be completely disassembled.  The main PCB needs to be inspected for any visible, catastrophic damage such as de-lamination of the PCB layers or burnt areas.  Any damage of this sort is deemed un-repairable.  Once the unit passes initial inspection, the cleaning / repair / testing procedure can begin.

  • The internal battery will be removed and capacitors need to be discharged and / or removed
  • Most vibe motors, speakers, cameras, microphones, shields will be removed.
  • The PCB will be ultrasonically cleaned for several hours in a specialized cleaning solution.
  • The PCB will be rinsed, dried and inspected.
  • Any residue remaining will be hand cleaned.
  • Removed components are re-installed (using new parts for electro mechanical parts – batteries, capacitors, microphones, speakers, cameras, etc to avoid latent failure and reduce the time needed to test each component individually)
  • Each path / circuit (charging, audio, display, etc) on the PCB must be tested for electrical continuity.
  • Breaks in continuity will need to be isolated by testing the path at  various points to isolate the damaged component.
  • The affected component is replaced and the circuit re-tested.
  • The procedure is repeated until all paths are verified.

Then the process is repeated for secondary PCBs.  In many cases, those secondary boards will simply be replaced.  For any clam shell or ‘flip’ phone, the flexible PCBs will also need to be replaced.

As part of the re-assembly procedure, the Liquid Crystal Displays (LCDs) will be replaced.  Most LCDs are now part of an integrated PCB that does not allow for cleaning and testing.  Since there is a high potential failure rate for LCDs once exposed to moisture, failure to replace them will compromise the repair.

When the foregoing has been completed the unit is re-assembled with a new battery.  This is important because batteries are sealed units, with high probability that they short internally once wet. Since a defective battery can damage the newly repaired cell phone it would be pointless to repair the phone and not replace a potentially damaged battery. With a new battery installed the repaired cell phone is put through a series of final tests to ensure correct operation.

Most phones that we have encountered that were exposed to moisture had NOT been submerged, instead coming in contact with a minimal amount of liquid.   This may lead one to believe that it may be possible to forgo a number of the repair steps previously noted, including replacing flex PCBs, LCDs and batteries.  However, liquid is very pervasive and its affects on electronic circuits is very damaging.  Since any portion / component of a phone that comes into contact with liquid needs to be cleaned or replaced to properly repair the cell phone,  even minimal exposure to liquid will require 2 to 3 hours to evaluate, clean and test the phone.  At shop rates of $50 to $75 per hour, very few phones are even worth repairing, fewer still once the cost for parts is added.

Consequently, based on accepting the work that should be done to properly repair a water/liquid damaged cell phone (assuming it can be repaired), it is not economically logical to perform such repairs, and it would be most prudent to be extremely skeptical of any repair shop that offers or claims to be able to do so because it just can’t be justified.

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Banning calling / texting is not enough. ALL distractions need to be banned equally.

January 21st, 2010

In an effort to further curb distracted driving, a number of states have enacted new laws since the start of this new year pertaining to the use of cell phones while driving.  These new laws are aimed primarily at text messaging and reading emails while driving.  Many states already restrict the use of cell phones while driving to some degree, with more considering similar legislation.  While I agree that these laws are necessary (since it seems that common sense, patience and good driving skills in this country are generally lacking), and statistics back up that cell phone use while driving is a significant risk, I still take issue with these laws.

In several states, the law is a secondary offense.  As such, you cannot be pulled over for using a cell phone UNLESS you are stopped for another violation.  In New York, which bans handheld use while driving (including text messaging), you can be stopped for talking on the phone as a primary offense, but NOT for text messaging!  That is a secondary offense.  It seems to me that holding a phone and at least looking at the road would be less dangerous than texting and looking at your phone!  These laws also do not always regulate the dialing of numbers while driving.  While you cannot hold the phone to talk, you can hold it to dial while looking away from the road.  While there is no doubt that holding a phone and talking is more distracting than using a hands-free device, it does not mean using a hands-free device is safe.  It is still too easy to lose oneself in a conversation regardless of whether you are holding the phone or not.  Even in states where the offense is primary, the fines are as little as $20 for the first offense.  What good are laws that have limited enforceability or offer no significant consequence for disregarding them?

My big issue, however, stems from the intended purpose of these laws – to reduce driving distractions.  I find it absolutely ludicrous that in most states I can legally read a paper, eat, shave, etc, but not talk on my phone while driving. A few states do apply their laws to other portable electronic devices as well as cell phones,  but only New Hampshire and Utah have gone a step further: They have written their laws as ’distracted driver’ statutes rather than as bans or restrictions on cell phone usage.  If you engage in ANY activity while driving and get into an accident in those states, you will be cited, heavily fined, and can lose your license for up to a year.  It does not matter if you are talking on a cell phone, smoking, eating or applying make-up.  The bottom line: ‘. . . (n)early 80 percent of crashes and 65 percent of near-crashes involved some form of driver inattention within three seconds before the event.’  (http://bit.ly/7IvR4L)  So, while cell phone use IS a major distraction, it is not the ONLY distraction.  Singling out cell phone usage without taking into account other distractions does not solve what I perceive to be the core problem, unsafe driving due to driver inattention.

If we truly care about curbing distracted driving, then we should focus on laws that encompass ALL distractions, make them enforceable, make them uniform and make the consequences significant.  Anything else is just a half-assed approach.

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Wet cell phones CANNOT be (economically) repaired…

January 4th, 2010

The number of cell phone ‘repair centers’ that claim they can fix liquid damaged cell phones, then claim a 70% or better success rate is truly incredible.  I say this because, in virtually every case, the proper repair of a wet cell phone will almost certainly cost more than the phone’s replacement value. AND, even if it would be cost-efficient (which is not very likely) it is doubtful there are many (if any!!) places that have the capability to even perform the proper repair.

The typical repair service offered by most shops generally starts with a warning to remove your battery immediately and ship in your phone ASAP.  The actual repair consists of dis-assembly, cleaning the printed circuit board (PCB) by hand scrubbing with a brush, using an ultrasonic cleaning filled with isopropyl alcohol as needed, and possibly replacing parts (like displays), and finishing with reassembly.  These phones are then quickly tested, deemed repaired and returned with no warranty.  At best, this is a quick, temporary fix, but no way does it mean the phone has been truly repaired.  How can this be, you may ask.

Your cell phone is a small computer designed around a densely populated central printed circuit board with an integrated LCD display and keyboard.  There may be secondary PCBs as well as flexible PCBs (the flex cables that connect the two halves).  The PCB is, by definition, designed to mechanically support and electrically connect electronic components (resistors, capacitors, radio chips, etc) using conductive pathways, tracks, or traces, etched from copper sheets laminated onto a non-conductive substrate.  (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Printed_circuit_board).

As expected, liquid creates a significant number of issues with the electrical connections throughout the PCB.  The severity of these issues is higher when the liquid involved contains electrically conductive materials, and the greater the quantity of these materials, the more likely, and more / significant, the damage.  Water, soda pop, milk and most other liquids commonly involved in cell phone damage are electrically conductive to some degree.  The conductive nature of these liquids, combined with the moisture, lowers resistance between the electronic components and the underlying circuit paths.  Lower resistance results in high current within the circuit causing a large amount of energy output within a short time frame leading to damaged components.  Additionally, open or short circuits can occur when deposits left on the board result in bridges or unwanted connections between the leads of board components.  In the most extreme cases, this can lead to arcing and fires. (We have quite a few boards displaying such damage.)

So can water damaged cell phones be repaired?  Depending on the liquid, the amount of time the cell phone was in contact with the liquid, and the actions taken immediately following the liquid damage, it is possible.  Is it likely?  No.  Is it cost effective?  Definitely not.

We will continue this discussion in our next post (http://bit.ly/acsmIN), detailing the proper repair procedure and illustrating what is involved, to better be able to understand why it is not cost effective to repair water damaged phones.

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