Weekend of December 19th, 2008

Among other things, do you back-up your pictures, music, videos and data? Do it
while you still can! We've got a jam-packed show with great tips and guests.

Hour 2:

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"Into Tomorrow" Video Update

Have you ever dropped your cell phone in the toilet or in a puddle of water? What have you done to rescue it? Check out our latest experiment with Rob Almanza. Also featuring: This Week in Tech History with Chris Graveline.

Wet Cell Phone Rescue

When was the last time you dropped your cell phone in the toilet or maybe a puddle? Don’t worry, it happens to more people than you may think. So what do you do to save your cell phone?

The “Into Tomorrow” team has come across several methods. In one case, we ran across an article from the Wall Street Journal that talks about baking your phone in the oven. So, we thought we’d try it out for you to see if it works.

First thing: Take the battery out! Make sure all electrical power to the phone is removed. Towel dry the phone. Then, wrap it in a dry washcloth and aluminum foil (like a tamale). Finally, stick it in the oven for at least 5 hours at a low temperature. We’re baking it at 125 degrees. Then, sit and wait, but keep an eye on it.

Other methods call for you to use a hair dryer to dry the phone, but that may be counteracting your efforts to save the phone. Think about it … it can blow water into crevices that it hadn’t reached yet. Another option is towel dry the phone after removing the battery and then putting it in a closed container filled with un-cooked rice for 1 to 2 days. The rice helps absorb moisture. You can also use products like Damp Rid.

Check out our video above to see the results.

NOTE: Don’t try this at home unless you have a backup cell phone in case it doesn’t work.

By Rob Almanza

 

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