OT: Fwd: New Information about your cell phone...

[John Teller]

2 Is an urban legend:
http://www.snopes.com/autos/techno/keyless.asp

3. Is balderdash.  Cell phones these days use lithium cells (usually 
one).  If you discharge it too far, it will never recover - period.  In 
fact, it must contain a small circuit to short it out, because if you 
try to recharge the cell, it will vent (or explode).  The battery 
management algorithm will shut off the phone before the danger zone is 
entered - perhaps there is some "emergency" mode to force the cell phone 
on until the battery completely dies, but in any case you would be 
unable to recharge the cell as it would short itself out.  We are using 
Lithium Ion batteries (4 large cells or more) in our satellite designs 
these days, and we have to take extraordinary precautions in order not 
to abuse them.

--- JST

Iain McFadyen wrote:
> I can vouch for items 1, 4 and 5.
>
> Can anyone validate items 2 and 3?
>
> Iain
> -------- Original Message --------
>   
>> THINGS YOU NEVER KNEW YOUR CELL PHONE COULD DO.
>>  
>> There are a few things that can be done in times of grave emergencies. Your
>> mobile phone can actually be a life saver or an emergency tool for survival.
>> Check out the things that you can do with it:
>>  
>> FIRST Subject: Emergency The Emergency Number worldwide for Mobile is 112.
>> If you find yourself out of the coverage area of your mobile; network and
>> there is an emergency, dial 112 and the mobile will search any existing
>> network to establish the emergency number for you, and interestingly this
>> number 112 can be dialed even if the keypad is locked.    
>>  
>> SECOND Subject: Have you locked your keys in the car? Does your car have
>> remote keyless entry? This may come in handy someday. If you lock your keys
>> in the car and the spare keys are at home, call someone at home (who has the
>> another keyless entry device) on their cell phone from your cell phone. Hold
>> your cell phone about a foot from your car door and have the person at your
>> home press the unlock button, holding it near the mobile phone on their end.
>> Your car will unlock. Saves someone from having to drive your keys to you.
>> Distance is no object. You could be hundreds of miles away, and if you can
>> reach someone who has the other "remote" for your car, you can unlock the
>> doors (or the trunk).
>>  
>> Editor's Note: It works fine! We tried it out and it unlocked our car over a
>> cell phone!"
>>  
>> THIRD Subject: Hidden Battery Power Imagine your cell battery is very low.
>> To activate, press the keys *3370# Your cell will restart with this reserve
>> and the instrument will show a 50% increase in battery.  This reserve will
>> get charged when you charge your cell next time.
>>  
>> FOURTH How to disable a STOLEN mobile phone? To check your Mobile phone's
>> serial number, key in the following digits on your phone: * # 0 6 #    A 15
>> digit code will appear on the screen. This number is unique to your handset.
>> Write it down and keep it somewhere safe. When your phone get stolen, you
>> can phone your service provider and give them this code.  They will then be
>> able to block your handset so even if the thief changes the SIM card, your
>> phone will be  totally useless. You probably won't get your phone back, but
>> at least you know that whoever stole it can't use/sell it either.   If
>> everybody does this, there would be no point in people stealing mobile
>> phones.
>>  
>> And Finally....
>>  
>> FIFTH Cell phone companies are charging us $1.00 to $1.75 or more for 411
>> information calls when they don't have to. Most of us do not carry a
>> telephone directory in our vehicle, which makes this situation even more of
>> a problem. When you need to use the 411 information option,  simply dial:
>>  
>> (800) FREE 411, or (800) 373-3411
>>     
>
>
>
>  
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