Elderly Amish Man Caught on Film With Prostitute, Blackmailed
When a 75-year-old Amish widower slept with a prostitute, he -- we feel certain -- felt pretty bad about it the next morning. As if that guilt weren't enough for the old man, the prostitute and her boyfriend demanded $67,000 from him, claiming that they had filmed the scene with wall-mounted cameras and would upload the recording to the Internet. The pair was later arrested and, we can only imagine, the Amish man abhorred technology more than ever.
Bank Robber Gets Away With the Help of Craiglist
In October, a bank robber -- wearing a safety vest, blue shirt, face mask and goggles -- eluded police with the help of Craiglist. Just outside the bank, while the robbery was in progress, stood a group of men who were responding to a Craiglist day labor opportunity. As the advertisement required, they were all wearing safety vests, blue shirts, face masks and goggles.
Nude New Zealander Arrested After Responding to Fake Sexy Text Message
Late in 2007, a Wellington, New Zealand man received a racy text message from two anonymous "ladies," giving him only an address and a request that he show up naked. Well, he indeed showed up naked... at the home of one appalled, unsuspecting New Zealander. Both the nude Romeo and the sadistic texter were arrested, though neither were prosecuted.
Fake Craiglist Ad Costs Man Most of What He Owns
Last Spring, a post appeared on an Oregon Craigslist board stating that the owner of a specific house was leaving all of his worldly possessions (still in said house) to whoever wanted them. When homeowner Robert Salisbury rushed home -- on a tip from a woman suspicious about the offer of a free horse -- he found his house being ransacked by 30 strangers. We suggest he take that horse and collect some vengeance Clint Eastwood-style.
17-Year-Old Jailed for Stealing Virtual 'Furniture'
When a 17-year-old Dutch boy hacked into several accounts on the Second Life-style site 'Habbo' in 2007, the the law got involved. The boy was discovered to have stolen $5,800 worth of virtual furniture and knick-knacks. Apparently, crime -- whether actual or virtual -- does not pay.
Phishers Going After Your Phones in New 'Vishing' Trend
Over the past year, sneaky spammers have begun to forsake the worn-out territory of e-mail in favor of cell phones' fertile frontier. The result? "Vishing." Get it? Voice mail phishing. It might be more ominous if it didn't sound like a James Bond villain saying, "Wishing."
Burglars Break Into Restaurant, Steal HDTV, Leave Money / Food Behind
Around Halloween of last year, a truckload of thieves drove into -- that's right, into -- a Pennsylvania Mexican restaurant, where they -- apparently uninterested in the cash register -- stole a mid-grade 47-inch HDTV and fled the scene. We've all heard about how this generation is lacking in ambition, but this generation's thieves, too?
Reader Comments (Page 1 of 10)
Dorlinda Chong said 5:00PM on 8-15-2007
Watched the saving your cell phone segment. I realize most people have rice around, but I save dessicant packets out of food and supplement bottles. I should think throwing the cell phone in with a few of those would work splendidly, too --and it wouldn't waste the rice. (I started saving dessicant after my car engine wouldn't start after a rain. I called the AAA and the guy used dessicant to dry out the distributor wires. The car started up after that with no problem. I've kept dessicant packs in my car ever since.)
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Diana said 3:48PM on 12-16-2008
I have always put it in the refridgerator. If you put a slice of bread in there on a plate it dries up like toast. An I.T. guy told me this trick years ago and scientifically it makes perfect sense as refrigerators are meant to stave off condensation. It is not as messy as some of the other suggestions. I would be worried to expose my phone to heat, rubbing alcohol, and rice residue especially since I just got a Verizon LG Voyager with mobile TV.
yes said 10:30AM on 2-20-2009
By far the best remedy for a wet cellphone is rice. It is simple too. Take the battery out of the phone and leave the back of the phone uncovered. Bury both the battery (outside of the phone) and the backless phone in rice. Leave it in for a couple of days. The rice will absorb all of the water and it will work as good as new. Do not listen to tips like putting it in the refrigerator with a slice of toast as that is a hoax.
CT said 12:16PM on 2-20-2009
This absolutely worked for my son when he accidently dropped his phone in the toilet. We had it in the rice for 22 hours and it started up fine. Now he does have a shorter battery life than he did have but a new battery is a whole lot cheaper than a whole new phone! Thanks for the advice.
Absurd said 8:00PM on 8-15-2007
I once spilled coffee (w/sugar and milk) into my laptop. A LOT of coffee, an entire large paper cup. I was able to shut it down quickly. I thought that the coffee grounds, sugar and milk HAD to be bad for the computer. I decided a clean computer might be better than one that would be gunked up. I took it over to the sink, poured out the coffee and ran cold water through the keyboard and the entire laptop. I placed it upside down and let a fan blow on it for an entire day. The laptop worked perfectly. True story, I swear!
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leogon said 11:24AM on 12-16-2008
yea
Brianna said 11:07PM on 8-15-2007
My family and me were on our vacation a year ago. I had went on the dock to help get the minnow bucket and as I leaned over my cell phone fell out of my hoodie into about 2 foot of water. We fished it out with a net. Luckily I was told to take the battery out and let both pieces air out. By the end of the week my phone worked perfectly. I didn't have any water in the screen and I continued not to have problems for a year!!
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Gerard said 6:56PM on 12-12-2008
dare I ask what happened after a year?
Betty said 8:07AM on 2-20-2009
My husband dropped his in the river before heading to work. He fished it out with a net after work (9 1/2 hours later). We took the battery off and let it sit in the window for a few days. I also took a hairdryer to it in spurts. It worked for another year. It quit working, but not because of the water. HE broke the screen and the antenna. My phone fell out of my hand and landed in the river, while it was still on. I fished it out in a matter of minutes. It was still on when I pulled it out. Again, battery off and hairdryer in short spurts. It worked that night.
Bob Curry said 8:56AM on 8-16-2007
Yes, it is EXTREMELY important that you remove all batteries immediately from wet electronics! If wet from other than clean water, rinse with pure water-(distilled is best)to remove all contamination or salty water. if covers can be safely opened or removed, do so! Allow to dry, by use of dessicant, or placing in a warm, dry place with good air flow, for at least 3 days before attempting to apply power and operate.-Good luck!-Bob
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Bob said 9:26AM on 2-20-2009
I put my cell phone thru a washing machine. I took it apart and put the open phone and battery on a window ledge in the sun for several hours, then used a hair dryer on it.
2 days later, the phone came back on while I was on a trip and I didn't lose any numbers or phone functions.
Bird said 7:08PM on 8-16-2007
I washed mine in the washing machine. After I figured it out, I took out the battery and basically wrote it off, got a new phone. The new phone fell in the toliet and I still had the old phone so I decided to give it a try. I put the battery back in and it powered back up! I switched back to the old phone until the new phone dried out.
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graycec1999 said 10:47PM on 8-18-2007
This doesn't always work, and you can try it with a cordless phone as well. Either may work. Take the phone apart, front, back, battery, antenna and what not.
Lay the pieces on a flat tin surface. Put the tray with phone parts in the oven. DO NOT TURN THE OVEN ON AND LEAVE THE DOOR AJAR SLIGHTLY!!!!!
Check the phone after a day and continue to check. Depending how much water logged the phone is, you may just have a problem with people hearing you speak. The cell phone repair dept can fix that.
Bread dries out, why can't a phone......
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jeffends said 8:40AM on 12-16-2008
Wrong again..this has always worked..we have dropped cell phones in the lake and forgot they were in our pockets at the beach. We have ran mp3 players thru the washer and it has worked 100% of the time. Rice pulls moisture.....The ones telling it it doesn't work probably are selling new phones
Robin said 11:05AM on 2-20-2009
This only works in older gas ovens with a piolt light..Thats where the warmth comes from. So if your range is electric or a newer gas model this won't work..
JAN said 3:25PM on 2-20-2009
I assume you mean a gas oven??
mike said 2:19PM on 8-20-2007
definately take the battery out,but an air conditioner is also a de-humidifier.when i fell in the river while fishing with my kids myphone was soaked. took the battery out took it home and laid it on a vent the next day all dry!still working fine.
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Lori said 12:00PM on 12-16-2008
I have used a food dehydrator. I pulled the battery out, set the dehydrator at its lowest setting and placed the pieces of the phone in. I left is running all night and it works great. I have used it now two different times on phones and it works great!
Karen said 2:21PM on 8-20-2007
Had good luck with removing battery and drying phone out in food dehydrator. (Worked for Ipod washed in washing machine too.)
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realchulabx said 2:26PM on 8-20-2007
A wet phone is not 'save-able'. When the mother-board inside gets wet it's just a matter of time, even if it seems to function afterward (dry).
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