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NYPD Finding Weapons Hidden Inside Cell Phones

by Warren Riddle on July 7, 2009 at 05:35 PM


Although we seem to daily hear reports of stupid criminals being foiled by technology, some deviants have devised some clever uses for their tech, including turning cell phones into weapons and hiding places. According to Newsday, an incredibly common way to smuggle a weapon in a cell phone (specifically a T-Mobile Sidekick) is to hide a razor blade within the battery compartment between the battery and the back cover.

Newsday also reported that police officers in Harlem recently arrested a man who had turned his cell phone into a mild stun gun. This rise in cell phone-related criminal innovation is especially troublesome, because prisoners have created several methods of smuggling cell phones into jails in order to plan escapes, negotiate drug deals, and perform other illegal activities. While you can certainly expect upgraded prison security measures, don't be surprised either if you're asked to remove your battery the next time you go through airport security. [From: Newsday, via Textually]

Oops, These Gadgets Exploded!

    No matter how many times it happens, stories of exploding gadgets always catch our eye. Despite being (mostly) unassuming, we're always taken by surprise whenever a device spontaneously combusts. For your enjoyment, here are seven stories of exploding phones, iPhones, and other devices.

    3G iPhone Catches Fire
    On Saturday, February 28, 2009, Tim Colbourne, an Italian blogger based in Rome, plugged his iPhone 3G into his computer's USB port. Just a few hours later, it caught fire, resulting in one very dead iPhone. Fortunately for Colbourne, Apple replaced the handset.

    Cell Phone Charger Blamed for Blaze in Delaware
    In late summer 2008, a mobile home near Millsboro, Delaware caught fire, causing over $30,000 in damages. While details are slim, the culprit appeared to be a malfunctioning cell phone charger.

    iPod Lights Man's Pants on Fire
    Danny Williams, a Douglasville, Georgia native (he worked at a kiosk in Atlanta's Hartsfield-Jackson International Airport), suddenly looked down to find flames leaping up his chest. It turns out Williams's iPod Nano's lithium-ion battery had burst into flames; fortunately, he was uninjured and Apple replaced the defective Nano.

    Michigan Boy Burnt By Pocketed PlayStation Portable (PSP)
    Back in February of 2008 in Farmington Hills, Michigan, a PlayStation Portable overheated in a middle school boy's pocket, causing second-degree burns. Proving the cosmos has a sense of humor, the disc inside the PSP was a popular driving game called 'Burnout.'

    iPod Nano Catches Fire While Owner Snoozes
    In another case of incendiary iProducts, an iPod nano owner posted to the Nike Talk online messageboard that he was awakened early one morning by a screeching fire alarm, set off by his Nano bursting into flames.

    Pregnant Woman's Nokia Phone Battery Explodes
    A pregnant woman in India suffered mild burns when her three year old Nokia exploded ten minutes after she plugged it in to the charger. Nokia claims it was an isolated incident.

    Cell Phone Battery Explodes, Kills Worker
    On June 18, 2007, a 22-year old Chinese welder was killed when the battery on his cell phone (located in his shirt pocket) exploded. The battery's eruption cracked a rib and embedded the battery pack into the worker's heart; unfortunately the man died just after arriving at the hospital.

Tags: cell phone, CellPhone, crime, diy, nypd, prison, top, weapons

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