Fonzie fixes

I work as an agent for U.S. Cellular, so as you can imagine we get many daily inquiries as to why somone's cell phone isn't working.

Just yesterday, had this woman in the store. Phone keeps shutting off, recycling itself, things like this. So I'm thinking, software problem, right? I tried all known remedies with no success. Finally I just suggested that she make her insurance claim, so she decided she would leave the phone with us until she got her replacement unit.

About 20 minutnes after she was gone, I pulled the battery out of the phone, whacked it on the counter a couple of times, put the battery back in and SOMEHOW the phone operated normally. I called the woman on her home phone detailing the fix and the process used to achieve it, and she was ecstatic.

Thus proving, technology is indeed magic.

Heeeeeeeyyyyyyyy!!!!!

Jam it back in, in the dark.

Originally Posted by Hydra

My friend has this radio-thingamajig that plugs in to his iPod so that he can listen to the iPod over his car stereo. The device will occasionally stop working and all we'll hear in the car is static.

It can be fixed by waving your hand over it once. Sometimes.

Those devices are called ITrips, and I believe this is caused due to radio interference, with your hand motion blocking the incoming interfering radio waves.

I could be wrong though, but a lot of the time when mine goes static-y I can hold my hand over it and it clears up a bit.

There's nowhere I can't reach.

Originally Posted by nuttyturnip

Any of those FM transmitters are very finicky. I found that holding the transmitter in my lap would help sometimes.

Yes. This is where my iPod spends most of it's time while I'm in motion anyway, but occasionally I will travel through an area (such as the local brewery here in my hometown) that broadcasts such a strong radio signal that the hand-over-the-transmitter fix is neccessary.

This thing is sticky, and I don't like it. I don't appreciate it.