Wires Crossed #92 – July 20

The Case Of The Exploding Samsung Smartphone
Be warned – try and pull a swifty on a consumer electronics giant, expect them to use all their resources to investigate the incident. So an anonymous university student from Ireland found out when he tried to pull the wool over Samsung’s eyes by claiming his Samsung Galaxy S III ‘exploded’ in his car. As you would expect, Samsung was more than a little concerned that its hero product would combust out of the blue so instigated a thorough investigation of the claim. It didn’t take long for the real story to come out – seems the handset got a little wet so our intrepid student decided to dry it out – in a microwave. D’oh! Maybe a person who thinks drying a mobile in a microwave shouldn’t be handling tech in the first place, and we assume he is staying well clear of the sciences when it comes to his choice of degree.

Apple Gets In A Snit With Retailers Over Samsung
Apple is playing hardball with retailers in the US who might have been convinced to sell Samsung’s Galaxy Nexus tablet. Apple initially managed a successful injunction stopping the sale of the device due to patent issues. The company then sent out letters to retailers saying that due to the injunction resellers were not allowed to flog the device. A US District Court judge has since granted a temporary stay until Apple can come up with more evidence. Yet it seems a little disconcerting the lengths the House of Apple will go to in order to get its way. It is understandable that they want to protect patents, but to assume that retailers would flout the law with regard to the initial injunction doesn’t bode well as far as trust issues are concerned.

Facebook To Get Snoopers
Facebook as recently announced that it will allow users to see who has been snooping on their Facebook page. After years of spammers inundating Facebook pages saying this was already possible to do, the social networking company is about make it a reality. However, the current plan is for only Group Pages having the ability to do so. Cynics think it will only a matter of time before Facebook also allows individuals to do the same.

Canon Camera Causes Allergic Reaction?
True story. Camera manufacturer, Canon, has released a product advisory stating that its Digital Rebel T4i camera might cause an allergic reaction with some consumers. It appears that a chemical used in the vulcanisation of the rubber grips on the device cause the black grips to go white after multiple handling or if they gets warm. This can also lead to a slight allergic reaction in the hands, or may even cause eyes to go red if you rub them after handling the grips.