The Age Reports Don’t put your iPod through the washing machine. And if for some reason you do, don’t try to fix it with a screwdriver.
That’s the advice of fire investigators probing a small explosion that burned a hole in the bed of a Melbourne teenager who tried to perform emergency surgery on his ailing mp3 player.
The boy was treated by paramedics at his Bayswater home for breathing difficulties after ingesting fumes emitted by the device as he pulled it apart in his suburban bedroom about 7.30pm on Wednesday.
Country Fire Authority spokesman Peter Philp said the leaky iPod had been taken away for testing by CFA investigators.
“His mother did the washing and the iPod was in the clothing so it went through the washing machine,” Mr Philp said.
“It wasn’t working, the young fella tried to undo it or fix it with a screwdriver and at that stage there was an explosion, or more of a pop.
“It was more smoke than fire but it did leave a burn mark on the cover.”
Metropolitan Ambulance spokeswoman Lirije Memishi said it was unclear what the teenager had ingested.
“We treated him on the scene for minor breathing difficulties but he was fine and then we scooted out and helped save the rest of Melbourne,” she said.
In an update to my earlier post regarding Opera Software CEO Jon von Tetzchner vowing to swim the atlantic if the browser was downloaded over a million times in the first 4 days of release.
Sounded like a tall tale but Opera exceeded that target and News.com is now reporting Tetzchner has entered the water and started swimming. More when we have more.
CNN Reports that scientists researching why some popcorn doesn’t pop have at last found an answer and are now moving to discover ways to eliminate this from buckets of popcorn world wide.
“It’s long been known that popcorn kernels must have a precise moisture level in their starchy center — about 15 percent — to explode. But Purdue University researchers found the key to a kernel’s explosive success lies in the composition of its hull.
Unpopped kernels, it turns out, have leaky hulls that prevent the moisture pressure buildup needed for them to pop and lack the optimal hull structure that allows most kernels to explode.”
The Guardian is reporting that the distraction of constant emails, text and phone messages is having a dire effect on our intellegence, with an average of up to 10 IQ points lost by those surveyed and claiming that their effect was a greater threat to users than using cannibis.
Aren’t you glad i didn’t email you this!
According to an April 21 press release, the CEO of Opera will swim from Norway to the USA. To quote the press release:
“An overly excited Jon S. von Tetzchner, CEO, Opera Software, today proclaimed at an internal company meeting that if the download numbers of the new Opera 8 Web browser reach 1 million within the first four days of the launch, he will swim from Norway to the USA with only one stop-over for a cup of hot chocolate at his mother’s house in his home country, Iceland.”
However reading further on in the press release it appears not everyone is so happy about the idea:
“I am not sure he realizes how cold the Norwegian Sea is in April,” says Anne Stavnes, Human Resource Manager, Opera Software. “However, having seen Jon in his red beach attire before, I am not sure if swimming to the USA is scarier than exposing people to this sight.”