Can You Hear Me Now? 319
squarefish writes "CNN has this story about a hiker stranded in South America's Andes mountains when a blizzard begins. He reaches into his backpack for his cell phone -- only to find his prepaid minutes are up. Out of nowhere, a phone company solicitor is calling on his cell phone, asking if he would like to buy more time. Is this convenient or what?"
Probably the only time (Score:1)
Re:Probably the only time (Score:5, Funny)
Re:Probably the only time (Score:2)
I don't think there has ever been a verified case of one football eating another.
Are you sure you got your facts straight?
hrm. 911 (at least in the US) (Score:5, Interesting)
next we'll be hearing a story about how spam saved someone's life. (i don't care whether its the canned or electronic kind, would be interesting either way
Re:hrm. 911 (at least in the US) (Score:5, Informative)
Re:hrm. 911 (at least in the US) (Score:1)
Re:hrm. 911 (at least in the US) (Score:2)
It doesn't work with 911 though.
Re:hrm. 911 (at least in the US) (Score:2)
Might be handy in an emergency but annoying when I take it out of my pocket and see its managed to dial 99 just by random jiggling in my pocket.
Re:hrm. 911 (at least in the US) (Score:2)
Unfortunatly some phones have a problem of having no timeout on keypresses when in locked mode. So can easily generate spurious emergency calls.
Re:hrm. 911 (at least in the US) (Score:2, Informative)
Re:hrm. 911 (at least in the US) (Score:2, Funny)
It gets entertaining if the cell is full of people making 112 calls, though ;-)
Jon.
Re:Battery Life at 5x (Score:2)
Re:hrm. 911 (at least in the US) (Score:5, Informative)
I've dialed 112 once here in Germany. It seems to bypass the standard GSM call setup -- you're immediately connected to an operator, and it's got its own share of the available resources so you'll get through even when there's a network overload.
Re:hrm. 911 (at least in the US) (Score:2)
How does a homeless person recharge his cellphone battieries ?
Re:hrm. 911 (at least in the US) (Score:3, Funny)
Re:hrm. 911 (at least in the US) (Score:5, Insightful)
I doubt he knew of local customs (assuming he's from the USA -- I don't know if BellSouth runs cell systems outside the USA). He's not very well informed.
I hope he gets billed for the rescue (Score:2)
Let me be clear; not every hiker who calls 911 will be billed. If you have a genuine emergency, please use 911. But if you're stranded due to your own stupidity, you're going to pay.
Re:I hope he gets billed for the rescue (Score:2)
Comment removed (Score:4, Funny)
Re:hrm. 911 (at least in the US) (Score:2)
But surely... (Score:1, Interesting)
full of holes (Score:5, Interesting)
Besides, chilling your battery will not revive it. It will only slow down power loss.
What a stupid article!
Re:full of holes (Score:2)
Re:full of holes (Score:1)
he probably didn't do either so whaddayahavetosaynowmrsmartiepantsiheerdabotalkie
spaces added by slashiedottie in the above briliance
Re:full of holes (Score:2)
The bladder doesn't (re)absorb water - thats what the kidneys are for. Alcohol causes a diuresis by inhibiting the effect of a naturally occuring hormone in the brain - ADH (Anti Diuretic Hormone). Alcohol also passes into the urine and drags the water with it - an osmotic effect. Retaining urine in your bladder won't keep you any warmer than passing it. You could use the heat of the urine to warm up more peripheral parts of yourself, but then again it may evaporate and cause further heat loss.
I think you can die of dehydration before you freeze to death.
Of course you can. Especially if its not that cold outside. If it is cold enough, the cold will get you first every time. It takes days to die from dehydration, but you can die from hypothermia much quicker than that.
Also you should keep moving and eat a little bit if you've got something, since both movement and digestion generate body heat.
Not bad advice, although your ability to generate heat = ability to consume oxygen, and either moving or eating will do this. However, you will use up your glucose stores rapidly if you are exercising hard, and this leads to fatigue (to some degree - you can still burn fat). If you are facing a sustained period of exertion, eating small amounts frequently helps alot.
Michael
DON'T EAT SNOW!!! (Score:5, Informative)
On the other hand, if you eat the snow you can freeze to death trying not to dehydrate. I'm sure a very slow but steady diet of snow is the best way to go.
I'd carry a plastic bottle that I could put snow into, then put the bottle into my clothes. After it melts, then you can drink it. That's much safer.
Do not eat without melting! Eating snow and ice can reduce body temperature and will lead to more dehydration. [aircav.com]
Melt ice or snow and boil it if possible. Don't eat crushed ice - it can injure your mouth and can also cause further dehydration. [mycamouflage.co.uk]
Lundin says eating lots of snow is a common and potentially deadly mistake. [msnbc.com]
"Don't eat snow," said Mike Sheets. "Don't put it in your mouth and try to melt it if you're thirsty. You'll use up too much of your body's heat, and you need that energy for yourself." [record-eagle.com]
Drink a lot of water, 8 to 12 glasses a day. But do not eat snow to satisfy your thirst. Eating snow can lower your body's core temperature, triggering deadly hypothermia. [stlmo.com]
Don't waste body heat by eating snow. Make a fire; heat water before drinking. [faa.gov]
Do not eat snow as it tends to dehydrate the body [bcadventure.com]
Do not eat snow to obtain water, it will just make you colder. [equipped.com]
Re:DON'T EAT SNOW!!! (Score:2)
Do not eat without melting! Eating snow and ice can reduce body temperature and will lead to more dehydration. [aircav.com]
I wonder if the poster realizes that melting the snow in his clothes with his body heat lowers his body temperature just as much as eating it???
Re:DON'T EAT SNOW!!! (Score:2)
I wonder if the poster realizes that melting the snow in his clothes with his body heat lowers his body temperature just as much as eating it???
That's not true. What I recommended is standard instruction for winter survival. As Genyin noted, there's a difference between core body temperature and skin surface temperature.
It is possible to chill the surface temp without lowering the the core enough to die. (Perhaps you have heard of frostbite?) Eating snow will lower your core temperature, thus increasing your chance of dieing. Placing a bottle between your many layers of clothing (we are intelligent hikers) *may* cool you enough to damage some skin, although that's unlikely.
You decide which option is preferable
Re:DON'T EAT SNOW!!! (Score:3, Funny)
freezing and drinking (Score:5, Funny)
Re:full of holes (Score:2)
True, but perception might be important here. We're dealing with someone who was awake for 24 hours here -- I'm not sure about this, but I can imagine that it might be easier to stay awake if you *feel* warmer, even if you're actually colder.
Also (and I might be completely wrong here, since I don't drink) doesn't brandy typically contain a significant amount of sugar?
Re:full of holes (Score:2)
Alcohol and frostbite (Score:5, Informative)
Chilling batteries can cause the output voltage to rise, because the internal resistance is a complex function based on temperature. I've seen the graphs of battery output for satellites, very non-linear, with several peaks and dips for different temperatures.
the AC
Re:full of holes (Score:4, Interesting)
Batteries (Score:2)
Cutting power draw to zero does.
When my cell batteries goes "DEAD" (i.e. the phone powers off), if I wait a bit, I can get it to turn on for a bit (but only 2 seconds of "talk" time).
One time it took a few times to make it unrevivably dead. (I let it go dead because it had a memory effect [less and less capacity over time], even though the manual said that could not happen. My fix worked, BTW).
Some batteries may have a stronger "revival" effect than others.
It probably has something to do with chemical reactions and the capacitance of the cell.
Convenient? (Score:4, Interesting)
Re:Convenient? (Score:1)
But that's just my disposition...
Re: (Score:1)
Re:Convenient? (Score:1)
SNOW!! Damn you!! Have some fucking SYMPATHY!
SNOW!!
Re:Convenient? (Score:1)
Actually, I think it's only illegal because it costs you extra money (via the per-minute charges) when they call you - if it's your own phone company, and they don't bill you for those minutes, they may be able to get around that restriction.
--The Rizz
"Researchers have discovered that chocolate produces some of the same reactions in the brain as marijuana. The researchers also discovered other similarities between the two, but can't remember what they are." --Matt Lauer
Re:Convenient? (Score:1)
Don't you see? (Score:5, Funny)
Re:Convenient? (Score:2)
Telemarketers suck (Score:3, Funny)
RonB
Law of averages. (Score:2, Insightful)
Help! I've fallen, and I can't sign up! (Score:3, Funny)
...for a new long distance service, until you rescue me from this cliff...
-- Terry
What probably should have happend (Score:5, Funny)
Question (Score:1)
How do frigid temperatures recharge Ni-Cad or Ni-MH batteries, which most cell phones use?
Simple... (Score:4, Interesting)
I worked in a battery shop for a few months. Cooling batteries makes them discharge slower, and freezing them destroys them (expanding/crystalizing electrolite destroys the membrane between the plates). Last month I left my cell in the car overnight, it got a bit cold (in the 40s), and my phone wouldn't work until the battery warmed back up.
...also, as Jeff67 points out:
"Alcohol only gives the perception of warmth. It does it by dilating blood vessels in the skin. The result is you lose heat faster. Drinking when you're really cold is a good way to get dead."
So, fake longer battery life, and fake warmth. In short, this looks like a bogus story. I guess CNN is taking it's cues from the Chinese news media these days...
Chinese media? (Score:2)
I'm close to someone involved in low level local politics... What you'll find is that news such as this is about 40% fiction (They call it creative writing, or some such in journalism schools.)
Most news agences embelish the truth, and often resort to such common argument falacies [midnightbeach.com] as taking quotes out of context as well as employing sensationalism and plain old fiction.
In general, stories have seeds of truth; some are just larger seeds than others... Remember that the best lies are those based on reality.
Side quote: "The US media is unique not in the ability to provide an un-tainted viewpoint; Rather, it is unique in it's ability to convince the american population that it is without bias."
Re:Chinese media? (Score:2)
Re:Simple... (Score:2)
It also lowers the internal resistance on the battery, and therefore raises slightly the voltage at the terminals. When you are powering electronic equipment it is just possible that from a weak battery you don't have enough volts until the battery is cold. Although I really doubt it happened in this case - Phone batteries generally have very flat voltage curves (i.e. the voltage only varies slightly with charge level) and they also have a sharp cut off (so when the voltage drops below the level needed to run the phone there is very little power left in the battery).
Re:Question (Score:1)
And SPIN makes it possible to make things HAPPEN, see?
So, like, this guy threw his batteries in the snow 'cuz he's retarded and got himself stuck in the mountains, see?
Then people rescue him, see? (present tense, I'm telling a story)
So he says, "I talked to this telemarketer and I also threw my batteries in the snow and my nose just fell off because I've been IN THE SNOW FOR THREE DAYS YOU FUCKERS!!!!"
And, they, the reporters, say, there's a lot of SPIN here! Let's capitalize!
What about 911 emergency service? (Score:4, Insightful)
I can imagine that 1) there was some sort of equivalent service in his area, and 2) his service should have a number to call, like '0' or '611' to talk to someone about adding minutes to his calling plan. The guy was smart enough (and lucid enough) to know that chilling batteries rejuvenates them to some extent, but couldn't figure out how to get a hold of anyone on a service that doesn't require "charged" minutes? He's getting more credit than he deserves.
Regardless, if such emergency services aren't available where he was, let it be a lesson to the carriers there. Someone could easily hold them liable for not permitting emergency calls to go through, where life-threatening situations exist.
Don't Drink in the Cold (Score:1)
Do not do this. Alcohol dilates the capillaries, thus actually lowering the body temperature. You feel warmer because of the desensitizing effect, but booze will just make you freeze faster. Details can be found e. g. here. [hoptechno.com]
Re:Don't Drink in the Cold (Score:4, Interesting)
Re:Don't Drink in the Cold (Score:2, Insightful)
Re:Don't Drink in the Cold (Score:2)
Finally, I have an excuse to eat regular food instead of that "fat-free" cardboard-tasting stuff.
"But, honey, I am increasing my shipwreak survivability."
Of course, surviving and getting laid are not necessarily the same thing.
Google Says (Score:3, Informative)
Hit #4 [encycloped...tanica.org]
Re:Don't Drink in the Cold (Score:2)
What they don't say... (Score:5, Funny)
Re:What they don't say... (Score:2)
Re:What they don't say... (Score:2)
Good! (Score:4, Funny)
Ah, can you hear me NOW? Good!
--MonMotha
Cold batteries? (Score:3, Funny)
was his girlfriend by any chance named Cameron Dicaprio?
anyway can someone shed some light on how cellphone batteries get recharged by cold temperatures?
How many more... (Score:1)
If you prick a spammer, does he not bleed?
Wow! (Score:1)
Re:Wow! (Score:3, Funny)
So after some quick agonizing I take the call, hoping it isn't my boss in a panic. It's Pacific Bell. The nice lady wans to know if I'm interested in signing up for CallerID.
I couldn't have been more interested !
Is anyone else sceptical about this story? (Score:2)
Re:Is anyone else sceptical about this story? (Score:2)
Yup. Just due to the sheer height you have line of sight and it can work over a long distance.
Re:Is anyone else sceptical about this story? (Score:2)
No, they usually put the towers into the well-occupied areas of the valleys. But as a lot of people already pointed out, being high up at 12000+ feet you have a good view and clear line of sight to the towers. The normal radius for a gsm cell (dunno if the value is for 900/1800MHz or both) is 37,8km (23,5miles), so that is baically the max distance they can bridge. In theory the handset itself only needs that range to stay in touch at all times, but I suppose (depending on battery strength, antenna gain, atmospheric disturbances, whatever) the phones range might be a good 40-45km (24 to 28miles). This is the raw theory, in reality (or urbanity) most GSM cells are designed to be way smaller and generate a decent amount of overlap so handovers from one cell to another go well. That way the handsets don't have to beam away at full power. I think GSM usually send with 2 watts output power, but on the pretty old Siemens S4 GSM phone you could just extract the antenna and close a circuit which would boost the phone to 4 watts.
I am not very knowledgeable of the climbers scene, but I tend to think that most serious climbers would value someone who a) goes alone despite unclear weather conditions and b) brings booze instead of gear and c) won't carry a fallback security device (2nd phone or battery) and d) doesn't even check the functionality of his security device, well, they would probably value him "wannabe" or something.
Re:Is anyone else sceptical about this story? (Score:2)
So, radius of a GSM cell is 37,8km, therefore handset range must be at least that, probably +5%.
Correct it for yourself, gotta shower and try to wake up...
Too bad you can't drink coffee and take a shower at the same time...
Colombia uses GSM standard? (Score:1)
I have read that same there in USA (911) too... So, who the heck he tried to call I wonder? Its well documented on ALL mobile phones as a part of standard.
That's it!! I'm moving!! (Score:3, Funny)
Re:That's it!! I'm moving!! (Score:2, Interesting)
About signals on top of mountains (Score:5, Interesting)
Also, from my personal experience in the Alpes, phones seem to work pretty well at high altitudes - so much, that I even get signals from neighbouring countries' networks sometimes. The major problem with large height is that your cellphone might appear in many cells simultaneously and the networks might become confused. (And this could be one of the reasons why you can't use a cellphone inside an airplane)
As far as the batteries are concerned.. I am aware that lower temperatures lower the reaction strength => the internal resistance of the battery increases => it becomes unusable very quickly. However it works again when it becomes warm. This does appear bogus...
... what do you expect from a story related with telemarketers and reported by Journalists working in US Media Conglomerate B]
Re:About signals on top of mountains (Score:2)
I use the word "officially" because, as we saw on Sept. 11th, people can and do get decent though oft short-lived connections on cell phones on planes in flight.
Re:About signals on top of mountains (Score:2)
Confused because the the network dosn't think the cells are adjacent or possibly even the handset is trying to roam back and forth between different networks.
(And this could be one of the reasons why you can't use a cellphone inside an airplane)
The major reason is that the avionics systems arn't certified to handle cellphones, in the cabin. Apparently people sucessfully made calls from the planes hijacked on September the 11th using cellphones.
One possible approach would be to install picocells in aircraft.
Re: confusion on phone networks (Score:2)
I heard one story of a guy flying in a private plane who used his analog cellphone to make a call. The call went through just fine, but when his bill came at the end of the month, he was triple-charged for roaming calls made at the same time.
Aw CRAP! (Score:5, Funny)
Urban legend ? (Score:2, Insightful)
To give the story some credibility it should have stated where he was found.
This fact could be compared with known base stations, and verified the claim or if it was possible.
On a side note, the ad on the page was for prepaid phone cards!
Cell phone on the Andes? (Score:2)
If I'm wrong, I'd like to know. Is this something along the lines of Iridium? I don't gather so from the article.
Re:Cell phone on the Andes? (Score:2)
Re:Cell phone on the Andes? (Score:2)
Now we just need to know how coverage is over there, seems to me.
Re:Cell phone on the Andes? (Score:2)
Try it on top of one of those things called the 'pyramids', maybe the coverage will be better...
Fake (Score:2, Interesting)
In most places, Emergency Calls are free.
An obscure mountain path durring a blizzard doesnt seem like the most likely place to get cellphone coverage.
Soliciting on Cellphones is illegal in many places, just like soliciting on Fax Machines.
so is it real?
What's up with all these people... (Score:4, Informative)
Alcohol dilates the blood vessels and the rush amplifies your body heat. True, you lose heat faster and in 'normally' cold conditions you shouldn't drink alcohol. But if you're stuck in a freezing mountain, you need to keep comfortable to keep awake, which is essential to your survival. And the article says the guy is relying on carefully measured doses of brandy. Limiting intake is essential.
Alcoholic beverages are actually present in most hikers' backpacks for this purpose (and also for treating wounds, due to its antiseptic nature).
And what's up with "you shouldn't drink anything at all in hypothermic conditions"? In fact, you should drink adequate amounts [hoptechno.com] of liquids. Water, as most liquids, preserves your temperature. The only time you shouldn't intake liquids is when you're already victimized by hypothermia (in other words, you're already unconscious or near unconsciousness so you can't really do anything anymore, but this is handy advice for people who encounter hypothermia victims -- don't give them food or drink).
Re:What's up with all these people... (Score:2)
Not drinking:
Low skin temperature with decent core temperature - awake, uncomfortable (which tends to keep one AWAKE), won't go into cardiac arrest.
Drinking:
Not so low skin temperature, but dangerously low core temperature: stupor, impaired judgement, and eventually, cardiac arrest, i.e. you are dead.
Do I really have to say which of the above is better?
In coverage area? (Score:2)
Just experiment until you get more bars on your signal indicator. And hope like hell there is no cell tower on the summit of K2!
make directional antenna.... (Score:2, Interesting)
So a
May I add two cents? (Score:2, Informative)
Another little tidbit. If anyone has ever dialed 911 on a phone its somewhat interesting. My motorolla v120 will sit in "emergency mode" and do a funny beep. You can't dial any other number until you reset the phone [e.g. power down].
Tom
Re:May I add two cents? (Score:2)
Having called 911 on my cellphone (a Nokia 6120) before, they display "EMERGENCY xxx xxx xxxx" during a 911 call, where xxx xxx xxxx is your cellphone number. You also don't have to power the phone down to return it to normal...just hit the End key like you normally would.
In Arizona, the lost hiker burned down forest! (Score:3, Informative)
Sigh.
If people are going to get lost, they oughta at least prepare for the fact! Of course, if they were prepared, they probably wouldn't get lost in the first place.
Wouldn't work in the USA... (Score:5, Funny)
The guy was lucky he wasn't a crusty, battle-hardened American consumer. Otherwise, here is what would have happened:
Man, I'm freezing... This brandy is good (Hiccup)...
Riiiinng...
Hello?
Hi, maybe I speak to Mister Diaz?
Leave me alone, you f&@*$%ing telemarketer bitch! Click. Hey, wait a sec... Hello? Hello? Oh crap...
That's right, boys and girls, telemarketers are not only a nuisance, they also create deeply ingrained reflexes that can hamper your survival if you happen to be drunk, stranded and out of minutes at the same time...
Did you hug a telemarketer today? Good! Keep hugging him until he chokes.
Damn. (Score:2)
Ironic... (Score:2, Funny)
To the telemarketer (Score:3, Funny)
QUIT WHILE YOU'RE AHEAD! ;)
You may be the only (fictional) telemarketer to have inspired more gratitude than raw, stomach-churning hatred, so get out of the business right away! And live the rest of your life on cat food and talk show appearances :)
Waitaminnit. (Score:2)
In other news... (Score:2)
Re:http://www.tism.com.au/lyrics/derigueurmortis.h (Score:1)