What Should I Do if I Drop My Cell Phone in Water

If you drop your cell phone in water, it is often possible to salvage it. Time is of the essence, however, so the first thing to do is to get your cell phone out of the water as soon as possible. Leaving a cell phone in water for even a few seconds might damage it beyond repair, but there are a few things that you can try and that sometimes work. The main things are opening the phone as much as possible, taking out the battery and completely drying off all of the components.

Remove the Battery

After retrieving your cell phone from the water, the next thing to do is to remove the battery immediately, without even hesitating to turn off the power. This reduces the risk of a short circuit that would render your phone useless. Dry the battery with a towel, and it set aside to dry thoroughly. The battery itself might not work again, but it can be replaced fairly inexpensively. Even if the battery does work, it is a good idea to get a new one to avoid the risk of having the old one leak battery acid.

Take It Apart

After you have removed the battery, dry off the cell phone with an absorbent towel as best as you can. Use cotton swabs to soak up water in crevices and on any fragile, exposed circuits. If you have dropped your cell phone in water, it also is helpful to disassemble it, if you can, and let all of the parts dry separately. Just be sure that you know how to put it back together. If it is a flip or sliding cell phone, leave it open to allow for maximum evaporation.

Avoid Mineral Damage

If you drop your cell phone in water that isn't pure or another liquid, such as a beverage or in salt water, rinse off the phone with fresh water after you have removed the battery. After you drop your cell phone in water, a quick rinsing is unlikely to do any further damage, but salt, sugar or other materials might. You also could try giving your phone an alcohol bath. The alcohol will displace minerals and microscopic substances and will aid in the evaporation of the fluid. If it is available, you should use an alcohol concentration of 95 percent rather than rubbing alcohol, which usually has a concentration of 70 percent.

Let It Dry

After your phone is clean, leave it in a warm, dry area or near an air conditioner for at least three days before you attempt to replace the battery and turn it on. This is very important, because although you may think that you have thoroughly dried it, the slightest moisture can react with the battery and cause it to short circuit. Putting your cell phone in a container full of dry rice grains also can help dry it out. Make sure that the rice completely covers the phone.

Warranty Likely Voided

Unless you have insurance for your cell phone and it covers water damage, there probably is no point in sending it to the manufacturer with the hope that the warranty will cover the cost of a replacement. If you drop your cell phone in water, the warranty probably will be voided. The manufacturer's technicians will be able to tell immediately that it has been dropped in water because of the moisture-sensitive stickers that are placed inside almost all cell phones. The best thing to do is to dry it out yourself and hope that it still works.

Do Batteries Really Last Longer if They Are Stored in the Refrigerator

Some household batteries may last slightly longer if stored in the refrigerator or freezer. Even when not being used, the internal components slowly corrode over time; cool temperatures can slow down this process. The type of battery and how it is stored will greatly affect whether refrigeration is an efficient means of extending its shelf life, however. Rechargeable varieties get more benefit from the cooler temperatures than alkalines do. All types of batteries must be protected from moisture in the refrigerator, so they should be kept in a sealed container.

Refrigerating Alkaline Models

Since most manufacturers recommend storing batteries in a cool, dry location to last as long as possible, it may seem logical to keep alkaline models in the refrigerator. Most refrigerators maintain an average temperature of 40° Fahrenheit (approximately 10° Celsius) or lower, and the atmosphere inside is very low in humidity. This seems like an ideal storage environment, as the lower temperature reduces the power drain on the electrolyte fluid inside the battery, which acts as a medium for the flow of the electrical current. According to the results of several tests, storage at very cold temperatures will increase the shelf life, but only by a small amount. Alkaline models stored in a refrigerator can retain 93% of their power after five years, compared to 90% for non-refrigerated models stored in other cool, dry areas.

The downsides of refrigeration for alkaline varieties may outweigh the minor extension in their shelf life. Although a refrigerator has low humidity, batteries that are not sealed in an air-tight container may be subject to contact with moisture from other items in the refrigerator, which can destroy the electrical circuit. Extremely cold temperatures can also corrode the contact points on either end of the battery, rendering them unusable. One of the biggest downsides is that the batteries must be returned to room temperature before they can be used, so they cannot simply be taken out of cold storage and put immediately into electronics.

Refrigerating Rechargeable Models

Rechargeable varieties, such as nickel-metal hydride (NiMh), can benefit greatly from cold storage when cared for properly. While rechargeable models offer many advantages over alkaline varieties, they suffer from a fairly short charge life, and may need to be charged every few days when stored at room temperature. Carefully stored in the refrigerator, a rechargeable battery can hold at a 90% charge for months at a time.

For best results, rechargeable batteries need to be kept in a sealed freezer bag inside an airtight container to reduce the risk of moisture damage or condensation. Any moisture can cause corrosion inside of the battery, making it unusable. Like alkaline models, rechargeables will need to be thawed before they can be used.

Other Ways to Extend Shelf Life

People who are concerned about getting the most use out of their batteries should consider investing in rechargeable models, which can be used dozens of times without replacing. This not only cuts down on the cost of supplies over time, but is also more environmentally friendly. Recharging the batteries before they are completely depleted can also extend their lifespan, as draining a battery fully usually causes it to wear down more quickly.

It is also best to use the right type of battery for specific electronics. Some devices, such as digital cameras, use up a lot of power quickly, and eat up regular alkaline varieties in just a few hours. Some batteries are built to withstand the increased power needs of high-drain electronics, so they should be used to reduce costs.

Batteries should be removed from electronic devices when they are not in use to extend their life. Most electronics draw small amounts of power even when they are turned off, sometimes called "vampire power" or "phantom load." These electronics will drain batteries over time. For rarely used devices, removing the batteries can cut down on energy costs.

Rather than worrying too much about refrigeration, most users get more benefit from finding a cool location with low humidity to store their batteries. While cold storage may extend the shelf life slightly, exposure to heat and humidity will cause a much more rapid decline. Some experts recommend avoiding storing batteries in the kitchen, since using the stove can cause frequent and rapid temperature jumps. Cool closets that do not receive much light are often excellent storage locations.

What Is HDMI®

HDMI® (High-Definition Multimedia Interface) is an interface standard used for audiovisual equipment such as high-definition television and home theater systems. With 19 wires wrapped in a single cable that resembles a USB wire, HDMI® is able to carry a bandwidth of 5 Gbps (gigabits per second). This is more than twice the bandwidth needed to transmit multi-channel audio and video, future-proofing HDMI® for some time to come. This and several other factors make HDMI® much more desirable than its predecessors, component video, S-Video and composite video. 

HDMI® is an uncompressed, all-digital signal, while the aforementioned interfaces are all analog. With an analog interface, a clean digital source is translated into less precise analog, sent to the television, then converted back to a digital signal to display on screen. At each translation, the digital signal loses integrity, resulting in some distortion of picture quality. HDMI® preserves the source signal, eliminating analog conversion to deliver the sharpest, richest picture possible. 

Previous video interfaces required separate audio cables, with the vast majority of people using standard RCA L/R analog audio jacks. HDMI®, with its abundant bandwidth and speed, carries not only video but also up to eight digital audio channels for uncompromised surround-sound. It replaces the tangle of wires behind the system with a single cable, greatly simplifying the entire setup process of the home theater system while delivering top tier performance. 

Though standard HDMI® or "Type A" has 19 wires, "Type B" will have 29 wires. The latter is targeted for the motion picture industry and other professional applications. Both varieties are "Intelligent HDMI®," referring to the built-in capability for HDMI®-enabled components to talk to each other via the interface. Auxiliary information can provide all-in-one remote functionality and other interoperable features not possible in previous interface technologies.

HDMI® supports standard video formats, enhanced video and high-definition. It is also backwards compatible with DVI (Digital Video Interface). High-end graphics cards featuring a DVI port can connect to a HDMI® interface via a DVI/HDMI® cable. This is simply a cable with a DVI connector on one end and a HDMI® connector on the other. As a rule, HDMI® cables should not run longer than 15 feet (5 meters), or degradation of the signal could occur.

As of 2005, many high-end television sets were sold with at least one HDMI® interface. Some experts advise that two HDMI® interfaces will provide more flexibility, and for those who want to connect a game console, three might serve better. Multiple interfaces will become common on digital TVs as the industry incorporates HDMI® interfaces into more peripheral components.