Technology @lemmy.ml JimmyBigSausage @lemm.ee 2 days ago

Do my phone and watch have explosives embedded in them?

cross-posted from: https://lemm.ee/post/42612055

(Asking for the civilized world.)

23 comments

Most portable electronics today use some variation of lithium ion batteries, which when it becomes unstable can combust/explode if mishandled. However, devices generally have thermal management software and hardware, as well as multitude of other safety mechanisms like power management systems to handle charge regulation. Unless you intentionally puncture your batteries, they’re not likely to cause any problems on their own.
- Batteries do not explode, they burn.
  
  Sure. But the capacitors in the devices do make a pop and the fragments/shrapnels from the damaged devices depart from their physical location at pace that I would not be comfortable with.
  
  If I’m dealing with a spicy pillow situation, the technical definitions as to whether or not something counts as an explosion is the last of my concern.
- I guess the question I am asking is how do I know someone hasn’t placed a bomb inside as is now happening with other devices in the world? (See current news)
  
  You don't. Try not to piss off any national governments, especially unhinged ones (Russia, China, US, Israel, etc.)
  
  That's easy. Just fly somewhere and bring it in your carry-on, airport security will let you know.
  
  how do I know someone hasn’t placed a bomb inside
  
  You learn enough about electronics to identify things that shouldn't be in there, and then you open up and analyze your devices.
  
  Alternatively, you could not become involved with an organization that is at war with a powerful country who has a capable spy/espionage agency.
  
  Just buy a small, industrial CT scanner and scan your device. Compare the results to a device that you know hasn't been tampered with.
  
  Until you dismantle your devices, you don’t know, but unless a terrorist state like Isn’treal wants you dead, they almost definitely don’t have bombs in them. It’s not something I’m the least bit worried about.
- Probably don't charge while wearing.
  
  They tend to catch fire and explode mostly during charging
Depends, are you anywhere near Lebanon? If so, you may want to put your phone in airplane mode.
- No thank goodness
Unless somebody specifically installs an explosive charge in a device, it's highly unlikely that modern power cells will detonate. If you want to get technical about it, they're incendiaries. They don't explode, they burn vigorously.
- I am not asking about power cells 🤦🏽

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