Man Calls 911 To Fix Broken iPhone 244
tekgoblin writes "For some reason Michael Skopec of Illinois thought that calling 911 would get his broken iPhone fixed. It got him arrested instead. From the article: 'After the five calls were made police traced the calls to his home in Illinois where they found him drunk and belligerent. He was arrested because he would not follow the police officers orders. It has yet to be made clear what he was actually trying to accomplish by calling 911 to get help with his iPhone. Although he was arrested he only faces misdemeanor charges and has to be in court next week.'"
Hey! (Score:5, Funny)
A broken iPhone really is an emergency! That means I can't play Angry Birds!
Re:Hey! (Score:5, Funny)
A broken iPhone really is an emergency! That means I can't play Angry Birds!
So that's why he called 911... he wanted to throw things at pigs.
Re:Hey! (Score:4, Informative)
Re:Hey! (Score:5, Funny)
If only that guy knows how to jailbreak, he'll be fine, right? Right??
Re:Hey! (Score:4, Funny)
Only if he could actually prove the Gizmodo editors were there...
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Zing!
Re:Hey! (Score:5, Insightful)
Yes, but with so many good games out there, why would you want to?
What's more sad? (Score:5, Funny)
Let's play what's more sad!
Which of the following is more sad?
1) A man calls 911 to fix a broken iPhone.
2) Slashdot decides to report on a man calling 911 to fix a broken iPhone.
Stay tuned for the answer after this commercial break.
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Re:What's more sad? (Score:5, Funny)
You say "sad" a lot :(
Well, maybe he's a sadist. :-)
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3) I came here to see what other slashdotters were saying about it :/
Re:What's more sad? (Score:4, Insightful)
Answer is obviously 1), because 2) gives us all a good laugh. Do you not like to laugh?
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Yet again, idiots jumping to "reducto ad absurdum" conclusions.. sometimes, the news can be entertaining as well as informative you know.
Perhaps stories like this will cause someone to think up a method for tech support that even drunk people can understand.
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Locked screen? (Score:5, Interesting)
The article was short on details.
I could see it not being that he was truly calling 911 to fix his phone, but rather the screen was locked. While I don't have an iPhone, my phone does allow 911 calls if the screen is locked, so I'm guessing the i-thing is similar. If he was too drunk to remember his unlock code he may have drunkenly hit the emergency call button multiple times.
Of course that's still pretty stupid sounding, but not as bad a confusing the police with a Genius Bar.
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BlackBerry phones allow this too. In fact I cant think of a device that doesn't allow it, probably some sort of federal regulation, like any phone with a signal can dial 911 regardless of whether or not it has a valid SIM.
Re:Locked screen? (Score:4, Informative)
That seems unlikely. I think pretty much all GSM devices have the capability (apparently it's in the spec, "112" should work globally). The N900 just doesn't advertise the feature. It's mentioned in the manual, though: http://www.nokia.co.uk/gb-en/support/product/nokia-n900/userguide/?action=onlineuserguidepagechange&pFile=GUID-67F9E8D2-51A2-4A60-B635-69F60530E852-139_FILE001.html [nokia.co.uk]
Re:Locked screen? (Score:4, Informative)
The reason all GSM phones have it is because it's a US requirement. Having developed the feature for the US market, the easiest thing is to have it on all phones, no matter where they are sold.
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The EU has a similar requirement, defined on the Directive 2002/22/EC.
Re:Locked screen? (Score:4, Informative)
The reason all GSM phones have it is because it's a US requirement. Having developed the feature for the US market, the easiest thing is to have it on all phones, no matter where they are sold.
I think you'll find its a European requirement. GSM originally meant "Groupe Spécial Mobile", which is a clue to its origin.
My extremely old (early 1990s) GSM phone allowed dialling the emergency number even if the keypad was locked -- either 999, the normal UK number, or 112, which works in every European country (from landlines, too) and every GSM phone.
The European law is from 1991. [europa.eu]
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I think you'll find its a European requirement. GSM originally meant "Groupe Spécial Mobile", which is a clue to its origin.
I know very well that GSM is a European Standard. But that's not what I was commenting on. I only mentioned GSM at all because the parent did. The requirement for all phones to be able to make emergency calls without hindrance is a US requirement.
Re:Locked screen? (Score:4, Interesting)
When the device asks for the code, enter the emergency number for your present location. The Emergency call icon appears.
I wonder what it does if you set your pin as 911 (or 112 or what-ever your local number is). Would it unlock or present the emergency number?
Seems like a stupid way to implement the feature if you ask me.
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Lack of localization is because of travel. People from one continent can travel to other and still need to contact emergency services.
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My Nokia N900 does not have this capability. If it is locked, all you can do is try entering codes or turn off the device.
Let's test that. Try dialing 911 five times ...
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False at least for Finland. I suspect it's also false for the rest of the continent.
Yes... of course (Score:2)
The apologist is strong in this one. The police of course don't know the difference between but dialing and someone harrassing 911. They can't just show the difference because these messages are recorded.
Really, to often slashdot posters just try to find an excuse for everything no matter how silly.
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Dial 112 from the lock screen. Emergency call, almsot every phone, every carrier.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/112_(emergency_telephone_number) [wikipedia.org]
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Sorry Mdmurphy, I misread - thought you'd said your phone does NOT allow 911 calls when locked. While it's true that some don't, almost all allow 112 while locked. Which, isn't really relevant as that wasn't what you said. Apologies!
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I don't know if they changed it, but back on Android 1.5 when I first got my phone it was a direct call to 911 - I know, I tried it. I figured there would be a few more steps - I mean no developer would be stupid enough to put a direct 911 button on a lock screen that is supposed to prevent you from accidentally pressing things...
Yeah, that 'feature' made the lock screen useless for me - and at the time the only way to remove it was to pay for a special lock screen app that did the same thing without the 9
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It was only some phones that did this, not all. The original G1 didn't, but the Samsung Moment did- I called the cops 3 times one day. Luckily in 3 separate cities. They fixed it in the first firmware update.
You didn't need to pay for a lock app though- there were plenty of free ones on the market.
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Why the hell is this here? (Score:5, Insightful)
Worthy of Slashdot, this is not.
Re:News! (Score:3, Interesting)
Worthy of Slashdot, this is not.
Are you kidding? First definitive proof that the iPhone is not idiot proof? This is indeed news.
Re:Why the hell is this here? (Score:5, Funny)
When 911 you reach, be more polite you will, hmm?
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Face (Score:2)
Seriously, why does this man's face have to be all over the internet for something as little as what he did? I hope for him he isn't looking for a job or something like that.
What's The News Here? (Score:3)
I don't understand what's so important about a drunk man dialing 911.
Re:What's The News Here? (Score:5, Funny)
I don't understand what's so important about a drunk man dialing 911.
He did it with an iPhone, and it gives Slashdotters another chance to act smug and feel superior.
I'm sure Android users never get drunk or do stupid things.
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I'm sure Android users never get drunk or do stupid things.
To be fair, I don't know of any Android developers who have lost their expensive, super-secret prototype phones after a night at the bar. Twice [guardian.co.uk].
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Disclaimer: I own an Android-based phone.
Dear Slashdot (Score:2)
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Indeed, its pretty pathetic, even below idle. This kind of crap should never be on Slashdot.
No More Apple Bashing! (Score:5, Funny)
An emergency system like 911 really needs a solid and intuitive user interface that will prevent errors like this.
I look forward to the introduction of i911 on the upcoming iPhone 5.
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LEAVE STEVE ALONE
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Behold [youtube.com]
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Enough about 911 (Score:2)
Maybe we can turn this thread into a thread about something more interesting. For instance, I always wonder how humans managed to make very straight lines when in the beginning all they had was sticks and stones.
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The quality of our sticks have gone down in the past 10,000 years. Poor quality control.
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Do you mean straight lines in drawings, or straight lines in large works, or in things like blocks of stone? It's quite easy on the small scale, all you need is something string-like you can apply tension to. If you didn't have some sort of fiber, you could use a piece of stretched animal intestine. For larger scale things, you just put marker sticks in the ground and visually line them up. All you have to do is close one eye and look to see if they all disappear behind the front one if you stand in the rig
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That is all true, but how do you get to something as simple as a ruler from there? The problem with the stretched piece of gut or hair is that it bends as soon as you touch it.
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Let say you want to have a wooden ruler. First, you get piece of wood in the desired length (or more) which is think and wide enough. Then you produce a mostly rectangular object which can be done without any measurements. Second, you make the surface smooth by rubbing a stone on the desired surface. Third, you get two sticks and a rope (or rope-like thing) knot each rope end to one of the sticks, and use some powder e.g., powdered char and dip the rope into it. Make sure the whole rope is full of char.
Four
Did they fix it? (Score:5, Funny)
Re:Did they fix it? (Score:4, Funny)
They had to jailbreak it.
Arrested for a call (Score:3)
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It's not that absurd. Here in the Netherlands we had many people abusing 112, as 911 is called here. This can cost lives, so t's now punished severely.
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You can not punish individual people differently for the same crime.
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Maybe he should think twice before getting drunk enough to do stupid things like this? Seriously, drunkenness as excuse is disgusting.
RTFA (Score:5, Informative)
Here is the pertinent quote;
"He was arrested because he would not follow the police officers orders."
He was not arrested for making the calls; he was arrested for being a drunken idiot when the police responded to the multiple 911 calls. They may have even taken him into custody for his own protection if he was that drunk.
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Abuse the emergency services line like this guy did, in the more-civilized country of your choice, and see what happens.
"Okay, we're going to fine you now" doesn't stop a guy that's repeatedly calling and tying up emergency services.
Not defending the US's draconian imprisonment policies in general, but I have to agree with the police here.
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Why is this on Slashdot? (Score:4, Insightful)
How exactly is this news for nerds?
In what possible way is this serious news of a technical nature, or anything that would interest the sort of people this website is supposed to be aimed at?
This should at the very least be in the Idle section.
Come on Slashdot Editors, do your job properly!
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No thank you on connectorless. If I want to transfer data, I want USB speed not bluetooth. And if I want to charge it, I want it to charge in minutes, not hours.
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WiFi is fast enough for transferring data.
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You assume it's available. I don't have a wifi router (my computer is wired). Neither does every hotel I go to (many are wired). Nor do my parents (their single PC is wired). Plus I then have to send my data via the internet, which I may not wish to do. And I'd need a program on the target PC to connect to it.
Nope. Still want a USB connector.
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Given that the RONJA-link guys manage to get 10Mb/s out of an LED over multiple KM of free air, I suspect that you could get a decent slice of USB throughput through a liquid
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WiFi is fast enough for transferring data.
Not for the initial multi gigabyte sync.
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I disagree with the GP for many reasons, but connectorless phones would be awesome. And my inductive charging unit goes nearly as fast as my cable - full charge in an hour or two.
However, he does forget that phones need holes for audio and mic. And if you have any holes, what's the point?
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However, he does forget that phones need holes for audio and mic. And if you have any holes, what's the point?
Isn't that what bluetooth is for?
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I like being able to use Bluetooth. I wouldn't much like being forced to.
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It would be unlikely to do as well as a conventional
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And if you measure the frequency response of that vibrating thingy beforehand you can in the software compensate for the lack of quality of the analogue part of the device.
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I suppose you could, but how well would it work? Presumably you'd connect the voice coil right to some sort of waterproof diaphragm, in which case it's just a super-durable speaker, but wouldn't that severely dull the frequency response - regardless of compensation?
More troubling, there's a lot less force pushing on that microphone than there is (potentially) on the speaker. And you can't really compensate for what you lack to begin with.
My usage of "need" was imprecise. You can wrap a phone in cellophane a
For how it looks, you have a problem... (Score:4, Insightful)
They want very slim, they want shiny, they don't want bezels, they want max battery life without increasing thickness. Boom: You have a phone whose case and chassis are a mixture of glass and metal practically calculated to crack and/or transmit shock to circuit boards(at least the Android units tend to only be entirely glass on one side...). Absolutely nothing to give you an elastic collision, no replaceable exterior sacrificial components(remember those now-traumatically-retro Nokia units, whose entire outer casing was a slightly loosely fitting ABS+Polycarbonate replaceable shell with a bit of crumple space between it and anything important? That design probably added more mm to the phone than certain modern devices have; but it meant you could drop the thing, crack the fuck out of it, pick it up, and get a new shell for $5 at the nearest seedy kiosk.)
The people who care primarily about durability are, unfortunately for them, not quite large enough a market to get the really good stuff. They do pull Real Serious Cases for iPhones, and reasonably ruggedized variants of some of the more widely model-numbered Android designs; but the ones done from the ground up to be rugged tend to be a bit retro.
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remember those now-traumatically-retro Nokia units, whose entire outer casing was a slightly loosely fitting ABS+Polycarbonate replaceable shell with a bit of crumple space between it and anything important?
I remember, but at the time I was more carrying the phone than using the phone. Okay for texting I needed a working set of buttons and a screen good enough to read but I didn't need or want a huge interface. On my iPhone I want my maximum size screen so I can surf the net or play games and so that my touchscreen controls are as accurate as possible. The only reason I want to limit is so that it still fits my pocket and talk to it like a normal phone. It'd be the same for an Android.
I do have a case for my p
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Realistically though, does it have to be THIN for that? That's one thing I really don't understand about modern phones - the thinness fetish.
Think about it. When you hold the phone in your hand(s) for a prolonged amount of time, your hand is shaped to grab it. And the most comfortable shapes for that are found on various handles - fairly thick, rounded at the edges.
I remember comparing my current cheapo nokia 5230 with several android variants and ip4. In all cases I found that thinness actually detracted f
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Except oddly enough, my iPhone has lasted longer than any previous cell I've owned. My first gen iPhone is still banging along. I went through 2 Razr's (bad hinges), and a sony (cracked screen).
Except for some scuff's on the glass, they seem just as durable. Hearsay of course, and I can only judge by what I've owned, but I don't find modern phones to be any more or less durable than my first cell phone, and certainly far more flexible, powerful, and useful.
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It is possible to have connectors as well as a user changeable battery and still be water tight.
Re:For what it costs, it shouldn't break. (Score:5, Insightful)
The problem is people feelings.
:)
Whenever the debate over breakable phones happen, I inevitably hear the words "$ANDROID_PHONE _feels_ cheap and plasticy, like it's going to fall apart and Iphone _feels_ solid" I facepalm.
If I drop my phone our of my pocket, 1 metre onto concrete, HARDNESS IS NOT YOUR FRIEND. The more flexible plastic which has more tensile strength so it will adsorb the impact, not to mention the components that are meant to come apart (I.E. battery cover) which serves to dissipate the kinetic energy. Tensile strength is what will save a phone in an impact, the hard casing of the iphone works against it's durability. If only people stopped relying on their "feelings" and used their brains when considering survivability.
I've dropped my HTC Dream and Motorola Milestone. The back came off the Dream but apart from that, it still works fine. The Moto was the same the first time, but the second time the slider for the keyboad broke, the phone itself still works, no cracked screens of cases, but the keyboard will eventually come off. Haven't dropped my HTC Desire Z yet, I guess it's because nothing better with a physical KB has come out
I've got an old Nokia 6500 C, metal and plastic case, survived half a dozen drops. 3 years and still working.
Re:pet peeve (Score:4, Funny)
Sounds like a spell from Harry Potter. "Obscruction!" he shouted. He pointed his wand at professor Umbridge, who fainted instantly.
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Sounds like a spell from Harry Potter. "Obscruction!" he shouted. He pointed his wand at professor Umbridge, who fainted instantly.
Hey careful with that spell! It gave me a headache all the way over here. I'm pretty sure I lost brain cells just reading it! But JK Rolling-In-The-Money is happy....it increased her merchandise sales by 0.5%
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Well, she deserves it, so good for her.
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Those people also deserve it but they do not get it. Life is unfair like that.
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Re:As an iPhone user... (Score:5, Funny)
... InB4 : no, not all iPhone user are that stupid. (anticipating cunning remarks from self-declared "superior" android users)
It's true, though: No android user would call the cops while drunk and belligerent. We all leave such mundane tasks to unique hardware and software that we are free to develop in the open android ecosystem, unlike the pitiful iSerfs.
When I want to get my ass kicked by the cops, my BeagleBoard-based(runs linux, of course) automated kegerator sends me a text message when it hits a threshold deltaBeer/deltaT value. The IOIO attached to my phone uses its breathalyser sensor and firmware to verify my state of inebriation and then sends a GET to the local server that my custom libpigs interface provides. Libpigs dials 911 and uses the Google text-to-speech mechanism [techcrunch.com] to read Markov-chain generated pseudorandom rants based on mashups of obscure punk that you wouldn't have heard of and the lesser known speeches of 19th century radicals until they show up.
Once the accelerometers verify that I'm getting beaten down, my phone automatically uploads to youtube and starts Googling for personal injury lawyers!
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read Markov-chain generated pseudorandom rants based on mashups of obscure punk that you wouldn't have heard of and the lesser known speeches of 19th century radicals
Don't you mean Markoff chains ?
(come on, throw me a frickin' bone here)
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He's some dirtbag who thinks that freedom should be for everybody - except for pregnant women. Those, he believes the state should force into involuntary servitude.
He's an OBGYN. He won one of his early elections because he had delivered just about every baby in a county [wikipedia.org]:
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wrong.
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But that would scare people away from calling 911. People often need to call the police about things that aren't immediate emergencies, but still need to reach them quickly and don't have the police phone number on hand. Sometimes those situations can turn into emergencies. So, generally what actually happens is that people calling 911 for non-emergencies don't get in trouble unless they keep calling and ignore warnings to stop.
What happened here is unclear. It's possible that this person really did call 91
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That was actually my first thought. It seems like a really obvious mistake for someone drunk and a bit confused who wanted support for his phone.
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http://humorfeast.blogspot.com/2011/11/man-arrested-for-calling-cops-police.html [blogspot.com]
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Ummm, why is the guy pictured in that link the same guy pictured in the iPhone story?