gizmodo.com — A tech for Comcast showed up at this woman's house to install her cable modem, but wound up detonating her Powerbook after plugging the coaxial cable from the modem into a "similar-appearing" electrical cable while the Powerbook was still connected to it.
Dec 18, 2006 View in Crawl 4
yogrammammaDec 19, 2006
woops...
tochiDec 19, 2006
This type of thing is exactly why I install my own broadband... DSL or Cable, I won't let a Comcast/Qwest tech even get near my computer. If the tech needs to run some cable lines then he can do that, but I just tell them my computer runs Linux (it's actually windows) and that I don't want them touching it. I've never had a tech say to me: "We can set it up on Linux too."
Closed AccountDec 19, 2006
Sorry DrDabbles, but it is VERY possible. I'm sure you have a Power Limited license but do you understand how an electrical service for a building works? I've been an electrician for over 10 years and I have seen what has happened when power gets applied to the wrong places. Look at the picture of the laptop screen again, see how it has a copper colored tint to it? That from the copper on the circuit boards turning straight from a solid to a gas then solidifying on other surfaces. By the looks of it, I'd say it was at least 120volts, UN-FUSED. What does that mean? That the tech had his coax drop connected to the electrical service drop coming into the building. I'd guess that the laptop was powered off one 120v phase and the coax on the roof was accidentally connected to the opposing phase. That would mean that the laptop would have had to deal with 240volts. In the article it says NOTHING about in in-line amplifier as others have suggested. I'd we willing to bet he had a coax splice up on the roof and the metal barrel of the connector came in contact with the utility split bolts or wires. It's very common for the insulation to completely fall off these wires, They sit in the sun all day and the UV light breaks down the insulation.
Closed AccountDec 19, 2006
More proof to back up my argument.....<a class="user" href="http://electrical-contractor.net/ubb/Forum1/HTML/007884.html">http://electrical-contractor.net/ubb/Forum1/HTML/007884.html</a>
skinwillDec 19, 2006
@bachflomid BINGO
Closed AccountDec 19, 2006
So I guess I'm the only one who thought this happened from CoRD (<a class="user" href="http://cord.sourceforge.net/)">http://cord.sourceforge.net/)</a>
bradleylandDec 20, 2006
@sibhodHow exactly does unplugging your computer fry your video card?
mfrattDec 24, 2006
In Soviet Russia, Powerbook explodes YOU!!