Video Transcript
Cody: Tough guy nerds, tough guy nerds.
Marianne: Mmm hmm. An oxymoron.
Ryan: We got our safety glasses on so we are ready for some mayhem. Summer mayhem. We got our gadgets, we’re out by the pool, we’re playing. Son of a gun. I mount my phone on my dashboard when am driving around and I will get this warning every now and then.
Cody: Oh it’s so hot.
Ryan: It’s too hot and so you think oh, well I’ll cool this off. I’ll just toss it in a bucket ice and that’ll cool it off, right? No don’t do that, that is a terrible idea.
Cody: That’s a terrible idea.
Marianne: Who will do that?
Ryan: Even in a zip lock bag, condensation gets in the phone, ice will get it wet, all that sort of stuff. With this, all you gotta do is really just stick it in front of your air conditioner and cool it off that way. That’s it. If you really want to go crazy stick it in front of a fan with some ice and then you can cool it off that way but don’t get it near the ice, that’s pretty terrible. Also, make sure you take the case off. That will cool it off.
Cody: Yeah.
Ryan: So let’s say the opposite happens. Let’s say, you are cruising around and you accidentally drop it in a pool. Uh oh.
Cody: Uh oh, having a good time and bloop, oh no.
Ryan: Well, tradition says that throw it in a bag of rice. The problem is you throw it in the rice you are going to get all these dust particles inside your phone and it’s going to mess it up or you might think that take the hair dryer and I’ll blow this thing until it’s dry. That’s also terrible because you will melt some of the components inside there and the phone won’t work. Instead, get one of these silica packets or get several of these. You can get them from Amazon for about 8 bucks for a bunch of them. Just have it on hand, throw the phone in with the silica packets. That will absorb all the water and it will make it a lot better. Resist the urge to turn the phone on to see if it’s still working. Just let it sit for 24 to 48 hours before you start messing around with trying to turn it on.
Cody: So what you can do is buy a brand new pair of heels on Zappos so you can get the silica packet in that.
Marianne: For free.
Cody: And then use that.
Ryan: Everyone needs a new pair of heels.
Cody: Exactly.
Ryan: Let’s say you get a dirt. You are hiking and you are cruising around and you’re like oh no, I got a little dirt and dust on my phone, what do I do? The first thing we’re gonna do is go like this, right? No, don’t do that. That is terrible. Instead, just get like a little…these are called wireless wipes. These also remove bacteria. Use that to clean out the phone. That will keep it from getting scratched and all the other terrible things that can happen. Now let’s say you’ve got an iPad like my son. He’s got an iPad here and he just got back from Disneyland. Now let’s say he wants to use this, and he’s a 7-year-old kid. He’s gonna to drop it, he’s gonna mess around with it. This is by Griffin, it’s called the Survivor. This is really cool because it actually is airtight sealed, it is also water resistant so if he accidentally drops it in the water it’s gonna be fine and it will keep it will keep dust and dirt out of it. You can get these at Amazon. I don’t remember the price. Oh, it’s between $30 and $50.
Cody: Okay that’s cool.
Ryan: Or let’s say you’re out by the pool and you want to listen to your phone again and you want to listen to some cool tunes. I got a cool one lined up here. Oh, I don’t have it lined up anymore. This is a waterproof speaker. This is called the You Roll and you can just throw it in the water and it’ll work. How cool is that?
Cody: Of course. It looks cute.
Ryan: Yeah. We hang this up in the shower so that you can listen to Taylor Swift while getting cleaned.
Cody: Yeah.
Ryan: So that’s kind of cool. And that’s about 70 bucks, you can get that at Amazon too.
Cody: Is that how you turn it up and down? Is the plastic manual?
Ryan: Yeah, the plus and minus turns it up and down. It’s really easy to use. I was playing my kids favorite song earlier. That’s why we got the safety goggles.
Cody: Exactly, so we don’t have to hear that music anymore. Good to see you, my friend. If you want some more information, Nerds on Call information is right there on your screen.
Marianne: Give me that nerds pose one more time. We’ve got to say, tough nerds?
Cody: Tough nerds.
Ryan: Tough nerds.
You may love the sun, sand and surf of summer, but your electronics most certainly do not. Ryan Eldridge, Nerds on Call is here to show us what you should and should NOT do to save your gadgets from summer.
Problem: Heat
Have you ever left your phone in your car or in your bag at the beach and come back to see this warning on your screen? Typically our first instinct would be to cool it down as fast as possible with whatever is available to us, like the cooler loaded with ice, or in the freezer at home. The problem is that you could permanently damage your phone if you expose it to a wet environment- even if you think it’s safe in that sandwich baggie! You could potentially get condensation build up inside the bag, which would cause your internal parts to get wet. Wet electronics = very bad. A better alternative would be to first remove the case if you have one, and simply place your phone in front of the air conditioning vents in your car. Super simple right? If you are not near your vehicle, hold your phone in front of a fan with an ice bucket behind it and your phone will cool down in no time.
Problem: Water
Here’s a common scenario- you are sitting poolside working on that perfect summer self for instagram, and someone decides it’s a perfect opportunity to douse you with an epic cannonball. Suddenly you are soaked, along with your phone. What should you do? Put your phone in a bowl of rice? NO! Rice leaves behind a dusty residue that will coat your internal parts and cause them to potentially malfunction. Instead, try a couple of silicon packets that were left behind in your new flip-flop box. If you can’t find any, you can order them very cheaply on amazon. Simply place a packet or two in a sandwich bag and drop your phone in it, seal the bag and let it sit for a couple of hours and watch the packets absorb all of the moisture from your phone. It is very important to power your device down immediately after it is exposed to water, this will help minimize the risk of frying electronic components on the inside of your phone.
Hey, speaking of wet electronics, check out these portable waterproof Bluetooth speakers made by Ultimate Ears. You don’t have to worry about these getting wet, take them in the pool or the shower with you for hours of music outdoors.
Problem: Dirt
Here’s another common summer scenario- you are out at the beach or on a hike and your phone suddenly takes a tumble out of your pocket. The first instinct may be to wipe the dust off with your shirt- but that’s a bad idea as you could easily scratch that beautiful display on your device. Also, you may try blowing off the dirt, which is okay as long as you are blowing AWAY from the crevices and openings in your device. Blowing the dirt is bad and counterproductive. A better option is to get a can of air duster and blow that dirt off and away from your device. If you don’t have a can of air duster handy, you can use any soft microfiber cloth, or use a small soft bristle toothbrush to remove dirt particles without scratching your screen. If you plan on being out often this summer- you can take preventative measures and throw a Griffin Survivor All-Terrain Case on your device for $30 – $50. These are dirtproof and water resistant and have a reputation for saving many devices that faced certain death.
About The Author: Andrea Eldridge is CEO and co-founder of Nerds On Call, a computer repair company that specializes in on-site and online service for homes and businesses. Andrea is the writer of a weekly column, Nerd Chick Adventures in The Record Searchlight. She prepares TV segments for and appears regularly on CBS, CW and FOX on shows such as Good Day Sacramento, More Good Day Portland, and CBS 13 News, offering viewers technology and lifestyle tips. See Andrea in action at callnerds.com/andrea/.
