Common mobile phone myths busted

Many of us often
receive emails and SMSes outlining cellphone dos and don'ts.
Have you ever tried to find out if any of these tips hold water in terms of
scientific evidence and reasoning?

Here we explore the
truth behind several common mobile phone myths that are doing the
rounds of the Internet:

 

~ Myth: Mobile phone use
at a petrol pump can cause an explosion.

~ Fact: None of the
incidents you read about in forwarded emails have ever been verified as the
truth. Moreover, the belief that a mobile phone can ignite petrol is simply
unfounded -- the elctromagnetic field created by it and the current passed on
by its batteries are both far too weak to cause gas to
ignite. So why the warning at both gas stations and in cellphone manuals to
cease and desist from using your phone while you tank up? Simply because it's
better to be safe than sorry -- at the end of the day, the cellphone possesses
flammable properties.

 

~ Myth: Charging your
cellphone every day will reduce the life of the battery.

~ Fact: While
this is true of older cellphone models, which use batteries like NiCd
and NiMH, cellphones which use newer batteries like Li-Ion and
Li-Ion Polymer can be charged every day without undermining performance or
battery life.

 

~ Myth: You get a free
phone on a contract/ combined offer when you subscribe to a
particular telecom operator's services for a year or two.

~ Fact: No free lunches.
Read carefully before you sign -- a cancellation of the network provider's
services before the contract expires may lead to a hefty penalty fee.

 

~ Myth: Since I don't get
network coverage from my service provider within my own home, the
service provider is no good.

~ Fact: Mobile phones use
radio technology. Just like your car radio, your mobile phone may have poor
reception in some places. You should also check up on whether it's your
handset that is causing the problem.

 

~ Myth: Mobile
phones fry your brain.

~ Fact: While it is true
that mobiles phones can produce a little heat, your head is more
likely to warm up from walking in the sun.

 

~ Myth: Cellphone use
can affect male fertility.

~ Fact: Calling all men
who carry their mobiles in their pockets or in a holster on their belts: the
good news is that you are still as capable as an Arabian stud! As of the
present there is no hard evidence that cellphone use can affect male
fertility.

 

~ Myth: Mobile phone use
can cause tumours on the side of the head and lead to cancer, particularly in
children.

~ Fact: There isn't
sufficient proof off this as yet, because mobile phones haven't been around
for too long. However, a precautionary approach is recommended (reduced
usage, availing of speakerphone or hands-free options, using the Bluetooth
facility, opting for a low SAR phone) � especially for
children. The most lethal risk of mobiles is using them while
driving

~ Myth: When your
cellphone battery gets completely drained and your phone switches off, you
can punch in a code to dig into reserve battery power. Your phone will
then restart and your battery power will be increased by 50
percent.

~
Fact:
This is 100 percent false -- after a cellphone goes off from lack of
battery power, there is simply no battery power left in reserve for it to
start operating again. No code in the world can restore such
a cellphone's activity -- you have to recharge the battery. If you
have a hard time believing that, read your cellphone manual -- if it possessed
any such feature, the manufacturers would undoubtedly mention it, especially to
help customers cope with an emergency situation.

 

(Source : Rediff http://www.rediff. com/getahead/ 2007/oct/ 26mobile. htm )