Why Your Clock Radio Is All Abuzz About iPhones

blackbearnh wrote in with a story that's not really about the iPhone, but if your office speakerphones beep like mine does, read on: "If you own an iPhone, you may have noticed that it has a distinct and very annoying effect on clock radios, computer speakers, car radios, and just about anything else with a speaker. The folks at O'Reilly Media aren't immune, so they set out to discover just what is it about iPhones that makes them such bad RF citizens. The iPhones aren't the only bad apples in the cell phone basket and there's not much you can do about the problem. We're really in an interesting time in that there has never been so many high-powered personal transmitters just wandering loose in the world."

Psh

[waffledoodle]

As I understand it, all Apple products have a distortion field.

Yes they do!

[TheSovereign]

Along with the distinct air of Fisher Price

One more

[Xerolooper]

Reason not to get an iPhone

My Nokia 3610 did this also.

[bigtallmofo]

As others have said, this really is a GSM issue and not an iPhone issue. The sound I hear from my computer speakers with my iPhone is identical to what I heard from my Nokia 3610 which is about as un-iPhone as a phone can get without being better described as a rock.

Seriously - the interference sound is identical.

My only concern really is what is this doing to my neurons, rods, cones and assorted other presumably sensitive body parts. I don't care about a goofy sound coming from my computer speakers every once in a while.

Re:GSM Buzz

[bloodninja]

Meet the "GSM Devil"

I put on my robe and wizard's hat.

Re:Nothing to see here.

[Bogtha]

Yeah, to give some idea of just how non-news this is, I first noticed this effect when Slashdot was called Chips & Dips.

Re:All GSM phones do that!

[russotto]

Funny how this post got +5, Informative for the same thing you just said, yet your post is sitting at +1, Troll.

Slashtip: Including a link to a silly gadget is always worth karma. Bashing the US can go either way.

Re:Nothing to see here.

[realisticradical]

You've left your cell-phone on when you fly!!! You know that it emits dangerous pilot-killer-rays!

Re:Nothing to see here.

[Anonymous Coward]

Links are occasionally helpful [penny-arcade.com].

Re:Nothing to see here.

[Anonymous Coward]

As long as it isn't da-da-da daaa-daaa-daaa da-da-da. :-)

Re:the cause could be put into the summary

[Anonymous Coward]

...and if you're really good you can tell the difference between a 2.5G location update, an incoming call, a GRPS attach/detach and 3G noises.

Yes, alright, 'Getting out a bit more' is on my plan, I just didn't get around to it yet.

Re:Nothing to see here.

[Anonymous Coward]

there's not much you can do other than putting a Faraday cage around the speaker,

...how about putting a Faraday cage around the phone instead?

Re:Nothing to see here.

[Gilmoure]

I have an iphone but no one's ever called me. Sigh.

Hi, I'm a Mac!

[Jeremiah Cornelius]

And I'm a PC <<bzzzt>>.

What's that?

I <<bzzt>> Said <<bzz-zzzt>> C.

Hey, I think your pager is trying to tell you something...

<<Bzzztt>>nks. I'll get it mys<<bzzzt>>.

Maybe he should be using the clock on an iPhone. ;-)

Re:Psh

[Mateo13]

It's not the phones, it's the douche bag field emitted by iPhone owners.

Re:Nothing to see here.

[Anonymous Coward]

Morse intolerant

It is my personal opinion that all Morse people should be rounded up and shot.