<html><body bgcolor="#FFFFFF"><div>Ouch Dave! You didn't proceed to cry right away? :)</div><div><br></div><div>Question - how did ya get an iPhone without signing a new contract?</div><div><br> iPhone</div><div><br>On Nov 22, 2009, at 1:14 PM, Dave Sevick <<a href="mailto:dave@davesevick.com">dave@davesevick.com</a>> wrote:<br><br></div><div></div><blockquote type="cite"><div><div>Many years ago one of my favorite Seinfeld episodes was the <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=T9OjACluICw&feature=related">" Junior Mint" episode</a> where Kramer fumbles little chocolate mint candies in his hand and allows them to spill out over a surgery observation deck watching an operation. </div><div><br></div>Last night I was at a birthday party/family bowling event at the excellent <a href="http://www.paradiseislandbowl.com/">Paradise Island Bowl & Beach</a> on Neville Island.<br><br>My 32GB iPhoneGS, as always, is a big attention getter for those who have never seen or used an Apple iPhone. This night at the bowling alley was no different.<div><br></div><div>As the cool device passed around the table is was accidentally fumbled ( much like Kramer and the Junior Mints ) and flopped right into a pitcher of beer.</div><div><br></div><div>The room froze. Several people looked on in shock as my iPhoneGS bobbed in the pitcher of Bud Light.</div><div><br></div><div>My brother-in-law dove into the beer with a nervous fist and grasped the drenched iPhone. Immediate shaking and drying and blowing and blotting and everything .... all happened in super-slow-motion as I watched the impending traumatic death of my dear smartphone.</div><div><br></div><div>-------------- Fast forward to an hour later---------</div><div>My brother-in-law has apologized every 5 seconds repeatedly .... </div><div>.... we found the iPhone still working and looking good.</div><div><br></div><div>Yet some issues were evident:</div><div><br></div><div>1. The iPhone kept giving and error message that "charging is not allowed ...." even though I was not charging it. Probably fluid shorting-out the power port.</div><div><br></div><div>2. <a href="http://discussions.apple.com/thread.jspa?threadID=1706328">"NO SIM" </a>was showing in the upper left corner where the AT&T signal strength would normally show. The Airport menu worked and wireless was OK. Probably fluid shorting-out the SIM slot.</div><div><br></div><div>3. The ringer volume was going up and down on it's own. Probably fluid shorting-out the volume control.</div><div><br></div><div>That was enough for me to know that an Apple Store visit was necessary. I know that I could use desiccant packets and boxes of rice and bounty towels and so many more home remedies to dry out the phone ... but all of these require opening up the iPhone to really get all the fluid exposed ... and thus voiding the warranty. And physical damage is just not covered by Apple. Apple techs remind me that on opening an iPhone ( which you should not do ... unless you have an <a href="http://www.apple.com/support/programs/ssa/">Apple Self Service Account </a> ) you'll disconnect three critical cables ..... and that the common "rice" remedy can allow the newly wet rice to expand in the earphone and power adapter slots ... and that is a non-reversable clogging of those ports ....the ports that you seek to draw moisture from ....</div><div><br></div><div>-------------- Fast forward to Sunday Nov 22, the next morning---------</div><div><br></div><div>I logged onto the Apple Shadyside site and booked a <a href="http://www.apple.com/retail/shadyside/">genius bar appointment </a> for 12:20PM</div><div><br></div><div>1. Arrived at 11:45AM to sign in early .... and got seen in order. By the way, I counted 23 Apple staff in the store on the floor .... 23 ! I'm not sure how many were in the back !</div><div><br></div><div>2. "Iral" was the tech who helped me. She used a <a href="http://www.drmomotoscope.com/">Dr. Mom Otoscope</a> to look closely at the ports. Service was quick, professional and excellent.</div><div><br></div><div>3. We found multiple problems with the ports and she is aware that it did have a "beer bath" last night ... so I need a new phone ! $199 for the new iPhone ( actually refurbished with new outside case ) ... $212.93 total with tax.</div><div><br></div><div>3. New iPhoneGS was connected and my settings settings restored via iTunes sync.</div><div><br></div><div>It is now 12:50 PM and I'm out the door and in good shape.</div><div><br></div><div>Lessons learned ... this has been a good day ... and Apple Shadyside rocks !</div><div><br></div><div><br></div><div><div><br><br><br></div></div></div></blockquote><blockquote type="cite"><div><span>_______________________________________________</span><br><span>NPMUG mailing list</span><br><span><a href="mailto:NPMUG@davesevick.com">NPMUG@davesevick.com</a></span><br><span><a href="http://davesevick.com/mailman/listinfo/npmug">http://davesevick.com/mailman/listinfo/npmug</a></span><br></div></blockquote></body></html>