RoHS => tin whiskers?

Theories indicate they may be related to internal stresses in the metal. NASA has lots of examples and more info. Here's their FAQ:

Regards,

Mike Monett

They say " While the precise mechanism for whisker formation remains unknown, it is known that whisker formation does NOT require either dissolution of the metal NOR the presence of electromagnetic field." Well someone just needs to get on the ball and make that mechanism

On Mon, 05 Jun 2006 11:53:22 GMT, Fred Bloggs Gave us:

Tin and Oxygen.. with a little H2O.

Maybe one could fill the electronics box with some gas that will block oxygen? Or simple laque the electronics..

Generally yes. For the past year or two the camera "feature" was heavily being used to sell new phones but I think they've figured out that most people just really don't need that many gizmos. I really like the TV commercial for the cellphone with the "personal safety" features: hurl the phone at the guy trying to steal your wallet, knock him in the head!

Not sure where you get to visit, Jim, but all around Washington DC here there are lotsa offices etc. where cellphones with cameras are strictly forbidden. Mostly because there's defense contracting going on in the building.

Tim.

Here they are working on it:

Best regards, Spehro Pefhany

Most of my clients are the same way, even the non-military ones.

...Jim Thompson

If you have a cell phone, your service provider knows where you are, any time you have the phone powered.

Do you ever look at your statement ?:-)

Also read the fine print. The service provider can SELL that information AT WILL.

All the BS about QWEST was just that, BS. QWEST balked because they wanted to be paid.

...Jim Thompson

It looks like 'lacquer', which we normally refer to as conformal coating, does not help:

google "tin whisker" "conformal coating"

================================

Greg Neff VP Engineering

That usb stick was encrypted I presume?

Given ubiquitous cell phone cameras and USB sticks, our rules have been relaxed to allow them (but not "real" cameras) but admonish us not to steal anything. One cow-orker had the entire processor VHDL on his USB stick. We pretty much all have a good chunk of it on our laptops, though they're more secure.

They certainly know which cell you're currently attached to. That's sorta important to the whole concept of a "cell phone". OTOH, the GPS on my cell phone can only be triggered by a call to

Not according to VZW's privacy statement:

"We enable you to control how and if we disclose your personally identifiable information to other persons or entities, except as required by law or to protect the safety of customers, employees or property or except when we share such information with agents, affiliates, suppliers, vendors, consultants and contractors who use it to provide or support our products and services."

They can certainly can and do sell information that doesn't have my personally identifiable information on it. The Credit Beureaus do similar. Many DMVs do far worse.

There was no customer identifiable information in the first place. Indeed, the "leak" may have been a fraud (Verizon also said they weren't asked). In the end, it was all a fraud stirred up by the lefty weenie Democrats (I know, redundant) to try to get Bush, and it backfired badly.

No.

For, let's say, checking where your employees spend their leisure time?

- YD.

(1) It only reports when 9-1-1 is dialed.

(2) It doesn't do anything if the phone is turned off.

...Jim Thompson

(3) If it's the employer's phone, perhaps he has the right to know where it is and what it's doing.

The employer (or a parent) can pay to have such service.

...Jim Thompson

Hello Jim,

Roy beat me by 22 minutes since we took our dogs for a long walk. So I guess that would make it "his point" :-)

Won't walk them in the afternoons anymore though. It gets way too hot and then the pavement is too toasty for their paws.

WRT to phones I'll never understand why people need all this nerd stuff in there. TV on a cell phone? Ridiculous. What cell phones lack is a simple method to xfer contact info between PC and phone. With the Nokia (and most others) you need a cable, special software and so on. IIRC Timex was much smarter. One of their watches could be held in front of a PC monitor. You hit the "transfer" button and it would start flashing like crazy. A photocell inside would receive the data. Now that was clever. No IrDA port and all that stuff. Simple and efficient.

Or a spouse...

Best regards, Spehro Pefhany