Blast Of Arctic Temperatures Could Put Your Electronics On Thin Ice
NEW YORK(CBSNewYork) -- The arctic blast has a lot of people tired of bundling up, but even worse many of those people have been surprised to learn that the extreme cold can do damage to electronic devices.
Scarves, hats, gloves, and layers are all part of the essential dress code for the arctic air, CBS 2's Carolyn Gusoff reported.
"It's been horrible. I can't imagine being outside but this is the business we're in and we have to do it the hard way," Orlando Hernandez, Big M Car Wash, said.
We bundle up our bodies when the temperature drops but many New Yorkers have paid the price by leaving precious electronics out in the bitter blast.
"It's usually in my pocket so I guess it stays warm with my hands," one smartphone user said.
Experts say cell phones, laptops, and tablets can be seriously damaged if left out in the cold.
Chris Jelani of ATT Greenvale told CBS 2 that leaving electronics out can shorten the life of the lithium-ion battery, crack internal components, and cause harmful condensation in anything with a LCD screen.
"A lot of people when they grab an electronic from a car or pocket if it's not working they tap harder which can easily crack it," Jelani said.
At the P.C. Richard And Son in Greenvale there has been an uptick in service calls for cold exposure.
"Leaving it in your car is a 'no no'. Same goes for any GPS system you may have. Smartphones, tablets, you definitely want to take it with you," Chris Gabriel explained.
Lap tops are also vulnerable and hard drives can freeze.
Experts recommend carrying a portable phone charger to make up for reduced battery life and keeping that phone in your pocket to protect it from the bitter chill.
If you drop your phone in the snow experts suggest taking the battery and the sim card out, bringing the phone indoors, and letting it dry out before powering it up.
Manufacturers also provide temporal guidelines. Apple says that its products can operate in temperatures between 32 and 95 degrees.
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