Sidekick 3 wipes credit cards?

by Chris Ziegler, posted Jul 17th 2006 at 1:32AM

Apparently, the magnet used to latch the screen on the Sidekick 3 can hold a fork captive, leading some guys with a credit card reader to ask the obvious question: what happens if a magnetic data stripe passes in harm's way? Sho' nuff, it looks like you get a bricked card. Of course, the number can still be read and typed in, but stay with us, folks -- the point is that the closed Sidekick ate the stripe in less than a second of exposure. We're guessing most people aren't carrying their credit cards in their pocket along with their phone, but don't say you haven't been warned.

[Via Mobile Magazine]

Filed under: Handsets, Danger, Misc

Tags: credit card, CreditCard, danger, hiptop, magnet, sidekick, sidekick 3, Sidekick3, sk3

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Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)

Neutral

sc00tert00ter @ Jul 17th 2006 2:51AM

first?
like my mom always says "never have your sidekick to close to your credit cards!"

Neutral

Kevin @ Jul 17th 2006 3:21AM

...Just how like the Treo 650 user manual cautions you to never leave credit cards around it because "the speaker inside the phone is powerful enough to demagnitize credit cards"?

Sort of scary when you think about it...

Neutral

Travis L. @ Jul 17th 2006 4:35AM

Place the bottom of the sk3 near the right speaker on a MacBook Pro and it sleeps. That's some magnet.

Neutral

PEZ @ Jul 17th 2006 6:07AM

The sidekick has had a magnet since it was brought to market. So congrats on just now getting the story. Ha.

Neutral

eugene @ Jul 17th 2006 7:56AM

i wonder how strong the macbook magnets are comparatively? not that i have one (yet)...

Neutral

kerry @ Jul 17th 2006 10:59AM

I think the magnet on the SK3 is considerably stronger than the one on the SK2. I haven't tested it out, but I keep picking up my SK3 and finding things stuck to it. Thinks like nail clippers and silverware. That never happened with my SK2.
As for credit cards and SK3 in your pocket, that may seem unlikely, but I doubt I'm the only girl out there (in fact, I know I'm not) who has carried her SK in a wristlet with loose cards and cash. I won't be doing *that* anymore. Time to go warn my fellow SK3-using, wristlet-toting friends!

Highly Ranked

Mike Palmer @ Jul 17th 2006 11:05AM

Ever watched the show "Mythbusters" on Discover. They proved that magnets do not erase credit card information off the magnetic strip.

Neutral

Blue Sam @ Jul 17th 2006 11:27AM

Yes Mike, I have watch Mythbusters. But there is no such a story that relation cause from mobile phone with magnetic and never been test. Otherwise, the medium and heavy magnetic DOES damange on credit card's strip.

Neutral

WirelessGuy @ Jul 17th 2006 11:31AM

I haven't heard of many CC's being affected, but hotel keys definitely. They use a different level of magentism for the R/W hotel keys versus the ones used in permanent CC's.

Please don't start the rumor now that magnets might cause cancer either, as all of those bracelets sold at 2 AM would go out of business real quick.

Neutral

DarkFader @ Jul 17th 2006 12:02PM

In Japan, you pay with you mobile phone. It's all you need.

Neutral

my name is...........what? @ Jul 17th 2006 2:02PM

In Russia, credit cards demagnetize sidekick.

Neutral

SideshowBob @ Jul 17th 2006 2:05PM

All your sidekick are belong to us

Neutral

Ervin @ Jul 17th 2006 2:45PM

Yakov Smirnoff

Neutral

Mike Palmer @ Jul 17th 2006 5:39PM

Actually the tested credit cards and it took a VERY larger magnent to do it, much larger than the sidekick.

http://www.tv.com/mythbusters/barrel-of-bricks-pissing-on-the-third-rail-eel-skin-wallet/episode/285547/recap.html

Neutral

dustin @ Jul 17th 2006 6:05PM

when i bought my blue PEBL, motorola had a warning that said not to carry it in your pocket with credit cards, due to the two magnets that hold the phone closed... i've never heard of anything actually happening though- but the magnets are fairly strong.

Highly Ranked

Ben @ Jul 17th 2006 7:20PM

"In fact, it took over 1,000 gauss to erase a credit card - a gauss measurement that high could not be found in any household magnets, money clips, or wallets. So don't worry everyone, your credit cards are safe. Busted." -- Mythbusters

Neutral

-_- @ Jul 17th 2006 7:29PM

uh, folks, here's the chemistry student's take on this:
regular ferrous (iron) magnets, which are black or dark grey, are incapable of anything except sticking to each other. why? because they are not naturally magnetic. the energy fields created by processing create their magnetism.
however, neodymium magnets, which are made of a combination of metals, are naturally magnetic, and therefore, much, MUCH stronger than a ferrous magnet ever could be. neodymium magnets are used in "healing" wristbands, and other crap like that.
now, IF the magnets in the sidekick 3 WERE neodymium:

1. you wouldn't have a display; neodymium magnets wipe lcd displays out, due to the crystalline structure of the display; suprise! the sidekick 3 has an lcd.

2. your camera would be crap, because neodymium affects all electronics. matter of fact, all the electronics in the sidekick would have to be "sheilded" with thick metal to prevent damage.

3. now, if the magnets WERE neodymium, to avoid these adverse affects, they would have to be the size of a splinter that you could get caught in your finger.

and (no duh) all those warnings posted about speaker magnets and credit cards are bull. but, in the freak occurence that something DOES happen, if the compnaies don't cover their a**es, they're liable. that's why they put all those warnings in. my phone manual has them, too (moto v551).

so, the magnets in the pebl and sidekick 3 may not be ferrous, but they by no means are neodymium, and therefore CANNOT wipe a credit card in that short a time. they're probably some other metal-based magnets that i haven't heard of, so i don't know about that.
or, put this way, if the $500 a pop speakers on my friend's stereo can't wipe my bank card, how could the cheap-a** speaker in a treo 650 do it?

p.s.: the magnets tested in the mythbusters episode were ferrous magnets.

Neutral

Rusty @ Jul 17th 2006 9:30PM

It's not a bug, it's a feature. A new fangled security device......want to keep from maxing out your card, just stick it next to your sidekick LOL

Neutral

Daniel @ Jul 18th 2006 8:45AM

Also with magnets and credit cards, direct contact doesn't wipe them. It has to have a passing/sweeping motion with the contact to wipe the cards.

Neutral

Dave @ Jul 19th 2006 1:00AM

Yes Daniel, just like what happens when you put your phone in your pocket!! :) That's some sweeping motion ;)

Neutral

Jonathan Neil @ Jul 23rd 2006 7:20PM

"In Russia, credit cards demagnetize sidekick."

rofl that's exactly what i was thinking

Neutral

Jerry Pitts @ Jan 21st 2007 11:30PM

I'm a newby to Sidekicks, I bought two of them earlier this week (my wife is deaf). Tonight I first heard (and verified) that the magnetic effect is real on the SK.

I appreciate the assurance provided by your responses. Good work.

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