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Truth or scare? Technology myths put the test - Features, Gadgets & Tech - The Independent 

Truth or scare? Technology myths put the test Would your plane really crash if you switched on your mobile? And can a fork blow up a microwave? Simon Usborne ... puts technology myths to the test Mobile phones can cause planes to crash, life-support machines to fail and petrol stations to blow up For as long as mobile phones have existed, we have been told that there are certain places where we must not – under any circumstances – use them. We were told that mobiles could interfere with the computers that keep planes in the air, and that a simple call to say "we're just taking off" could trigger a disaster. Yet, last week, the UK telecoms regulator, Ofcom, confirmed it would allow mobiles to be used on UK-registered planes. So were those disastrous possibilities made up? And what does this mean for the other mobile phone bans? After all, we're also told that making calls on petrol station forecourts can trigger explosions, and that if we use them in hospitals, sensitive equipment, such as   [More...] [Less...]