This is a story about an Apple product recall and some flip-flops.
Last Sunday I tripped over my iPhone cord.
All the outlets in my apartment are at floor level and I plug my iPhone into the wall outlet nearest my bed. As usual, I was wearing flip-flops (as many computer programmers do) and the cord got caught between my toes and the sole.
The result was that I pulled the adapter out of the wall, breaking off one of the prongs. I had a metal prong sticking out of the outlet!
Freaked out about getting electricuted, I left it alone for a few days. The Pownce community offered some practical and creative ways for me to remove the prong, but having previous experiene with electric shocks (freshman physics class) I had no desire try my luck.
I went out and bought a new adapter.
Then, Thursday during work, I tripped over a printer cable when it got caught in my flip-flop! Ethan from the podcast What Should You Know, works next to the printer so I told him the story of the iPhone adapter prong. Apparently he knows a lot (hence the podcast) and pointed out that one prong wouldn't connect the circuit (duh) so I should just pull it out.
When I got home I was feeling more confident and a bit silly. I got out a pair of rubber-handled pliers and gingerly touched the prong with the tip of the pliers. Nothing. Yay! I yanked out the lone prong and threw it away.
I thought that would be the end of the story.
Oh no... Yesterday, Apple recalled the particular adapter, citing
"that under certain conditions the new ultracompact Apple USB power adapter's metal prongs can break off and remain in a power outlet, creating a risk of electric shock."
Whatever actually caused the recall, just let me keep thinking it was my flip-flops.
