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Samsung Jitterbug phone with beaded lanyard accesory  (Source: Jitterbug)
The easy to use mobile phone for the elderly is being recalled

Thousands of popular "Jitterbug" mobile phones manufactured by Samsung are now being recalled because the phone is unable to connect to the 911 service if it goes out of range, government regulators are now saying.  

The Jitterbug is designed specifically for elderly people to have a phone that doesn't have a lot of features and is easy to use.  It would display an "out of range" message to any phone owner who went out of range and into a no-service area.  It seems just a software update is needed to fix the problem, and Jitterbug customers are able to visit Best Buy service centers to see how to best address the issue.

All phones are designed to be able to reach the nearest 911 call center even if the phone is out of range and unable to place normal phone calls.  The Federal Communications Commission (FCC) guidelines regarding 911 make it a necessity for the phone's signal to bounce off a local service provider's communication tower.

The troublesome phones were purchased between March 2008 and May 2009, and have either the SPH-a110 or SPH-a120 phone model using the BB14 version software.

"This is an issue that would only happen in remote rural areas that don't have normal coverage," Jitterbug CEO David Inns said.  "This is not an issue where they need to panic or worry."

Samsung is working alongside the Consumer Product Safety Commission to recall up to 160,000 of the phones.  Samsung is contacting phone owners individually, though provided a phone number -- 866-304-4980 -- if some customers haven't been contacted already.

Samsung hasn't heard any reports of Jitterbug owners not being able to reach 911 during an actual emergency.

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Commercial
By Brandon Hill (blog) on 5/28/2009 7:53:04 AM , Rating: 2
I just can't get that commercial out of my head

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TNdw4CfbwQg




RE: Commercial
By boobot on 5/28/2009 8:00:44 AM , Rating: 2
It's time for me to beat you for giving me that link....


RE: Commercial
By sxr7171 on 5/28/2009 8:08:46 AM , Rating: 2
Like watching the beginning of Mulholland Drive but uber lame.


RE: Commercial
By chick0n on 5/28/2009 8:08:14 AM , Rating: 2
I never seen that commercial and ... I wanna beat you up for showing me it.

I dunno about the other elderly people but my grandma uses a cellphone thats more advance than my cousin ... LOL !


RE: Commercial
By deltadeltadelta on 5/28/2009 5:42:33 PM , Rating: 2
If I had been commenting long enough and had the ability to rate up, I would for this comment (specifically the first line). Ha ha!


RE: Commercial
By StevoLincolnite on 5/28/2009 9:16:31 AM , Rating: 2
I hope you go through many hours of torture for posting that link... I will never be the same again...


RE: Commercial
By stephenfs on 5/28/2009 10:24:02 AM , Rating: 2
I just had to watch it, even after reading the comments. Now I to have been infected. Thanks.


RE: Commercial
By Dark Legion on 5/29/2009 1:49:11 PM , Rating: 2
This may be one of the few times that high quality != better.


RE: Commercial
By MadMan007 on 5/29/2009 2:51:46 AM , Rating: 1
Funny commercial but i've got to admit that despite being a computer enthusiast and tech geek all I want in a cell phone is...a phone. to make calls. I don't need a million features I won't use either. Perhaps I should get one of these?


Um....
By Cheesew1z69 on 5/28/2009 8:23:09 AM , Rating: 3
If they are out of range, I would expect the phone to say that....




RE: Um....
By GaryJohnson on 5/28/2009 8:49:26 AM , Rating: 2
As far as I can figure out the problem with the phone is that it can't make roaming 911 calls.

The alternative is "It doesn't get a signal when it can't get a signal".... my cell has that problem too.


RE: Um....
By deltadeltadelta on 5/28/2009 5:45:43 PM , Rating: 2
Yeah, I don't have the unlimited magic phone package either...


RE: Um....
By feraltoad on 5/29/2009 2:34:14 AM , Rating: 2
Then you you need Magic Jack!


RE: Um....
By feraltoad on 5/29/2009 2:34:52 AM , Rating: 2
and I I need to use preview.


I've fallen
By Smilin on 5/28/2009 9:10:36 AM , Rating: 5
I've fallen and I can't get...Hello? I said I've FALLEN AND I CAN'T.... Is this thing on? Hello? 911 are you there? I'M ON THE GROUND.




Typical Government Oversight
By grandpope on 5/28/2009 11:39:05 AM , Rating: 3
quote:
the phone is unable to connect to the 911 service if it goes out of range, government regulators are now saying.

quote:
Samsung hasn't heard any reports of Jitterbug owners not being able to reach 911 during an actual emergency.


So, let me get this straight, this phone is being recalled because some government regulator walked into the woods and couldn't prank-call 911?




By alpensiedler on 5/28/2009 10:02:35 AM , Rating: 2
i have the a707 samsung phone, and if you try to use speed dial right after you turn the phone on, it always calls 411. i've tried resetting it and all kinds of tricks, but no matter what it always does this. that's a serious bug because everytime it costs me a buck. seriously samsung, try debugging your software.




Very Misleading
By Devo2007 on 5/28/2009 12:56:49 PM , Rating: 2
The issue is that the phone won't place calls when roaming right now -- not that it won't place calls when "out of range."

I know of no cellular phone that can place a call if it's "out of range" of a cell tower.




Not the real problem
By dali71 on 5/28/2009 3:14:47 PM , Rating: 2
Senior citizens have much more important things to worry about:

http://www.hulu.com/watch/2340/saturday-night-live...




By ggordonliddy on 5/28/2009 8:51:09 PM , Rating: 2
This is outrageous and preposterous.




By winterspan on 5/29/2009 7:05:13 PM , Rating: 2
"because the phone is unable to connect to the 911 service if it goes out of range"

"It would display an "out of range" message to any phone owner who went out of range and into a no-service area. "


How exactly are those "problems"? The cellphone is magically supposed to be able to dial 911 when it is out of range of a cell tower?

This article fails miserably if it's goal was to inform the reader about the actual issue with this phone.




Misquote
By tastyratz on 5/28/2009 9:03:41 AM , Rating: 1
Here, I corrected the article below:

quote:
Thousands of popular "Jitterbug" mobile phones manufactured by Samsung are now being recalled because the phone too much resembles a padded toilet seat commonly found in the homes of the elderly. "I didn't know you were opening the phone, I thought you were lifting the seat" said on owner Marjorie embarrassingly on Wednesday. Due to a "mess" of confusion by the inept, government regulators are now saying they should be recalled.


Anyone else ever notice the "comfortable ear piece" is disturbingly similar?




"If you look at the last five years, if you look at what major innovations have occurred in computing technology, every single one of them came from AMD. Not a single innovation came from Intel." -- AMD CEO Hector Ruiz in 2007









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