Following on the heels of accusations that Best Buy used technology to rip off customers, they're now being accused of using technology that can give them heart attacks.
According to an article about a recent study by the Mayo Clinic, the anti-theft pillars at the entrance and exit doors of many major retailers emit electromagnetic energy that can cause problems with implanted pacemakers and defibrillators.
The story was primarily about how the researchers successfully tested whether cell phones really interfere with medical monitoring and life support equipment. A bit more extensive than the Mythbusters episode testing cellphones on an airplane, the researchers tested different phones on different carriers against 192 medical devices. In 300 tests over 5 months, they failed to have a phone interfere with the medical equipment.
But as an aside, to show that medical machinery isn't impervious to interference, the article cites two other doctors who tell stories of how people had those anti-theft detector towers interfere with their implanted medical devices. One, with a pacemaker, collapsed while stopped between the towers, and another, with a defibrillator, got a nasty shock, triggered by a pass through their electromagnetic field.
So, if going to Best Buy and having them use a phony web site to try to prove you're mistaken about the price they advertised on their site doesn't give you a heart attack, be careful as you enter and leave their stores. If you need a little mechanical help keeping your heart running right, the phrase "get in and out fast" takes on extra meaning.
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