The Consumerist reported yesterday on the story of a poor unfortunate soul who lost their Powerbook. Comcast showed up at the owner’s home to install high speed internet service. After unsuccessfully trying to get a cable modem working, the technician went outside. A few moments later, there was an explosion. Everything on the desk was dark with soot, and either partially or completely burnt. The technician had connected an electrical cable to the cable line.
This is why you should always backup your data. The full story is available here. Scary, isn’t it?