I fully agree with smokinghot’s "CAUTION" that you could damage your remote by opening it up. You could drop it, have a static discharge, crack the case while prying it open, etc.

I do however think that the possibility of damaging the unit with a magnet is very low. Flash memory isn’t likely to be damaged by magnetic fields like the ones were dealing with here. Sandisk used to have a FAQ on their website stating that magnetic fields shouldn’t be a concern with flash memory. That FAQ seems to be gone now but a quick search did produce the following link: [Link: msn.pcworld.com] not exactly a definitive source I realize, but you get the idea. There are countless circuit designs using both flash memory and fairly powerful magnetic relays without any problems, and I have yet to see a flash manufactures data sheet that warns about exposure to magnetic fields. Actually there are very few electronic components that come with such a warning. Another example that comes to mind would be my cell phone: I keep it in a leather case which has a magnetic clasp very similar to the magnet I have used in this mod. The cell phone contains a wide variety of electronic components including flash memory. Every time I use the phone it gets dragged directly across this powerful magnet as leaves and enters the case without causing any damage to the electronics.

Please understand that I’m not claiming that it is safe to place a magnet inside your remote or any other piece of electronics. In fact there are some electronic components that certainly will be damaged by a magnetic field. I just wanted to offer a counter point to smokinghot’s prudent "CAUTION" (no sarcasm intended here).