2013/2014 Solar Flare?

According to recent reports, some boffins (presumably) somewhere in the country have predicted that there will be a 'Solar Flare' in either 2013 or 2014. Now, when I first heard this story, I responded in a manner much like the way most people respond to hearing this. 'What the hell even is one of those?' Well, I still don't really know, so I think a trip over to my good friend Wikipedia will be in order. But regardless of the ins and outs of what happens, I do know what the consequences of such an event are supposedly going to be. Apparently, all electronics globally will be cut off. Yes, that's right. If we have reason to believe what's being predicted (and extrapolated from findings from many years ago), then in 3 or 4 years time, we will completely lose electronic devices. Now, they should be able to be reset, but even so, can you imagine the chaos that would ensue if this were to happen? Phone lines would be down. The internet would be down. Television and radio would be disabled. It would be more than just a shock to the system - it would effectively paralyse the globe! However...I think we do all need to chill just a bit. It's not going to end the world, and it won't even come close. Precautions can be undertaken, such as satellites temporarily going offline to avoid the flare's wrath, and I'm sure that as a planet's worth of countries clumping together, we'll be able to do sufficient work to quash the effects of the flare, regardless of its magnitude. To be honest, I just don't know enough about it. I can't sift the fact from the fiction and the gossip, so I'll either have to research it (too lazy), or just wait and see what unfolds. I do get the impression that this may be a bit of a dud story though, and that we're just doing what we do best; worrying like hell.