Laptop Explodes At Conference

[GuyJean]

And I don't qualify! My G4 apparently will not explode.

You might want to check again:

Apparently Apple has recently expanded the list of battery serial numbers that are eligible for replacement, so you might want to check the site again to see if you qualify now. I didn't originally, but as of yesterday, I'm getting a new battery - http://www.macosxhints.com/article.php?story=20060901152123522

Also, make sure you have an eleven digit number; as I mentioned earlier, for some reason, the System Profiler in the OS gave me only ten digits. I had to remove the keyboard to get the real number..

GJ

[Captain Japan]

You might want to check again:

I've got the 14" iBook which isn't even listed. I checked the serial number in that search tool and it didn't give me any kind of indication one way or another. But since the 14" isn't listed I assume I'm out of luck. But at the same time I wonder why the batteries are different (non-exploding) for the 14" models.

[Buraku]

Sony faces huge money woes over battery recall
http://www.techspot.com/news/22577-sony-faces-huge-money-woes-over-battery-recall.html
Just how much is this extensive battery recall going to end up costing Sony, who will be taking some of the brunt for Dell in this? For the more than 4 million units, Sony's looking at a very painful $200 to 300 Million according to some analysts. There's even a wild guess out there of $430 Million, but that is unsubstantiated. As mentioned earlier, many companies besides Dell will be affected by this recall, including HP, Apple and Lenovo, who all use Sony batteries.

Korean Air bans Apple and Dell laptop computers over fears of fire risk batteries
http://www.flightglobal.com/Articles/2006/09/08/Navigation/177/208893/Korean+Air+bans+Apple+and+Dell+laptop+computers+over+fears+of+fire+risk.html
South Korean flag carrier Korean Air has banned Dell and Apple laptops fitted with potentially imflammable batteries and other airlines are believed to be planning similar moves.

[Mulboyne]

Marketwatch: Japan's Canon sees risk some personal copiers may catch fire

Canon Inc. said Tuesday it will provide free inspections and part replacements for up to 1.87 million of its personal copiers worldwide that can catch fire or produce smoke from overheating. The Tokyo-based electronics maker said cases have been reported where its personal copiers catch fire or produce smoke from overheating, and that it will post a notice on its website to warn users about risks from 12 models shipped between 1987 and 1997. A company spokeswoman said the action could cost the company up to Y200 million.

[ichigo partygirl]

Recalls by Toyota and Sony shock Japan's pride

http://www.iht.com/articles/2006/09/14/business/quality.php

Quality problems at Toyota and Sony, Japan's two proudest corporate names, have created a national stir. A sense of unease has crept through corporate boardrooms and government ministries, and even to the mom-and- pop stores in neighborhood shopping districts......Anxiety has been growing in recent years that Japan could be losing its once-vaunted tradition of craftsmanship, and the famously workaholic attitudes that used to buttress it, many economists and historians say. It does not help that this is happening as South Korea, China and other Asian rivals are breathing down Japan's neck.

[Mulboyne]

Mainichi: Sony announces worldwide recall of notebook computer batteries

Sony Corp. on Thursday announced a worldwide recall and free replacement of Sony-made batteries in laptop computers after several incidences of them catching fire. The announcement, made in the United States, came the same day IBM and China's Lenovo announced a recall of 526,000 Sony-made batteries in notebook computers after a battery overheated and caught fire. Apple and Dell have already recalled 5.9 million Sony-made batteries. With the worldwide recall, it is likely the reputation of the Sony brand will be damaged and business results will be affected negatively. The company has not yet announced which batteries will be replaced or how many will be recalled, but it did say that it will provide details in the near future after consulting the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission...more...

[Mulboyne]

Computerworld: NEC desktops have caught fire in Japan

Two NEC Corp. desktop computers in Japan have caught fire since late last year, and NEC is now offering to replace faulty power units at the root of the problem, the electronics giant said Monday. The first Valuestar computer caught fire in October 2005 and the second in November this year, said Akiko Shikimori, an NEC spokeswoman. The culprit is a component within the power unit inside the computer. The component and the power unit are not manufactured by NEC, but Shikimori did not reveal which company makes them. The power unit overheats, and if the customer continues to use the desktop, it can cause a fire, she said. No one was injured in the two reported cases, she said...more...

[Mulboyne]

ABC: Lenovo recalls 100,000 notebook batteries built by Japan's Sanyo

Computer maker Lenovo Inc. on Thursday recalled about 100,000 lithium-ion batteries used in ThinkPad laptops after receiving four reports of the Sanyo-built batteries overheating. In one case, a consumer suffered minor eye irritation, the company said. The Chinese PC maker, which has its world headquarters in Research Triangle Park, said consumers should stop using the batteries immediately. The batteries can overheat and pose a fire hazard if the laptop is dropped, Lenovo said. It's the second battery recall for Lenovo in less than six months. In September, 526,000 rechargeable, lithium-ion Sony batteries purchased with ThinkPad computers were recalled after one of them caught fire at Los Angeles International Airport.

[Mulboyne]

Mainichi: KDDI announces battery expansion problem in 2 au mobile phone models

Telecommunications giant KDDI announced on Friday that the batteries in two of its au brand mobile phones are prone to serious thermal expansion if recharged too often. The battery problem affects the Sanyo W41SA and the Kyocera W41K. KDDI is currently contacting customers and is offering to replace the phones' batteries and firmware for free. KDDI has received 18,773 inquiries about the problem since October 2006, but they defended the decision to delay the announcement of the defective products, saying they needed time to purchase replacement batteries. Company officials said that the thermal expansion is caused by repeated recharging in a short time, adding that customers using the power-hungry music functions on their phones are particularly vulnerable.

"Serious thermal expansion"?

[TFG]

Mmmm, that would make a nice gift for the boss.
Hopefully he will use it as a Laptop!:D

[kurohinge1]

[SIZE="4"]Japanese Couple Sue Sony, Apple[/SIZE]

A Japanese couple sued Sony Corp. and Apple Japan Inc. for 2 million yen ($16,700) in damages on Wednesday, which Sony said is the first lawsuit over its defective battery packs, an official and news media said.

The suit was filed with the Osaka District Court, the first of its kind over a Sony-made battery, according to Sony spokesman Chisato Kitsukawa. She refused to elaborate.

Officials at Apple Japan Inc., the maker of the notebook computer the couple used, were not immediately available for comment.

According to public broadcaster NHK, the man suffered burns on his finger after the laptop's battery pack burst into flames at his home in April last year.

His wife later had to seek medical treatment because she was distressed by her husband's injury, NHK said.

More than 10 million Sony-made notebook batteries have been recalled since last year, including those from other major computer makers like Dell Inc. and Lenovo Inc.

Sony has said the problems were caused by microscopic metal particles inside the battery that caused it to short circuit . . . more

Watch how the fun unfolds: PC Pitstop: Laptop Battery Fire

[YT]WeWq6rWzChw[/YT]

[kurohinge1]

And a related item from the Chaser-

[YT]4XHaz5EM9jc[/YT]

[Mulboyne]

PCPro: Laptop batteries are "dangerous"

A Japanese researcher has warned that the fundamental technology behind lithium-ion batteries is dangerous and needs to be rethought. Masataka Wakihara of the Tokyo Institute of Technology said that the batteries, found in most mobile phones and laptop computers, simply aren't well enough made for the tasks they were being asked to perform and that changes in design are required. "Battery companies are still learning because the technology is young," Professor Wakihara told The Times. "But there is a fundamental flaw with the way lithium-ion batteries are currently designed and if the companies genuinely care about safety, they need to completely change their production methods. A lithium-ion battery is quite a dangerous little box of energy." The comments were supported by Kuniaki Tatsumi, head of the National Institute of Advanced Industrial Science and Technology's battery research group. Mr Tatsumi claims, "companies are less cautious about designing batteries with a focus on safety."

[Mulboyne]

Fox: Sony Recalls 73,000 Vaio Notebooks For Possible Burn Hazard

Sony Corp. is voluntarily recalling about 73,000 VAIO TZ-series notebook computers because of a potential burn hazard, the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission said on Thursday. "Irregularly positioned wires near the computer's hinge and/or a dislodged screw inside the hinge can cause a short circuit and overheating," the agency said. "This poses a burn hazard to consumers." The Tokyo electronics giant "has received 15 reports of overheating, including one consumer who suffered a minor burn," the CPSC said. The recalled model series are the Vaio VGN-TZ100, VGN-TZ200, VGN-TZ300 and VGN-TZ2000. The recalled computers have 11.1-inch screens; they were sold from July 2007 through August 2008...The CPSC said that not all individual units in each series are part of the recall, and consumers should contact Sony or the agency to find out about their specific machines.