In a time when you're not even allowed to say the word "bomb" in an airport (hey, it's for good reason), it's got to be like, really freaking embarrassing to have to run up the jetway at full speed, shoving other passengers out of the way as your flaming laptop explodes on the ground. (
Sound familiar?) According to an eyewitness report on the Awful Forums, passersby stared aghast or fled crying terrorist, the ThinkPad (which was quoted to be an IBM, not a Lenovo) apparently had a number of death throes as the fire went through various phases, until eventually a United employee busted out the fire extinguisher and laid the laptop to rest. Apparently the machine's owner already checked its battery against the recalls and it was not listed -- and why would it be? IBM and Lenovo aren't
flagged for
bad batteries -- yet. (Sony, we're
looking your direction.) But the coup de grâce at LAX: onlookers apparently mumbling that "too many viruses on your computer" can lead to this horrendous fate. How true, indeed.
[Thanks, Peter]
posted Sep 16th 2006 1:31PM
I tested this camera for a client. I didn’t have the light running for more than 15 minutes. The battery lasted approximately 6 hours before recharging. The LCD, however, had a few dead pixels - never saw this before. Tried returning for exchange and had to put up quite a fight. Anyone else seen this? http://www.batterylaptoppower.com
You can't say Bomb on an Airplane!
Bombibomb Bombity Bomb Bomb Bomb
OMFG that is the same kind of laptop i am using right now to type this comment!
dont worry if you are folowing the manufatures charging instructions you will be fine , if you think people are not to bright and start to develop bad charging habets .(overcharging)
Finished.Law.School:
was there any point to your reply other than racism?
Haha i love meet the parents!
For a guy who just finished Law School, you don't come off as being very intelligent. Indian heads exploding? Give me a break. Like any U.S. based service line would fare any better.
For a guy who just finished Law School, you don't come off as being very intelligent. Indian heads exploding? Give me a break. Like any U.S. based service line would fare any better.
An ironic story considering, this(http://www.engadget.com/2006/09/16/fire-retardant-sleeves-for-your-laptop/) was few stories down.
I have a gut feeling that very soon its going to be very hard to find an airline that will let you carry-on your laptops.
That's definitely an IBM-built thinkpad from the t40-series. It's probably a t43. I've got a t43 myself, and I'm supposed to take it on a business trip next week.
The (original) battery in mine is made in China, by Sanyo.
good luck :))
I see the problem.
He forgot to remove the Windows sticker of shame
I don't know about the warranty we should probably ask the American lawyers, who actually passed the bar after finishing law school, who scripted answers for the Indians to use. Then we can get a good Israeli lawyer to sue the Chinese company that made the laptop and/or batteries. But then I think that would likely lead to the layoffs of what few thinking jobs are left for Americans at IBM and cause them to sell their company to the Koreans so that the stock holders don't loose thier investment. This will ensure we can continue to buy more worthless junk made in countries that we don't understand because the furthest we have gone from our front door is the local 7-11 to buy a Big Gulp from an Indian that is too busy chasing away the Mexican that are loitering in front of his store who are waiting to be picked up for a landscaping job at your house. What's wrong with this story? Look in the mirror!
I personally found your comment very prejudice,you could have said ,"whomever had a hand in making these laptops and or battery packs",were not very skilled people. The reference to being Indian, or
Mexican or whatever nationality, should not have been used in your statement , this is the year 2007 and racist comments are not acceptable in my opinion.Maybe it could have been a situation where ,the user of the laptop, or somebody that had the laptop before, installed the wrong battery pack.
Guess he didn't have updated virus definitions. hah.
I guess its not just Sony to have the Battery problem. It maybe a general issue with Li-On's and that would be a much more serious issue.
That so fricking scary.
Imagine your using your lappy right now and BOOM the whole laptop flies up into your face or something. lol
Maybe it has nothing to do with batteries at all..
It's Norton giving self destruct commands.
Every PC laptop has Norton running on it 24/7, right?
:-)
How do they know its from IBM and not Lenovo? I bought a thinkpad in February from Lenovo, but its still branded as an IBM Thinkpad. Only way to tell its from Lenovo, is one label on the bottom.
It doesn't really matter whether there's a sticker that says Lenovo on the bottom since Lenovo had been making the Thinkpads for IBM for years before they bought the brand from them. Actually it matters even less since they're not the ones making the batteries anyway.
Oh no, TERRORISTS EVERYWHERE!
well it's official
2006 is the year of laptops that ignite.
i think that laptops these days have horrible cooling systems which is probably why they're all catching fire.
and who knows, maybe my decent toshiba satellite is next.
(i think it's best that laptop owners start keeping fire extinguishers nearby)
If this was yesterday (Friday) at gate 77 while UAL934 was boarding then nobody "fled crying terrorist". There were some collective "ooh"s and "ahh"s as it did its firework show though. The United staff took care of it while we continued boarding the plane.
What if you're a bombadier on a flight to Bombay playing bomberman on your gameboy?
With all these laptops exploding these days, I'm suprised I haven't read an article about someone losing a leg or maybe even a couple fingers. Do these laptops slowly catch on fire? Or is the explosion more energetic?
cheekky, you just figured out the _real_ reason it's called Mumbai now
Ummm....just so you know when I called IBM a while back the call center was in the united states.....
Dammit, now they're going to ban laptops on airplanes!
I bet the RIAA is behind this. Maybe Sony started putting RFID chips in their batteries.
Um, can I say Holy Sh!T? That would freak me out if someones laptop lit up like that before leaving on a flight! I guess IBM/Lenovo is now officially part of the exploding battery club. Congratulations and welcome. Or not. Have any Toshiba batteries ignited yet?
Why do you all knock us Indian help help-centers? We are just trying to better our selves from Slurpee slavery. May a thousand camel fleas infest your laptops, thank you and have a nice day. click
"In a time when you're not even allowed to say the word 'bomb' in an airport (hey, it's for good reason)"
You're ignorant.
This is a fairly new ThinkPad. The T40 was the first with the battery along the backside as well as the LAN/modem/USB/audio ports along the left side.
I was at gate 71B yesterday and didn't see or hear anything - I missed all the fun.
Looks like we found our WMD!
As much as they don't deserve it, I get such a bloody urge to punch an ignorant person say some absolutely ridiculous thing about why thier computer doesn't work.
Like, I got it for years that my computer was slow because there was so much shit on the hard drive.
1.) No there wasn't, (80 GB + 14 Used)
2.) It was slow, period.
Just sad.
Nothing to do with cooling systems. The pictures make it quite clear that this fire started in the battery, probably was caused by an internal battery short, possibly after some normal jostling or a little banging as happens when carrying a laptop.
All in all, it could have been much worse. The fire could have started while the airplane was taking off, when no one can safely get up to reach a fire extinguisher, or the computer could have been stashed under a seat and it could have set fire to the seat in the middle of the ocean on an airplane with no spare seats. This is not an air travel only problem, of course. I think we all need to worry about the laptop we leave at home, in our office or in the trunk of our car as well, when there is no one there to put the fire out.
So, will the FAA (US), CAA(UK) and other authorities step in to order a complete ban on laptops? The evidence is clear that once a lithium ion battery is compromised, they are potentially lethal - fires on board aircraft are a strict no no! It will be a brave airline that comes out with a volunatary ban, but I doubt that will happen as they will fear losing a lot of revenue quickly.
"But the coup de grâce at LAX: onlookers apparently mumbling that 'too many viruses on your computer' can lead to this horrendous fate."
Ha ha ha, he should've got a Mac...oh...wait. :(
BTW, I am aware that airplane seats are built with fire-retardant or self-extinguishing materials and the materials are supposed to not emit toxic fumes in a fire. Even so... BTW Virgin has "temporarily" banned Dell and Apple laptops with the battery in place. You can still carry on the battery "suitably wrapped" -- whatever that means.
If they don't ban carry-on items completely, then it's of no use to ban laptops.
Anybody here know exacly how much power a half-ounce of plastic explosives have? Let's just put it this way...I can take down a plane with a lipstick container...
But then again, I can take down a parking garage or a building above a parking garage with a couple strategically placed cars...should we start banning some more stuff?
Shunnabunich: LOL! :D
Wow, will this give terrorist a new idea to hide a bomb in a laptop? Next we will be banning all batteries on planes including in checked luggage. But then...with out their hand held GPS and laptops how the hell would today's young pilots find their destinations?
I mean really, do you honestly believe that they are culling our tiny little brains for Ideas? Considering the engineering degrees (electronics and chemical, etc) that many of the "brains" behind these terrorist cells have, I don't think that a bomb in a laptop is a "new" idea.
The Lockerbie incident (December 21, 1988, Pan Am Flight 103) showed that hiding "plastics" in electronics (radio - in checked baggage) is an easy and functional way to take down a very large bomb-of-an airplane. 9/11 as nasty as it was proved that these guys are not stupid - add religious ferver to that and anything goes.
Security at the airport is a joke. I can walk in and see holes in the illusion of security instantly - some countries (Philippines, of note) are far worse. Security is always a compromise of convenience. We could have a very secure airport system fairly easily but none of us would care to go through the inconvenience of true security.
Personally, I don't see any difference between abortion clinics or planes being bombed. Religious ferver driving heinous acts
Corey-- Welcome to the No-Fly-List Club. I would tell you not to say shit like that, but it's too late. So if you are ever stuck in a foreign country (like Germany) and can't get home (like me) just remember me.
I do agree, cellphones have been exploding for years, but since they have smaller batteries, the fireworks weren't as cool, so less press.
"But the coup de grâce at LAX: onlookers apparently mumbling that "too many viruses on your computer" can lead to this horrendous fate. How true, indeed."
You better not be serious, we were supposed to have that beat in the 90s!
hey i have a ibm think pad
where do i check if the battery is recalled ?
Coincidence that IBM laptops use sony made batteries... i think not!
That battery -COULD- be a Sony. My recently acquired T40 replacement battery was made by Sony. Just because it's an IBM laptop doesn't mean the battery is there's too.
Maybe Sony is attempting to destory any device capable of playing DVDs, one by one, in an effort to get people to buy Blu-Ray drives.
I hope that my laptop never explodes lol. I leave him on 24/24 and while I'm in bed my notebook is only a few meters away from me. It could easily put my whole bedroom on fire before I wake up :P
All these exploding batteries make me paranoid about using my laptop now. It's a fairly old Dell, from before all the recalls started, but it runs effin' hot and now I'm afraid it's going to go boom. Sigh.
@ Rick
You try taking 15 minutes to order a pizza...
They can't ban laptops if they want to stay in business. Business travel would plummet and so would the airlines' earnings.
This is a standard 14.1" T4x thinkpad (either IBM or Lenovo, can't tell between the T42 and T43), and yes, Sony does make the batteries for it (one of mine is Sony, the other is a Sanyo).
So, why does it seem that all this has never happened before, then within a few months, a Dell explodes, an Apple, an IBM, etc.
What's the deal?
Every time I read one of these articles, I think it's bullcrap, as it's like the "latest trend" to have exploding laptops.
Is all of this legit? And if so, why does this all occur within a relatively short period of time?
Strange...
According to Lenovo/IBM docs, the T4x laptops do ship with Sony batteries (in addition to Panasonic and Sayno):
http://www-307.ibm.com/pc/support/site.wss/MIGR-58420.html
http://www-307.ibm.com/pc/support/site.wss/MIGR-46474.html
I'm virtually positive that's a T4x, with a 6 cell battery of some time. I can still see the beveled shape of the back, so I'm pretty sure it's a 6 cell.
Following this incident Airport Authorities have decided to put laptops under Combustible Material and hence banned :P
Robert: It would be very obvious if it were a 9-cell. This is a 6er for sure.
The real question is whether it's a genuine IBM battery that blew. A lot of outfits sell IBM casings with generic cells installed (often with higher MaH ratings than the official batteries). That would go a long way toward explaining why there hasn't been a recall already.
Awesom-o: It's legit. How do I know? Because it's mine (I was wondering how long it would take before someone posted this on engadget). The thing went up like a firecracker when the fire hit each of the cells. It was pretty crazy.
And yes, it's a ThinkPad T43. I don't know if it was a Sony battery - I can't tell now that it's a charred mess, but my guess is that it was if they made them for IBM. I was using it 30 minutes before and it had no problems. It was even turned off and in my bag when it caught fire. So even if the computer is off, there's still a risk of a fire - now that's scary.
It's going to be an interesting Monday morning when I take the thing into the office for a replacement. One thing for sure, I'm always going to disconnect the battery from the computer whenever I fly. At least I have a good excuse for not working when I'm flying :-)
Everyone please check your computer battery, and just because it isn't on the list doesn't mean that it's not at risk. If anything, just disconnect the thing when you fly.
I say just ban all batteries period. They should give us all little crank handles like the $100 MIT laptop. Then people who use laptops will be easy to spot due to our enourmous muscly right arms.
Just noticed that the battery on my MBP is literally directly over a very important area. I am worried now.
This is the reason laptops come with REMOVABLE batteries and power cords.
AL, thanks for the confirmation. An our sympathy for what must have been a mighty scare.
One thing, though: I don't see how taking the battery out of the computer would make it any safer if the fire is caused by an internal short in the battery, as reports seem to indicate for the other incidents involving Lithium-Ion batteries -- see http://www.ntsb.gov/Events/2006/PhiladelphiaPA/iic_opening_text.htm
BTW, for reader wondering about "IBM or Lenovo?", my laptop is a brand new Lenovo T60 but it has the IBM logo on both top and bottom. There is just a tiny fine print mention of "Manufactured by Lenovo" on a separate sticker. Lenovo has been building the ThinkPads for IBM for years before buying the product line from IBM, and when it did so it also got the right to use IBM brand on the ThinkPads for a while.
It does cause a bit of confusion when registering the thing for insurance purposes.
"But the coup de grâce at LAX: onlookers apparently mumbling that "too many viruses on your computer" can lead to this horrendous fate. How true, indeed."
All kidding aside, in theory is it really entirely improbable that a piece of malware could be written to alter your mobo and fan settings and in effect "overclock" the battery, which would cause it to overheat and become volatile?
AL, I think there's still a way to check whether exploded battery was made by Sony or not.
http://www-307.ibm.com/pc/support/site.wss/document.do?sitestyle=lenovo&lndocid=HOME-LENOVO
On the left side is link "Parts information". If you know machine's type & serial, you can see original parts shipped in it. Then you can compare battery FRU number with those in
http://www-307.ibm.com/pc/support/site.wss/document.do?sitestyle=lenovo&lndocid=MIGR-62330
Not that it really matters, of course, but folks here & there are dying from curiosity. ;-)
Enough is enough! I have had it with these motha fuckin exploding laptop batteries on this motha fuckin plane!
If these sorts of cells are shorting out internally (as per the news reports about metal particles getting between the foil layers and causing an internal short circuit), then what in Goodness Gracious could be the possible purpose or benefit in removing the battery pack from laptop?
I mean, if the cell is about to short out and explode, then the cell is about to short out and explode even if the battery pack is removing and held above one's head while standing on one leg, jumping up and down while chanting some ancient prayer (has about as much to do with it...).
It's pretty much along the same lines as other airline security where they can't really prevent suicidal maniacs, but they can take away nail clippers from little old ladies.
"Well, we do what we can..."
its not the batteries its the intel dual core...
remember how they had problems with battery drain when usb connected and then the ypatched it...
well they must of patched it just quick and that energy trying to get out is blowing the batteries up.
remember they never blew up until intel added the patch..
and from what i read no amd based laptops have blown up....
its intel not the batteries.. they tried to blame microsoft first.. that didnt work... now they blame the batterie makers...
Does anyone know for sure that the battery is completely safe when disconnected and removed? If it is an internal short, surely it could go up anytime. If that is the case, they are probably more dangerous packed away in the hold, as the fire could be amongst flammable material and close to the exterior skin or near flight control or hydraulic lines.
Battery = large amounts of energy confined in a samll a space as possible.
Large amount of energy quickly released from a confined space = bomb.
What does a lithium battery fire look like ? Ask RC enthusiasts, they have been dealing with those ( carefully ) for a while now:
http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=3690260570423705609&q=lithium+fire
Damn. Well, if your laptop's battery pops, I'd throw it.
AL
As the person that pays for your laptops, ouch. As the guy that is sitting in London waiting for you, and your laptop, to arrive and get the work done, damn your eyes.
SW
Anyone else notice the one letter difference between "Sony" and "Sanyo" , y'know - Snyo - Sony?
Maybe its just all a big Sony conspiracy - Have any Sony laptops gone bang yet?
I think this is a common trend involving battery cells in production. They
need to inspect to see if the battery was a Sony, and if not, they need to
trace it further back to who made the cells.
Anyway, the AID alliance is coming together (Apple, IBM and Dell). I'm glad
i'm using a desktop Mac and a PowerBook with a Sanyo battery right about
now.
If this is the one incident that gets all laptops banned from planes then I will be a very very upset traveller.
How interesting. Did anyone catch the model of the notebook (thinkpad) that went up? There are two thinkpads in this house and I am typing on one now. Just hoping ours are not affected. -Sebastian of www.sebrt.com
Hi.
This is a long time since IBM do not build computer. They just putted their sticker on it for a long time now... But it proove that their batteries did not have passed any tests before to be sold with the laptops. Plus maybe there is something wrong with the current drawn sensor and the heat sensor. Unless it has been disabled in the BIOS settings by the user himself. It also make no doubt that these companies don't give a shit about security. The battery which without being from MIT level studying is a potential bomb STILL stand in front of the computer, while it would be logical to put it in the back. The same opposite goes for the usb but i am venting away... Hey what if they made a laptop which is running on AA size energy cells like brave old sound blaster. At least it was blasting the right way... Haha.
There was obviously a short circuit in the battery pack for that to explode. For it to be heat related,there would have to be an intense amount of heat generated to the equivalent of sticking a hot soldering iron on 1 of the AA's inside the battery compartment for about 1 - 2 minutes (maybe less). Class 101: Run a wire directly from the + to the - side of any battery and at some point the batteries gonna blow ! (And please don't be dumb enough to try it)
its the fault of SONY