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This $90,000 fireproof tankbot will scout burning buildings for people to save
FireBot, a remote-controlled robot that can withstand temperatures as high as 650 degrees Celsius, is hoping to make scoping dangerous scenes safer for firefighters.
Hyundai will replace 75,680 Kona EV batteries over potential fire risks
Hyundai will replace the batteries in 75,680 Kona EVs and 82,000 electric vehicles in total at a cost of around 1 trillion won ($900 million).
Lyft offers free rides to relief centers during PG&E blackouts
With the planned power blackouts in California expected to continue for the next several days, Lyft is offering free rides until the end of October 15th to respite centers across parts of northern California. Each center includes restrooms, bottled water, a place to sit and charge your mobile devices, as well as air conditioning. Just note that they'll only be open during the day. Visit Lyft's website to view the full list of relief centers to see if there's one near you.
800,000 Californians could be without power by the end of the day
By the end of the day, more than half of all California counties could be without power. In an attempt to prevent wildfires, the state's largest utility Pacific Gas & Electric (PG&E) is rolling out a planned power outage. Once fully implemented, it will leave an estimated 800,000 customers in the dark and span from Silicon Valley to the Sierra.
California bill allows firefighters to ground pesky drones
As wildfires scorched sections of California Interstate I-15 last week, firefighters found themselves hamstrung and unable to deliver aerial water coverage for nearly 20 minutes because a couple of schmucks were flying their quadcopters directly overhead. In response, Assemblyman Mike Gatto (D-Glendale) and Senator Ted Gaines (R-El Dorado) have introduced Senate Bill 168. The bill would grant "immunity to any emergency responder who damages an unmanned aircraft in the course of firefighting, air ambulance, or search-and-rescue operations." The bill will also levy stiff fines and potentially even jail time for people whose UAVs inhibit an emergency response.
Dyson issues recall after bladeless heater starts a few 'contained' fires (update)
As if a legal battle with Samsung wasn't bad enough, Dyson has to put out a fire within its own walls now. The company's issued a voluntary recall for the heater versions of its Air Multiplier fans because a few have short-circuited and caught alight, as spotted by Reuters. The entire sales run (around 1,000,000 units, as Dyson tells it) will be recalled after reports that four of them malfunctioned, resulting in "contained burning" inside the machines. For its part, the outfit says that there haven't been any instances of injury or property damage; it's simply being proactive to get this straightened out as soon as possible. How soon? Well, Dyson promises more info within 24 hours. We'll update this post as new details arrive. Update: Dyson has apparently started the recall process abroad (including in Israel and the United Arab Emirates). After registering your product, the company will contact you to schedule delivery of a new unit and pickup of the old one. Perhaps best of all, the replacement heater comes with a two-year warranty on parts and labor. Update 2: The company hasn't gotten the formal go-ahead for a recall in the US, but customers in the States can register at this site to get the ball rolling. [Thanks for sending this in, Kaschif!]
Apple reaches settlement in MagSafe class action suit, dodges fireball
Apple's MagSafe has been veritable boon to the clumsy, saving MacBooks from accidental drops since 2006. The magnetic solution, however, hasn't been exactly great when keeping those same notebooks spark free. Those who weren't able to convince a Genius to part ways with a replacement gratis should know that Cupertino has just settled a class-action relating to the original's propensity to fray. Provided they fill out the necessary paperwork, those who paid for replacements out of pocket will be reimbursed $79 within the first year of the computer's purchase, decreasing to $50 and $35 respectively in the years that follow. Claims can be submitted up to three years after the original purchase, or until March 21, 2012 -- whichever occurs first. And to those of you rocking the pre-2008 "L" shaped redesign, might we recommend some flame retardant socks?
An artistic look at the Alliance Northrend flight points
When Jackhammer of EU Frostwhisper first sent us this Alliance Northrend flight point gallery, I kind of shrugged it off. Flight points are the most traveled places in the game, by definition. Why would we be interested in something we see all the time. You take pictures on vacation, not at home. But after looking through it, I was struck by just how well-crafted these places are. From the Fizzcrank Airstrip to the heights of Icecrown, there's a lot of beauty to be found in these places as well, and not just on the back of a griffon.It's a nice gallery, and it gives you a nice hint of just how varied Northrend is -- there are fires burning and flightmasters giving rides all over the continent, and by browsing through the pictures, you get a good look at what kinds of crevices the Alliance have inserted themselves into in Northrend. And if nothing else, it's some nice art to look through on a Saturday afternoon.
Apple admits to iPod nano smoking and sparks, will replace faulty devices
It's only taken a number of years and some seriously ruined pants -- but Apple has finally come clean on the flammable nature of the first-generation iPod nano, and is now offering to replace the faulty devices. After reports today that two more of the media players had lit up without warning in Japan, the company issued a statement admitting that the nanos do -- in fact -- have battery problems which cause them to smoke or spark and generally burn the hell out of things. In the company's words: "Apple has determined that in very rare cases batteries in first generation iPod nanos sold between September 2005 and December 2006 can overheat causing failure and deformation of the iPod nano. Apple has received very few reports of such incidents (less than 0.001 percent of first generation iPod nano units), which have been traced back to a single battery supplier. There have been no reports of serious injuries or property damage, and no reports of incidents for any other iPod nano model. Any first generation iPod nano customers who have experienced their battery overheating should contact AppleCare for a replacement. Any other customers who have concerns about their first generation iPod nano battery should also contact AppleCare." Well, thanks guys... at least we didn't die.
Japanese Gov't: iPod nano batteries caused fires
A brief report from Reuters this morning said Japan's trade ministry claimed three fires had been caused by defectively hot iPod nano batteries. Nobody was injured in the fires. The government said in a statement that Apple had two other reported cases where people were burned by their iPod nanos. The defective nanos, they said, were sold between September 2005 and September 2006. Japan's quasi-governmental product safety commission will investigate the incidents with Apple's cooperation, the trade ministry said.
All fires are not the same
I've noticed lately while running around and doing my daily cooking quest that some flames are not the same as others. This seems rather silly to me. After all, a flame is a flame, right?For those of you that don't cook in WoW, I'll fill you in. You need to find a cooking fire every time you want to cook something. Everyone has the ability to make a simple fire, but this requires reagents, and is not something that people normally waste space on. So instead of making your own fire, you can find a premade fire, stove, kettle, etc... and cook your food there. These heat sources are spread out all over major cities and out in the wild.But, there are oddities. For example, take these two kettles - which are the exact same model.
Apple gives free iPods to kids affected by California wildfires
It's a small, small consolation, but Apple has donated free iPod nanos to over 100 kids in a California school district who lost their homes in the recent wildfires. Affected high school students in Poway, California, received the devices after Steve Boyack, husband of a Poway city councilwoman, noticed that fundraising and gift drives organized by the city targeted mainly young children and older folks and decided to write Steve Jobs an email at his famously public email address. Steve didn't write back, but Michael Foulkes, Apple's senior manager for state and local government affairs, soon had the iPods on their way. Apple being Apple, it's declined to comment on the story, and Boyack says the company didn't want any publicity to begin with, saying, "It was strictly from the heart and just wanting to help." Love or hate Apple, you've got to respect them for trying to provide at least a little holiday cheer.
Another Dell laptop ignites
Today's "Dell laptop bursts into flames" story brought to you by "Henrik the Automation Engineer" of Vernon Hills, Illinois. Quick on the draw with his 7.2 megapixel camera, "Henrik" managed to document the amusing / scary saga of his coworker's notebook, well, pulling a Dell -- and as the placement of the gaping hole in the lappy's burned-out husk indicates, there's little doubt as to the cause of this blaze. C'mon, Dell, enough with the inquiries: if you've really been aware of this dangerous defect for several years now, it's time to fess up and let your customers know the full extent of the problem. Because until you do, these little incidents are going to continue to get a ton of press -- and models from HP and Gateway are going to continue looking more and more attractive to consumers who value life and limb.[Thanks, Blake]
