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AT&T U-verse batteries going supernova
AT&T is looking to replace 17,000 backup batteries in U-verse equipment cabinets all over the country over concerns that they can explode. Those are confirmed concerns, too, as there have been four confirmed incidents since October 2006. Explosions have occurred in Houston, Cleveland and Wisconsin; the Wisconsin incident reportedly was strong enough to blow the 50-pound cabinet door off its bolts. The bad news for AT&T is that the battery manufacturer, Avestor, filed for bankruptcy in October 2006 and is no longer in business. What's worse is that a consulting firm hired to examine the first incidents deemed the battery design ok, and chalked up the explosions to "manufacturing defects." So now AT&T has taken it upon itself to spend some big bucks to locate and replace the already-in-service (and obviously widely dispersed) lithium metal polymer batteries.[Via TVOver, image courtesy of LightReading]EDIT: Spelling error fixed (thanks, Bryce!) and photo credit changed (thanks, Phil!).
MEMS-based smart fuses could guarantee desired explosions
While we certainly hope the average (read: not GI) jane / joe isn't overly concerned about the rate at which homegrown explosions detonate as desired, we understand the Army's need to have more faith in their own munitions. Reportedly, a new "smart fuse" conjured up at Georgia Tech could soon prevent bombs from experiencing fuse failure by using "semiconductor fabrication equipment to make hundreds of ultra-high precision detonators on a wafer at the same time." In addition to cutting down on the use of toxic heavy metals and increasing the safety of weapon production, the intelligent MEMS fuse will supposedly "incorporate built-in arm and fail-safe mechanisms that virtually guarantee that munitions go off when they should, every time." Weapons that fire when needed -- now there's a concept. [Image courtesy of Rich's Incredible Pyro]
IBM sues Shentech for selling volatile counterfeit batteries
It's not like ThinkPads have been immune to the notorious overheating battery issue, but a fiery incident in Ohio may not be IBM's fault. In a somewhat bizarre tale, it's reported that an Ohioan purchased a replacement battery from Shentech for his ThinkPad, only to later have it overheat, catch on fire and damage his machine. After discovering that the faulty cell was actually a counterfeit, IBM took the liberty of ordering a dozen batteries from the Flushing, New York-based company, and it soon discovered that all twelve received were indeed fakes. As you can probably guess, IBM has filed suit against the outfit and has asked the court to require Shentech to hand over all of its batteries for destruction, profits it made from selling the fakes and a million dollars "per counterfeit mark per type of item sold." That'll teach 'em to mess with Big Blue.[Via TGDaily]
Exploding phone battery not blamed for Korean's death
This certainly won't be the first time that an exploding cellphone battery has been pegged with blame before all the facts shook out, but now it seems that the South Korean worker who perished yesterday was in fact not killed by his mobile. Reportedly, the National Institute of Scientific Investigation "said the injuries were too substantial to have been caused by a battery explosion," and an unnamed medical examiner was quoted as saying that it was "difficult to conclude that the damage of internal organs was caused by [the explosion]." Details are still likely to unfold in the coming weeks, as it will be about a fortnight before autopsy results are analyzed and a final conclusion is drawn. Seems that "virtually impossible" notion from LG may be accurate after all, eh?[Image courtesy of Yonhap News]
Tektronix oscilloscopes could catch fire due to volatile Li-ion
We've seen some strange devices catch fire due to faulty batteries, but this one just may take top honors. Apparently, a pair of Tektronix oscilloscopes (model numbers TDS3000 and TDS3000B) have the potential of catching fire; according to the company, it has received two reports of the units "burning at customer sites." Upon closer inspection, it was noticed that the machines both relied on a TDS3BATB Li-ion battery, which is now carrying the blame for the unexpected blazes. If you or a loved one just so happen to own or use one of these rigs in your everyday life, Tektronix is suggesting that you power it down and stop using the battery until further notice.[Via TheInquirer]
The fun never ends: another Dell up in flames
Every time we think we've had our fill of these, somebody goes and one-ups the competition with a Dell-fueled inferno of doom. Apparently this one is coming at us from Shanghai, and while we're not sure what anyone is saying on the forum to which these pictures are posted, we're guessing a chorus of "sucks to be you!" and "recalled for a reason" is a solid guess. Check after the break for a couple more pictures, including the stark beauty of the aftermath.[Thanks, Steve Du]
Non-recalled Nokia phone battery explodes, injures woman
While Nokia and Matsushita were busying settling the disputes that arose when the phone maker had to recall some 46 million handset batteries, a lady in India has been injured by a Nokia-branded cell that's not on that list. Located in eastern India, the woman noted that the BL-D3 series battery "blew up about 10 minutes after it was put on charge," resulting in a "ball of fire" that led to minor burn injuries to the user. According to Nokia, the incident was "isolated," and if it finds that the handset, battery, and charger are original, the 30-year old victim will supposedly be compensated.
iPhone meltdown occurs during hardware hack
Not that it doesn't completely go without saying, but whenever you start hacking any battery-powered portable device, you need to freaking be careful. Otherwise you might end up like dude here who was pulling a Geohot on his iPhone when short circuited and became red hot, releasing the magic smoke hither locked inside the device's electronics. Lesson learned: you take your phone, even your life, into your own hands when screwing with components, so be gentle and careful, will you?[Via Engadget Spanish]
Nokia holds Matsushita responsible for faulty batteries
C'mon, you didn't think Nokia was just going to sit around with 46 million bum batteries on its hands and not play the blame game, didya? Reportedly, when Nokia's worldwide CEO Olli-Pekka Kallasvuo was asked whether Matsushita (the batteries' manufacturer) would be held liable for the fiasco, he responded by saying that the firm was "investigating" the issue, and noted "...of course they are responsible to us." Currently, Nokia has yet to divulge what kind of financial impact this whole mess will have on the company, but it's apparently planning to pass along at least some of the connected costs to Matsushita. Furthermore, Nokia's chief refused to comment when asked about the future relationship between the two outfits, but we're sure true feelings will become evident in due time.
Deadly blast rocks Virgin Galactic rocket test
This week is quickly becoming a tough one for the aerospace industry, as just a day after NASA reported tampering on an ISS bound computer, an explosion at the Mojave Air and Space Port has claimed two lives and seriously injured four others. The blast reportedly occurred during a "test of a new rocket motor for SpaceShipTwo -- a spaceship being built for Virgin Galactic, Richard Branson's space tourism company." According to a spokeswoman for the spaceport, the blast was "on a remote pad" at an airport home to Scaled Composite (which is the builder of the first private manned rocket to reach space), but the firm's founder Burt Rutan wasn't in attendance when the "cold fire test" went awry.
Counterfeit flashlight batteries recalled due to fire hazard
Unfortunately for those 4,400 or so owners of the Xenon Aluminum flashlight sold at Sportsman's Warehouse, the recall wagon has come your way, and unless you have no fear of exploding batteries, we'd suggest you power it off at your earliest convenience. Interestingly enough, this case involves more than just a faulty design, as the Panasonic CR123A Industrial Lithium batteries packed within are believed to be counterfeits, and it comes as no surprise that these knockoffs "can overheat and rupture, posing a fire and burn hazard to consumers." So, if you happen to own the six-, nine-, or twelve-volt version of these here devices, it looks like you'll be making an unwanted trip out to Sportsman's Warehouse before long.
Chinese welder killed by exploding cellphone battery
It's all fun and games until someone gets hurt, and unfortunately, the latest case of exploding battery syndrome led to something far worse than a minor injury. Reportedly, a 22-year old Chinese welder actually perished after a cellphone battery residing in his pocket exploded. The eruption was so violent, in fact, that it "broke a rib and drove the remnants of the pack into his heart," and while rescue crews were able to get him to a hospital, he passed away shortly thereafter. Currently, the manufacturer of the phone and battery are being withheld, but expects in Jinta were dispatched in order to conduct an investigation.[Via Inquirer, image courtesy of ABC]
Kodak demolishes building, cameras still kinda suck
Kodak seems pretty friggin proud of the fact that they imploded an old facility Saturday for no other reason than to "highlight" its EasyShare All-in-One printer line -- which is both odd and fine, but certainly they could have used the occasion to introduce some cameras that aren't, well, kind of sucky? (See, we're still waiting for it to make good on that one video.) Either way, we're most disappointed by the fact that Kodak didn't seem to find any irony in a photography company blowing something up. Thank you, thank you, we'll be here all week.
Gateway issues recall for 400VTX and 450ROG Li-ion batteries
Just when you were absolutely certain the voluntary recalls regarding potentially explosive Li-ions were finally complete, here comes yet another vendor claiming that your lappie just might have a problem. This time around, Gateway has proclaimed that "about 14,000" of the lithium-ion battery packs that shipped with its 400VTX and 450ROG series machines "could possibly overheat and pose a fire hazard to consumers." The packs can reportedly be identified by 6500760 or 6500761 part numbers and a "made by SMP" label on the underside of the Li-ion. To date, four reports of "overheating" and a case of minor property damage have been accounted for, so if you just happen to be viewing these very words on one of the aforementioned devices, it's time to get your RMA on.
Toto's Z-series toilets recalled due to fire hazard
Sure, spontaneous combustion has occurred in a bevy of consumer electronics over the past year or so, but if there was one place even we thought you could count yourself safe, it'd be on the john. Apparently, this assumption is no longer valid for Toto toilet owners, as 180,000 of the company's Z-series units are now being recalled "after wiring problems caused three to catch fire over the past year." The electric bidet accessory is being shown the blame, as the faulty wiring not only torched a trio of units, but also caused smoke to come flowing out of 26 others. As expected, the firm will "repair the potentially fiery units manufactured between May 1996 and December 2001 for free," but we've no idea if Toto will be reimbursing the outhouse rentals for those sans a backup commode.
The 2006 Engadget Awards: Vote for Worst Gadget of the Year
Ready to get your hater on? We're at the end of the line, and your chance to cast your ballot for the 2006 Worst Gadget of the Year! (Note: nominees were not necessarily selected for having outright bad or defective gadgets -- the disappointment / let-down factor also plays a big role.) Our Engadget Awards nominees are listed below, and you've got until 11.59PM EST on Wednesday, April 18th to file your vote. You can only vote once, so make it count, and may the best tech win! The nominees: Defective Apple MacBooks (see here, here, here, and here), Exploding Sony batteries (see here, here, here, here, here, and many more), Microsoft Zune, Motorola Q, Nintendo Wiimote straps (see here, here, here, and here), and Sony PlayStation 3. %Poll-361%
Exploding iPod dies gruesome death
Oh dear, just when we thought we'd had our fill of exploding Apple devices, along comes an Australian forum member named eeno who saw his first generation iPod nano go up in flames, and has some snuff-esque pics of the aftermath. As is usually the case with these things, eeno's iPod was charging when it happened. He says the force of the battery's explosion sent the iPod off his PC onto the floor, where it continued to smoke and spark until he unplugged the USB charging cable from the back of his computer. Since his iPod is out of warranty, the local computer repair shop didn't do him much good, but they did take a few pics to send to Apple. Hopefully this iPod was just an anomaly, and we won't be seeing a whole wave of these explosions as 1G nanos exit their warranties and head towards retirement -- but somehow we fear the worst.[Thanks, Kip HT]%Gallery-2530%
When good toys go bad V: RC planes going down in smoke
PSA: If you just so happen to be one of the incredibly unlucky 66,000 owners of either a Sky Squadron Model 4153 (pictured after the jump) or Sky Rangers Model 4161 radio-controlled aircraft, we'd highly recommend not making them part of your Sunday afternoon fling. Unfortunately, the overheating (and potentially explosive) Li-ion curse has reared its ugly fiery head once more, and this time two RC planes distributed by Estes-Cox through Radio Shack and Wal-Mart are being promptly recalled. There have already been nine reports of eruptive behavior, including one craft that actually caught fire and somehow inflicted "a minor burn injury" to the unsuspecting user, triggering the US Consumer Product Safety Commission to take action. So if you're not exactly interested in the possibility of getting toasted by your not-so-innocent toy plane, be sure and hit the read link to initiate that always fun RMA process.[Via Gearlog]
Oxygen-deprivation systems showcased at CeBIT
No doubt there's a few outfits at CeBIT doing little aside from blowing hot air, but a number of firms are seeking to extract all the warm oxygen it can from critical data centers. Oxygen-deprivation systems have seen a lot of interest in Germany, as both Wagner Alarm and Security Systems GmbH's OxyReduct and N2telligence GmbH's not-yet-named system remove a vast majority of the surrounding oxygen from rooms full of servers in an effort to greatly reduce the risk of overheating and fire. Although each company's approach had its own special twist, reducing the oxygen level within notoriously toasty data centers is certainly something enterprises and even medium-sized businesses will take note of, as just about everyone and their great-grandparents are now terrified of components spontaneously combusting. Unfortunately, neither outfit was willing to disclose general pricing information, as they seem to work on a per-job basis based on the area that needs do-oxygenated, but if you're studio apartment looks anything like this, you should definitely look into a consumer edition if it ends up on the market.
When good toys go bad IV: explicit CD player triggered during mass
While we've seen quite a few toys pulling stunts that they should definitely be ashamed of, the latest edition ups the ante by doing its dirty deed in a Roman Catholic cathedral. Following the "if it blinks, obliterate it" mentality so well exemplified at various Boston transit arteries, a team of Santa Fe bomb squad experts were called onto the scene after three CD players were triggered to start blasting "sexually explicit language in the middle of an Ash Wednesday Mass" at the Roman Catholic Cathedral Basilica of St. Francis of Assisi. Reportedly, the players were "duct-taped to the bottoms of the pews," apparently causing the innocent church dwellers to assume the worse -- you know, like C4 explosives camouflaged as a mid-range driver. Nevertheless, the bomb squad removed the devices, took them outside, and probably had a thrilling experience whilst detonating two of the players as a safety measure. Once the crew realized the only explosive tendencies were captured in the inappropriate lyrics, they salvaged the third unit to comb for fingerprints and hopefully arrest the perpetrator(s). Now, which cop is going to cave in and post the fireworks on YouTube?[Via BoingBoing]
