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Intel seeks light sensors to halt laptop scalding
Having an overheating laptop nestled on your legs isn't exactly the most comfortable way to work, but even if your Li-ion doesn't erupt on your mid-section, other forms of damage can still ruin your day life. In an effort to quell the scalding that so often occurs on today's lap-burners, Intel has issued a patent application "which uses light to sense when a computer casing is getting too hot, and automatically throttles back the power" to cool things off. Considering that hot spots emerge in various locales on the casing, a light sensor would be used to detect changes on an internal thermochromic coating, which would then relay a signal to the processor to clock down a bit in order to keep the temperatures within reason. Of course, we fully expect a taskbar icon to disable this CPU-limiting procedure for those rocking flame retardant pants, but this should work just fine for those who prefer not to dress accordingly while computing on the go.[Via NewScientistTech]
Nokia 6280 overheats, erupts in smoke on video
We've seen dozens and dozens of aftermath photos from laptops and other random batteries suddenly possessing violently explosive tendencies, but we all know full motion video is more satisfying than simple stills. In this particular case, we're thrilled that the smoking, fizzing Nokia 6280 was filmed while in a location where humans couldn't be harmed, and initial reports are (unsurprisingly) tagging the battery or charger as the culprit. The 3 customer reported that his new handset "began fizzing white smoke" just hours after switching it on for the first time, and Nokia is reportedly investigating the issue. Of course, this isn't the first time a Nokia battery has been blamed for a fire, but unlike the previous case, we kind of doubt the firm will get off as easy here. So if you've actually hung around to read this far, we'll let you get to the fun stuff now, so go on and hit the read link for the final moments of the mobile's smoky death.[Via Inquirer]
Maytag recalls 2.3 million dishwashers due to fire concerns
We know, you most definitely would've opted for the Party Dishwasher had it been available a decade or so ago, but since Maytag was the king of dish scrubbing club, you're now stuck with a potentially fire-starting machine crammed beneath your counter top. Maytag Corp. is recalling around 2.3 million dishwashers across North America after finding that a "potential leak issue" could actually come into contact with the machine's internal wiring, which could then cause quite a heated mess in the midst of your kitchen. The faulty machines (Maytag / Jenn-Air branded) were sold between July 1997 and June 2001, which probably means it's about time you ditched that piece for a new one anyway, but considering the company has already received 135 reports of fires and four injuries, you might want to revert to the old fashioned method of cleaning your pots and pans until you get that thing replaced.[Via Fark]
Matsushita recalls 68,000 potentially fiery massage chairs
We're all very aware of how often Li-ion batteries have been on the literal hot seat over the past year or so, but now it looks like Matsushita has yet another recall to deal with outside of those overheating laptop batteries. The company best known for its Panasonic brand has recalled 68,762 of its electric massage chairs after two cases were reported of the "internal motor burning out" and sparking fires. Thankfully, no one was injured while getting all the kinks worked out of their spine, but considering there are much safer ways to heat your bottom while kicked back in a recliner, we doubt the unadvertised warming functions were appreciated. So if you just so happen to own one of these vibrating chairs, you should probably make haste in pulling the plug and phoning Matsushita for an RMA number.[Via Fark]
California fire not sparked by defective cellphone battery
Just two days ago California fire department authorities pinned the blame of damaging hotel fire on a malfunctioning cellphone battery, but after further inspection, it seems that the mobile's battery isn't the culprit after all. Engineers from 2125i could not have sparked the blaze that resulted in $75,000 worth of property damage and severe burns to Luis. Upon testing the phone, they discovered that "the electronic circuitry in the phone was undamaged and that the battery was still functioning," with a Vallejo Fire Department investigator adding that the battery performed flawlessly after surviving the fire, which eliminated it from being a suspect. Unfortunately, it looks as if the real case of the blaze may "have been destroyed in the fire," but thankfully, Mr. Picaso is in "critical but stable condition" in a Sacramento hospital.[Thanks, DeShaun]
Canadian lawsuit pegs Dell for knowingly selling defective laptops
Sure, it's a new year, but it's the same ole problems for Dell. Yet again the Texas powerhouse is facing a lawsuit claiming that the company knowingly and willingly sold laptops to loyal buyers even though they were defective, and this time it's coming from our northerly neighbors. A group of Canucks who purchased toasty Dell lappies have slapped some legal action on Dell through the Ontario Superior Court of Justice, and the filing claims that "Dell was negligent in designing the computers and sold them even though the company knew of the problems." The models in question reportedly include the 1100, 1150, 5100, 5150 and 5160 models of the Inspiron, and rather than focusing on batteries that erupted in their laps, it claims that the "notebooks suffer from design defects that cause premature failure of the motherboard due to overheating just after the one-year warranty expires." As expected, a Dell spokesperson didn't have a comment on the pending suit, but we're sure it'll be a bit more diligent to show up in court than in previous scenarios.[Via Inquirer]
NEC recalls 14,600 desktop power supplies after a pair of explosions
You know, ever since Sony got all responsible on us and started recalling those exploding batteries of theirs, things have been pretty quiet on the whole "OMG my computer is on fire" front. That's why we're happy to report that NEC is recalling fire-starting power supplies in 14,600 of its Valuestar desktops, which were produced between November 2003 and June 2004. Two computers have already esploded due to overheating PSUs, but luckily nobody has been hurt yet. It's a Japan-only problem, and we're not quiet sure how to go about getting your power supply replaced or how much the total cost of the recall will be for NEC, but we're really just glad to be back in the swing of things.
Clarion's N.I.C.E. P200 in-car navigation batteries recalled
No, the word "recall" isn't entirely synonymous with "battery," but in this case, we're afraid the dreaded overheating Li-ion curse has struck again. This time the recall is hitting Clarion's N.I.C.E. P200 in-car navigation / entertainment unit, and the problem seems to be the same as nearly every other recall currently out -- it's too hot for comfort. Reportedly, about 2,500 units are potentially problematic, and with "four reports of the unit melting or overheating" due to a faulty Li-ion cell, the company isn't taking any chances. So if you've got the 4-inch flavor of Clarion's do-it-all with a serial number ended in "UE" or "UF," you should power that bad boy down immediately (and call for a free replacement) before that "NAVBATTERY" gets a little hot under the collar.
Macferno: Cable Modem explodes destroying PowerBook
On November 16, an OnDeckTech 24x7 help desk technician received a call from a distraught PowerBook owner whose laptop had just been destroyed, trying to see if she could recover any of her data. Her 80GB 15-inch PowerBook, her two Maxtor external 300GB drives and her 160GB LaCie Porche drive had all been affected by the explosion of her new cable modem. The details described by the technician, who posted both pictures and a detailed account of the explosion, reminds us that proximity--or a lack thereof--can be an important component in safeguarding your backup drives. The data, fortunately, survived. Thanks Andrew
NTT DoCoMo recalling 1.3 million Sanyo batteries
Just when we thought things couldn't get any worse, and we actually believed (ever so slightly, mind you) that these battery recalls had reached their end, here's another 1.3 million that are being returned to sender. Japanese mobile giant NTT DoCoMo has recalled 1.3 million Sanyo-derived batteries due to multiple reports of the Li-ion cells generating "excessive heat" and causing "ruptures" in some instances. The batteries are reportedly found in claims made by Sony, but doesn't exactly provide for happy holidays when you consider that the company actually lost users (17,500 to be exactly) overall last month, which hasn't happened since the firm opened in July 1992.[Thanks, kaztm]
Tesla Motors' looking to license Roadster's battery technology
After the glamorous unveiling of Tesla Motors' ultra-speedy, purely electric vehicle, it didn't take long for deep-pocketed believers to throw down their deposits for the yet-to-be-released Roadster. But apparently appeasing head honchos isn't all that Tesla's about, as it's now considering licensing the outlandish (albeit very remarkable) battery technology to other firms looking to jump in the EV game without all those up front R&D costs. In an exclusive interview with AutoblogGreen, the firm stated that Tesla "had been in talks with other companies" in an effort to get their 7,000 Li-ion cell pack out to other companies. While they couldn't pry much deeper than that, the biggest upshot to grabbing its technology is the UN-approved label that's been slapped on the 56 kWh, 366V Li-ion pack; its proprietary "redundant active / passive safety features" help prevent propagation of a "thermal runaway event" (read: an explosion), which certainly helps when trying to get your electric vehicle past those pesky regulators. Nevertheless, Tesla Motors is currently testing crashing "10 to 20 vehicles" in Europe to make sure all systems are go, and we can't help but hope a few more muscle car competitors that don't drink octane show up real soon.
The stages of an exploding laptop battery
Beware young and old -- want to know exactly what stages your poor little laptop battery will go through when it ignites? We kind of didn't either, but that didn't stop us from fighting our compulsion to watch the above YouTube vid. Scary, sobering stuff. You did return your recalled battery, right?[Thanks, Chris and Drakonen]
An alternate solution to the Hello Kitty toy recall
Hello Kitty doll got your beloved tyke a little hot under the collar (due to leaking chemicals)? Recall, shmecall -- just stick one of these Kitty-branded fire extinguishers under his / her bed and call it a day. Stop, drop, and roll has never been this much fun.[Via Hello Kitty Hell]
Fujitsu recalls 287,000 notebook batteries
Fujitsu has put a number on its recent recall of Sony-manufactured notebook batteries, with 287,000 Fujitsu notebook owners being affected. This latest figure brings the total number of Sony battery recalls in recent months to more than 7.5 million, of which the vast majority (5.9 million) are from Dell and Apple. Although this appears to be a pre-emptive recall -- as far as the company can tell, no Fujitsu laptops have actually exploded -- the company is still recommending that its users give them a call if their machine is one of the 20+ models listed. Read - Affected modelsRead - Fujitsu announcement
Ridiculously awesome Metal Slug trailer
Things blow up real good in this insanely awesome Metal Slug Collection trailer. You might notice the trailer is surprisingly gory, featuring "blood, blood and more blood." The trailer clocks in at over 5 minutes, making it quite an amazing montage of guns, explosions and gore: sounds like the perfect game for me. And because I love you guys, you can download a PSP formatted version here.[Via Gamespot]
Dell battery explodes at Yahoo HQ, hundreds evacuate
We just got word that a Yahoo employee's laptop went up in flames today at their Mission College campus down in Silicon Valley, causing hundreds of Yahoo employees to be evacuated from an 8-story building. The culprit: you guessed it, a Dell machine whose faulty cell that should have been replaced (don't they have corporate memos at those big companies?) instead caught fire. From what we now know it doesn't seem like anyone was hurt, but let this be a lesson, people: you have the means, now take Dell up on the freaking recall before something disastrous happens.Update: So it looks like Yahoo uses HP and Mac laptops -- not Dells -- making it very likely this was someone's personal machine that they brought to work. Wrong day to bring your laptop to the office, man.
ThinkPad explodes at LAX, ignites bomb scare
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]
Sony ordered by Japan to investigate battery problems
Now that some 6 million Sony-manufactured batteries have been recalled, and all the big names are preparing for a summit on standardizing manufacturing processes for li-ion cells, we were just waiting for the fingers to start a pointin'. Well, a pointin' they have begun, as Japan's trade ministry ordered Sony (with Dell) to investigate the issues surrounding how a few million batteries were manufactured in such a way that a percentage of them might just explode all crazy on their owners. The Japanese trade ministry ain't screwing around, either -- Sony and Dell are to report back their findings, or face severe penalties under Japan's consumer safety laws. Hey, if we were Japan we wouldn't want Sony's flub on our hands either, you know? We'll let you know when we find out about their findings.
Apple, Dell, Lenovo, HP working on battery manufacturing standards
If there's one thing this summer's taught us, it's that pleather is never a good idea during a heat wave. But if there's two things this summer's taught us, it's that batteries are extremely combustible, and one company with a recent history of naughty mishaps can spoil a lot of peoples' fun with some lithium-ion charged explosions. This is probably why Apple, Dell, Lenovo, HP, and other laptop manufacturers are planning to hold a summit in San Jose, California with the intent to tackle some of the issues associated with li-ion cells powering today's portables, and to come to some agreement about standards for manufacturing processes and quality control. They and the rest of the OEM Critical Components Committee of the IPC-Association Connecting Electronics Industries are expected to lay the groundwork for such battery manufacturing standards with the hopes that no man or woman or child's box shall ever again unexpectedly explode on their table, in their car, in their home, plane, pocket, or anywhere else for that matter. Gee golly, we are so stoked at the idea of our laptops not, like, totally burning down our home that you guys soo don't even know.[Via AppleInsider]
Another Dell laptop goes boom in the night
Dude, just because you're in the Netherlands doesn't give you any reason or excuse not to have traded in your Dell laptop battery for one that isn't so, shall we say, explosive? This unfortunate Latitude (appears to be a D610 D510) met its fate when, like so many others, it was cut down before its time in a violent and easily prevented explosion. We'd tell you more, but unfortunately the article is in a tongue we don't speak (sorry, we took Zulu in high school), but if any of our Dutch pals want to apprise us as to the situation, we'd be most obliged.[Thanks, Jeroen]Update: Jeroen gave us the skinny on this one. Apparently the unit's owner, Ewout, was on holiday in Hungary with the laptop when it caught fire; of course it would not be extinguished by mere water, so sand was found and thrown on the machine. Thankfully Dell was, um, gracious enough to replace Ewout's laptop, so there ya go.
