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Nokia stops selling Lumia 2520 tablet over electrical shock concerns
Nokia has issued a product advisory for certain Lumia 2520 chargers and has temporarily suspended sales of the Windows tablet in the UK and parts of Europe. The notice applies to its Europe- and UK-only AC-300 charger, along with the 2520 travel charger accessory, which is also available in the US. Use of those products should be discontinued immediately due to a shock hazard, though Nokia said that no incidents have been reported yet. 30,000 chargers are affected in total, but only 600 of the travel accessories were sold in the US. That means you're free to use the tablet stateside (without the travel charger, of course). But if you're located in the UK and certain other European countries, your Lumia 2520 will have to go on ice pending a fix. More information and updates are available from Nokia right here.
Magnetic soap could make your next oil spill less oily
Instead of spending millions upon millions to clean up the next oil spill, why don't we just all pitch in and buy some soap? That's basically what researchers at the University of Bristol are proposing, with a new kind of soap that's apparently like no other. This soap, you see, is magnetic, which means it could be easily removed from water without leaving behind any hazardous chemicals -- a potentially major selling point for cleanup crews and environmentalists alike. To create it, the team collected water with chlorine and bromine ions, and used it to dissolve iron particles, creating a metallic core. They proceeded to test their creation by placing the soapy particles within a test tube, underneath layers of water and oil. Much to their delight, they were able to remove the particles with only a magnet, ostensibly providing a template upon which disaster response crews may build.
Chevy Volt safe from fire hazard after all, says government
The Chevy Volt isn't prone to catching fire after all, says the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration. The all-electric car came under scrutiny last year after one caught fire following a side-impact crash test. GM offered a buyback program for Volt owners concerned their cars might suddenly immolate, then the company made "enhancements" to the Volt's battery coolant system. That set things right, as far as the NHTSA is concerned: it says "no discernable defect trend exists" in the Volt, and that GM's revisions "reduce the potential for battery intrusion resulting from side impacts." Chevy dropped the Volt's price by $1,000 for 2012, too. So what do you think? Is a $39,000 starting price and less of a chance of burning to death enough to make you go electric?
BMW presents car-to-x communication, wants vehicles to talk more (video)
What good is an Ultimate Driving Machine if it can't get a little help from its friends? A new hazard-dodging system from BMW could help these Bavarian autos get a bit more chatty, each vehicle talking to nearby traffic across long-range wireless networks. In a series of video demonstrations, the car maker shows how the car-to-x system could give advance warnings of traffic, emergency vehicles and weather hazards by enabling one car to beam warnings directly to others. BMW hopes to connect the system to mobile phone networks as latency times improve and possibly even access data from traffic light systems. Sure, GM and Ford got there a bit earlier, but you can see BMW's implementation demonstrated after the break, and check out the via link for more videos of the world's most boring game of GTA.
Cellphones are dangerous / not dangerous: the WHO changes its mind
To say that experts generally don't agree about whether cellphone radiation can fry your brain is an understatement of massive proportions, but amazingly enough, the World Health Organization has come to a pseudo-conclusion. A group of 31 scientists from 14 countries working in the org's International Agency for Research on Cancer says that -- based on a survey of the literature -- those electromagnetic fields are as likely to be potentially carcinogenic as 266 other worrisome substances, including DDT pesticide and the exhaust from your automobile. Mind you, the WHO isn't saying that cellphones cause cancer, as today's decision is merely the latest call for more research, but the fact that respected scientists even claim that a correlation should be considered will probably be enough to stir the pot.
Foxconn confirms third death from explosion, earlier watchdog report points at aluminum dust (updated)
Following the tragic explosion at Foxconn's Chengdu plant on Friday, the company has now confirmed to All Things Digital the death of a third employee, with nine remaining in hospital. While investigation is still ongoing, initial findings are pointing at "an explosion of combustible dust in a duct" at one of the polishing workshops, which supports earlier rumors of dust explosion; though there's no confirmation on what caused the ignition just yet. In related news: two weeks before the fatal accident, watchdog group SACOM released a report on the welfare of workers at the new Chengdu plant. Amongst the uncovering of management issues, excessive working hours, and hazardous environment, PC World highlights complaints from workers about the large amount of aluminum dust -- which is highly explosive -- floating around the polishing department, thus suggesting a lack of proper dust extraction methods within the facility. Foxconn has previously slammed this report, but the outcome of this explosion's investigation should once and for all prove who's telling the truth. For now, though, the priority is to make sure the victims and their families are taken care of. Full statement from Foxconn after the break. Update: According to China Times' industry sources, the explosion has only affected some storage facilities and chemical coating lines, though Foxconn president Terry Gou is said to be reallocating some production to his Shenzhen plant as a just-in-case measure.
Cellphones are dangerous / not dangerous: handsets alter brain activity -- scientists don't know what that means
Cellphones are bad, mmkay? Or at least that is what many want us to believe, what with all these warning labels and studies telling us that mobile users will end up with brain cancer and kidney damage. Not to mention the dangers of phone addiction -- horror of horrors -- for our youth. Now, the National Institutes of Health have shown that radiation from your phone's antenna turns you into a supergenius increases brain activity. Using positron emission tomography (PET) scans on 47 individuals with a muted phone on each ear (to prevent aural brain stimulation), the study found a seven percent increase in brain activity in the area closest to the phones' antennas when receiving a call. The catch -- scientists don't know "whether this is detrimental or if it could even be beneficial," so don't go trading your Cell-Mate in for a Bluetooth headset just yet.
Apple ordered to make public iPod nano battery fix in Japan
We had an eerie feeling it'd come to this, and come it has. Nearly two full years to the day after the government of Japan began a thorough investigation into the spontaneous combusting of iPod nano devices, that same entity is now mandating that Apple publish an "easy to understand" statement on the web that explains how customers can "receive replacement batteries and obtain advice." So far, these volatile Li-ion cells have been blamed for four cases of minor burns in the Land of the Rising Sun, and while Apple has been replacing first-generation iPod nano batteries since 2008 for those that complained, it seems that Japan wants the company to make the option readily apparent to consumers. Be sure to keep an eye on Apple's Japanese site for more, but as of now, we're not seeing any such PSA posted.
Dell Mini 9 suffers meltdown, scorches owner's floor
While this isn't quite bad enough to merit a "dude, your Dell is on fire" part deux, it's a pretty frightful example of the hazard modern batteries (of any kind) represent. A Consumerist reader reports that her year-old Dell Mini 9 recently popped, "hissed and sizzled" as it filled her room with smoke and tarnished her fine wooden flooring. Judging from the fallout pictures (available after the break), we'd say the culprit for this Mini fire (oh!) was the battery pack, which again reminds us how badly we need to improve our energy storage technologies. Dell has been quick to remedy the situation with an upgraded laptop being sent over to the young lady and the melted machine packed off to the labs for inspection, though there's no mention of compensation for the owner's scarred floor and mind.
Nokia initiates shocking charger recall program (update: affects 14 million)
New Nokia owners take notice: Espoo just launched an "exchange program" for certain Nokia-branded chargers. According to the world's largest handset maker:"We have determined that the plastic covers of the affected chargers could come loose and separate, exposing the charger's internal components and potentially posing an electric shock hazard if certain internal components are touched while the charger is plugged into a live socket."The chargers affected are models AC-3E and AC-3U, manufactured between June 15 and August 9, 2009, and model AC-4U, manufactured between April 13 and October 25, 2009. Fortunately, Nokia provides a website that removes all the guesswork from obtaining your free replacement.Update: Gulp, looks like we're talking about 14 million defective chargers. Show full PR text NOKIA PRESS RELEASE November 9, 2009 Nokia initiates charger exchange program Espoo, Finland - Nokia today initiated a charger exchange program, in which consumers owning certain Nokia-branded chargers manufactured by a third-party supplier are recommended to exchange these chargers for free replacements. During a routine quality control process, Nokia identified a potential product quality issue with certain chargers manufactured by one of its third-party suppliers. The plastic covers of the affected chargers could come loose and separate, exposing the charger's internal components and potentially posing an electrical shock hazard if certain internal components are touched while the charger is plugged into a live socket. Nokia is not aware of any incidents or injuries related to these chargers. Only a limited number of chargers of certain model types manufactured by a single third-party supplier during a specific time period are within the scope of the exchange program. They are the AC-3E and AC-3U models, manufactured between June 15, 2009 and August 9, 2009; and the AC-4U model, manufactured between April 13, 2009 and October 25, 2009. For more information, including how consumers can check to see if their chargers are part of this exchange program, Nokia has established a website. Consumers are asked to visit http://chargerexchange.nokia.com or their local Nokia website. Nokia recommends consumers with chargers within the scope of this exchange program to stop using the charger and exchange it for a free replacement.
BMW's Emergency Stop Assistant halts your vehicle if you can't
While it may seem as if BMW and the Federal Ministry of Education and Research in Germany just hate seniors, we kind of doubt that's the prevailing mentality behind the admittedly brilliant Emergency Stop Assistant. Said technology is being testing as part of the Smart Senior project, and in theory, it will be able to detect medical emergencies, activate hazard lights and autonomously pull the car over safely if the driver cannot. Of course, we're still anxiously awaiting details on how the system plans on detecting said calamities and figuring out how to pull over without crashing, but one thing's for sure: OnStar just got a lot more outdated.
HTC Touch Pro battery goes rogue, lights up an otherwise fine pair of pants
Just a note to everyone who carries around a spare smartphone Li-ion in their rear pocket: buy thicker underwear. The scene you see above was all caused by an obviously volatile HTC Touch Pro battery, one that the pants-wearer claims is an authentic HTC cell and not a cheap-o alternative from eBay. As the story goes, a foul odor led him to a laundry pile, where he uncovered eight moist socks, a torched battery and a ruined pair of pants. Look, we're glad this guy's okay and all, but seriously, can you imagine what this testy little thing would've done when tossed into the dryer? It's a blessing in disguise, kiddo.[Via phoneArena]
70,000 HP laptop batteries recalled due to fire hazard
It's been quite awhile since we've seen a major recall surrounding volatile laptop batteries, but it looks as if HP is the company bringing the topic back to the forefront. Announced today, the US Consumer Product Safety Commission and Health Canada, in cooperation with Hewlett-Packard, has issued a voluntary recall of about 70,000 Li-ion batteries. Reportedly, these cells can "overheat, posing a fire and burn hazard to consumers," and so far, the firm and CPSC have received two separate reports of batteries that have overheated and ruptured, resulting in -- wait for it -- "flames / fire that caused minor property damage." For a look at what units are affected, head on past the break -- oh, and if you're reading this on an HP lappie right now, go ahead and grab the fire extinguisher just in case.
LG recalls 30,000 830 Spyder handsets for crappy 911 connections
While things like copy and paste, multimedia messaging and video calling are nice extras to have, there's really only one thing that's most important when it comes to a reliable cellphone: the 911 functionality. Evidently, around 30,000 LG 830 Spyder handsets aren't having the easiest time dialing for help, with a product recall noting that a huge swath of 'em have "difficulty sustaining a connection or have poor voice quality on calls to emergency 911." It should be noted, however, that LG's actually being really, really proactive here, as it has only received a single report (and no injuries) to date. The Spyder phones affected have software versions T83LGV03 and T83LGV04, and you can hit the read link if you suspect yours is amongst that 30,000.[Via textually]
Cellphones are dangerous/not dangerous, watch your kidneys edition
Believe it or not, this latest study on how cell phones are killing you doesn't invoke the dreaded c-word. Instead, scientists at the European Research Institute for Electronic Components in Bucharest found that exposing red blood cells to low-level radiation -- lower than what emanates from your mobile buddy, apparently -- caused them to leak hemoglobin, which they say can lead to kidney damage and heart disease. The Federation of the Electronics Industry have already come out swinging, saying there is still no consistent evidence the mobile devices are physically hurting us. If history tells us anything, expect to see a report in the near future on how inconclusive these findings are, followed by separate findings on how beneficial a healthy kick of radiation to the kidneys can be.[Via textually]
UK warns that fake imported DS handhelds could be hazardous
HM Revenue & Customs has put out an official report warning that "hundreds of imported counterfeit game consoles seized at UK freight depots were found to have been supplied with potentially dangerous power adapters." Most of the wares had been purchased at a deep discount from Asian websites claiming to sell "genuine Nintendo products" for over 50% off. The Big N has already stepped in to confirm that the DS / DS Lites are indeed counterfeit, and the accompanying power adapters were also deemed "potentially dangerous, since they had not been electronically tested and do not meet strict UK safety standards." C'mon parents -- even if the youngin' has been bad, we'd still say coal is more fitting than a stocking full of potential electrocution.[Via Pocket-lint, image courtesy of Infendo]
Cellphones are dangerous/not dangerous: leaky fillings edition
We're not even going to pretend we fully grasp what's going on here, but the long and short of Shiraz University of Medical Sciences' latest findings are that cellphones can trigger the release of mercury from one's fillings. Yes, seriously. The study asserts that out of 14 test subjects with fillings, those who used mobile phones had a statistically significant increase of mercury from urine tests than those who refrained from yapping. The science behind all of this is far beyond our IQ levels, but we're a little freaked out/not freaked out, regardless.[Via textually]
Recalled: 35,000 volatile Sony batteries in Dell / HP / Toshiba laptops
Ruh roh. We're really, really hoping this isn't just the first of another long string of laptop battery recalls, but the US Consumer Product Safety Commission, in cooperation with a slew of other outfits, has just announced a voluntary recall of around 35,000 Sony laptop batteries. As you'd expect, the Li-ions in question "can overheat, posing a fire and burn hazard to consumers," and there have already been 19 reports of overheating including 17 reports of flames / fire and two reports of consumers getting mildly burnt. For the full list (and it's pretty long) of affected laptop models from HP / HP Compaq, Toshiba and Dell, be sure to give the read link some serious attention. Oh, and stop using that battery pronto if yours is one of the afflicted.
Rage Wireless Guitars recalled, chemical burns deemed too emo
Performance Designed Products' Rage Wireless Guitar isn't the most well known Guitar Hero peripheral out there, but that's apt to change in a hurry after this. Said instrument has just been recalled after the company received a single report of a burn after the user self-pwnt him / herself by installing the AA batteries incorrectly. Apparently the circuit board within the axe is "defective" in such a way that it causes cells to leak if they are inserted in an incorrect manner, and thus, it poses a risk of chemical burn to the rocker handling it. Interestingly, consumers who own one are instructed to return the thing to the original place of purchase rather than PDP itself, so we'd recommend wrapping your arm in gauze and printing out the read link to help your case if you've trashed the receipt.[Via SlipperyBrick]
Nissan readies pilot for road-cam / slip-hazard alert services
Way back in 2005, we got wind of a Bluetooth-based telematics systems for cars dubbed Carwings. Now, Nissan is gearing up to launch two safety pilots which will rely on -- you guessed it -- Carwings HDD navigation systems. First up is the slip-hazard alert, which marries data from the ITS (Intelligent Transport System) and ABS (Anti-lock Braking System) in order to warn drivers of slippery road conditions. In addition to that, the recently concocted road-cam service can "enhance the effectiveness of the alert service by offering drivers a visual image" of surroundings. The company will make the slip-hazard alert and the new road-cam service available to all Carwings customers (in Japan) beginning next month, with the latter hitting first (in November) and the former second (in December). Oh, and did we mention the upgrades will be completely gratis? Because they will be.[Via Wired]
