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All NVIDIA 8400M / 8600M chips faulty?
NVIDIA's stock took a pretty big hit last week when it announced that "significant quantities" of "previous-generation" GPUs and mobile and communications processors were defective and that it would take a $250M charge against earnings to repair and replace the affected chips, but the company didn't say which chips specifically were faulty, nor how many. That might be because the problem is much worse than it even sounds -- according to a report in The Inquirer, every single G84 and G86 GPU in the 8400M and 8600M series of cards is affected. Apparently both chips share an ASIC, and the core design suffers from the same heat-related issues. That certainly implicates a "significant quantity" of chips, all right, but this is just a rumor for now -- one that's probably best handled by NVIDIA stepping up and letting its customers know exactly how big the problem is.[Thanks, Rich]
NVIDIA says "significant quantities" of laptop GPUs are defective, stock tumbles
If you're the type to watch the late stock tickers, you might have noticed that NVIDIA's stock just took a pretty big hit, down 24 percent to $13.56 -- that's because the company just informed investors that "significant quantities" of previous-generation graphics chips have been failing at "higher than normal rates," and that it's lowering its Q2 estimates due to pricing pressure. NVIDIA will be taking a $150M to $250M charge against earnings next quarter to cover the cost of repairing and replacing the affected chips, but didn't specifically announce what products were defective, just that they include GPUs and "media and communications processors." Laptop makers have apparently already been given an updated GPU driver which kicks in fans sooner to reduce "thermal stress" on the GPU, and NVIDIA says it's talking to its suppliers about being reimbursed for the faulty parts. That's great and all, but we'd really rather know which chips specifically are failing -- if you're serious about playing in the big leagues, you better come clean, guys.
HP fax machines recalled, could turn resume into flames
Hey you. Yeah, you. You're about to beam that resume facsimile-style to a prospective employer, aren't you? If said machine is a Hewlett-Packard Fax 1010 or 1010xi, we're recommend firing (ahem) it over through email instead. The US Consumer Product Safety Commission, in cooperation with HP, has issued a voluntary recall for the aforementioned fax machines after receiving three reports of "overheating," two of which resulted in "minor property damage." If you just so happen to own one of these machines, and you'd prefer your abode not be burned to the ground anytime soon, we'd suggest following the read link and applying for your rebate. After you unplug the machine and shove it in the freeze, of course.
Nintendo recalls character lapel pins
If you received a lapel pin from Nintendo between 2004 and 2007, either as a giveaway or a purchase from the Nintendo World Store, you could be in danger. Not just the regular poking-based kind of danger associated with pins, either. The pins are painted with an unsafe level of lead, which could be harmful if ingested. Unlike other pins, which are harmless when swallowed.Nintendo is recalling the affected pins, and will ship out non-poisonous replacements. More information is available at the link, or at (800) 431-0971. At least you get a shiny new pin out of the deal. Keep it out of your mouth just in case.[Via Gamespot]
LG halts sale of Z1-AE007 laptop, suspects defective battery
It's not like LG hasn't had issues with its batteries before, and even after confirming that they were unquestionably safe just last week, the firm has suddenly removed its Z1-AE007 from the market after suspecting that faulty batteries may be included. Reportedly, one of said models "caught fire" in Seoul and presumably startled the graduate student who owned it, but a company spokesperson stopped short of proclaiming that a recall was in order. Furthermore, the individual noted that "the matter should be consulted with the battery maker," essentially shoving every ounce of blame as far as humanly possible away from LG.[Via FarEastGizmos]
AT&T and Samsung quietly recalling Blackjacks?
We're still hunting down hard info on this one, but according to users on AT&T's official support forums, Samsung Blackjacks manufactured between November 2006 and February 2007 are the subject of a quiet recall due to an antenna issue. Apparently certain internal components are wearing oddly over time and causing the antenna to loosen and disengage, causing dropped calls and poor signal strength. A service advisory has apparently gone out to warranty centers, so if your Blackjack is acting a little flaky, now's the time to get on the horn. Update: Okay, we've gotten our hands on the service advisory. Like we said, it's all i607 Blackjacks manufactured between November 2006 and February 2007 -- the date is printed on a label under the battery in YY MM format.[Thanks, Douglas and Curtis]
Sony Ericsson recalls all W910s sold on Orange
Early adopters of Sony Ericsson's W910i on the Orange network may have noticed that their phones suffer a tiny little flaw -- shutting down 10 seconds into a phone call. The bug only wormed its way into a small number of W910s sold by Orange, but the two companies aren't taking any chances -- they've recalled every W910i sold thus far for inspection and repair / replacement. Models in stores now are apparently fine, but we're hearing scattered reports of replacements having the same problem as well. No word on what's causing the problem, but we can't seem to get through to SE to get more details -- the call keeps ending, for some reason.[Via TrustedReviews]
Coby recalls 12,000 DVD boomboxes due to fire hazard
We've all broken down and done a little late-night discount pharmacy gadget shopping, so we promise not to judge -- but if you've got a Coby DVD boombox stashed away in your place, you might want to run and unplug it real quick. Coby's just issued a recall of 12,000 TF-DVD170 and TF-DVD176 DVD boomboxes sold between May 2006 and October 2007 because they have the unfortunate habit of overheating and starting fires. This isn't the first time we've mentioned the words "Coby," "overheat," "fire" and "recall" all in one post -- looks like 2006 was a bad year to be a Coby fanboy.
Canon pulling the EOS-1D Mark III from shelves?
It looks like Canon is pulling all EOS-1D Mark III units from shelves in response to the autofocus issue plaguing their professional DSLR. In what appears to be a legitimate letter sent to dealers on October 25th, Canon states that they have "decided to stop shipment of all EOS-1D Mark III. We would therefore like to collect all unsold EOS-1D Mark III units from your stock." A shipping recommencement date is promised at a later time. That's a bold move by Canon since the issue only affects some of the units sold so far. Still, with a customer-focused action like that Canon, you've got our loyalties nailed.[Thanks, Anand]
Treadmill recall stuck in endless, fiery loop
It's not every day a company has to recall their recall, but Cybex International is once again recalling six different treadmill models after first recalling them in 2003 -- because the wire nuts used in the first recall repair are causing the units to overheat and catch fire. Five treadmills have gone up in smoke thus far, and if you own a Cybex 400T or 410T, Trotter 510, 525, or 535, or just the charmingly unbranded CXT+ treadmill, you may want to unplug your rig and pick up the phone ASAP. No word on what this next recall will cause, but we're hoping for sentience with a dash of world domination.
Canon issues recall on PowerShot A650 IS for China, US to follow?
Getting some nasty light in your PowerShot A650 IS pictures? Finding that no amount of Photoshop retouching can make your family photos look decent? Well, take heart -- in might not be your fault. Canon has issued a recall for the aforementioned camera, due to a defect when shooting with the Vari-Angle LCD display under sunny conditions which allows light to leak through the body and cause image problems. The company's US branch has yet to issue a statement, though Canon China has made the recall official, and we're guessing other regions will follow suit. That is, we hope they will -- we've got some familial engagements coming up, and those pictures need to look awesome.Update: Indeed, the recall affects US customers too.[Via pictureline, thanks ElvisF]
Toshiba to replace recalled AC adapters on portable DVD players
If you're the proud owner of an SD-P1600 or SD-P1610 portable DVD player, and you've yet to experience any sort of unusual issues, listen up. According to Toshiba, four cases of overheating have been recorded in Japan, and although no injuries have occurred, the firm is suggesting that you yank the AC adapter and swap it for a new one. Reportedly, the outfit sold around 328,000 of the units during its manufacturing run from February 2005 to January 2006, so if you've got one of 'em (and still use it), be sure and take advantage of the free replacement.
Super Paper Mario in Europe has game freezing bug
Joystiq reader Steven A. sent us word that Nintendo will soon offer to replace copies of Super Paper Mario in the PAL territories due to a game freezing bug. Steven even made a video of the bug which we've placed after the break. Nintendo states the error is very specific and occurs in Chapter 2-2. If you talk to Mimi a second time without picking up a specific key the game will freeze and you'll have to reset the system. If you've passed Chapter 2-2 without any issue, you're in the clear.For those wondering why this issue is coming up now, it's because Europe just got Super Paper Mario last week. The game freeze does not damage the console and you can avoid the bug by avoiding the trigger described. Nintendo will soon explain the replacement program on their website.[Thanks Steven]
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]
Shindaiwa backpack blowers recalled due to fire hazard
As the wave of recalls continue to flow in, a pair of backpack blowers from Shindaiwa look to be claiming next. Reportedly, the "muffler's outer shell can melt, allowing exhaust gas to exit from the bottom or back side of the muffler." Consequently, the "exhaust gas may cause damage to the fuel tank creating a possible fire hazard for the user." To date, the outfit is only aware of a single incident where "a small muffler fire was involved," but no humans were maimed and no property was marred. Still, if you're the owner of an EB630 or EB630RT, we'd recommend getting set up with a free muffler replacement before firing that bad boy back up again.
I-O Data recalls hard drive adapters -- all 740 of 'em
Users of certain I-O Data network hard drives may want to take notice if they're worried about keeping their data (and themselves) safe, as it seems that a couple of the AC adapters used with them have the unfortunate tendency to overheat and melt, posing a potential burn hazard to consumers. The adapters affected all have the model number IO-ACADP1510UL, and were sold with UHDL-160U and UHDL-300U model hard drives between December 2004 and February 2007. That apparently totals a whopping 740 adapters, a number we're guessing I-O Data would otherwise rather keep to itself. While there hasn't been any injuries reported, the Consumer Product Safety Commission is advising users to immediately stop using the adapters and contact I-O Data for a free replacement. If that includes you, you can click on through for all the necessary information.
Microsoft offers retrofit for Xbox 360 Wireless Racing Wheel
Microsoft has announced plans to provide a free retrofit for its Xbox 360 Wireless Racing Wheel which fixes a malfunction in the chassis that may cause the device to "smoke" when the AC/DC power supply is being used. According to Redmond, there haven't been any reports of fire, personal injury, or property damage -- though clearly the game-maker wants to address this problem before it's got a pile of lawsuits on its hands. Apparently, the wheel works just fine with battery power (which Microsoft suggests you use until the repair is made), though plugging it in could be a little dangerous. Unfortunate owners of the faulty product should get themselves over to the company's Xbox support page to get the ball rolling on their wheel surgery.[Thanks, Arneh]
Arm wrestling arcade game recalled due to penchant for arm breaking
It's all fun and games until somebody gets their arm broken by a robotic arm wrestling machine. Atlas Co. is recalling its "Arm Spirit" arm wrestling arcade game from the market in Japan after the 150 machines scored three broken person arms between them. Spokeswoman Ayano Sakiyama had some smack for gamers puny enough to get their arms broken over the pink barrel: "The machine isn't that strong, much less so than a muscular man. Even women should be able to beat it." Yeah, she just shot down any robo-warrior cred you suckers might've been hoping for out of the situation. "We think that maybe some players get overexcited and twist their arms in an unnatural way," but they're recalling the machine as "a precaution."[Via Engadget Japanese]
When good toys go bad VII: Mattel facing lawsuit from recalled cars
While Mattel has been on a roll of late with swank new toys, the firm has apparently hit a rough patch after being forced to recall "millions of toys including 436,000 die-cast cars." The wee roadsters purportedly "contained excessive amounts of lead," and now a class action lawsuit has been filed that aims to force the firm to "pay for the testing of children who might have gotten lead poisoning from the toys." Reportedly, representatives from Mattel were unavailable to comment, but the outfit's CEO has stated that "the company's more aggressive testing methods to uncover tainted toys may lead to more recalls" in the future.
Microsoft says Xbox 'abuse' caused baby killing fire
Microsoft has finally responded to the lawsuit filed by an Illinois couple who lost their baby in a fire allegedly caused by an Xbox. Microsoft, in court papers filed last Friday, says, "Losses and damages, if any, resulted from misuse or abuse of the Xbox console at issue." Microsoft is asking the court to dismiss the lawsuit.Microsoft did have to replace power cords on the original Xbox back in 2005 due to fire concerns. These cord fire stories even make the rounds at local news stations years after the original incident occurred. Details are still weak as to what's going on here. We know that an original Xbox cord can burn down your house, but we don't really know what the family of the dead infant did to cause the fire like Microsoft claims. Microsoft tried blaming consumers for RROD incidents for the last two years and we know how that ended up.[Via Engadget]
