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Pelagic recalls dive watches due to decompression hazard
Pelagic Pressure Systems is recalling some 2,800 of its Oceanic and AERIS digital dive computer watches, citing a possible decompression hazard for divers relying on them (the exact models affected are listed on the CPSC page linked below). The problem occurs when switching from one gas to another during a dive, which apparently has the dangerous side effect of locking up the watch's display, leaving the diver uncertain of his or her dive time. That could either cause them to enter decompression unknowingly or ascend prematurely, resulting in the serious problem of decompression sickness. While there's been two reports of defective watches, they apparently haven't resulted in any injuries. Those with the watches won't have to do without them for long, however, with a trip to an authorized Oceanic or AERIES dealer for a software upgrade the only fix needed.
Bubble Bobble Revolution recalled
As skeptical as we've become about the prevalence of patches and updates delivered through online console services like Xbox Live, the alternative -- the old way -- is still far worse. Take Exhibit A: Bubble Bobble Revolution. Codemasters' DS puzzler was released with a crippling bug that would not permit players to pass level 30 in the game's New Age mode.The result? More than four months later, Codemasters is finally issuing a recall, asking owners of the defective Bubble Bobble Revolution to ship their broken games back to the publisher (via pre-paid envelopes), and then wait for replacement cartridges, which begin shipping out February 23.Xbox Live and its ilk may provide a cushion for lax QA testing, but bugs occur regardless. We'd much prefer a downloadable patch delivered to us a few weeks after a game's release than rely on a cumbersome work-around or snail mail replacement.Exhibit B: EA offers "Work Around" for Madden PSP crashExhibit C: EA replacing faulty NCAA 07 PSP games
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]
Rumor: Sony silently recalling PSPs
Two different Wal-Mart employees seem to claim that Sony is taking back their PSP inventory from the world's largest retailer. The DCEmu community seems to think that Sony's attempting to patch homebrew vulnerable PSPs with less exploitable firmware and hardware. But would that really be cost efficient?I'll scratch this rumor as false, for now. More than anything else, these Wal-Mart employees were probably shocked by the surprising sales of the PSP over the holidays. Where did all their inventory go? Into the customer's hands.
Replacement Wii straps arrive
And not a minute too soon! After all that "excited" gameplay we've been doing over the holiday weekend, we were starting to think we might assassinate our damn HDTV with a tennis smash in Wii Sports. We ordered our straps on the 15th, the day the replacement program was announced -- meaning they came a good 6 days later than expected. Still, it was Christmas and all that, so we'll spot 'em. Check out the pics of the new thicker strap! Gallery
Matsushita to begin production of new, non-explosive Li-ion batteries
Apparently Matsushita isn't waiting around for the (notoriously slow) IEEE task force to settle on a new Li-ion battery standard, as the company has announced that it will soon begin "mass production of a new lithium-ion battery that is safe from the overheating problems" we're all too familiar with. These batteries in particular will be built to replace those that prompted a massive recall of Sony cells earlier this year, and should be available en masse "by the end of the year." Sony's global recall affected "around 9.6 million cells" used on nearly every laptop under the sun, so we're sure Matsushita's conveyor belts will be approaching record speeds to crank out these replacements. Notably, the company asserted that while actual pricing would depend on the quantity ordered, it would be "higher than existing models" regardless -- which makes sense considering all the loot Sony is losing from this fiasco.[Via Laptoping, thanks Kaztm]
Wiimote straps replaced: yeah, all of them!
Well, how 'bout that... on top of the 200k DS and DS Lite AC adapters being recalled replaced this morning, Nintendo just announced an additional voluntary recalled replacement of 3.2 million straps for their Wii Remote Control. Whereas the AC adapter recall is said to be limited to Japan, the Wiimote strap replacement program is most definitely worldwide affecting "all Wiis sold" to date and most of the units still on shelves. So yeah, your strap is on the list for recall if you own a Wii. Whether the broken strap claims were bogus or not is now moot, the perception certainly exists that there's a problem with California class-actions sure to follow. So kudos to Nintendo for acting relatively quickly to address the issue before it snowballed into another Sony "rootkit" fiasco. No information on how to return your strap for the new beefier version, but you'll know as soon as we do.Update: Thanks to tipster Stefan for digging into Nintendo's bowels and unearthing the replacement request form. Good news, looks like they'll simply ship the new strap without the mess of having to return the old one.Update 2: Nintendo just called to let us know that the replacement program is entirely voluntary, and does not constitute a "recall". That means Nintendo apparently doesn't think it's a risk for most people, but if you do you can feel free to get that Wiimote strap. Nintendo issued this statement: "Nintendo has a long tradition of delivering high-quality products and excellent customer service. The Wii Remote is meant to be gripped, and the wrist straps are a secondary measure. We have found that some consumers get more excited playing Wii Sports than we could have imagined. This resulted in a very small number of wrist straps breaking. We have replaced the broken wrist straps and continue to reinforce with consumers the safe and fun use of our products. Through its voluntary wrist strap replacement program Nintendo is offering a stronger wrist strap free of charge to consumers by calling 1-800-859-4519 or by visiting support.nintendo.com."Update 3: Here's the info Nintendo gives when you order your replacements: "Thank you for your request. Once your replacement wrist strap order has shipped, you will receive a confirmation email from Nintendo. We expect to begin shipping replacement straps around December 21st. It will take 5 to 9 days for delivery depending on your location. Please do not contact Nintendo regarding your replacement wrist strap until after that time period has passed."[Thanks, Matthew P.]
Nintendo recalls 200,000 DS and DS Lite adapters
"Early and often" isn't quite the mantra you want when it comes to recalls (early is enough, thanks), but it looks like 200,000 Japanese DS and DS Lite adapter units is what's for dinner at Nintendo today. We don't have much more info than that -- sorry, we wish we could tell you if you were at any kind of risk or something -- but given N's kind of scary dominance in portable gaming, we'd imagine 200k units is a drop in the bucket, so the numbers are probably on your side. Stay tuned for a US announcement soon, we imagine it's likely to follow.
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.
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]
Sony recalls eight Cyber-shot models
I hereby declare Sony to have had the worst 2006 year of any company. As if major PS3 shortages and being blamed for everyone's exploding batteries aren't enough, they now have to recall eight different models of Cyber-shot cameras that were sold between September 2003 and January 2005. The BBC is reporting that the glitch involves a problem with the image sensor which could cause the screen to improperly display images. No word on the total number of cameras being recalled, but Sony said they'll only repair cameras which are exhibiting the problem; in other words - you can't just send your camera off in hopes of receiving a shiny new one. The affected models are: DSC-F88, DSC-M1, DSC-T1, DSC-T11, DSC-T3, DSC-T33, DSC-U40 and DSC-U50.I can't find many more details on how to determine if your camera is affected or how to participate in the recall process, but this Sony support page might be a good place to start.[via Engadget]
Sony to recall eight defective Cyber-shot models
If there's any company that's anxious for this year to end, it must be Sony. After being faced with PS3 shortages (and subsequent insanity) not to mention that whole exploding batteries thing, we've just woken up on Black Friday to the news that Sony will be recalling eight Cyber-shot models due to a defect in their LCDs. Sony apparently says that the problem, found in an unknown number of cameras sold worldwide between September 2003 and January 2005, is "caused by a glitch with the image sensor." But don't think that you'll automatically be getting a new shooter: Sony'll only be repairing models DSC-F88, DSC-M1 (pictured), DSC-T1, DSC-T11, DSC-T3, DSC-T33, DSC-U40 and DSC-U50, which show signs of the problem.[Thanks, Drew]
Intec offers up another Xbox 360 cooling solution: the $100 Power AC Adaptor
If you're not exactly down with tossing a water-cooling system into your Xbox 360, and don't want to get burned by a possibly scorching Nyko Intercooler, you should run right out and pick up Intec's Power AC Adaptor -- if you've got $100 to kill, that is. You heard right, Intec has unveiled a third-party power brick "to replace your lost or malfunctioning" one, which sports an internal cooling fan "to keep your Xbox 360 cooler during operation." It also boasts three status lights of the green, orange, and red variety, which informs you if the brick is "OK, in stand-by mode, or currently malfunctioning." Aside from having a built-in indicator for telling you just how bad things could get, the 0.85-pound device doesn't even include the wall plug to connect your newfangled power supply to an AC outlet. So even if you had the slightest inclination to save your Xbox 360 from impending overheating via this overpriced accessory, be sure your power cord isn't of the recalled variety before plugging up.[Via Xbox 360 Fanboy]
Sony recalls 340,000 batteries in second wave
Sorry to kick y'all laptop owners when you're down, but Sony announced that it's initiating another recall of 340,000 batteries, this time adding Gateway to the list of the affected, in addition to already-affected Fujitsu, Toshiba, and its own batteries. (It's not immediately apparent if this also includes the 300,000 batteries of their own that they recalled earlier this month.) There are a ton of models being recalled for each company, so we'd ask you visit the Consumer Product Safety Commission for full details; also, if you haven't already checked your battery, please note the following companies are now initiating recalls: Apple Dell Fujitsu Gateway Hitachi IBM / Lenovo Panasonic Sharp Sony Toshiba Kind of scary, but at this rate it's probably just safest to assume that no matter what your notebook, your battery is or will be recalled -- so be wary, and keep an eye out for battery recall pages.
Fujitsu, Sharp recall 79,000 batteries
Well it appears that we haven't heard the last from Fujitsu concerning battery recalls. Today the company announced that it will take back 51,000 Sony-made batteries in addition to the 287,000 that it announced last week. As if that weren't enough, Sharp, who until now has been an innocent bystander to this whole affair, said that it too would be joining the party that Dell, Apple, Lenovo / IBM, Panasonic, Toshiba, Hitachi and especially Sony wished had never even started. Reuters reports that Sharp will be recalling 28,000 of its laptop batteries, bringing today's sub-total to 79,000 and the grand total of recalled Sony batteries to over 7.7 million. We're pretty sure that Acer and HP are praying that they don't have to join in on the fun too.
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
CPSC: Sony recall will include laptop batteries only
And you thought you could go the whole day without reading a single battery recall-related post; sorry, we'll try harder tomorrow. So you probably remember yesterday's scary report which quoted a Consumer Product Safety Commission spokesperson predicting that Sony's upcoming US battery recall will expand beyond just laptops, and might include portable DVD players and videogame consoles too. Well the same woman who made that statement, Julie Vallese, has now backtracked somewhat by telling CNET that "Any recall that the agency will make will be limited to batteries that power notebook computers. We have no anticipation at this time beyond that." So, does this mean that those other types of batteries are safe -- or that the CPSC knows about problems with them, but since they apparently won't be part of the recall, there's no need to worry the public? It's hard to say at this point, although Vallese's previous comment was pretty clear -- unlike the following response from Sony spokesperson Rick Clancy: "Sony has provided a wealth of technical data to the CPSC involving this tech, and it is omnipresent in a host of portable electronic devices, but as far as we know, from Sony's perspective, there is no initiative planned at this time that goes beyond what has already been communicated with respect to notebook computers." Doesn't sound very reassuring to us. Only time will tell if other kinds of devices are at risk from those little metal particles that tainted many a laptop cell, but if we had to proffer a guess, we'd say it's pretty unlikely that the QA breakdown which allowed so many batteries to become fire hazards was limited only to the manufacturing processes for notebook power packs. Let's hope we're wrong about this one.
Exploding Hello Kitty toys recalled
Although a Hello Kitty toy might not seem quite as dangerous (read: life threatening) as the notebooks and cellphones we're toting these days, the explosive tendencies have somehow veered from batteries to stuffed animals. In the latest episode of spontaneous combustion, Takara is being forced to recall specific Hello Kitty dolls which featured a heatable disc that could be warmed and stuffed within the lining to keep kids toasty while resting. Apparently the microwavable pad housed a chemical substance (manufactured by ADEKA) not quite stable enough to handle the heat, sparking a lengthy list of of cases where the liquid erupted from its container and provided an uncomfortable surprise to the poor soul embracing the creature's volcanic warmth. It was noted that this has "nothing to do" with the scapegoat-of-the-year (Li-ion cells), but if you (or your offspring) just loves to cuddle with this volatile critter, you should probably ice the situation before it unleashes something a bit more serious than a cat's meow.[Via Engadget Japanese]
