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Daimler recalls one million Mercedes after dozens catch fire
German automaker Daimler AG announced a major worldwide auto recall today, encompassing one million recent models of Mercedes-Benz vehicles that are at risk of catching fire due to a potentially faulty fuse. So far, 51 vehicle fires have be reported, but there have been no reported injuries or deaths.
Takata pleads guilty to fraud in faulty airbag cover-up
Japanese auto parts maker Takata has formally pled guilty in federal court today to a criminal fraud charge stemming from its cover-up of millions of faulty airbags. As part of the guilty plea, Takata admitted it intentionally hid the fact that its airbag inflators could explode and throw hot metal shrapnel into drivers' faces.
SodaStream recalls 51,000 bottles because they might explode
Your greatest SodaStream fears have been realized: tens of thousands of SodaStream's plastic bottles may not be able to withstand quite as much pressure as the company thought, causing the United States Consumer Product Safety Commission to issue a recall because they pose an injury risk to carbonation-happy consumers. Some 51,000 bottles sold in the US and another 7,600 bottles sold in Canada are included in the recall because they could potentially explode under pressure -- either while pumping them full of CO2 or simply by shaking a full, carbonated bottle.
Samsung will reportedly sell 'refurbished' Galaxy Note 7s
Even though Samsung has established a cause for those Galaxy Note 7 flare-ups, the device's story is not over. Korean outlet Hankyung reports that the company will sell the "refurbished" phones, but with smaller, less-explodey batteries inside. It doesn't sound like the devices will be returning to US or European markets (it's tough to imagine regulators reversing course on bans after the first recall and reissue), but they could be sold in India or Vietnam instead.
HP recalls 101,000 laptop batteries due to fire concerns
HP is asking the owners of some laptop models to send their batteries in for a replacement to make sure their devices don't catch fire. The US Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) has issued a notice about the recall, which affects around 101,000 computers. Those who have HP, Compaq, HP ProBook, HP ENVY, Compaq Presario and HP Pavilion laptops purchased between March 2013 and October 2016 may want to check their lithium-ion battery. If its bar code starts with 6BZLU, 6CGFK, 6CGFQ, 6CZMB, 6DEMA, 6DEMH, 6DGAL or 6EBVA, the company says the best course of action is to pull it out and contact HP for a free replacement.
With its Note 7 apology, Samsung finally gets something right
After the furor over flaming phones had mostly subsided, Samsung moved to end the Note 7 fiasco once and for all. Last Sunday, Samsung mobile chief DJ Koh -- along with a cadre of technical experts -- laid out exactly what caused the company's incredibly well-received phone to fail so spectacularly. In doing so, he sought to move Samsung past the mess that had consumed it for the past five months.
Samsung blames two different battery flaws for the Note 7 fires
Well, after months of speculation, Samsung has finally announced the results of its Galaxy Note 7 investigation. The official line: those fires were caused by two distinct battery flaws (just as a recent report suggested), not a hardware or software issue. The first flaw had to do with how the Note 7's original batteries were manufactured: their casings were too small to safely fit the electrode assembly inside, which led to short-circuiting.
Samsung will explain the Galaxy Note 7 explosions Sunday night
As Reuters had suggested, Samsung is close to holding a press conference where it will "announce the cause of the Galaxy Note 7 incidents and quality enhancement plan." The event is being held on Monday morning (local time) in Seoul, Korea, and will be livestreamed in English on Samsung.com. If you'd like to tune in, set your alarm for 8PM ET on January 22nd. It seems likely that the battery will take the blame, as customers and regulators alike are waiting to find out what Samsung has planned to make sure this never happens again.
Report: Samsung's Note 7 probe points blame at batteries
Samsung has concluded that the Galaxy Note 7's fires and explosions were caused by battery problems, not the phone's hardware or software, Reuters reports. The information comes from "a person familiar with the matter," rather than an official source, but Samsung will reportedly release the full results from its investigation on January 23rd. To assuage nervous buyers, Samsung mobile chief Koh Dong-jin will likely also detail steps it's taking to prevent similar problems with the Galaxy S8 and other future devices.
A visual history of gadgets that have burst into flames
Samsung had a rough 2016. Last year, the company had to recall its Galaxy Note 7 after units were catching fire, followed by millions of washing machines that were exploding in people's homes. But Samsung isn't the only company that's struggled recently with faulty batteries. We've seen similar issues with hoverboards, a Tesla Model S and the latest electric skateboard from Boosted. Let's take a look at other products that have had trouble in the flammability department. And let's hope those non-exploding lithium Ion batteries get here soon.
Three Takata executives charged in global airbag scandal
It's official: The US Department of Justice has indicted three Takata Corporation executives -- Shinichi Tanaka, Hideo Nakajima and Tsuneo Chikaraishi -- on charges that they knowingly falsified safety reports in an effort to continue selling airbags the company knew were unsafe. The DoJ is also expected to announce that the company will plead guilty to criminal misconduct charges, though that announcement has not yet been formally made.
GoPro will outline the Karma drone's future in February
GoPro has mostly been silent about its Karma drone's return following a recall in November, but it's finally ready to start talking... well, almost. The action camera maker has revealed that it will detail the Karma's worldwide relaunch sometime in early February. GoPro isn't saying much at this point, but it's close to completing its investigation of the Karma's power loss issues and expects the robotic flyer to hit shelves in 2017. Vague, we know.
Samsung's 2016 went up in smoke
Samsung's year started well, all things considered. The Galaxy S7 and S7 Edge were bona fide hits. The company's financials looked great. Its position as the global leader in the smartphone market was assured. And then the Galaxy Note 7 happened. After months of success, Samsung's year started to unravel -- quickly.
Samsung will disable remaining US Note 7s with software update (updated)
Samsung's Galaxy Note 7 recall in the US is still ongoing, but the company will release an update in a couple of weeks that will basically force customers to return any devices that may still be in use. The company announced today that a December 19th update to the handsets in the States will prevent them from charging at all and "will eliminate their ability to work as mobile devices." In other words, if you still have a Note 7, it will soon be completely useless.
Apple replacing a small number of iPhone 6s batteries
Apple has let a cat out of its bag, the cat in this case being that there's a problem with some iPhone 6s models. According to the company, a fault with the battery is causing a "very small number" of handsets to randomly shut down. If you're rocking a device that was manufactured between September and October 2015, then you're eligible for a replacement. Simply head down to your local Apple Store or authorized service provider to have your serial number checked and, if you qualify, you'll get a replacement battery.
GoPro compensates Karma buyers with free Hero5 cameras
We won't blame you if you're upset that GoPro had to recall your Karma drone over sudden power losses, but at least you're getting compensation for your trouble. GoPro is offering American Karma buyers a free Hero5 Black camera once they return both their drones and the accessories that came with them. That's on top of the full refund during the investigation, we'd add. While this won't completely make up for having to go droneless (or, gasp, look for an alternative), you won't have to go empty-handed -- and GoPro won't have to worry so much about customers holding on to their Karmas at all costs.
GoPro recalls all Karma drones over safety concerns
If you recently picked up one of GoPro's long-in-the-works Karma drones, you should probably return it. The company has issued a recall for all devices (around 2,500 according to internal estimates) because "in a very small number of cases" the Karmas lost power while in use. Exchanges won't be offered, and GoPro says to take your device back to the point of purchase for a full refund. Once the issue has been worked out, shipment and sales of the drone will resume.
Software update will annoy Galaxy Note 7 owners into a return
While Samsung continues its quest to retrieve every Galaxy Note 7, a software update that reduces how much the phone's battery can be charged is finally rolling out in the US. Even though it's still apparently unclear exactly what caused so many of the phones to overheat, smoke and/or start fires, the idea is that this will increase participation in the recall. Another "feature" of the update is a system of pop-up notifications about the recall anytime an owner reboots, charges or turns on the screen of the device
Samsung recalls 2.8 million top-loading washing machines
No company likes to issue a product recall, but Samsung is having to deal with its fair share as of late. After going some way to reduce the damage following the disastrous launch of the Galaxy Note 7, the company has today made the headlines again after issuing an urgent recall on 2.8 million top-loading washing machines.
You can still buy the Note 7 in Hong Kong, but you shouldn't
Hong Kong's Sincere Podium is home to all manner of mobile devices -- be it second-hand phones, imported handsets (mainly from Japan and Korea), spare parts and even prototypes once in a while. This time, the mall appears to be the last place in the city -- if not the world -- to still be openly selling the Samsung Galaxy Note 7 despite the worldwide recall. Over the weekend, I came across a shop with a glass cabinet full of boxes for the 64GB Note 7, with a bright sticker on one of them saying "Samsung Note 7 dealer goods: special offer" in Chinese. I didn't think much of it and simply tweeted a couple of photos, only to be surprised by the posts' traction over the last two days.
