| Toshiba recalls more Sony PC batteries
TOKYO (Reuters) - Toshiba Corp. said on Thursday it has recalled more Sony Corp. laptop computer batteries due to fire risk, rekindling concerns over the safety of Sony-made batteries. Toshiba is replacing a total 10,000 battery packs after three of its laptop PCs using battery cells made on December 3, 2005 caught fire in the last 10 months. No one was hurt in the incidents. Only 5,100 units of the 10,000 packs are potentially defective, but Toshiba is recalling double the amount to make sure all the battery packs containing targeted battery cells are exchanged. Sony last year recalled 9.6 million PC batteries as they could catch fire from overheating in rare occasions, costing Sony 51 billion yen ($418 million). The recall of the 10,000 Sony-made batteries comes on top of the 9.6 million units targeted in the previous exchange program.
PC and Components
Toshiba has recalled more defective laptop batteries, the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) said last week, the latest move in a long-running problem with lithium-ion batteries made by Sony. According to a warning from the CPSC, batteries in some of Toshiba's Satellite A100, Satellite A105 and Tecra A7 notebooks built between January and April 2006 pose a fire hazard from overheating. Approximately 1,400 portable computers are affected by the recall, said the CPSC. The batteries due for call back are a subset of a recall issued by Toshiba less than four weeks ago that wasn't publicized by the CSPC. Then, the Japanese computer maker listed 17 different laptop lines as potentially equipped with defective batteries. An update to the Toshiba support document a day after the initial July 17 alert added the three systems called out by the CPSC last Thursday.
Nokia warns that cell phone batteries could be dangerous / Up to 46 million, made in China, will be recalled
Nokia, the world's biggest cell-phone manufacturer, warned consumers Tuesday that up to 46 million of its handsets contain defective batteries made in China that could in rare cases overheat and even dislodge during recharging. The company, which has 38 percent of the global market in handsets, warned of potential danger from BL-5C Nokia-branded batteries made by a unit of Matsushita Electrical Industrial of Japan. Rick Simonson, Nokia's chief financial officer, said the company is offering to replace the batteries at no cost to consumers. He added that Matsushita had agreed to pay a significant portion of recall costs, which he could not estimate. Nokia said the lithium-ion batteries were made by Matsushita from December 2005 through November 2006 for more than 50 Nokia models, from the entry-level Nokia 1100 to more advanced models like the N70 and N7610.
A Buyer's Guide To Ultramobile PCs
Ultraportables used to sacrifice too much performance. They're beefing up on features--not weight. Ultraportable laptops have been criticised for underperformance, lack of features, and short battery life. That's kept them a tiny niche of the PC market. Most businesspeople rely on smartphones for access to the Web and wireless e-mail on the go, and carry standard laptops when they need more computing power. Ultraportable laptops have been caught in the middle. But 30 percent of 687 company PC buyers surveyed by Forrester Research expect to increase buying ultralight laptops in the next two years, while just four percent expect a decrease. Laptop makers have made significant improvements in newer models, with faster processors and more system memory, plus batteries that can, in some cases, keep a laptop running for up to 12 hours on a single charge.
Nokia warns of millions of defective cell phone batteries
Nokia, the world's biggest cell phone maker, warned consumers Tuesday that 46 million of its handsets contained defective batteries made in China that in rare cases could overheat and even dislodge during recharging. The company, which has 38 percent of the global market in handsets, warned of potential danger from BL-5C Nokia-branded batteries made by a unit of Matsushita Electrical Industrial of Japan. Rick Simonson, Nokia's chief financial officer, said the company was offering to replace the batteries at no cost to consumers. He added that Matsushita had agreed to pay a significant portion of recall costs, which he could not estimate. Nokia said the lithium-ion batteries in question were made by Matsushita from December 2005 through November 2006 for more than 50 Nokia handset models, from the entry-level Nokia 1100 to more advanced models such as the N70 and N7610.
Toshiba recalls more laptop batteries
Toshiba has issued its second recall in a month of Sony notebook batteries that could overheat and burst into flames. The latest recall, announced Thursday by the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission, affects about 1,400 notebooks. The models include the Satellite A100 and A105, and the Tecra A7, which sell for as little as $680. .
Toshiba Recalls Sony-Made Batteries
Japanese electronics company Toshiba Corp. began recalling about 10,000 Sony-made batteries for laptop computers in Japan and overseas, company officials said Thursday. Toshiba spokesman Keisuke Omori said there have been three cases in which the batteries caught fire between September and June. There were no injuries from the three fires; two in Japan and one in Australia, he said. .
Fears of €500m faulty battery recall hits Nokia reputation
Nokia, the world's largest mobile phone manufacturer, was yesterday forced into one of the world's largest product recalls as the Finnish company admitted the batteries in 46m of its phones could be faulty. The news saw more than half a billion pounds wiped off the company's stock price as analysts said the recall could cost up to €500m (£340m). Nokia has set up a page on its website to deal with consumers worried that their phone may contain one of the faulty batteries. .
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