UPDATE: Sony-Made Laptop Batteries = EXPLOSION

[Yoon]

Just a heads up, if you've purchased a Dell laptop between April 2004 and July 18, 2006 and it is using a Sony manufactured battery, you are elegible for a replacement battery. It is likely related to the exploding Dell laptop event that occurred earlier this year. Here is more information about this over at DailyTech:

Dell Recalls 4+ Million Batteries Due to Fire Risk

Dell and the CSPC have issued a recall for 4.1M laptop batteries manufactured by Sony and sold between April, 2004 and August 2006

Dell, along with the US Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC), has issued a recall of 4.1 million laptop batteries manufactured for the company by Sony according to a Dell representative. The recall affects batteries manufactured by Sony in Dell’s Latitude, Precision, Inspiron and XPS laptop lines, manufactured between April 2004 and July 18th 2006. The exact models are as follows:

* Latitude: D410, D500, D505, D510, D520, D600, D610, D620, D800, D810
* Inspiron: 500M, 510M, 600M, 700M, 710M, 6000, 6400, 8500, 8600, 9100, 9200, 9300, 9400, E1505, E1705
* Precision: M20, M60, M70, M90
* XPS: XPS, XPS Gen2, XPS M170, XPS M1710

Dell is advising customers affected by the recall to eject the battery after powering down the notebook and to use the laptop on AC power until a replacement battery has arrived. The affected batteries may spontaneously combust, sometimes rather violently.

According to Dell the problem is related impurities in the anode and cathode of the battery. Over time the impurities can work their way to the outside of the anode and rupture an isolator. The ruptured insulator then leaves an opportunity to create a short circuit that could result in a fire.

Customers who may have recalled batteries can go to DellBatteryProgram.com to determine if they need a new battery or call 1.866.342.0011 for assistance from Dell.

Source: DailyTech - Dell Recalls 4+ Million Batteries Due to Fire Risk

EDIT: Just checked over at DellBatteryProgram.com to see if my Dell Inspiron 9300 battery was one of the recalled models, and to my relief, it isn't one of them (Samsung battery, made in Korea).

[Yoon]

Now it's Apple's turn to recall batteries. Guess what the culprit is? It's the same Sony batteries that caused the explosion issue in recent Dell laptops! Number of recalls? 1.8 million:

Apple joins Dell in Sony battery recall

Dell had to perform the walk of shame for the past weekafter the announcement that it was recalling 4.1 million batteries due to a possible fire risk. At least Dell can now take comfort in knowing that some of the heat that it is receiving will be tranof the heat will no longer be on it -- Apple is now joining in with a recall of 1.8 million notebook batteries].

As is the case with the Dell batteries recalled, Apple’s notebook batteries were also manufactured by Sony. The recall doesn't affect the newer Intel-based notebooks, but does include the 12" iBook G4, 12" PowerBook G4 and 15" PowerBook G4. Apple cites nine reports of batteries overheating and has noted that it has received two reports of minor burns and reports of property damage due to the faulty batteries.

Apple is requesting that customers dial [phone] or visit depot.info.apple.com/batteryexchange/index.html to request a replacement battery. Listed below are the notebooks affected by the recall:

Computer model name
Battery model number
Battery serial numbers

12-inch iBook G4
A1061
ZZ338 through ZZ427
3K429 through 3K611
6C510 through 6C626

12-inch PowerBook G4
A1079
ZZ411 through ZZ427
3K428 through 3K611

15-inch PowerBook G4
A1078 and A1148
3K425 through 3K601
6N530 through 6N551
6N601

Source: www.dailytech.com/article.aspx?newsid=3923

It's already caused another incident:

Dell Laptop Blamed for House Fire
By Joseph S. Enoch
ConsumerAffairs.Com

A man in South Venice, Fla. believes his Dell laptop is the cause of his house burning down.

Louis Minnear told the Sarasota Herald-Tribune that about 5 a.m. Thursday he smelled what he believed to be an electrical fire. He searched the house for the source, didn't find it and went back to sleep. About 45 minutes later he awoke to find his couch engulfed in flames.

Minnear led his pregnant wife, 9-month-old son and two dogs to safety while scrambling for what belongings he could.

"It moved fast; it burned hot," Minnear told the Herald-Tribune. "But they got it out quickly."

In the end, all he could salvage were a few family photos, toys and his wife's purse.

The Dell was a Latitude D500, equipped with one of the 4.1 million batteries Dell recalled two days before the fire.

Minnear is "convinced" the Dell, which he said was sitting on a pile of papers, started the blaze.

The flames took less than 20 minutes to tear through the small home, destroying everything and leaving it uninhabitable.

Sarasota fire officials have yet to determine a cause but did verify that a laptop was on the remains of a couch. The case currently rests in the hands of the Florida State Fire Marshal.

"Sometimes the fires are left undetermined," Sarasota Assistant Fire Chief Paul Dezzi said. "Sometimes you cannot figure out what would have caused it."

Dell and the office of the Florida state fire marshal did not return two phone calls for comment. Dell also did not return phone calls made by the Herald-Tribune.

Should the fire marshal determine that the laptop was the cause of the fire, this would be the most destruction any Dell laptop has caused. In the first publicized case, in June, only the Dell laptop was destroyed. Then a month later, a Dell laptop in an office in Illinois charred itself and the desk it was sitting on.

Then, later in July, a truck in Nevada went up in flames sending two men fleeing as the flames reached the gas tank and two boxes of bullets in the glove box.

Source: www.consumeraffairs.com/news04/2006/08/dell_house_fire.html

These battery recalls are going to cost Sony A LOT of money.

[Jaegar]

Wow, I can't decide whether this is funny or scary

[Yoon]

It's beginning to get a little more serious, now that two airlines have officially banned the use of Dell & Apple laptops, due to the exploding Sony battery problem:

Korean Air Joins QANTAS, Bans Dell, Apple Notebooks

All Dell and Apple models prohibited from being used in-flight, regardless of battery make

DailyTech earlier reported on the ban of Dell and Apple laptops by Australian airline QANTAS - Korean Air has joined in. Citing the risk of an onboard fire and the policy of "safety first," a spokeperson for the company confirmed that a ban was in place and did not provide any date that it might be lifted.

According to The Korea Times, the ban on the laptops has been in place since August 30th. Luggage searches are not being performed; rather, signs are posted in boarding areas and at check-in gates.

All models of Dell and Apple notebooks are prohibited -- not just the affected models -- and both companies are understandibly upset with this decision. Apple Korea spokesperson Kim Min-seok described the actions of Korean Air as "overreacting" stating that no airlines in the United States have adopted a no-laptops rule despite sales of their notebooks being much higher in America, and Dell product manager Shin Won-jun hopes to "resolve the issue with further discussion with Korean Air."

The Federal Aviation Administration is currently reviewing safety concerns of of lithium-ion batteries on aircraft. When burned, lithium creates toxic fumes and consumes oxygen rapidly. In addition, it is difficult to extinguish a lithium fire via conventional means.

Source: DailyTech - Korean Air Joins QUANTAS, Bans Dell, Apple Notebooks

Thank you Sony for making our flights "safer."

[Yoon]

Yet another airline has decided to ban Dell and Apple laptops, because of the exploding battery issue (thanks Sony ):

Virgin Now Banning Dell, Apple Batteries From In-Flight Use

Virgin Atlantic says no to Dell and Apple notebooks on battery power

It appears that the ripple effects caused by the exploding battery issue that resulted in the recall of 4.1 million Dell and 1.8 million Apple notebook batteries continue to be felt. Virgin Atlantic has joined Quantas and Korea Air in banning Dell and Apple notebooks from in-flight use on battery power.

Virgin Atlantic's ban is a blanket policy that covers all Dell and Apple notebooks, not just those listed in each respective company’s recall. Here's a portion of the notice posted to the airline's website:

As a result of the current problems being experienced by the Apple and Dell Corporations with some of the batteries fitted to some of their laptops, as a safety precaution and with immediate effect, customers wanting to use an Apple or Dell laptop on board can only do so if the battery is removed. Any removed or spare batteries must be individually wrapped/protected and placed in your Carry On Baggage. This is limited to two batteries per passenger.

There is one way around this ban though. Customers who pony up for Premier Economy or Upper Class seats which feature In Seat Power Supplies (ISPS) can still use their Dell or Apple laptop sans battery. Virgin will provide power leads and adapters for passengers not so equipped.

Virgin stresses that the policy could be lifted once the batteries are no longer deemed a risk to flights. Many believe that such measures taken by airlines is simply an overreaction to isolated cases involving faulty batteries. A Dell spokesman was quoted as saying, "They could easily check out whether a laptop uses a Sony battery or other brand instead of banning them all." James Governor, an analyst for RedMonk added, "These have been very isolated incidents. I wouldn't be worrying about it, but the airlines obviously seem to be in that kind of mood at the moment."

Whether these latest policy implementations are a knee-jerk reaction or not, it’s doubtful that this is the last we'll hear of Dell and Apple notebooks being banned from in-flight use.

Source: www.dailytech.com/article.aspx?newsid=4189