Kia reported this problem last week, and the recall is expected to take place en masse starting in March, so says that NHTSA. This vehicle has otherwise had no such similar problems, and you’re encouraged top contact you local dealer now if you’d like to get a fix in the future. Customers affected by the problem will be able to have the problem fixed at their local dealer free of charge when the time comes.

You can also call the NHTSA vehicle safety hotline at 1-888-327-4236 or visit the NHTSA at SaferCar.gov, taking special note of the terrible graphic design they’ve got going on there. Sidenote: why is it that government run websites never look any good? Is it a law that they’re not allowed to hire graphic designers with any salt?

[via CNN]

This recall affects Mini and Mini Cooper vehicles, and those of you that wish to find out more instead of waiting on a call from your friendly BMW dealer should contact BMW directly though their customer relations line here in the USA at 1-800-831-1117 or email customerrelations@bmwusa.com. Those outside the USA should contact the dealers they purchased their vehicles from.

A spokesperson from BMW has noted that there haven’t been any accidents this far as result of reported malfunctions, so don’t fear, but DO NOT think that it’s not possible for you. They haven’t been extremely specific on which models are affected yet, no years or anything like that, so just on a safe side: assume it’s you. If you are affected, BMW will notify you (if you’ve not already contacted them) and your local dealer will replace the water pump free of charge.

[via Detroit News]

The year range for the Escape SUVs under the recall is 2001 to 2002. On these vehicles, the brake fluid can leak from the master cylinder cap and lead to corrosion that could cause a fire. The Freestar and Monterey vans are being recalled due to issues with the torque converter. The output shaft of the torque converter could fail and cause a loss of power.

A loss of power while passing or accelerating into traffic could be disastrous. Apparently, only two minor accidents have happened over the last eight years. There were only minor injuries reported in the incidents.

[via Freep]

It’s time to start digging around in the drawers around your house and find those old units for a free upgrade. The recall was only on the first gen nano, all other versions of the nano are the same. Users have previously reported long delays getting their replacement nanos. New updates are suggesting the hardware is the latest nano model.

It would be hard to replace all first gen units with other first gen units. Apparently, Apple did have some refurbished units lying around. Perhaps the plan was to get the recalled units in and fix them for an exchange supply. Serial numbers on shipping replacements resolve to the newest models.

[via ipodnn]

The vehicles covered in the recall are 2008-2011 8 and 12 cylinder cars in the 5 Series, 5 Series Gran Turismo, 7 Series, X5, and X6 model lines. According to the recall, a circuit board in the engine bay that controls an ancillary electric water pump can overheat and lead to a risk of fire. BMW notes that the overheating can cause the pump to smolder.

There have been 102 reported cases of this issue and according to BMW in two of the incidences, there were engine compartment fires. The recall will replace the water pump causing the fire risk free of charge on all of the vehicles and the recall notices will be going out to owners of all 32,000 affected vehicles.

[via Pikaba]

The TVs covered in the recall were sold as far back as 2007. The reason for the recall is that a faulty component inside the sets poses a risk of fire. The sets in the recall are LCD units and the recall was forced after a September incident where an owner of an affected set had to call the fire department after a small fire happened in his TV.

Bloomberg reports that so far 11 incidents of overheating have been reported in Japan concerning Bravia sets since 2008. There have been no injuries reported. The suspected component is a faulty part of the backlight system that can overheat and melt the top of the set. The same suspect transformer is used in all five of the Bravia models being recalled. No recall has been issued outside of Japan.

Update: Recalled Bravia models include: KDL-40D3400, KLD-40D3500, KDL-40D3550, KDL-40D3660, KDL-40V3000, KDL-40W3000, KDL-40X3000 and KDL-40X3500 models.

[via Bloomberg]

The concerns that initiated this recall have to do with repair problems with power windows and computer equipment. The recall will involve 936,000 Fit compacts, CR-V, and City models worldwide, including in the US, Europe, Japan, and China. Another 26,000 CR-Z hybrid models will also be recalled in the US, Canada, Japan, and other markets dues to defective programming of the electronic units.

The cost of the recall in Japan alone is expected to be around 1.29 billion yen or $16.8 million. Total cost estimates for the recall worldwide have not been revealed. Defective power-window switches, however, sound much less hazardous than Honda’s previous recall where issues with the automatic transmission saw engines cutting out unexpectedly.

[via WSJ]

Today China’s second largest train maker has announced that it is recalling 54 of the bullet trains that are in use on the Beijing-Shanghai line for safety reasons. The train maker is called CNR Corp and it has stated that the recall costs are undetermined at this time and that the recall would not affect sales contracts with current customers.

Exactly what the safety issue with the trains is that forced the recall hasn’t been announced. However, a CNR subsidiary called Changchun Railway Vehicles was ordered by the ministry of Railways to stop delivering its CFH380BL train after faults in the automatic safety systems of the train were found. It’s also not clear at this time how the recall will affect service on the flagship Beijing-Shanghai route. Chinese officials has already announced that the number of trains operating on flagship route would be reduced by a quarter before the recall.

[via CNBC]

This new recall was initiated after HP discovered two product model series that was missed from last years worldwide recall. The model series found to be affected was the HP Compaq 6520 and one of the HP Pavilion series. This new number of 162,000 lithium-ion batteries adds on to the 54,000 recalled last year and the 70,000 recalled the year before.

So, if you still own one of these HP notebooks, including the HP Pavillion, Compaq Presario, HP and Hp Compaq, make sure to check out the new list of affected series via HP or the safety commission. If you find you notebook listed, it’s advised to remove the lithium-ion battery. And, if you were previously told that your notebook series was not affected, you should check again.

[via ITNews]

Press Release:

MSI North America Responds to Intel 6 Series Chipset Issue
With Replacement or Upgrades for Affected Units
Customers Can Register Online for Replacement of Affected P67 and H67 Motherboards
Or Upgrade for Affected Notebook

CITY OF INDUSTRY, Calif. – Feb. 3, 2011 – MSI Computer Corp., a leading manufacturer of computer hardware products and solutions, today announced that it has stopped shipments in North America of Sandy Bridge products following Intel’s announcement of a design issue in the recently released Intel® 6 Series chipset. The company is quickly responding to this issue by working with retailers, distributors and channel partners to stop all shipments, MSI is also offering end users replacements and upgrades for the affected motherboards and notebooks respectively at its Intel® 6 Series Motherboards and Notebook Support page: us.msi.com/snb_replacement.
MSI North America takes the quality of its products and service to its customers very serious, therefore the company is working closely with Intel to accept the return of Intel P67 and H67 motherboards, as well as its HM67 gaming laptops. MSI’s All-in-One PCs based on the new generation of Intel Core i processors are not affected, and are still scheduled to launch in late March 2011.

MSI encourages end users who want to return their MSI Intel P67 and H67 motherboards or affected gaming notebooks, to contact the original place of purchase for more details on the return or refund policy. Alternatively, end users can register their Intel 6 Series notebook or motherboard with MSI by April 30, 2011 at us.msi.com/snb_replacement to be eligible for the following options.

HM67 gaming notebooks: End users are eligible to receive an upgrade to MSI’s next generation gaming notebook upon its availability.
P67 and H67 motherboards: End users are eligible for a replacement with the new B3 stepping of the Intel 6 series motherboard when it is available in channel.
Shipping: To make the replacement as smooth as possible, MSI will provide end users with a UPS 3 Day shipping label for returns, and will deliver the brand new item by UPS 3 Day shipping, both at no cost.

“MSI is wholly committed to both our customers and to the overall quality of our products,” noted Andy Tung, vice president of North American sales for MSI. “While we work with Intel to resolve the chipset issues, we want to make sure our customers know their concerns are our top priority. We believe offering future replacement options will help alleviate some of the discomfort this issue has caused.”

For questions regarding replacement of MSI Intel P67 or H67 motherboard and HM67 notebook, end users may contact MSI at SNB_Support@msi.com.

For news from Intel on chipset design error, please visit Intel’s newsroom at: http://newsroom.intel.com/community/intel_newsroom/blog/2011/01/31/intel-identifies-chipset-design-error-implementing-solution.

Following is an excerpt from the Intel statement:
“As part of ongoing quality assurance, Intel Corporation has discovered a design issue in a recently released support chip, the Intel® 6 Series, code-named Cougar Point, and has implemented a silicon fix. In some cases, the Serial-ATA (SATA) ports within the chipsets may degrade over time, potentially impacting the performance or functionality of SATA-linked devices such as hard disk drives and DVD-drives. … For computer makers and other Intel customers that have bought potentially affected chipsets or systems, Intel will work with its OEM partners to accept the return of the affected chipsets, and plans to support modifications or replacements needed on motherboards or systems.”
About MSI
Founded in 1986, MSI strives to design and manufacture superior technology and innovative products, while offering outstanding customer service. MSI has continued to uphold a business philosophy that stresses “Award-winning product quality and outstanding customer service.” MSI specializes in the design and manufacture of mainboards, graphics cards, desktop PCs, All-in-One PCs, wireless communication products, and Notebook PCs. To learn more about MSI’s complete product lines, please visit: us.msi.com

Press Release:

Acer Group to fully support customers and end-users on Intel’s Sandy Bridge issues

Manno (Switzerland), 3rd February 2011 – Following the announcement by Intel of a design flaw in the Sandy Bridge mainboard chipset, Acer confirms that the company is fully aware of the issue and is taking all necessary steps to minimize any inconvenience customers might experience.
Acer has already stopped shipping the affected products and issued a recall of the machines that might be concerned from all distribution and retail channels. At the same time, Acer is working in close collaboration with Intel to coordinate the next steps.

On January 31st, Intel issued a recall on all P67 and H67 motherboards that are built on found in the Sandy Bridge micro architecture. The issue is hardware related and required a silicon fix. The outcome of this flaw is that, in some cases, the Serial-ATA (SATA) ports within the chipset may degrade over time, potentially impacting the performance or functionality of SATA linked devices such as hard disk drives and DVD drives. The issue affects SATA 3 Gb/s ports, while not affecting the SATA 6 Gb/s ports.

The issue is related to connectivity, meaning that in a worst-case scenario the machine may not identify the hard disk or DVD, but it will not cause any damage to the data stored on the drives and is not potentially harmful in any other way. Since the effect of the flaw will materialize over a rather long period of time, users of affected PCs will not necessarily see an immediate effect and they can keep using their PC without any particular attention or concern about performance.

Acer is proud to offer products that are free from defects of materials or workmanship, under normal condition of use and wishes to minimize any impact of this issue on its customers. In order to do so, Acer is in the process of setting up a web site where customers will be able to find out whether their product could be affected by the problem.

In case a machine is impacted, Acer will offer the option to service the defective unit, thus minimizing any inconvenience associated with the need to backup and restore user data, as well as to re-install all applications. While the timing of the service depends on the supply of the fixed chipset from Intel, Acer is committed to complete the whole activity in the shortest possible time.

Alternatively, customers may request to swap their affected PC with another Acer product of comparable performance.
Both options will be free of charge.

In all the recall covers about 41,000 notebooks that were sold globally. The reason for the recall is that the computers can overheat at the connection to the AC adapter and pose a burn hazard to users. Toshiba states that so far 129 reports of the computers overheating and deforming in the plastic area around the AC adapter including two minor burn injuries that didn’t require medical attention and two reports of minor property damage.

The notebooks were sold globally direct from Toshiba and via other retailers between August 2009 and august 2010 for $600 to $800. To fix the issue Toshiba says consumers need to download a new BIOS that will detect when the machine is overheating and disable the external power and display a message to the user. Machines that get the error message will be repaired free according to Toshiba.

According to Sharp, there were about 9,000 of these TVs sold. The problem forcing the recall is that the TV’s stand has a neck that can break and cause the set to top over possibly resulting in injury to the consumer.

So far Sharp says that no injuries have been reported resulting from the issue. Not all sets of the model are covered in the recall, only those made from March 2010 through April 2010 and covering specific serial number ranges. The serial numbers include 0028 32837 through 0028 35190; 0048 57501 through 0048 59020; 0048 61401 through 0048 64020; 0048 72001 through 0048 78800. Any sets of the model number outside those serial number and manufacturing ranges are not covered in the recall. Sharp will replace the stand at no charge.

According to Garmin, there have been fewer than ten incidents of overheating nuvi units, resulting in no significant property damage and no injuries.  In fact, they’re describing the recall as “an abundance of caution”, probably to the chagrin of the third-party battery company who have agreed to help foot the bill.

Press Release:

Garmin® Announces Limited Recall of Certain nüvi® Personal Navigation Devices

Garmin Ltd. (NASDAQ: GRMN), the global leader in satellite navigation, announced today that it is voluntarily recalling approximately 1.25 million nüvi personal navigation devices (of which approximately 796,000 units were sold in the United States) that contain batteries manufactured by a third-party supplier within a defined date code range and that have a specific printed circuit board (PCB) design. Garmin has identified potential overheating issues when the third party supplier’s batteries manufactured within this limited date code range are used in certain Garmin devices with the PCB design. It appears that the interaction of these factors can, in rare circumstances, increase the possibility of overheating, which may lead to a fire hazard.

This issue has been identified in less than ten cases in total involving certain nüvi models. None of the reported incidents has caused significant property damage and no injuries have occurred. Nevertheless, given Garmin’s longstanding commitment to safety and customer satisfaction, Garmin is proactively recalling nüvi units with the specific PCB design and with batteries from the specific date code range out of an abundance of caution. Garmin strongly urges customers to go online to determine if their nüvi device is one of the few nüvi models affected by this recall and, if so, to participate in the program. Only the 200W, 250W, 260W, 7xx and 7xxT (where xx is a two-digit number) model numbers may be affected. These units were sold worldwide.

To determine if a unit is affected, customers can visit www.garmin.com/nuvibatterypcbrecall. They will be asked to enter their nüvi’s serial number, and if their unit has the specific PCB design and contains a battery from the specific date range, they will be given instructions on how to return their nüvi at no charge. Garmin will replace the battery and insert a spacer on top of the battery next to the PCB before returning the nüvi to affected customers free of charge. If customers are unable to access the website, they may contact Garmin through one of the phone numbers below:

• In the United States and Canada, call (866) 957-1981
• In North America and South America outside the U.S. or Canada call +913 397-8200
• In Europe, Middle East, and Africa, call +44 870 850 1242
• In Asia, call 886/2.2642.9199
• In Australia, call 1800 113 738; and in New Zealand call 0800 427 652

Owners should not attempt to remove or service the battery on their own. To ensure that the unit’s battery is replaced as part of this recall, please return any affected unit directly to a Garmin-authorized facility, using the procedure outlined above.

Garmin is making every effort to cooperate with customers, dealers, and regulatory agencies worldwide, and the company apologizes for the inconvenience that this issue may cause.

Garmin does not expect this recall to have a material adverse effect on its results of operations, financial position or cash flows. The battery supplier has agreed to share the cost of replacement battery packs and all other costs of the recall program.

Sony has announced that there is a potential issue with about 535,000 Vaio laptops around the world that can lead to overheating. Sony reports that the issue has caused no injuries that it knows of, but there have been 39 complaints that notebooks have deformed from overheating.

The confusing part of this is that the AFP reports that Sony is issuing a software application that users can download to fix the issue. At the same time, the Wall Street Journal is reporting that Sony has issued a recall on affected machines. The WSJ reports 259k Vaio laptops are being recalled in the US, 103k in Europe, 120k in Asia, and 52k in Japan. I hope that we can get official word from Sony on what exactly is going on.

Update: According to Sony this isn’t a recall but a BIOS update. Their software fix should address the overheating issue.

HP is facing a notebook battery recall that started back in 2009 when the company issued a recall on 70,000 notebook batteries that posed a fire hazard. HP last week expanded that battery recall to cover about 54,000 more units that pose a fire hazard.

HP reports that since the May 2009 recall was issued it has had 38 reports of batteries overheating and rupturing with 11 instances of minor burns and 31 instances of minor property damage. The batteries in the recall are being used in both HP and Compaq notebooks. Check out the image above to see if your HP or Compaq notebook is covered in the recall. These machines were sold in the August 2007 to July 2008 time frame.

Targus Universal Wall Power Adapters have been out for awhile, after being sold across the country from several different retail locations, and since then the company has received over 500 complaints that the connector tips overheat. This eventually lead to 8 reports that customers had been burned by the tips, which has lead to a recall of massive proportions. Over half a million Power Adapters, which were manufactured in China, have been recalled.

In addition to the burn victims, there were 50 other reports saying that the plastic covering above the connectors have actually melted. So, if you purchased one of these Power Adapters, which were sold at places like Walmart, Best Buy, and Staples, it’s time to take yours in, so that you don’t run the risk of injuring yourself. Check out the link to Comarco’s website below for detailed instructions on how to get your replacement.

[via WalletPop; via Comarco]

The issue with the chargers is that there is a potential for a shock hazard. Nokia points out that there have been no reports of injuries at this time and it is issuing the recall as a precaution. The chargers in question are model numbers AC-3E, AC-3U, and the AC-4U chargers.

The chargers were built between June 15, 2009 and August 9, 2009 for the 3E and 3U models and between April 13, 2009 and October 25 2009 for the 4U model. Nokia reports that the maker of the chargers, BYE, will be footing the bill for the entire recall. The chargers have the potential to cause electric shock to users. Nokia will issue a free replacement.

The DVD player in question is the Coby DVD/CD/MP3 player with 8.5-inch screen model number TF-DVD-8501. The recall covers all of the rechargeable batteries sold with the DVD players that have serial numbers starting with “HY.” The serial number is found on a white sticker on the battery itself.

Coby Electronics reports that it has received about ten reports of the batteries overheating and resulting in eight fires that caused property damage. No injuries have been reported in these instances. The DVD players are widely sold online and in retail stores from January of 2007 to September of 2009. Coby says remove the battery and contact it for a replacement battery.

The player was on sale between January 2006 and July 2009, so there are plenty of people potentially affected.  Walmart themselves haven’t confirmed anything, but it’s believed that UK supermarket subsidiary ASDA also sold the players; we’re yet to hear whether they, too, are being recalled.

If you have an affected Durabrand DVD player, the advice is to stop using it immediately and take it back to your nearest Walmart store.  Of course if it’s already on fire then you probably shouldn’t pick it up.

[via Engadget]

So what’s the problem, exactly? It seems the insulation on some of the wiring within the computer gets stripped somehow and then leads to a short circuit. Then, the components inside melt or the exterior casing melts. Both things are most certainly not supposed to happen.

The models affected are the ASG7200 and the ASG7700 that were sold between May and December of 2008. If you purchased your Acer Predator during this time frame, contact Acer for a free repair of the problem. Only 215 units are suspected to be affected, but it’s still a hazard gamers should know about.

[via Engadget]

Service Notice: EOS 5D: Main Mirror Detachment

Thank you for using Canon products.

We have discovered that, in rare instances, the main mirror of some EOS 5D Digital SLR cameras may detach due to deterioration in the strength of the adhesive. Accordingly, we would like to convey the details and our service policy concerning this phenomenon.

We offer our sincerest apologies to those customers who have been inconvenienced by this issue. Canon always strives to provide the highest quality products to our customers and we will spare no effort in our quality management to make sure our customers can use our products with confidence. We hope our efforts will earn your understanding.

Phenomenon
The main mirror of the camera detaches and images cannot be viewed through the viewfinder.

Affected products
EOS 5D Digital SLR cameras whose main mirror has detached.

User Support
We will repair and reinforce the mirror portion of the affected products free of charge. If you own one of the affected products, please contact our Customer Support Center.

Hitachi has initiated a recall on its Maxell- DVR optical disk lineup due to labeling ink issues that could contaminate disk surface to dirt.

Not entire Maxell optical DVR media lineup are in question, only one particular model carries the label “DRD120 CGC.20SP +2” with combination of serial number below are affected according to Hitachi. You can determine if you unit is within the trouble lots by checking the serial number imprinted in the center of the disk recording surface.

Good thing for my Aunt Sally, Hitachi is replacing her defective optical media at no extra cost.

[via impress]

The guitar, made as an accessory for the Wii version of Guitar Hero, has a defect in its circuit board. So, if the batteries are installed improperly, battery acid caustic alkaline chemicals can actually leak out. This is, of course, bad and could cause burns to the flesh.

What’s up with all the recalls lately? I mean, you would think we’d have mastered the whole plastic toy with simple electronics inside thing by now. But a battery leak? That’s just ridiculous. I know rock is supposed to be hardcore, but burns? Not so rockin’ if you ask me.

[via SlipperyBrick]

The problematic notebooks are to be sent back to Raon Digital’s factory, whereupon they will either be repaired or replaced; it’s unclear what the company intend, but given the costs involved I’d assume it’s the former. No timescale for the repair turnaround is suggested.

Given that it’s early days for the $879 device – which has performed well in recent reviews – it seems unlikely that too many US or European customers will be affected. However it could introduce a delay to reseller and import deliveries, as existing and upcoming stock may have to be shipped back to the factory to be checked and/or repaired.

[via Engadget]

“Irregularly positioned wires near the computer’s hinge and/or a dislodged screw inside the hinge can cause a short circuit and overheating. This poses a burn hazard to consumers”

Sony will assess and, if necessary, repair the notebook free of charge.  Some users are reporting that the company has offered them in-home checks, though its unclear whether repairs – if necessary – will also be done locally or require the TZ to be sent away.

The company also extends the warranty by two years once the TZ has been checked over.  Owners can see whether their notebook is affected by the program, and schedule a test appointment, by entering their serial number and product code at the relevant site; more details here for the US, here for the UK and here for Hong Kong.

What happened was the gentleman’s notebook battery exploded and caught the notebook on fire, they sued because the guy’s fingers were burnt as he carried the flaming notebook outside of his house in an effort to at least save that. His wife also claimed shock, and apparently the carpet was damaged, likely by the melting plastic components.

Their original suit was for $19,700, so Apple and Sony got off for a little bit less than originally thought. It’s nice to see a reasonable lawsuit settled for a reasonable amount instead of someone getting several billion dollars for some hot coffee. In related news, Sony has so far recalled almost 10 million of their Li-Ion batteries.

[via MacObserver]

The authority says you should stop using this photo frame immediately and contact the Gift Wrap Company for a full refund at (800) – 443-4429 or online

[via abcnews]

Well, that kinda makes a phone, well, not a phone, doesn’t it? Some people who are returning them, are getting exchanges, and then the exchanges are having the same damn problem.

Someone needs to do something, preferably Sony Ericsson, letting such a fiasco get this out of hand is ridiculous. So, I’d definitely recommend waiting to get the latest installment of Walkman line of phones.

Orange recalls the first shipment of Sony Ericsson W910i phones? [via intomobile]

The affected adapters are model ADPV16 adapters that were shipped with SD-P1600 portable DVD players. These players were sold between January 2005 and April 2006.

If you have one of these, Toshiba strongly recommends that you stop using the adapter and contact their Customer Solutions center.

Toshiba recalls portable DVD adapters [via crave]

The issue with the PowerShot A650 IS is that the adjustable viewfinder allows light inside the camera when shooting in bright conditions. This will pretty much ruin any good pictures that you might have taken.

Unfortunately, the issue is only for China at the moment. We fully expect Canon to issue a recall in the US and in other countries where the cameras were sold. We’ll keep you posted.

Canon recalls PowerShot A650 IS digital camera [via coolestgadgets]

The batteries affected are model number BL-5C and were manufactured between December 2005 and November of 2006. Quite a few Nokia phones use this battery ranging from the 1100 series up to the N91 and E60.

What’s wrong with the batteries? The same thing as the Sony ones, they have the potential to overheat causing burns. Nokia has a website up to check whether or not your battery is affected by the recall. Head here to check and see if you qualify for a replacement here.

46 Million Nokia Batteries Waiting To Burn Your Face Off [via crunchgear]

The Sony Cyber-shot DSC-T5 has been recalled because of a faulty metal coating that can potentially peel off and scratch your hand. According to a spokesperson from Sony, “The coating did not have enough adhesive strength, so it may peel off and curl up, hurting a user’s hand.”

At most you’re likely only going to get paper-cut like scratches, but it still raises the question of Sony’s ability to manufacture quality products. This is the second major recall of a digital camera from them inside of a year, and we’re still hearing about laptops being recalled because of faulty batteries made by Sony. C’mon guys, step it up!

Sony recalls 350,000 digital cameras [via inquirer]

An issue was recently discovered with AMD’s official diagnostic and validation software that allowed the defective cards to slip through. The issue that was not detected was an error in the BIOS, which is an easy fix, for the manufacturer, not by home users. One of the larger (and anonymous) manufacturers has already recalled 20,000-30,000 units.

The good news is that almost all of the affected are still within the channel, or already back on their way to the the manufacturers. However, a small number of the affected cards have been released into the wild. There is currently no information available on AMD’s website. We’ll keep you posted as we find out more details.

AMD software let defective graphics cards slip into the channel [via digitimes]

There were two-reported previous incidents before the recent one in May 24th where an office desk was burned by the flame bursting laptop. Toshiba is also in talks with Sony about the reimbursement for those recalled batteries.

According to Sony, the culprit of these incidents were the microscopic metal particles that accidentally got inside the batteries and causing a short circuit. So if you own a Toshiba laptop, check Toshiba’s website for the recall information.

Sony Battery Catches Fire; Toshiba ‘Redoubles” Recall Efforts [via CRN]

Acer has just announced a voluntary recall of 27,000 lithium ion laptop batteries. The batteries run the risk of short-circuiting and bursting into flames. That’s usually bad for something that one tends to set on their lap.

Acer has had 16 reports of overheating batteries, which prompted this recall. The notebooks affected are Travelmates sold between May 2004 and November 2006. Check Acer’s official site for more info.

Acer recalls 27,000 notebook batteries [via crave]

Simply fill out the online form and they’ll ship you a new one; you’re then free to bin the old strap, as they don’t want it back. 

Nintendo Replacement Request Form [via Engadget]

Fujitsu wants 287,000 Sony batteries back [Via: Reg Hardware]

Injury risk prompts recall of all Segways [via cnet]