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Posts Tagged ‘safety’

Lower PMP volume defaults to fight hearing loss planned

By Chris Davies on Monday, Sep 28th 2009 No Comments

Thanks to a new European Union ruling, any PMP sold in Europe will soon need to have a lower default volume level so as to avoid ear damage.  The so-called "safe exposure" levels will be a condition of sale for any MP3 player, including Apple's iPod range, though users will be able to override the settings if they choose.

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Latest iPhone explosion in Belgium; French watchdog begins investigation

By Chris Davies on Friday, Aug 28th 2009 1 Comment

iphone shattersAll eyes are on Snow Leopard and the growing queues outside Apple stores today – we’re told London’s Regent Street store had a line round the block before it opened – but another exploding iPhone report could sour the good mood at Cupertino. According to TechCrunch UK, Belgian news sources are reporting that a 15-year-old boy was holding his iPhone next to his ear, about to make a call, when it “imploded”.

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Pilots Union calls for Li-Ion cargo ban over fire risk

By Chris Davies on Wednesday, Aug 26th 2009 No Comments

Lithium-ion batteries could soon be unwelcome in plane cargo holds, if the world's largest pilots union has its way; in the wake of several explosions where bulk amounts of the batteries have caused fires, the organization is calling for a ban on their transport by plane.  However the ban would not affect individual passengers bringing devices powered by lithium-ion batteries - such as laptops and cellphones - onto planes, though there may be some confusion with checked luggage should li-ion batteries be left inside.

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Walmart recall 1.5m bargain DVD players over fire risk

By Chris Davies on Friday, Aug 21st 2009 No Comments

At just $29, Durabrand’s DVD players were selling like hot cakes at Walmart stores.  Unfortunately it turns out that they’re also going up in flames like hot coals, so the retailer is having to recall around 1.5m of them.  Apparently there have been twelve reported cases of the Durabrand player overheating, with five going on to catch fire and cause “property damage”.

durabrand dvd player fire hazard 540x372

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Apple investigating iPhone explosions

By Chris Davies on Wednesday, Aug 19th 2009 No Comments

iphone shattersApple are reportedly beginning an investigation into the various cases where iPhones have exploded in Europe, a sensible tactic considering the spate of hissing, steaming and smashing smartphones we’ve heard of over the past few weeks.  The company maintains its belief that “these are isolated incidents and that there is not a general problem”, however.

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Japanese rescue robot saves people by eating them [Video]

By Chris Davies on Tuesday, Aug 11th 2009 No Comments

japanese rescue robotThe push to send remote-control robots into dangerous environments in order to carry out search and rescue probably isn’t going to be helped by people titling demo videos as “Human body shredding machine in Japan”.  Then again, we’d be lying if we said we didn’t feel a slight shiver of trepidation at the thought of disappearing into that conveyor-fed maw.

Video after the cut

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Taser demo three-way X3 electro-shock on own staff [Video]

By Chris Davies on Friday, Jul 17th 2009 2 Comments

Working in the Taser office has to be one of the more unusual places you can put on your CV, especially when under “key duties” you can list “three-way tase subject”.  The company has released a video demonstrating their latest “less lethal” device, the X3, which is capable of not one but three shots in short-succession with simultaneous application of up to 400 to 1,200 volts.

taser x3 demo

Video demo after the cut

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Acer Predator gaming PCs pose fire hazard; recalled

By Brenda Stokes on Thursday, Mar 19th 2009 2 Comments

The Acer Predator line of gaming PCs is well known for its blazing fast speed and high octane graphics capability. But did you know they could potentially “blaze” a hole through your desk? Well, maybe not quite, but they definitely pose a fire hazard, so says the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission.

5 22 08 aspire predator 480x392

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