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More Sony Batteries Recalled

Posted by kdawson on Sat Nov 01, 2008 03:36 PM
from the i-seem-to-recall dept.
Scott Hagerman passes along news of yet another recall of Sony laptop batteries. The batteries in question, manufactured in the same timeframe as those involved in the massive 2006 recall, are in laptops sold by HP, Dell, Toshiba, Lenovo, and Acer. Neither Apple nor Sony itself used these batteries in their laptops. This time 100,000 batteries are involved — 65,000 of them sold outside of the US — vs. the 10 million recalled in 2006. The Consumer Product Safety Commission fielded 19 reports of batteries overheating and/or catching fire.
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story

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  • I like it!

  • by Wolfmandan72 (1395113) on Saturday November 01 2008, @03:42PM (#25597345)
    Its funny how Sony does not use their own batteries because of this problem!
  • We keep getting bad news, after bad news, after bad news...

    http://angrysonyfanboy.ytmnd.com/ [ytmnd.com]
  • Lenovo and Acer? (Score:5, Informative)

    by Anonymous Coward on Saturday November 01 2008, @03:47PM (#25597395)
    I only see HP, Toshiba and Dell mentioned on the two linked to websites. Where do the mentions of Lenovo and Acer come from?
  • The guy who decided to outsource the manufacturing of those batteries should be *fired* (or forced to use one of his own products, which has the same effect).

    Seriously, after Mattel, VW and Sony, how many examples do managers need to figure out that low-cost labor can be very costly?

    • just one more we promise.
    • by cpghost (719344) on Saturday November 01 2008, @09:07PM (#25599577) Homepage

      Seriously, after Mattel, VW and Sony, how many examples do managers need to figure out that low-cost labor can be very costly?

      It's not necessarily low-cost labor as it is low-cost materials used in those batteries.

      • Re: (Score:3, Interesting)

        Seriously, after Mattel, VW and Sony, how many examples do managers need to figure out that low-cost labor can be very costly?

        It's not necessarily low-cost labor as it is low-cost materials used in those batteries.

        That doesn't change the fact that it is the cheap-ass managements (on both sides) that are to blame. If you go to the cheapest supplier, you'd best be prepared for the quality to be terrible. Whether that is because of dodgy materials or incompetent staff (or both) doesn't really matter.

        • If you go to the cheapest supplier, you'd best be prepared for the quality to be terrible.

          All military contracts are lowest-bidder. By your arguement, none of the planes should fly, none of the guns should shoot, and none of the bombs explode.

          This obviously isn't the case - there's no fundamental problem with going for the lowest bidder for a particular project... as long as the standards are strict and are enforced.

          I'll guarentee there was a quality-control standard on the purity of the materials in th

    • Re: (Score:3, Insightful)

      For every Mattel, VW, and Sony there are a thousand companies that saved millions by outsourcing.

    • Firing is insulting to the victims.
      I *dearly* hope a super-rich-parents' 2-year old infant dies in this battery fire.
      Then we have a solid case for murder against Sony CEO and Sony US.
      Now, since Sony (like all other corps) claim they are a *person*, let them feel the effects of being indicted and convicted of murder.
      The entire board should be hanged till death for the murder of a 2-year old; in public.
      That will freeze any such quality vs money discussions in companies. Only one lesson is needed.

  • known issue (Score:4, Informative)

    by Jerry Smith (806480) <icl151@@@gmail...com> on Saturday November 01 2008, @05:50PM (#25598263) Homepage Journal
    Already happened 13 years ago with Sony: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/PowerBook_5300#Batteries [wikipedia.org] and http://findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_hb197/is_/ai_hibm1G117959276 [findarticles.com]

    I wander why it's always their battery?

  • by Anonymous Coward

    Makes sense not to use something you KNOW is bad, but it's begging for conspiracy theories. They deliberately gave us flaming batteries so their laptops would look better! Maybe there will be a lawsuit or two, but I have to wonder why someone would look to buy parts from a competitor with a clear conflict of interest.

    • Makes sense not to use something you KNOW is bad, but it's begging for conspiracy theories.

      Well you see, what happened was that SONY did not pay its greens fees at the Illuminati golf course. The CEO thought being a 32nd degree Mason would get him out of paying the greens fees, but alas that is only allowed for 33rd degree Masons. So now, not only are their batteries causing more problems, and them even more embarrassment, but the CEO of SONY is no longer able to get to the 33rd degree of the Scottish Rit

  • Now I can't justify replacing my 2yo laptop because the battery no longer holds a good charge, they're giving me a new one.
  • Gotta plug my laptop in and take out the battery before it exp
  • I happen to have a Toshiba P35-S609 with a battery Model No. PA3383U-1BRS. I called them to ask if my battery is subject to this recall. They asked which version of Windows I was running and I indicated I was running Ubuntu Linux. Then they tried to give me the link to a web site where I could download a Windows program that would identify whether my battery needed to be replaced. The support person was an idiot and continued to try and give me the Windows link long after I had assured him I was unwilling t
  • Is it just me or does being modded 'flamebait' on this topic take on a whole new meaning?