Warning: These Gadgets Can Kill (or at Least Hurt You)
Most of the time, our gadgets are our friends. But occasionally, due to manufacturer screw-ups, faulty parts, or user incompetence, they can turn on us in events that can be scary, tragic, and, at times, hilarious. (To be honest, some gadgets are just inherently bad for you.) Starting below, Switched presents a list of gadgets and how their evil ways are wreaking havoc on unsuspecting victims.
Sony Laptop Battery Recall
Okay, so no one's actually been hurt due to burning laptop batteries in this latest battery recall incident, but Sony is concerned enough that it has asked anyone with Lenovo, HP, Acer, and Compaq notebooks from 2004 and 2005 to turn 'em in for battery replacement. What started as a recall of 35,000 batteries last week has now hit at least 100,000 (75,000 of which are HP-related) and now includes Li-ion batteries used in some Lenovo and Acer laptops as well as the original list of Dells, HPs, and Toshibas. Affected models include: Dell Latitude 110L, Inspiron 1100, 1150, 5100, 5150, and 5160; HP Pavilion dv1000, dv8000, and zd8000, Compaq Presario v2000 and v2400, and HP Compaq nc6110, nc6120, nc6140, nc6220, nc6230, nx4800, nx4820, nx6110, nx6120, nx9600; Toshiba Satellite A70/A75, P30/P5, M30X/M35X, and M50/M55
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Reader Comments (Page 1 of 2)
Terri said 2:46PM on 11-04-2008
We have a Dell Lap Top Inspiron E1505 and the battery went bad about 16 months after we purchased it. We called Dell and they informed us the BATTERY was not under the warrenty and it would cost us $350.00 to $500.00 for another battery.
Even thou mine is not listed in the recall, I wonder if it was defective?
Our friends have laptops that have older batterys than that. We have had to send it back to the company twice for the board. I am done with Dell.
Maybe I'll make a video on the computer and that will get their attention on the quality of their computers
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Anton said 3:04PM on 11-04-2008
Could you be more specific on the battery make and model number, also which Acer laptops? Is it certain brands or all of Acer? Where do you turn them in? I brought my Ferrari 1000 (Acer) in Nagoya Japan, again, is there a certain place to turn these into?
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Vanessa said 3:15PM on 11-04-2008
Why is there no phone number or address to send these recalled batteries back and when you call Sony or the company they came from, NO ONE knows anything? HELP!!!
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Jennifer said 3:37PM on 11-04-2008
This is by far the worst "news story" I have ever read. Why would anyone allow this drivel to be posted...ANYWHERE? I'm so sick of our media writing these dumbed-down articles as if we were a bunch of drooling idiots. I have been so displeased with the composition of our news lately it makes me sick. Anyone who reads this should at the very least feel offended by the media's assumption that we are all a bunch of morons and feel like they have to cater to our "needs". Come on, people, open your eyes! If this keeps up then we WILL become a bunch of drooling fools. Can't the media give us serious news stories anymore without feeling like they need to add some sort of humor to it to keep us interested? Or, is this how pathetic our society has become?
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KilgoreTrout said 8:38PM on 11-05-2008
Take your medications and try to get some sleep dude.
Nobody is obliging you to read Engadget instead of the Enceclopædia Britannica or your favorite volume of the yellow pages.
KilgoreTrout said 8:38PM on 11-05-2008
Take your medications and try to get some sleep dude.
Nobody is obliging you to read Engadget instead of the Enceclopædia Britannica or your favorite volume of the yellow pages.
Jim said 3:53PM on 11-04-2008
What about Dell laptop power cords? I've heard of lots of them going bad.
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JO-ANN said 8:51AM on 11-05-2008
WHICH ACER LABTOPS AND WHERE DO YOU GO TO GET THE BATTERY REPLACED?
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Terri said 5:41PM on 11-04-2008
If you are so Affended by the news articles,,,,WHY do YOU keep reading them. Read a Book
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Anonymous said 4:27PM on 11-04-2008
I read plenty of books, I attend college, work a full time job. ONCE IN A WHILE I like to get online and see what's going on in the world, and I click on something that may seem interesting or useful. Obviously I don't KEEP reading them. I'm just stating an opinion that the lot of online articles I have stumbled upon seem to be written for people with IQ's of 47. Obviously you don't care about reading anything a little more challenging, so why don't you go pick up a Dr. Suess book?
Anonymous said 4:29PM on 11-04-2008
And by the way, it's "offended". Maybe you should pick up a dictionary instead.
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Debbie said 5:38PM on 11-04-2008
Yea how about supplying an address or phone number with your news article!!
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Eileen Fry said 5:59PM on 11-04-2008
I've had all of the listed equipment and had the same issues with the battery. No it is not under the any guarantee to work or to continue to work. If it was then the manufacturer would not be able to sell you more stuff. It's an old the old addage of "planned obselence" which I believe was Mr. Henry Fords theory first.
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Paul said 6:33PM on 11-04-2008
I agree with Debbie. How about a place to contact.
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MARY said 8:13PM on 11-04-2008
I have an HP Pavilion dv2000 --- I see dv1000 ???? is there a comprehensive list somewhere?
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DarkLight said 5:04PM on 11-05-2008
I think you have to check the battery's serial number
The model number is unreliable, as different batches of the same computer may come with different batteries (or even the same battery, but from an unaffected batch)
Tonya said 7:10PM on 11-04-2008
where is the contact info when they put things on here? I have a Toshiba that after using it for approx 2 months it stopped and says something about a loose cable? You can never contact these people, and on a different note why does microsoft not include set up CD's with the computers? I have 2 computers that are both messed up and it says insert windows cd for repairs byt I didnt get one with the computer
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Brenda said 9:08PM on 11-04-2008
I own a Compaq Presario V2000 and my charger burned and sparked several times.
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Luis said 7:46PM on 11-04-2008
This is Dell's recall information
http://www.cpsc.gov/cpscpub/prerel/prhtml06/06231.html
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Terri said 8:17PM on 11-04-2008
Luis, thanks for the info,, it's nice to see some people can post help on the blog instead of trying to add their opionions of what they think of the worlds IQ.