What Will Google Announce Next Week?
Facebook Forced To Let You Vote On Privacy Changes
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
40 Years Later 'Napalm Girl' Tells Her Story
Disney World Scammers Scored Four Years of Free Vacations
Lost Dr. Seuss Cartoons Show Another Side Of The Author
Stranger's Kiss Keeps 16-Year-Old From Committing Suicide
Rookie Cop Reportedly Berated, Called 'A Rat' For Arresting Off-Duty Officer
Chain Food Showdown: The Best & Worst Buffalo Wings
Walmart Ending Membership in Conservative Group
How I Went Bankrupt at 23
PHOTOS: Charlize Theron's Short And Shoulder-Baring Style
Can a New Guy Save Best Buy?
Woman Claims Kangaroo Stalked Her for 2 Days, Then Attacked
Disturbing Video Allegedly Shows Montreal Torso Suspect Murdering Victim
Pete Cosey Dead: Chicago Guitar Great and Miles Davis Collaborator Dies at 68
Facebook, Week Two: Fortunes Made and Fortunes Lost (Mostly Lost)
Heidi Klum's Sexiest (And Scariest) Outfits
Michael Grant Dead: Crescent Shield Singer Dies Aged 39
Kansas Police Search For 12-Year-Old Girl Who Disappeared With Canadian She Met Online
Student Ate Roommate's Brain And Heart, Cops Say
George Zimmerman's Bond Revoked
Witherspoon Bigamy Case Heats Up
New Discovery Sheds Light On Amelia Earhart Mystery
Zhang Ziyi Slams Prostitution Allegations
Is Kate Walsh Leaving 'Private Practice' Next Season?
Space Agency Predicts Date Of World-Ending Galactic Smash-Up
Calif. Man Becomes Internet Sensation In China For Random Act Of Kindness
LOOK: Photos Of Military Moms Breastfeeding In Uniform Cause Controversy
See Kim Without Her Wig On 'Don't Be Tardy For The Wedding'
Porn Actor Mailed Murder Victim's Body Parts To Canada's Top Political Parties: Cops
Maine Police Believe Ayla Reynolds Is Dead
PHOTOS: This Month's Biggest Photoshop Fails
New Video Shows Face-Eating Attack Lasted 18 Minutes
Divers To Plunge To The Depths Of Baltic Sea To Examine Mystery Object
Comments
28
Subscribe to commentsLuisNov 4th 2008 8:05PM
This site has the toshiba, Dell and HP contact info........
http://www.cpsc.gov/cpscpub/prerel/prhtml09/09035.html
ChrisNov 4th 2008 8:50PM
First of all let me start by saying that I repair laptops for a living. Yes batteries go bad.boards go bad. software gets corrupted. this is the nature of the beast.. ever had a light bulb quit working? ever had a flat tire? Please dont get me wrong though because if a MFG screws up its always the consumer who gets the raw deal. Remember the china toy recall? That put our kids in jeparody. oh yea while im thinking of it ever hear of the saying - you cant believe everything you hear? Ok enough of that. OK usually the contact info is on a sticker on the bottom of the laptop. if not then why not go to "company name" website and get info from there? by the way most MFG warranty is 1 year so if that is past and you didnt buy the ex-warranty you are gonna pay outta pocket for repairs. These days if your laptop is more than 2 years old you can probably buy a new one cheaper than fixing yours. this is espically true for cracked LCD's and units that are no power.oh yea and sometimes you have to create your own restore cds in order to have them which u should always do. BTW I think someone needs a news valum. Hope I spelled it rite!
GowerNov 4th 2008 10:03PM
I too have a Dell Inspiron 1505. My battery is going bad and even with the computer plugged up, the battery light flashes red and the battery itself gets hot.
JaysonNov 5th 2008 1:55AM
I have a HP Pavillion dv1000 and the battery hasn't gone bad yet- hasn't started to smoke or heat up. I'm thinking you can go to your local bestbuy or curcuit city to return the battery but I'd call them and ask them about this though because this might be some kind of sick joke which I can sense we are confused and pissed over. I strongly think it's some kind of sick joke, because if it is real I think it would have contact information up the wazoo.
KCNov 5th 2008 4:52AM
Bought a Compaq, in about 2 months it wouldn't turn on, the whole power system was fried. Got a replacement, 10 days later, same problem. Their excuse was that they're not intended to be used the way I was using them -- you should use only one program at a time, and use it only a few minutes at a time. When I brought this up in a professional group, I was told to thank God that all mine did was stop working -- several other people had theirs start fires, and one nearly burned the house down. I'll never buy a Compaq again. According to a professional geek, the power supply is a known problem, and they do nothing to fix it because they'd rather save a few cents per computer and let the customer pay big bucks for repair/replacement.
BillirayNov 10th 2008 6:16AM
Dell has an excellent service record with me. I have been helped just fine when I called this number: 1-800-624-9896
WillNov 10th 2008 4:00PM
Yes, I've had problems with my laptop, mostly due to Heat Issues. Ive had to use a portable fan to assist the onboard cooling fan. I've had a few CD's actually shatter from heat. (Psst, Microsoft ? Check your Age Of Empires supplier ?)
stacky4204Jan 14th 2009 5:00PM
i had my laptop for 8 months when the battery started to smoke and then the laptop would not turn on. Dell told me that it wasnt covered cause i had left the laptop on over night. that company is crazy and i would never go back to them for another laptop