Fire More Perilous than Software Bugs for Sony Laptops

Article by George Norman (Cybersecurity Editor)

on 31 Oct 2008

Do you think you have a problem because Microsoft has blacked out your desktop or because the software applications you use are riddled with bugs and security vulnerabilities? Sony laptop owners do not feel like they are burning up, their machines may actually catch fire.

It seems that there is a problem with the battery packs manufactured by Japanese company Sony – the problem is that they might go off in flames. The battery packs which have been sold with about 74,000 HP and 14,400 Toshiba laptops are now being recalled. This is small potatoes, considering the fact that just two years ago Sony had to recall 9.6 million battery packs. This week’s recall follows the 438,000 Sony Vaio laptops recall from September (the laptops had overheating problems as well).

It must be noted that the battery packs in question have been fitted to laptops (HP, Toshiba, Acer, Dell, Lenovo) marketed in and out of the United States of America over a one year period (2004 to 2005). They have been also fitted to the VAIO TZ-series laptops sold from July 2007 up to August, the current year (73,000 of these models have been recalled). One laptop overheated so much that it actually hurt its user.

Sony blames it all on factory changes which affected the quality of the end product. So if you are using a laptop device fitted with a Sony battery, you are very well advised to put it away if you notice it is getting hot. Imagine explaining to your grandchildren why you have the Dell logo fire branded on your crotch.

I am glad to see that Sony is putting its finger on the “real” issue – the recall will only minimally impact their earnings. I’m guessing that the next Sony slogan will go something like “if it doesn’t set fire to your house, it is a Sony”. I know that the advisory says to stop using the recalled items at once, but that is so as to avoid expensive lawsuits, not because Sony really cares about your health.


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