“Sony urged a dozen laptop computer makers around the world to recall more of its defective batteries Friday, the latest headache for the electronics company struggling to regain its luster as the world’s premier electronics brand,” Yuri Kageyama reports for The Associated Press. “With two recalls Friday, the number of lithium-ion batteries that are being replaced now stands at about 7 million worldwide, Sony spokesman Takashi Uehara said. He refused to estimate how much it would cost the company.”
“Two major Japanese electronics makers, Toshiba Corp. and Fujitsu Ltd., were the latest to tell customers to return laptop batteries that could overheat and catch fire. A day earlier, IBM Corp. and Lenovo Group issued a recall. Last month, it was Apple Computer Inc. and Dell Inc.,” Kageyama reports. “Dell, the world’s largest personal computer maker, also said Friday it is increasing the size of its recall by 100,000, to 4.2 million, after it received more information from Sony.”
“Sony has said the batteries could catch fire in rare cases when microscopic metal particles come into contact with other parts of the battery cell, leading to a short circuit. Typically a battery pack will shut down when there is a short circuit, but on occasion, it could catch fire,” Kageyama reports. “It’s a major embarrassment for the Japanese electronics and entertainment powerhouse, which is in the midst of a major overhaul involving closures of plants and divisions and job losses.”
Full article here.
Related articles:
Toshiba to recall 830,000 more defective Sony-made laptop batteries – September 29, 2006
Lenovo recalls 526,000 Sony laptop batteries; Sony to initiate global battery replacement program – September 28, 2006
Virgin Atlantic lifts total ban on in-flight use of Apple, Dell notebook batteries – September 25, 2006
Virgin Atlantic bans use of all Apple, Dell notebook batteries in-flight – September 18, 2006
Korean Air bans use of Apple PowerBooks, iBooks, and all Dell laptop models during flight – September 05, 2006
Dell Japan President blames Sony for recall of fire hazardous batteries – August 29, 2006
Sony-made battery fire in discontinued Apple notebook computer reported in Japan – August 29, 2006
Apple to recall 1.8 million Sony-made iBook G4, PowerBook G4 batteries – August 24, 2006
Apple, Dell, HP, Lenovo, and others working on battery standard – August 23, 2006
Qantas first airline to restrict in-flight Dell laptop use due to fire-prone batteries – August 23, 2006
Dell and Sony knew about battery problems nearly a year ago, waited for catastrophic failures – August 21, 2006
Dell issues largest safety recall in history: 4.1 million laptop batteries due to fire threat – August 14, 2006
Another Dell laptop goes up in flames – July 28, 2006
Dell laptop fires may have been downplayed – July 22, 2006
NY Times: Dell’s exploding laptop and other image problems – July 10, 2006
Dell laptop explodes into flames at Japanese conference – June 21, 2006
is sony finally going to recall its own laptop batteries now?
What if….Apple were to buy Sony?
Sounds like Sony has finally figured out that it is better to bite the bullet and take back all the potentially bad batteries now, rather to continue with this “story a week” about another computer company issuing a recall. Better late than never, but the damage to their reputation is severe.
Which has done more damage to the company’s reputation: Sony’s Batteries or HP’s Boardroom Investigation? The problem of Sony is that this follows the horrendous DRM spyware install on their music disc scandal. Like many conglomerates, Sony is merely a name shared by many separately run companies.
Misery loves company… and often solicits it.
Is it time to add “beleaguered” to Sony’s name yet?