| DRAMeXchange: Laptop component capacity crunch to persist
Laptop vendors look headed for more challenge in Q3 as the component capacity crunch shows no signs of abetting, according to DRAMeXchange. The chip price tracker said in its latest report that manufacturers should expect shipments to exceed some 26 million for the quarter. This is a 14.4-percent increase from the April-June period, when vendors first began to feel the effects of a tighter supply of LCD panels, batteries, HDDs, casings and certain optical disc drives. Notebook brands are forecast to especially encounter difficulties in terms of the required laptop components for the third quarter. In the LCD panel segment, notebook OEMs who had strong working relationships with their LCD suppliers in the past fared better in Q2 than their counterparts. In the battery segment, not having enough battery cell production capacity contributed to tighter supply for the ended quarter, DRAMeXchange said, although a price increase in relevant metals, including raw materials, were also attributed to the undersupply.
Sony in new laptop battery recall debacle
Toshiba has recalled thousands more Sony battery packs in response to concern over fire risk. The recall is not connected to the industry-wide recall last year in response to other faulty Sony batteries. Toshiba has logged laptop battery overheating incidents in both 2006 and 2007 in connection with the latest faulty battery batch. Toshiba said, "Over a relatively short period, certain incidents occurred where certain battery packs installed in Toshiba portable computers caught fire. "Based on its investigation, Sony Corporation, supplier of the subject batteries, concluded that certain battery cells manufactured in a specific manufacturing lot could be affected by a certain issue that could potentially lead to a safety issue." .
Yet another Toshiba battery recall
Toshiba has been forced to issue yet another battery recall due to safety fears, its fourth in barely a year. The recall, issued through the US Consumer Product Safety Commission, recalls some of Toshiba's Satellite A100, Satellite A105 and Tecra A7 ranges that are powered by batteries manufactured by Sony. Some 1,400 laptops are thought to be affected. "Over a relatively short period, certain incidents occurred where certain battery packs installed in Toshiba portable computers caught fire," said the company in a statement. "Based on its investigation, Sony Corporation, supplier of the subject batteries, concluded that certain battery cells manufactured in a specific manufacturing lot could be affected by a certain issue that could potentially lead to a safety issue." It's been a bad year for Toshiba and other laptop manufacturers that use batteries manufactured by Sony.
Casio tackles breast cancer with new Exilim
Casio today introduced a special run of its Exilim Z75 to raise awareness of and help fight breast cancer. The unnamed model is intended to show support for the National Breast Cancer Foundation and will ship a pink version of the camera with a special case featuring the well-known pink ribbon logo and a lanyard with a ribbon of its own. Casio's camera itself is fundamentally the same as the 7.2-megapixel original and includes a 3X optical zoom lens, a 2.8-inch preview LCD, processor-based anti-blur correction, and the company's special features such as an eBay mode for optimized auction images. No indication has been made that the company will donate profits from the camera to the NBCF, though Casio indicates that it sponsors the organization's efforts. Pricing will be reduced compared to the $230 first set for the camera earlier this year, the company says.
New nanotech battery technology is created
U.S. nanoscientists have developed an energy storage device that resembles a sheet of black paper and might power tomorrow's electronics.
Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute researchers said their nanoengineered battery is lightweight, ultra thin, flexible, and can meet the trickiest of design and energy requirements.
Along with its ability to function in temperatures up to 300 degrees Fahrenheit and down to 100 degrees below zero, the device is completely integrated and can be printed like paper. The scientists said their device is also unique in that it can function as both a high-energy battery and a high-power supercapacitor, which are generally separate components in electrical systems.
Another key feature is the capability to use human blood or perspiration to help power the battery.
p0308 BC-Finland-Nokia-Battery 1stLd-Writethru 08-14 0331
Eds: CORRECTS that Nokia did not recall batteries, but will replace upon request. Moving on financial services. HELSINKI, Finland (AP) -- Nokia Corp. warned Tuesday that up to 46 million batteries used in some of its cell phones could be faulty and pose a risk of overheating. The advisory applies to batteries manufactured by Matsushita from December 2005 to November 2006, the world's largest mobile phone maker said. Matsushita Battery Industrial Co. Ltd. of Japan is one of several suppliers that have together made some 300 million BL-5C batteries. The lithium-ion battery is one of 14 different types of battery used in Nokia phones. Nokia said 100 incidents of overheating of the Matsushita-made BL-5C batteries have been reported worldwide, but added that "no serious injuries or property damage have been reported." "Consumers with a BL-5C battery subject to this advisory should note that all of the approximately 100 incidents have occurred while charging the battery," the Finnish company said.
Power trip
The channel for uninterruptible power supply (UPS) products, and all the technology associated with it, is an interesting place to exist right now following a global shake-up of the market that was sparked by Schneider's US$6.1 billion move on back-up power equipment giant APC at the end of last year. That deal, which pairs APC with Schneider's MGE UPS Systems subsidiary to create a US$3 billion a year giant, reshapes the market in a way that was inconceivable when the duo were on opposite sides of the fence. In the Middle East, where both organisations historically enjoy stronger on-the-ground presence than competing manufacturers, the full implications of this deal continue to be felt. Rivals are adamant that they are profiting from the confusion and angst that tends to be felt among partner communities during a merger of this magnitude, while APC and MGE insist they are successfully combining resources to build an even more comprehensive channel than the one presently at their disposal.
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