| 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." .
Toshiba recalls 10,000 Sony-made batteries
Japanese electronics company Toshiba Corp. began recalling about 10,000 Sony-made batteries for laptop computers in Japan and overseas, company officials said Thursday.
Toshiba spokesman Keisuke Omori said there have been three cases in which the batteries caught fire between September and June. There were no injuries from the three fires; two in Japan and one in Australia, he said.
The battery models to be recalled are different from those involved in a massive recall of Sony Corp. lithium-ion battery packs last year. Sony announced that recall after it was found that they could overheat and catch fire.
In the latest case, company investigations found batteries manufactured on December 3, 2005, were a cause of the problems, and there were about 5,100 of them sold in Japan, the U.S., Europe, Australia, China, the spokesman said.
Sony, Apple sued over fire injuries to Osaka laptop user
OSAKA (Kyodo) An Osaka Prefecture couple have filed a lawsuit seeking around 2 million yen from the Japanese unit of Apple Inc. and Sony Corp., claiming the husband suffered burns after their laptop caught fire due to its Sony-made battery. The U.S. computer manufacturer has already paid the couple money for the laptop but has refused to pay 1 million yen in compensation, the couple told reporters Wednesday. .
More exploding Sony batteries recalled
THERE ARE more woes for the maker of exploding batteries, Sony, after one of its customers, Toshiba, recalled 10,000 laptop battery packs. Toshiba said the batteries are a fire risk after three of its laptops made on December 3, 2005 caught fire in the last 10 months. According to Reuters, only 5,100 units of the 10,000 packs are potentially defective, but Toshiba has decided it is better to be safe than Sony, er sorry. It wants to make sure all the battery packs containing targeted battery cells are exchanged. Last year Sony recalled 9.6 million PC batteries as they could catch fire from overheating and it cost the outfit $418 million. A Sony spokesman said the recall should not make too much of a financial dent because after you have recalled 9.6 million, 10,000 is just a drop in the bucket.
3M settles battery patent suits
3M settled a patent dispute with Sony Corp. over batteries used in laptops and cell phones Monday. In a news release, Maplewood-based 3M (NYSE: MMM) said the suit stemmed from a cathode patent dispute filed in March 2007 against Sony and other companies. In the suit, 3M alleged that Sony, the Lenovo Group, and other companies violated two patents related to lithium-ion battery technology, according to court documents. .
Toshiba recalls about 10,000 Sony-made batteries overseas
TOKYO -- Japanese electronics company Toshiba Corp. began recalling about 10,000 Sony-made batteries for laptop computers in Japan and overseas, company officials said Thursday. Toshiba spokesman Keisuke Omori said there have been three cases in which the batteries caught fire between September and June. There were no injuries from the three fires; two in Japan and one in Australia, he said. The battery models to be recalled are different from those involved in a massive recall of Sony Corp. lithium-ion battery packs last year. Sony announced that recall after it was found that they could overheat and catch fire. In the latest case, company investigations found batteries manufactured on December 3, 2005, were a cause of the problems, and there were about 5,100 of them sold in Japan, the U.S., Europe, Australia, China, the spokesman said.
'Toyota to delay launch of new hybrids'
TOKYO: Japan's Toyota Motor Corp. will delay by one or two years the rollout of new high-mileage hybrids with lithium-ion batteries because of safety concerns, reported a newspaper.
Toyota's decision was prompted by worries that the batteries could overheat, catch fire or even explode, the Wall Street Journal on Thursday reported in its online edition, quoting unnamed Toyota executives.
It said such fears were heightened by problems with similar batteries made by Sony Corp. for laptop computers which prompted a massive recall last year.
The Japanese auto giant, which is enjoying brisk sales of its fuel-efficient vehicles, was planning to launch a dozen hybrids using the new lithium-ion battery technology in the US market between 2008 and 2010, the report said.
Toshiba Recalling Laptop Batteries
Laptop owners before you log on, a recent recall might have you checking your battery power. In this Nine on Your Side consumer alert, Toshiba is recalling the Sony made batteries in four of its models. There are three cases of the batteries catching fire between September of June to this year. The models are Dynabook, Dynabook Sateliite, Satellite and Tecra. .
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