Sony recall: 3.4 million batteries
Includes 340,000 U.S. units from Sony, Gateway and others
As expected, Sony -- which made the batteries at the heart of recent recalls by Apple, Dell and other computer manufacturers -- has announced its own battery recall. The recall affects more than 3.4 million batteries, of which 340,000 were sold in the U.S. In addition to notebooks manufactured by Sony, the recall includes models from Gateway, Fujitsu and Toshiba, and includes computer models and batteries that were on the market as recently as this month.
What to do: If you own a laptop made by any of these manufacturers, the CPSC recommends that you check with the manufacturer to determine whether your battery is covered by the recall and to request a replacement battery. A full list of affected models, along with contact information for manufacturers, is available on the CPSC's Web site. Until a replacement battery arrives, consumers can continue to use their computer by turning off the system, removing the battery, and plugging in the AC adapter and power cord.
Regardless of manufacturer, here are some steps you can take to safely use any notebook computer powered by lithium-ion batteries:
- Avoid placing computer on a soft surface such as a bed, which prevents air from circulating beneath it and heat from dissipating.
- If your battery is exhausted, recharge it fully via the AC adapter before powering up the computer.
- Don't leave your laptop in direct sunlight or in the car.
- Purchase a battery that bears the name of a responsible manufacturer. That way, you're much more likely to learn about a potential safety hazard and recalls, and get satisfactory answers to your questions.
- Contrary to conventional wisdom, there's nothing wrong with leaving your laptop computer plugged in all the time. Nor is it inherently safer to run a computer on battery power than AC current.
