Tue, Aug 29, 2006
Battery Fires To Blame; Apple May Be Next
Fresh on the heels of
reports that Sony-made batteries in both Dell and Apple laptop
computers might catch fire or even explode... Qantas has banned the
use of all Dell laptops from its flights.
"We have put limitations on Dell computers and at this stage we
are awaiting further information from Apple," a Qantas spokesperson
told Australian Personal Computer magazine.
As Aero-News reported, Dell
recalled more than four million lithium-ion batteries earlier this
month over concerns they could spark a major fire. Apple followed
suit soon thereafter, adding another 1.8 million to the total
number of computers to be recalled.
So far, no other airline has made a similar move... but concern
over that very possibility has prompted some companies whose
employees have to fly for a living to suggest they'll move away
from Dell and Apple laptops, should others follow Qantas' lead.
The batteries in question are supplied to both companies by
Sony... and in addtion to Dell and Apple laptops, the lithium-ion
cells are also used in laptops made by Hewlitt-Packard and Lenovo.
So far, there are no reports of exploding batteries in those
products.
As for the cause of the bursting batteries, Sony says the
explosions are caused by microscopic metal particles that, in rare
occasions, may come in contact with other parts of the battery
cell. The cells are designed to power off when that occurs... but
on some, an internal short circuit causes the cell to overheat and
catch fire before that happens.
More News
From 2023 (YouTube Version): Legacy of a Titan Robert (Bob) Anderson Hoover was a fighter pilot, test pilot, flight instructor, and air show superstar. More so, Bob Hoover was an i>[...]
Get The Latest in Aviation News NOW on Instagram Are you on Instagram yet? It's been around for a few years, quietly picking up traction mostly thanks to everybody's new obsession >[...]
Aero Linx: B-52H Stratofortress The B-52H Stratofortress is a long-range, heavy bomber that can perform a variety of missions. The bomber is capable of flying at high subsonic spee>[...]
Altimeter Setting The barometric pressure reading used to adjust a pressure altimeter for variations in existing atmospheric pressure or to the standard altimeter setting (29.92).>[...]
"Knowing that we play an active part in bettering people's lives is extremely rewarding. My team and I are very thankful for the opportunity to be here and to help in any way we ca>[...]