Remember Dell's massive recall of batteries that would spontaneously combust in users' laps? Apple had similar problems, and a whole slew of laptop manufacturers got paranoid and recalled their batteries as well. What did all these laptops have in common? Sony. The Japanese company manufactured the batteries that went into these laptops, and the recall madness ate considerably into that year's income. And yet...

Now, Sony has recalled more than 438,000 Vaio laptops, citing the possibility that they "may overheat and burn users". The affected series are the VGN-TZ100, VGN-TZ200, VGN-TZ300 and VGN-TZ2000, whose wiring can potentially cause a short circuit in the system. Well, at least it isn't the battery. This too, though, is expected to cost Sony a bundle, though they don't reveal how much. If you own any of these devices, we'd recommend taking it for a free check-up (don't use it on your lap before that, though).

How long before we must view our portable gadgetry with suspicion? Even moderately powerful devices now generate some heat--must we cower in fear of our essentials being blown off? What about our trust in Sony? Strike two.


Source: Reuters