danger

Apple is recalling over a million laptop batteries because of risk of overheating, explosions and fire. Recent Mac laptops have had problems with overheating and there have been reports of Mac laptops exploding into flames.

The affected batteries were sold worldwide from October 2003 through August 2006 for use with 12-inch iBook G4, 12-inch PowerBook G4 and 15-inch PowerBook G4 laptop computers.

Apple is voluntarily recalling the affected batteries and has initiated a worldwide exchange program to provide eligible customers with a new replacement battery, free of charge. This program is being conducted in cooperation with the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) and other international safety authorities.

Apple has set up a page on its site to deal with questions about the recall.

A list of affected serial numbers is available at the site. According to Apple, replacement batteries will take 4 to 6 weeks to be delivered. Shipping time may vary due to availability of your battery model.

Not only can synths emit dangerous white noise, but they can destroy your house and home and even threaten your life.

According to the Brockville Recorder & Times, Thia Thompson was asleep in her upstairs bedroom when she was awakened by her smoke detector. Fire Chief Bill Lawrence said that it’s likely that the smoke detector saved Thompson’s life.

Lawrence said a synthesizer-type instrument with a low-voltage transformer appears to have overheated, causing the fire. Eighteen firefighters in three vehicles took more than half an hour to get the fire under control.

Thompson’s husband was away at the time, said the chief. Lawrence estimated the damage at $30,000 to $40,000, but said that figure could go up.

Yamaha has announced a recall of its S90 ES Synthesizer. The synthesizer may “emit loud white noise when turned off and turned on again under high temperature conditions, which could possibly damage a consumer’s hearing.”

While some manufacturers might consider painful noise emissions a feature, Yamaha is recalling the $2,599 instruments. Yamaha will arrange for a repair or replacement at no cost to the customer.

In case you’re not sure if you have a S90 ES Synthesizer, the US Consumer Product Safety Commission notes:

The S90 ES Synthesizer is black with a black and white keyboard. S90 ES and Yamaha are written on the front of the synthesizer.

Another identifying feature of the S90 ES Synthesizer, capable of emitting “loud white noise”, is the large logo printed on the backside:

The recall is being conducted in cooperation with the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC).

Yamaha Consumer Contact: Call Yamaha toll-free at (800) 975-4029 between 8:30 a.m. and 5 p.m. PT Monday through Friday.