Make way for flaming DVD players
Laptops are so last week
By Charlie Demerjian: Tuesday 05 September 2006, 06:20
ONE THING PEOPLE tend to ignore about exploding laptops is that
that it is not the laptops that explode, it is the batteries that
get a tad too hot under the collar. The problem is that the
batteries are in a lot of high end consumer electronics, not just
laptops.
You have no doubt heard about phones popping, their batteries are
far too small to violently explode sending shrapnel all over a
room, but they can hurt you if they are in your pocket, or worse
yet, cause a fire. Other consumer electronics have large lithium
batteries also, and one such device, a portable DVD player, has
shown a tendency to catch fire as well.
What do you do? Don't panic, don't freak out, just keep them on
non-flamable surfaces when not in use, and have a charged fire
extinguisher in the house. Chances are minuscule that it will
happen to you anyway, on the grand scale of bad things, black
plague, meteors and rampaging zebras are a much higher risk. Just
be aware of the risks, and if the things feel really hot, let them
cool off for a bit and you should be fine.
