Nokia has issued a product recall for certain Nokia-branded chargers made by third-party manufacturer BYD, offering free replacements to consumers affected.

The charger exchange program encompasses the AC-3E and AC-3U models, manufactured between June 15 2009 and August 9 2009 and the AC-4U model, manufactured between April 13 2009 and October 25 2009.
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Nokia says it has "identified a potential product quality issue" as the "plastic covers of the affected chargers could come loose and separate, exposing the charger's internal components and potentially posing an electrical shock hazard if certain internal components are touched while the charger is plugged into a live socket".

Nokia says it is not aware of any related injuries or incidents, but consumers who have one of the models listed above should visit http://chargerexchange.nokia.com to arrange a free replacement.

UPDATE: Nokia has got in touch with the following: "Nokia today initiated a charger exchange program in some markets. This program does NOT impact the United Kingdom.? None of the specific models of chargers within the scope of this program have been sold domestically in the United Kingdom".

Related links:

• Link - Nokia charger exchange programme

Tags: Phones Nokia Chargers Recalls Gadgets BYD

Nokia issues charger recall originally appeared on http://www.pocket-lint.com on Mon, 09 Nov 2009 10:17:33 +0000

Sony has issued a product safety recall for Sony VGP-AC19V17 AC adapters for certain Vaio desktops and docking stations.

In conjunction with the US Consumer Product Safety Commission, the voluntary recall concerns adapters supplied with the VGC-LT series and VGC-JS2 series all-in-one Vaio desktop PCs and the? VGP-PRBX1 and VGP-PRFE1 Vaio docking stations.

"Consumers should stop using recalled products immediately", says the recall notice, that's thought to cover about 69,000 units.

The issue with the adapters is that the "insulation inside the AC adapter can fail over time, posing an electrical shock hazard to consumers" and there's been four reports of adapters short circuiting.

For more information, customers in the States can contact Sony toll-free at (877) 361-4481 anytime, or visit esupport.sony.com/ac19adapter.

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Tags: Hardware Sony Recalls Chargers Vaio

Sony recalls 69,000 Vaio AC adapters in the US originally appeared on http://www.pocket-lint.com on Thu, 29 Oct 2009 09:19:03 +0000

So, you read about Powermat back in January, you've pored over the specs and pricing details, and you've pinned up a few of our photos of the device on your wall. The only thing left for you to do is buy the damn thing. And shortly you can, should you so desire.

Powermat has announced that its charging device will be available in the UK from 30 October, both in "Home & Office" and "Portable" editions. For those of you who haven't clicked on any of our previous coverage of the technology, the device uses magnetic induction to generate power wirelessly, but only over very short ranges.

Powermat receivers are currently available for the iPhone, iPods, BlackBerry and Nintendo DS Lite and DSi devices. There's also a "Powercube" that comes with additional tips for Nokia, Samsung, Sony Ericsson, and LG handsets, as well as the Sony PSP and a microUSB socket.

You'll need to buy a mat and then a charging unit - the mat costs ?70 for the Home & Office version, and ?80 for a portable variant that folds up. The Powercube with eight tips costs an additional ?30, as does a backplate for the BlackBerry Bold, Curve and Pearl handsets, and the Nintendo DS and DSi. Apple variants cost ?35 thanks to the additional cost of licensing from Apple.

Is this an awesome bit of tech, or a waste of ?105 when you could just plug a cable in instead? Let us know what you think in the comments.

Tags: Gadgets Chargers Wireless Powermat

Powermat products due 30 October originally appeared on http://www.pocket-lint.com on Fri, 23 Oct 2009 14:30:11 +0100

GEAR4 has announced it is to launch what it says is the world's first dedicated wireless iPhone charger – the PowerPad.

Rather than conductive charging, the PowerPad uses inductive charging, where power is transmitted through the case to the iPhone battery. This means the iPhone can be placed anywhere on the charge pad to be juiced up.

The charging pad plugs into the mains, while the rubber receiver case - that can also act as a protective cover when out and about - powers the device up wirelessly. GEAR4 claims the same charge time as standard wired chargers.

The PowerPad will be available across Europe from November, the charge pad and case kit will cost ?79.99 or 99.99 euros.

Tags: Phones iPhone accessories GEAR4 Wireless Chargers Gear4 PowerPad Gadgets iPhone

GEAR4 PowerPad wireless iPhone charger announced originally appeared on http://www.pocket-lint.com on Wed, 14 Oct 2009 09:07:33 +0100