What are the defects?
The AC supply flexible cord of the cordset can fail at the entry to the appliance connector where it plugs into the power supply unit for the device, or at the entry to the power socket.
What are the hazards?
Risk of electric shock and fire.
Source: Microsoft Corporation—Microsoft AC Power Cordset for Surface Pro, Pro 2 & Selected Pro 3 Models
A new lithium-ion battery shuts down before overheating and then restarts once it cools down, preventing fires that have plagued electronic devices. The new battery technology, developed by Stanford University Professor Zhenan Bao and her colleagues, could prevent the kind of fires that have prompted recalls and bans on a wide range of battery-powered devices
Source: New Li-ion battery won’t overheat :: Industry News :: ElectronicsOnline
When lithium-ion batteries overheat, they can burn through internal pockets, burst into flames, and even explode. One reason such damage can occur is the formation of dendrites—finger-like deposits of lithium that can grow long enough to pierce the barrier between a lithium-ion battery’s halves and cause it to short out.
Dendrites form when a battery electrode degrades and metal ions deposit onto the electrode’s surface. …
In their latest work, Stanford researchers used chemicals designed to prevent dendrite formation.
Not to be confused with the Nobel Prizes, the Ig Nobel Prizes are intended to “honor achievements that first make people laugh and then make them think.” – see the article in the link:
Source: 2015 Ig Nobel Prizes Announced | In Compliance Magazine
Carbon nanotubes are the leading candidate to replace silicon in semiconductor chips after the decades-long run of silicon electronics runs out. And IBM is hoping to usher along that transition with a new breakthrough being announced today. In the October 2 issue of the journal Science, IBM researchers say they have overcome one of the most daunting challenges around carbon nanotube transistors, which are the building blocks of electronic circuits with dimensions that are measured in billionths of a meter. Carbon nanotube chips could greatly improve the capabilities of high-performance computers, enabling Big Data to be analyzed faster, increasing the power and battery life of mobile devices and the Internet of Things, and allowing cloud data centers to deliver services more efficiently and economically, IBM said.
Researchers at MIT and Samsung, and in California and Maryland, have developed a new approach to one of the three basic components of batteries, the electrolyte. The new findings are based on the idea that a solid electrolyte, rather than the liquid used in today’s most common rechargeables, could greatly improve both device lifetime and safety — while providing a significant boost in the amount of power stored in a given space.
Typically a liquid organic solvent whose function is to transport charged particles from one of a battery’s two electrodes to the other during charging and discharging — has been responsible for the overheating and fires that, for example, resulted in a temporary grounding of all of Boeing’s 787 Dreamliner jets …
““All of the fires you’ve seen, with Boeing, Tesla, and others, they are all electrolyte fires. The lithium itself is not flammable in the state it’s in in these batteries. [With a solid electrolyte] there’s no safety problem — you could throw it against the wall, drive a nail through it — there’s nothing there to burn.”
Source: Going solid-state could make batteries safer and longer-lasting | MIT News
Some models of (imported) LED light globes cause interference to TV signals. This interference may consist of a sudden loss of signal or picture quality in a residence or neighbouring house. In these cases, the ACMA needs to be able to quickly contact the supplier of the globes to notify them of the problem. People experiencing TV reception problems may also wish to contact the supplier to arrange an exchange or refund.
The consequences of supplying a device that does not comply with Australian law can be serious and may risk your business’s reputation. Taking some simple steps before making a bulk purchase of LED globes (or any electronic device) directly from overseas will help prevent interference.
Overview:
A battery can catch fire due to an internal short circuit. When a short circuit occurs, it causes overheating of the cells within a battery, which can ultimately lead to a condition known as “thermal runaway”, which doesn’t typically confine itself to just one cell. Increasing pressure and temperature within a cell can cause it to explode and vent its contents. This can lead to neighboring cells going into thermal runaway as well.
Lithium fires are unique in that they are not typically extinguished in the same manner as ordinary combustible fires. Depending on the type of battery, non-traditional extinguishing agents, such as halotron or copper powder, may be needed. A lithium metal fire is treated differently from a lithium-ion fire in that each requires different firefighting agents.
See more information at via How Lithium Batteries Become a Workplace Hazard – Lion Technology.
This presentation was written by Paul W Robinson, Australia, and presented to the IEEE Symposium on Product Compliance Engineering (ISPCE) in Chicago in May 2015. It covers the identification of risks to children associated with the use of button or coin batteries or cells, the prevalence and severity of harm to children worldwide, and what can be done to mitigate the severity and frequency of injuries. An author’s copy of the PDF version of the submitted presentation is available at the link.
via Child safety – button or coin batteries (Ingestion risks and preventative measures) | paulspiece.com.
Sourcing safe products is a responsibility that all suppliers must meet. This webinar is aimed at businesses that supply products within the Australian marketplace and want more information on their responsibilities when sourcing products for their consumers.
IBM’s Watson aims to be jack of all trades.
Watson already has won a major TV game show, is looking for a cure for cancer and has ambitious gastronomy ambitions including devising a recipe for chocolate-beef burritos.
The IBM supercomputer is becoming a jack of all trades for the US tech giant — including in its new role as a business consultant and analyst for various industries by using massive internet databases.
Watson, which gained fame in 2011 for defeating human opponents on the Jeopardy quiz show, has been reaching into its computing power since then for an array of other services.
The basis of Moore’s Law is that the number of transistors on a silicon chip will double approximately every two years.
via Moore’s Law turns 50 | Analysis | Information Age | Australian Computer Society.
This is a test post only. Please do not read.
Thanks.
Paul
Added a couple of Cagetories
There are many prank phone calls that can be considered criminal offences: Threatening to kill or cause serious harm to someone – and not just the person on the phone; Making a hoax bomb threat is a crime; Making prank calls to 000 pretending there is an emergency is open to jail time of up to three years. Even if the prankster doesn’t threaten their victim, repeated calls can amount to harassment, stalking or bullying. Under the Criminal Code it is illegal to use “a carriage service” (that includes phones, emails, texts and social media) to menace, harass or be offensive – with a penalty of up to three years jail.
via When pranks break the law: hoax conversations – Media, Telecoms, IT, Entertainment – Australia.
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