Newsday Uses Quote from RESCUECOM CEO in Article on Laptop Batteries

Recalled Laptop Batteries Dangerous for Air Travel

BY STEPHEN WILLIAMS
Newsday Staff Writer
September 27, 2006:


David Milman comments on Airline scrutiny for some laptops

For folks booked on Virgin Atlantic flights who own a Dell or Apple laptop powered by a recalled Sony-made battery ... well, better bring along a copy of "Crime and Punishment" instead of the latest "Fast and the Furious" DVD.

The cabin crew will check the battery's serial number and if it's on the recall list supplied to them, require the user to remove the battery.

In August, Dell and Apple announced massive recalls of lithium-ion laptop batteries, explaining that the Sony-sourced cells could overheat when in use and catch fire.

The firms recalled nearly 6 million batteries after reports that some had exploded.

Qantas and Korean Air have imposed similar restrictions.

Virgin Atlantic will allow passengers to instead use power adapters, but Virgin only supplies ports in its upper class and premium economy sections, and not in straight economy, said Brooke Lawer, a spokeswoman for the carrier.

"People have been very understanding because it is a safety issue, and understand that we're putting passenger safety first," Lawer said.

When the safety issue is resolved, the restrictions will be lifted, she said.

"The problem we have is that after Dell issued the recall, less than 4 percent of those people with these batteries actually applied to exchange them," said David Milman, who runs a Syracuse-based firm called Rescuecom that performs emergency PC repairs.

Milman said other airlines will have to follow Virgin's lead.

"The airlines spend millions of dollars making sure you can't bring on a bottle of shampoo," he said. "This is an issue that could lead to a catastrophe."

Google Reviews

Carli Wittkowski
Carli Wittkowski
in the last week
Amazing service! This is my first time with Rescuecom and I am extremely pleased. Great Customer se
...Amazing service! This is my first time with Rescuecom and I am extremely pleased. Great Customer service and so very helpful. I would most definitely recommend. less
Karen Beller
Karen Beller
a week ago
Rescuecom is excellent. I was scammed and Roy cleared my desktop. Excellent service and Roy was very
...Rescuecom is excellent. I was scammed and Roy cleared my desktop. Excellent service and Roy was very knowledgeable. Thank You. less
Robin Penick-Funderburk
Robin Penick-Funderburk
2 weeks ago
A hacker with the alias "DEATHRIDGE" entered a company Teams meeting via someone invited as a guest,
...A hacker with the alias "DEATHRIDGE" entered a company Teams meeting via someone invited as a guest, and started taking control of my computer and my life. They sent emails pretending to be me that really looked like they were coming from me. They tried to take control of our corporate bank accounts, added themselves as a user to my Microsoft account, and locked me out of my computer as my passwords no longer worked. My ability to run a telecom company ground to a halt, and all my company and personal information was at their fingertips. I felt so helpless, and I needed folks smarter than the hacker(s) to do battle for me. Our typical computer pros couldn't handle it, and neither could other "experts" I called. Lucky for me I called RESCUECOM, and they immediately got to work. They didn't complain though I was asking for help in the middle of the night, but immediately got to work and worked non-stop to restore everything and protect me going forward. The team at RESCUECOM are my knights in shining armor, and they're the absolute best! less
Krishna Kambhampati
Krishna Kambhampati
2 months ago
Roy was very helpful for fixing my booting issue. I called really late (10pm) and there was someone
...Roy was very helpful for fixing my booting issue. I called really late (10pm) and there was someone to answer my call. I would recommend them to anyone that needs tech support. less
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