Galaxy Note 9 battery overheats, smokes out, now subject of lawsuit

According to a lawsuit, a New York woman was inside an elevator with a Note 9 oozing smoke and that Samsung should've known about the defection.

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Six types of AmazonBasics Portable Power Banks under recall affecting 260,000 units

Power packs of varying capacities are included in this recall, voluntarily forwarded by Amazon to the CPSC. Click through to see if yours is at risk of malfunctioning.

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Apple begins replacing batteries for older iPhones earlier than announced

Originally set for late January, the company is now offering $29 rates for out-of-warranty battery replacements on throttled iPhones.

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OnePlus rolling out update for emergency calls bug, other Android phones still at risk

But it's not just the OnePlus 5 that's affected by a bug that kills 911 and 999 calls — several other Android phones do so with no clear pattern to it.

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Trusted Contacts from Google, for when you need someone watching over you

Why would you willingly and openly broadcast your location at any point in time, no matter where you are? Privacy hawks would balk at some people’s answer: for safety’s sake.

And that’s where Google comes in with its new Android application called Trusted Contacts. It’s an app that lets you label people in your contacts list that you choose as “trusted.” They will be able to see if you’re online and if you have moved.

They can also request to see where you are. If you cannot respond with a five minute timeframe, your latest geolocation — whether you’re online or off — will automatically be shared. If you’re able to, you can also choose to stop sending your location.

Google envisions people using this app in situations of personal caution like walking home late at night or getting a search party to look for someone. Perhaps this app can also prove itself worthy in times of social danger — heaven forbid that the next act of terrorism or natural disaster happen while you’re around.

Of course, all of this only works if the people you want to be in contact with also have Trusted Contacts installed. iOS users will have to wait a bit longer before this app comes along.

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Study finds 99 percent of counterfeit Apple chargers bought online fail ‘basic’ safety tests

Did you finally get rid of Samsung’s Galaxy Note 7 ticking time bomb? Perhaps switched sides, assuming the iPhone 7 is safer to use… until proven otherwise? That may be so, but don’t even think about skimping on a backup or replacement charger.

Dirt-cheap, possibly counterfeit Apple adapters and charging accessories in general pose a far greater risk than a faulty, twice recalled and ultimately discontinued phone of randomly catching fire and costing you your home, life, or the life of a loved one.

We understand the temptation of going an alternative route is strong when Cupertino asks as much as $100 for an “authorized” Belkin iPhone “charge kit”, or $19 on a first-party USB power adapter, but you’ll just have to resist the bargain-hunting lure.

The findings of a recent “operation” conducted by British safety investigators are troublesome, to say the least, with no less than 397 of 400 Apple chargers suspected to be forged failing a “basic” test.

Mind you, these adapters were bought online from “multiple sources” in eight different countries around the world, including the US, Canada, Colombia, China, Thailand and Australia. 99 percent of all sketchy-looking accessories were rapidly determined to have “insufficient isolation with potential for electric shock.”

A separate examination of local “charity shops, antique dealers and second-hand shops” concluded 15 percent of over 3,000 used electrical goods were “non-compliant”, which is a slightly less shocking number, but still thought-provoking. At the end of the day, a few bucks saved here and there are simply not worth the risks.

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LG shows off V20 safety tests in wake of Note 7 fallout

One of LG’s facilities is said to be able to produce up to 39.6 million phones every year. But it won’t be making that many this year. It won’t even be making as many V20 smartphones it might have been expecting — perhaps that’s the reason why the company has been low-key about it.One possible reason why? Its competitor, Samsung.LG brought ...

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Samsung customer rep exposed with text to another Galaxy Note 7 burn victim

Another day, another explosion about the Galaxy Note 7.Not only did another phone burn to a crisp among the many others that already have, but it seems that Samsung mismanaged its response to an afflicted customer.Speaking of the event itself, it’s the second Note 7 that went up in smoke this week in the US and in the state of Kentucky, no less. It actually happened a day ...

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