Lenovo recalls 200,000 ThinkPad batteries

Is the battery recall starting all over again? Well, not quite, but was certainly a bit of deja-vu to learn that Lenovo is recalling 200,000 laptop batteries, these ones manufactured by Sanyo. The batteries have a defect in them that can cause them to overheat and pose a fire hazard if they are handled roughly or dropped. While usually you try to avoid this with a laptop, accidents happen. Then again, a laptop shouldn't burst into flames if it falls off the table.

Affected models are the ThinkPad Z, T and R models. Lenovo is advising anyone with an affected unit to remove the battery immediately, and contact them for a replacement. According to the article, only external damage to the battery can create the condition for the failure, but it's always better to be safe than sorry.