The voluntary recall affects up to about 970,000 Lavie and VersaPro computers made between 2003 and 2006, said NEC spokeswoman Mari Takahashi.
"We have received 261 reports that users complained of a smell like plastic melting or smoke coming out of the computers," she said.
"But we have confirmed such a defect would not start a fire because the computer is made of flame-resistant material."
NEC estimates that about 120 more computers could develop similar defects, she said.
The problem is due to wiring having been installed too close to the main part of the computer, which may also affect the display, the company said.
The voluntary recall affects Lavie L and Lavie F computers made from May 2003 to April 2004, Lavie G Type L and Type F computers made from May 2003 to August 2004, and VersaPro computers manufactured between May 2003 and March 2006.
© 2008 AFP
Related stories:
MIT software aims to thwart cyber hackers
(PhysOrg.com) -- In response to the chronic cyber threat of hackers, MIT Lincoln Laboratory researchers are developing a software tool to identify the most vulnerable points in a computer network. The tool aims to make it possible for system administrators to focus on parts of a network that are most prone to attack, instead of securing all parts of the network.
'Dream team' to tackle profound questions in computer science
Princeton University is the lead institution for a new $10 million National Science Foundation grant that will fund research on "intractability" – a concept that has profound implications for a broad range of fields, from e-commerce to quantum computing.
Yale Professor wins Godel Prize for showing how computer algorithms solve problems
Daniel A. Spielman, professor of applied mathematics and computer science at Yale, has been awarded the prestigious Gödel Prize for developing a technique, known as Smoothed Analysis, that helps predict the success of problem-solving with real data and computers. He shared the prize with Shang-Hua Teng, professor of computer science at Boston University.
Piecing Together an Extinct Lemur, Large as a Big Baboon
Penn State researchers have used computed tomography (CT) technology to virtually glue newly-discovered skull fragments of a rare extinct lemur back into its partial skull, which was discovered over a century ago. Alan Walker, Evan Pugh Professor of Anthropology and Biology at Penn State, and Research Associate in Anthropology Timothy Ryan, led the research.
Transparent Semiconductors May Be Future of Flat Panel Display Industry
Some types of “amorphous oxide” transparent semiconductors originally developed in the College of Engineering at Oregon State University may form the basis for the next generation of flat panel displays, providing better performance at a lower cost.
Web of possibilities: Researcher finds new avenues for social research online
Why do certain songs become hits while others flop? How can individuals be encouraged to consider the public good rather than act selfishly? Why are casual relationships sometimes as important as connections to friends and family?
A new way to protect computer networks from Internet worms
Scientists may have found a new way to combat the most dangerous form of computer virus. The method automatically detects within minutes when an Internet worm has infected a computer network. Network administrators can then isolate infected machines and hold them in quarantine for repairs.
Virtual reality can yield real legal woes
What your avatar does in an online fantasy world may very well land you in court. As virtual worlds increasingly generate real-world legal disputes, a cyberlaw scholar at the Rutgers School of Law—Camden is authoring a book that promises to be the first to focus on the complex intersection of law and virtual worlds.
