Apple Computer announced it was recalling 1.8 million computer batteries manufactured by Sony.The move is the second significant recall of computer batteries manufactured by Sony in the space of a week.Dell, the world's largest PC manufacturer, last week said it was recalling 4.1 million batteries after a string of incidents where faulty batteries made laptop computers burst into flames.Apple said it was recalling batteries sold with its iBook G4 and PowerBook G4 computers from October 2003 to this month.Apple said it was recalling the batteries after nine batteries overheated. However, it said it did not expect any material financial impact from the move."These lithium-ion batteries can overheat, posing a fire hazard to consumers," the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission said in announcing the voluntary recall by Apple.The recalls, the two largest in the history of the electronics industry, highlight the potential hazards of lithium-ion batteries. The batteries become dangerous where particles in the battery cells come into contact with other parts of the battery cell, creating a short circuit.Apple has set up a webpage for customers to check the serial numbers of the batteries being recalled at http://support.apple.com/batteryprogram
