Thinkpad Goes Up In Flames In Airport

By Veedems
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luckyme632k

Posted
Posted

Software controls hardware. OF COURSE software can cause a fire. Though, the OS is supposed to protect your PC from those kinds of things, it could happen.

Sorry, but you're mistaken. Software doesn't "control" hardware; not in that way, at least. There's no way a program could make hardware do something like cause a battery to explode. Especialy when the laptop is turned off.

Think about it. If someone could write a virus to make *any* part of your computer PHYSICALLY self-destruct, don't you think they would have by now? Even a viirus that "kills" a hard drive is actually only destroying the data that's written there. The drive itself will still function after proper low-level formatting, etc.

Computers going up in smoke because of a bad program is strictly Star Trek, dude.

Grand Master

Shadrack

Posted
Posted

Software controls hardware. OF COURSE software can cause a fire. Though, the OS is supposed to protect your PC from those kinds of things, it could happen.

Software works with what Hardware gives it. Software controls hardware but only within the framework that the hardware provides.

That being said, there is no reason not to believe that there may be some exploit within hardware that a software writer can use to then destroy it. For instance, solving floating point number arithmetic 100% of the time on a particular CPU for 30 minutes straight might destroy itself from the heat w/o its safety circuit detecting the heating up and turning off the main board because of the location of the floating point number processing unit.

But a battery? Come on! It is clearly either a design issue (hopefully not), or a processing issue (most likely).

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luckyme632k

Posted
Posted

Software works with what Hardware gives it. Software controls hardware but only within the framework that the hardware provides.

Excellent way to put that. :)

That being said, there is no reason not to believe that there may be some exploit within hardware that a software writer can use to then destroy it. For instance, solving floating point number arithmetic 100% of the time on a particular CPU for 30 minutes straight might destroy itself from the heat w/o its safety circuit detecting the heating up and turning off the main board because of the location of the floating point number processing unit.

Good point, but I've never heard of a virus that's actually done it, which leads me to assume it's only theoretically possible. If you know of a real world case, could you provide a link? Scary.

But a battery? Come on! It is clearly either a design issue (hopefully not), or a processing issue (most likely).

Yeah, I'm guessing someone screwed up at the factory.

Grand Master

Shadrack

Posted
Posted

Good point, but I've never heard of a virus that's actually done it, which leads me to assume it's only theoretically possible. If you know of a real world case, could you provide a link? Scary.

No, I can't prove it. It was very hypothetical, but I'm not going to say that it couldn't ever happen. Like I said originally, that's just nutty.

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luckyme632k

Posted
Posted

No, I can't prove it. It was very hypothetical, but I'm not going to say that it couldn't ever happen. Like I said originally, that's just nutty.

*whew!* Very happy to hear that it hasn't yet been done. Let's hope it stays hypothetical...

Thanks Shadrack :)

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tareqsiraj

Posted
Posted

As far as I know, lithium ion can explode in extreme heat ... but thats... extreme heat... the laptop should've shut down before that happens. and for IBM or Lenovo... haven't heard any battery problems like such. But why isnt this news on CNN or BBC or any other major media? If this happened in an airport... those ppl always rush out and cover the story (act of terrorism :p).

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Chris Allen Veteran

Posted
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Posted

I hate people calling others noob.. Because ALL of us were once a noob... You can't be a computer savvy once you touch and use it for the very first time...

+1 folks.

This is pretty scary though. I hope they get this sort of thing sorted out :s

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