Recalls this week: Sony laptops that may melt, kids’ jewelry made with toxic metal, pet beds

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Recalls this week: Sony laptops, kids’ jewelry

NEW YORK — A big recall of notebook computers leads the news this week, as a series of Sony Vaio laptops were deemed in danger of overheating and potentially causing burns.

More children’s jewelry containing the dangerous metal cadmium also made the list, along with power adapters for heated pet beds, which may cause fires.

More information about all of these recalls can be found on the Consumer Product Safety Commission website at www.cpsc.gov, in addition to the company sites listed below.

Here are some of the items recalled this week:

NOTEBOOK COMPUTERS

DETAILS: Sony Electronics Inc. recalled two series of its Vaio laptop computers, spanning nearly 70 different models. The VPCF11 and VPCCW2 series laptops were sold at Best Buy, Costco, Frys, Sony Style and other electronics and office supply retailers, and online at Amazon.com and Sonystyle.com for between $800 and $1,200 between January and April this year.

WHY: The computers can overheat, and potentially burn users.

INCIDENTS: No injuries have been reported, but Sony has received 30 reports of units overheating and deforming the keyboards and casings.

HOW MANY: About 233,000.

FOR MORE: Visit esupport.sony.com/US/f1cw2update.

CHILDREN’S CHARM BRACELETS & RINGS

DETAILS: “Happy” charm bracelets and football rings that were handed out at doctor and dentist offices around the country for the past five years were recalled by SmileMakers Inc., of Spartanburg, S.C.

WHY: The jewelry contains high levels of cadmium, which is toxic if ingested by children and can cause adverse health effects.

HOW MANY: About 66,200 charm bracelets and 2,200 rings.

INCIDENTS: None reported.

FOR MORE: Call SmileMakers at 877-390-5470, visit www.smilemakers.com.

PET BED POWER ADAPTERS

DETAILS: The transformers that came with PetSafe Heated Wellness Sleepers have been recalled. The beds were sold at pet stores, in catalogs and online nationwide from September 2006 through April 2010, for between $70 and $110. The adapters have “plug in class 2 transformer,” and “Model no: k12-800″ printed on them, and have a spring coil covering the length of the electrical wire connects to the bed. Power adapters without spring coils are not affected by this recall.

WHY: When the metal connector is removed from the bed, it can cause arcing between the coil spring and the connector, posing a fire and burn hazard to consumers.

HOW MANY: About 20,000.

INCIDENTS: There have been three reports of connectors melting. No injuries or fires have been reported.

MORE INFO: Call Radio Systems Corp. at 800-732-2677 or visit www.petsafe.net.