overheating

The new 2012 iPad runs warmer than the iPad 2, but it's no hotter than many laptops under similar conditions.

That's the conclusion after hours of testing in CNET's San Francisco and New York Labs, all of which are detailed below.

We're continuing to test a variety of aspects on the iPad, including heat output, wireless performance, and other features. But--so far, at least--the operating temperature is no reason for CNET to change its buying recommendation (the new iPad is currently the highest rated tablet on our site, and an Editors' Choice).

As always, there are myriad variables here--how you hold (or don't hold) the iPad, whether you use a case, what apps you run, and for how long.

If you're a prospective buyer and concerned about the issue, we'd suggest giving the iPad some hands-on testing in a retail store before committing to a purchase.

Editors' note: This story (and its title) has been updated several times since its original publication--including the addition of the new introduction above--to reflect new test results, and the resulting conclusions.

Numerous reports of new iPads getting unexpectedly toasty have plastered the Web today. CNET Labs ran its own, independent tests, and without too much beating around the bush, here are the results. All temperature measurements were taken on the back of the tablet and all are reported in degrees Fahrenheit.… Read more

Heat has come up as an issue with previous generations of iPads. So, that's not news. But the new iPad may have, in select cases, its own unique heat problems.

User forum postings (here and here) and a report seem to point to heat as an issue for select users.

The problem area--based on forum links above--seems to be a hot-spot in the corner of the unit.

In the worst case, the iPad shuts down and a message pops up, saying "the iPad needs to cool down," according to a Next Web report (link above).

That seems … Read more

The U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission and Health Canada yesterday issued a formal voluntary recall notice for Cloud Engines' Pogoplug Video media streaming device.

CNET originally reported the problem in mid-June after the San Francisco-based company sent an e-mail to media outlets and wrote a blog entry detailing an overheating issue with Pogo-11, -12, -13, and -14 devices. The CPSC has fully detailed the extent of the issue, indicating that 11,000 Pogoplug products are suspect, affecting 9,500 units in the United States and 1,500 in Canada.

Cloud Engines received three reports of the device overheating, prompting … Read more

Cloud Engines, makers of the Pogoplug series of products, announced a recall of its most recent Pogoplug Video--a device we've been testing here at CNET. According to an e-mail sent last night, all Pogoplug Video units (Pogo-11, -12, -13, and -14) are susceptible to overheating and, in at least one reported case, erupting in actual flames.

Owners of the Pogoplug Video are urged to unplug any hard drives and turn off the devices immediately. (Update/correction: Cloud Engines is currently asking that owners collect proof of purchase and await further instructions on the return process.)

The recall is only … Read more

One of the latest and popular game titles from Blizzard Entertainment is StarCraft 2, which was released about two months ago. As with many modern games, this title has some advanced graphics that may at times be demanding on video cards, which in turn causes them to heat up. Heat generation is the nature of anything that demands processing power, but with StarCraft a couple of people have reported the game causing their hardware to overheat and fail.

Recently we were contacted by a MacFixIt reader and StarCraft player "Ricardo" who mentioned that the game ran only a … Read more

Apple's Japan unit is offering to replace the batteries of first-generation models of the iPod Nano, a device that has seen its share of complaints about overheating that triggered fires and burns for some customers.

A notice buried deep within the Web site for Apple Japan links to an Apple support page that advises customers concerned about their first-gen iPod Nanos overheating to contact AppleCare for a new battery. Any customer who has actually experiencing an overheating incident can contact AppleCare to receive an entirely new iPod Nano unit, Apple spokesman Tom Neumayr told CNET.

The overheating battery, which Apple says occurs in very rare cases, is symptomatic of iPod Nanos sold between September 2005 and December 2006, and could prevent the unit from working or deform its casing. Apple Japan says that the issue was traced to a single battery supplier and that it's received no reports of similar problems with other iPod Nano models.… Read more

Most gadget owners know that leaving any piece of electronic equipment in the direct sunlight isn't a great idea. Now an iPad owner, who claims their touch-screen tablet overheats and turns off when left in the sunlight, is suing Apple.

Bloomberg reported Tuesday that the complaint was filed Friday in federal court in U.S. District Court for the Northern District of California. The suit is seeking class-action status and asks for unspecified damages because the device "overheats so quickly under common weather conditions." The suit says Apple's iPad "does not live up to the … Read more

Sony announced Wednesday that it plans to recall around 535,000 Vaio laptops due to overheating problems.

The company said that a flaw in the temperature control can create an excessive buildup of heat that distorts the shape of the unit. Though Sony hasn't heard of any problems with the Vaio in Japan, it said it received 39 complaints of overheating and distortion from customers abroad.

The company also noted the possibility that the heat buildup could create skin burns but hasn't received any report of this, according to the Wall Street Journal (subscription required).

The recall would … Read more

Smaller, faster gadgets may be cool, but keeping them from getting too hot poses challenges.

Consumer electronics, of course, contain many sources of heat, including interconnecting wiring and millions of transistors. In the past, bigger and bigger fans have been employed to keep chips from overheating, thus expanding a gadget's lifespan. But as electronics continue to shrink, so does the space where fans can be placed.

Enter graphene, a sheet of densely arranged carbon that's just a single atom thick and boasts strong heat-conducting properties. Researchers at UC Riverside's Nano-Device Laboratory have discovered a way to layer … Read more