Apple set to recall 4.1 million notebook batteries - Dell announced the recall of 4.1 million batteries from its computers last week. This week it is the turn of Apple and yesterday the company said it was recalling 1.8 million PC batteries. The recall comes after nine incidents of notebook PCs overheating were reported, including two cases where users received minor burns. Neither Dell or Apple are expecting any adverse losses because the battery cells causing the problem are made by Sony.
Jeremy Batstone, of Charles Stanley in London, says that apparently batteries made by Sony do on occasion burst into flames and cause mild damage. The move on the batteries in Apple's iBook G4 and PowerBook G4 computers will see 1.1 million batteries recalled in the US and 700,000 worldwide. It is expected that Sony will accept responsibility and this may cause the company as much as $250m. The recall won't cost Apple anything though, he adds. Pointing out the fact that Apple has sold over one million computers a month in the last six or seven points, he says that the sum of money involved is really quite small.
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Confusion over latest JNLR figures? - Yesterday evening the latest listenership figures for radio in Ireland were issued. The JNLR figures inform programme makers and advertisers who is listening to what. Overall 85% of the population or 2.85 million people turn on the radio every day. Michael O'Keefe is chief executive of the Broadcasting Commission of Ireland and sits on the management committee of the JNLR. He says that the figures are pretty stable, but that there is some interesting movements. Mr O'Keefe points out that the local radio stations have gone up to 58% listenership, which is probably the highest they have ever achieved. He says that RTE may be a little concerned about the trend in its figures which are showing a slight drop, but adds that action has been taken by the broadcaster to half this trend.
Referring to the fact that the two main daily newspapers report the figures in different ways, Mr O'Keefe says that the figures are 'rolling', which means that every three months the latest trend is published. The JNLR then compares these figures with the previous three months - this is how the Irish Times reports the figures. However, the Irish Independent compares them on a year on year basis. Both ways of analysis are legitimate, he says.
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Pump prices on the way down - There is good news for motorists who have spent much of the summer driving under the yolk of extra high petrol prices. But a falling off in the international price of oil means that for the time being at least, petrol prices are on their way down. Both Shell and Maxol have reduced their wholesale prices to garage forecourts twice in recent days.
Tom Noonan, CEO of the Maxol Group, says that the group looks at petrol prices every week. He says that consumers should see pump prices falling in the coming days, and adds that some prices have already started to come down. Mr Noonan says that prices should drop back below €1.20 a litre as a general rule. If the world prices remain at present levels, he predicts that further reductions will be in the pipeline.
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Ryanair to update on UK legal threat - Ryanair will give further details this morning on its position regarding its planned legal challenge against the UK Government over the continued disruption to its flights.
