Good Morning Silicon Valley

It remains a source of never-ending irritation, and occasional danger, that all our cool digital devices still depend on the hot, crude technology of the battery, and while there’s hope on the horizon, for now we must expect a steady trickle of announcements like the one from Nokia today. The world’s largest mobile phone maker warned that up to 46 million of its handset batteries may be faulty and pose a risk of overheating. Nokia said 100 incidents of overheating of the Matsushita-made BL-5C batteries have been reported worldwide, but added that “no serious injuries or property damage have been reported.” All of the meltdowns occurred during charging, the company said. Nokia didn’t issue a recall, simply a warning, but said it would replace any of the affected batteries on request. That leaves the option up to you — swap it out or start charging your phone inside the fridge.