Samsung Electronics Co is in discussions about “potential safety issues” concerning some of its washing machines after a class-action lawsuit complained the appliances were exploding, the company said on Wednesday.
The news comes after the South Korean electronics giant recalled millions of its Galaxy Note 7 smartphones following a series of battery explosions.
Samsung is “in active discussions” with the US Consumer Product Safety Commission on issues with top-load washing machines manufactured between March 2011 and April this year, a company statement said.
“In rare cases, affected units may experience abnormal vibrations that could pose a risk of personal injury or property damage when washing bedding, bulky or water-resistant items,” it said.
Samsung recommended consumers use the “lower speed delicate cycle” when washing bedding or bulky items until it can offer additional information or remedies.
The commission confirmed it is in discussions with Samsung and that they are “working on a remedy for affected consumers.”
A US law firm has filed suit in New Jersey “alleging that some Samsung top-loading washing machines explode in owners homes,” leading to potential injury or damage, attorney Jason Lichtman said earlier on Wednesday.
“Users have reported Samsung top-load washers exploding as early as the day of installation, while other owners have seen their machines explode months or even more than a year after purchase,” the firm said in a statement.
PHONES
Samsung yesterday said it would resume sales of new Galaxy Note 7 smartphones in South Korea this week, hoping to turn the page on the troubled device after an ongoing global recall prompted by battery explosions.
The company on Sept. 2 suspended sales of the oversized “phablet” and recalled 2.5 million units shipped worldwide after faulty batteries caused the phones to explode while charging.
With the recall underway in 10 nations where the device had been launched, 60 percent of users in Samsung’s key market, the US, had swapped their handsets for replacements provided by the company, as of Tuesday.
Eighty percent of Note 7 customers are expected to complete the exchange this week in South Korea, where sales of new phones equipped with fault-free batteries are to resume on Saturday, Samsung said in a statement.
The new Note 7 is to gradually hit stores in other markets, including some European countries on Oct. 28, the company said.
Among the rows of vibrators, rubber torsos and leather harnesses at a Chinese sex toys exhibition in Shanghai this weekend, the beginnings of an artificial intelligence (AI)-driven shift in the industry quietly pulsed. China manufactures about 70 percent of the world’s sex toys, most of it the “hardware” on display at the fair — whether that be technicolor tentacled dildos or hyper-realistic personalized silicone dolls. Yet smart toys have been rising in popularity for some time. Many major European and US brands already offer tech-enhanced products that can enable long-distance love, monitor well-being and even bring people one step closer to
Malaysia’s leader yesterday announced plans to build a massive semiconductor design park, aiming to boost the Southeast Asian nation’s role in the global chip industry. A prominent player in the semiconductor industry for decades, Malaysia accounts for an estimated 13 percent of global back-end manufacturing, according to German tech giant Bosch. Now it wants to go beyond production and emerge as a chip design powerhouse too, Malaysian Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim said. “I am pleased to announce the largest IC (integrated circuit) Design Park in Southeast Asia, that will house world-class anchor tenants and collaborate with global companies such as Arm [Holdings PLC],”
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Sales in the retail, and food and beverage sectors last month continued to rise, increasing 0.7 percent and 13.6 percent respectively from a year earlier, setting record highs for the month of March, the Ministry of Economic Affairs said yesterday. Sales in the wholesale sector also grew last month by 4.6 annually, mainly due to the business opportunities for emerging applications related to artificial intelligence (AI) and high-performance computing technologies, the ministry said in a report. The ministry forecast that retail, and food and beverage sales this month would retain their growth momentum as the former would benefit from Tomb Sweeping Day