Laptops on fire!
(Credit:
PCPitStop)
If you're curious about what an exploding laptop looks like, have we got a YouTube video for you. Since actually being on hand with a video camera at the exact moment a laptop battery decides to flame out is a one-in-a-million shot, the guys over at PCPitStop decided to deliberately overload a Li-ON battery pack to see what would happen.
The first cell blows out in a puff of smoke, blowing a hole in the wrist rest of this generic laptop. It takes a bit longer for the actual flames to break out, but once they do, it's like a fireworks display.
Naturally, this is a controlled demonstration and shouldn't be attempted by any amateur videographers out there. Our favorite part--after the smoke starts pouring out, the video's narrator calmly advises, "If this were a real-life situation, the best strategy would be to move away from the laptop quickly."
[Via Gizmodo and Gadgetizer]
New York native Dan Ackerman, a former radio DJ turned journalist, has written about technology and music for publications including Spin, Blender, The Hollywood Reporter, and USA Today. He hosts the weekly Digital City podcast and the New York edition of Editors' Office Hours. Dan's new album, Tales Out of Night School, is available now. E-mail Dan. 
Great safety video and important notice about which fire extinguisher type to use and not use and what to do if you don't have an extinguisher handy - call 911 anyhow 'cause fire can double in size every 7 seconds. Thank you for the post!