Panasonic Begins To Lock Out 3d-Party Camera Batteries

OhMyBattery writes "The latest firmware updated for Panasonic digital cameras contains one single improvement: it locks out the ability to use 'non-genuine Panasonic' batteries. It does so for safety reasons, it says. It seems to indicate that this is going to be the norm for all new Panasonic digital cameras. From the release: 'Panasonic Digital Still Cameras now include a technology that can identify a genuine Panasonic battery. For the protection of our customers Panasonic developed this technology after it was discovered that some aftermarket 3rd party batteries do not meet the rigid safety standards Panasonic uses.' The firmware warning is quite clear as to what it does: 'After this firmware update your Panasonic Digital Camera cannot be operated by 3rd party batteries (non genuine Panasonic batteries).'"

Comments

Talk about knee-jerk responses

[Mr. Firewall]

Before posting, I read through the comments here to see if ANYONE had a clue regarding the dangers of Lithium Ion (and especially Lithium Polymer) batteries.

Nope. Not a one. Zero, zip, nada. Everyone wants to bash Panasonic rather than do a little research first.

Talk about knee-jerk responses.

Listen, Lithium Ion technology is DANGEROUS. It catches fire easily -- very easily -- and destroys everything around it.

Credit Sony, who is one of the pioneers (if not THE pioneer) of Lithium battery safety, for protecting their customers.

Sheesh, you people are as bad as any other herd of sheeple. Not everything that a corporation does is evil.