NVIDIA Recalls Shield Tablets Over Heat Risk

An anonymous reader writes: NVIDIA has issued a recall for 88,000 units of its 8-inch Shield tablet sold in the past year. Predictably, it's because of the battery. There have been reports of overheating, including two reports that the tablet got so hot it damaged the floor it was resting on. Oddly, the company is requiring anyone returning the tablet to update its OS to the latest release.

Comments

Nothing "odd" about the required update

[Rhywden]

The required update isn't "odd" because it facilitates two things:

First, it checks whether you're a owner of a affected device or not.

Second, if this is indeed the case it then facilitates getting the RMA number in conjunction with the website.

Basically, you go into "System" on your device, check the battery, it tells you that you're affected. You then open the website, enter the serial number of the device. You get an RMA number, and enter that into the device. You then get another number (some kind of receipt, probably) and enter that into the website, along with your contact information.

Sounds more complicated than it is and you're done in about 4 minutes, depending on how fast you type.

Re:Nothing "odd" about the required update

[isfry]

If you have the old firmware you will not see the battery type you have. It is not until you update your firmware that you will see that on the about screen.

Re:Nice garden path sentence

[XxtraLarGe]

From the title, I was wondering how NVIDIA recalls were shielding tablets over a heat risk. You would expect the opposite - a recall should, well, recall tablets, not shield them.

Never heard of heat shields? ;-)

Update required

[Anonymous Coward]

The update is actually required so that you can get your battery model number. Without the update, the "Battery" field that they tell you to check isn't present.

Too late for me

[Lord Crc]

I just sent it back to the vendor (under warranty) because the latest OS update caused the speakers to melt.

While browsing the net I noticed the smell of burnt plastic, and quickly noticed the edges (where the speakers are) was too hot to touch. Turned the thing off but they were cooked.

Then I found I wasn't alone... https://forums.geforce.com/default/topic/834884/shield-tablet/speakers-damaged-after-3-0-update/

Apparently somehow the speakers got fed DC current while doing nothing in particular. Impressive if you ask me.

Re:Shields are for cows.

[CODiNE]

MOOOOOO! Is the sound of the universe telling you to stop browsing comments at -1.