Detecting exploding batteries, part 2

[David Zeuthen]

On Mon, 2006-09-25 at 09:12 +0200, Danny Kukawka wrote:
> On Sunday 24 September 2006 22:20, Richard Hughes wrote:
> > The FDI file currently matches against the battery models in
> > https://www.dellbatteryprogram.com but I intend to add the other
> > batteries from Sony and HP (when I get sent the data) and hopefully
> > Apple also if we can get the info from PMU.
> >
> > In the event of another manufacturer recall, a single fdi update can be
> > pushed to distros, greatly improving the effectiveness of the recall
> > notice for laptop users IMO.
> 
> I don't see, why we need this in HAL. This has IMO really nothing to do with 
> Hardware Abstraction. This keys are not really battery information.

I think it does make sense to define these properties with a few
changes, see the reply I just sent to Richard.

> This data blowup HAL with information wich is outdated in some weeks because 
> the batteries are replaced in new laptops and the most of the batteries are 
> recalled by the laptop vendors. 

As noted this shouldn't live in the HAL project. 

On the same noted the fdi files for USB music players shouldn't either.
Perhaps we can combine this information and the hardware recall
information in a separate project and/or tarball called hal-hwinfo. 

Danny, Richard: What do you think about this?

> And with the _normal_ HAL release cycle this 
> information are old and complete useless.

You are assuming that people actually follow computer related news and
checks the serial numbers of their batteries / hardware. I don't think
that is true, many people are just lazy / don't care / don't know. 

If we can put a prompt up to say "your battery is being recalled" and
that way save some people from injury (by them actually replacing the
battery that would otherwise malfunction), we have done something which
is far more important than anything else we discuss on this list.

    David