Vaio laptop recall

Battery fire risk sparks Vaio laptop recall

By SHELDON OSBORNE

If you are reading this article on a Sony Vaio Fit 11A laptop, you should worry, after all, its one thing to have a hot laptop sitting uncomfortably on your lap, but for that laptop to ignite and burn its user is another matter.

Last Friday, Sony urged customers who purchased the new model of its Vaio computers to stop using them as soon as possible over fears they could catch fire while in use.

In the latest product problem for the troubled electronics group, the company is notifying owners of the Vaio Fit 11A, which launched in February, that their computers may have a faulty battery pack that is at risk of overheating and igniting. A formal recall is being implemented.

According to an article published on April 11 in the UK Guardian, the computer manufacturer said it had shipped 25,905 of the Vaio Fit 11A in 52 countries since its launch, including 7,158 in Europe, 2,088 in China, 3,619 in Japan and 497 in the US.

Sony said three PCs had caught on fire around the battery pack, which was manufactured by Panasonic Corp.

The three incidents occurred in Japan, Hong Kong, and in China. All units were immediately pulled from store shelves. The batteries in question were made by Panasonic. A spokesperson from Panasonic told the Wall Street Journal that the company could not provide details about other computer manufacturers that may have received the same Panasonic batteries, but assured the paper that the batteries are customized for the needs of each client.

On its website, Sony issued this Press Release warning customers to immediately stop using the laptops:

“It has come to our attention that some of the internal, non-removable battery packs provided to us by a third party supplier and included in VAIO Fit 11A released in February 2014 have the potential to overheat resulting in partial burns to the housing of the PC. If you have one or more of the VAIO Fit11A/Flip PC model listed below, please immediately discontinue use, shut down and unplug the PC. We are currently identifying affected PCs by serial numbers and developing a program to repair or replace the affected PCs at no charge, or to refund the purchase price for the affected PCs, in accordance with the program. We expect to post a program announcement with details within two weeks. In the meantime, as safety is our primary concern, we ask again that you please refrain from using the below-listed model until you further hear from us in the program announcement. [Target models] VAIO Fit 11A 
Personal Computer”


The only model number listed is “SVF11N13CXS”.

One on-line publication noted that it isn’t the company’s first battery-related recall. In 2006, Sony had to recall battery packs that it had produced for several other PC manufacturers. Then, in 2010 the company was forced to recall nearly 535,000 Vaio laptops when a temperature-control issue caused overheating and structural distortion to the laptop itself.

The company mentioned an impending program announcement for more information about the recall program. If you own a new Vaio laptop, keep an eye on the company’s Support Page for an announcement.

Canned fish: Safe and tasty too!

Super-convenient canned seafood: better than fresh?

Canned fish are fish which have been processed, sealed in an airtight container such as a sealed tin can, and subjected to heat. Canning is a method of preserving food, and provides a typical shelf life ranging from one to five years.

Fish have a low acidity at levels where microbes can flourish. From a public safety point of view, foods with low acidity (a pH more than 4.6) need sterilization under high temperature (116-130 °C). To achieve temperatures above the boiling point requires a method ofpressurized cooking which is provided by the containment within the can.^[1] After sterilization, the containing can prevents microorganisms from entering and proliferating inside. Other than sterilization, no method is perfectly dependable as a preservative. For example, the microorganism Clostridium botulinum (which causes botulism), can only be eliminated at temperatures above the boiling point.

Such preservation techniques are needed to prevent fish spoilage and lengthen shelf life. They are designed to inhibit the activity of spoilage bacteria and the metabolic changes that result in the loss of fish quality. Spoilage bacteria are the specific bacteria that produce the unpleasant odours and flavours associated with spoiled fish.

(Wikipedia)

Mercury alert: Is canned tuna safe to eat?

The tuna sandwich is a lunchbox staple. But several species of tuna, like other large ocean fish, contain higher-than-average amounts of mercury.This is of particular concern for young children, whose nervous system, brain, heart, kidneys and lungs are all susceptible to the harmful effects of mercury.

But parents and kids need not give up tuna altogether. There are two main kinds of canned tuna: chunk light and solid or chunk white (albacore). Most canned white tuna is albacore. Its mercury levels are almost three times higher than the smaller skipjack, used in most canned light tuna.

These recommendations are based on EPA guidance and estimates of mercury in the most popular canned tunas:

·         Canned white, or albacore (0.32 parts per million of mercury). Children under six can eat up to one 3-ounce portion a month; children from 6–12, two 4.5-ounce portions a month. Adults, including pregnant women, can safely eat it up to three times a month (women, 6-ounce portions; men, 8-ounce portions).

·         Canned light — the safer choice (0.12 parts per million of mercury). Children under six can eat up to three 3-ounce portions per month. Older children and adults can safely eat it once a week. But look out for “gourmet” or “tonno” labels. They are made with bigger yellowfin tuna and can contain mercury levels comparable to canned white.

·         A better alternative is canned salmon (mostly sockeye or pink from Alaska), which is low in contaminants and high in heart-healthy omega-3s. It's also sustainably caught in Alaska and similarly priced, making it a great choice all around.

Keep an eye on school lunches. If your child eats tuna in school lunches, it's best to find out what types are being offered and how often.
A study by the Mercury Policy Project in the US found a wide range of mercury levels in both light and white tuna from government sponsored school lunch programs. Some of the canned albacore/white tuna tested had mercury levels almost four times the average level reported by US-FDA.

5 canned fish choices

5 Canned Fish You Should Be Eating

By Matthew G. Kadey, M.Sc., R.D., Runner's World

YOU know fish is good for you. "It's a rich source of protein and healthy fats," says Cassie Dimmick, M.S., R.D., a sports dietitian in Springfield, Missouri. But that doesn't mean you eat it: 48 percent of respondents to a runnersworld.com poll said they eat seafood only occasionally and usually at restaurants. What's the problem? If fresh fish seems inconvenient, expensive, and hard to prepare, you're forgetting about a handy option: canned swimmers. In many ways canned fish is a better choice. Multiple common varieties offer less-expensive, better-tasting products naturally low in toxins and contaminants and, as a bonus, harvested in an environmentally sustainable way. Shelf-stable and already cooked, canned fish is there when you're ready for a protein-rich recovery meal. Try these tasty meal suggestions below.

CAN DO: Sardines
Sardines provide a dose of omega-3s, vitamin B12, and vitamin D. "Studies show vitamin D may enhance athletic performance and even help prevent diabetes," says Kimball. A 2012 study suggests getting plenty of D can help reduce your risk of catching a bug. The Monterey Bay Aquarium Seafood Watch lists sardines as a "best choice," thanks to its nutritional might, sustainability, and low toxin risk. If eating the calcium-rich bones isn't your thing, you can buy ones without. Stick to fish packed in heart-healthy olive oil (not poor quality vegetable oils), or save calories by choosing those in water or tomato sauce.

TRY THIS: Sardine Penne with Prosciutto
Combine 1 pound cooked whole-wheat penne, three 4-ounce tins sardines (chop them), 2 ounces diced prosciutto, 2 cups sliced cherry tomatoes, 1/2 cup toasted walnuts, and 1 tablespoon fresh thyme. In a small bowl, whisk together 1/4 cup olive oil, juice of 1/2 lemon, 3 minced garlic cloves, 1/4 teaspoon black pepper, and 1/4 teaspoon red chili flakes. Toss dressing with pasta and garnish with Parmesan.

CAN DO Tuna
If you've steered clear of tuna in recent years because of its mercury content, you can put this fish back on the menu. New canning companies, including Wild Planet and Raincoast Trading, pack smaller albacore tuna, which means these fish have had less time to accumulate mercury (other brands that pack larger albacore still carry high levels of this toxin). Both companies also test for mercury content and harvest their fish using environmentally friendly methods. While canned skipjack (or "chunk light") tuna has always been a low-mercury option, meatier-tasting albacore contains four times more omega-3s. A four-ounce serving of tuna also packs 32 grams of muscle-building protein--as much as a similarly sized chicken breast.

TRY THIS: Tuna Salad with Parsley Dressing
Toss together 4 cups baby spinach, two 5-ounce cans drained albacore tuna, 1 can rinsed cannellini beans, 1 diced avocado, 1 sliced red pepper, 1 diced cucumber, 1 chopped orange, and 1/2 cup sliced red onion. In a food processor, pulse 1 bunch parsley leaves, 1/3 cup olive oil, juice of 1/2 lemon, 1 tablespoon white-wine vinegar, 1 minced garlic clove, and 1/4 teaspoon salt. Serve tuna salad with parsley dressing. 

CAN DO: Anchovies
This tiny, silvery fish has a robust, savory flavor. The canned or jarred fillets are a good source of heart-healthy omega-3 fats and rich in selenium. "There is some research suggesting selenium helps with joint health," says Molly Kimball, R.D., a sports dietitian in New Orleans, "and omega-3 fats can help fight inflammation." Anchovies are also an excellent source of niacin, which the body uses to convert food into energy. Quick to reproduce, wild anchovy populations are healthy and there is little contamination risk. The fish is often salt-cured and packed in olive oil, which makes them ideal after a sweaty run when you need electrolytes (or to eliminate some of the salt, soak them in water for 30 minutes and pat dry with paper towels).

TRY THIS: Anchovy and Olive Pizza
Brush whole-wheat pitas with oil. Broil for two minutes, until golden. Spread pizza sauce on top. Sprinkle with chopped anchovies (4 per pita), sliced kalamata olives, sliced artichoke hearts, red pepper flakes, and shredded mozzarella. Broil one minute, or until cheese melts. Garnish with basil.

CAN DO: Crab
Canned crab meat is a great way to reel in muscle-friendly protein, bone-building phosphorus, and the mineral zinc. In fact, just three ounces provide nearly a quarter of your daily need. "Zinc is necessary for many functions that are essential to runners," says Dimmick, "including protein metabolism and immune function." The best brands of lump or white crab meat will have a firm texture and a clean, light flavor--and no fishy scent. Jumbo lump crab meat comes from the large muscles that drive the crab's swimming legs, giving it a meatier texture and earning it a more expensive price tag worthy of the occasional splurge.

TRY THIS: Crab and Black Bean Tacos
Whisk 1/2 cup yogurt, 1 teaspoon curry powder, and 1/8 teaspoon cayenne. In another bowl, stir two 6-ounce cans crab, one 15-ounce can rinsed black beans, and one cubed mango. Spread on tortillas. Top with baby spinach and curry yogurt. Eat taco-style.

CAN DO: Salmon
Canned salmon is one of the richest sources of the omega-3 fats EPA and DHA. "These fats decrease heart-disease risk and improve bone strength," says Dimmick, "which may help runners avoid stress fractures." They're also an excellent source of protein and vitamin D. Some canned salmon comes with the bones, which are soft and edible and provide calcium-but boneless varieties are available for the squeamish. Either canned pink salmon or sockeye is a good bet. The former is less expensive, while the latter contains 65 percent more vitamin D and 35 percent more omega-3s. Both are mainly harvested from sustainable wild stocks in Alaska.

TRY THIS: Avocado Salmon Cakes
Mix two 6-ounce cans salmon, 2 eggs, 1/2 cup bread crumbs, 1/3 cup milk, 1 shredded zucchini, and 2 teaspoons curry powder. Stuff into 8 greased muffin cups. Bake at 350°F for 25 minutes. In a food processor, puree 1 avocado, 1/2 cup yogurt, juice of 1 lime, 1 teaspoon wasabi, and 1/4 teaspoon salt. Serve salmon cakes with avocado sauce.

Canned vs Fresh for Lent

Canned vs Fresh

CANNED fish has been a part of Caribbean cuisine since the art of canning was first developed in the mid-1800s to preserve perishable foodstuff. The Lenten seasons usually creates an increased demand for fish - preferably fresh fish - But that increase in demand usually leads to higher prices.
This year, there is an even bigger price increase due to the oil spill that polluted large fishing grounds in the Gulf of Paria. The resulting shortage is also impacting prices of fresh fish, and leading many to turn towards canned fish, a commodity that is less subject to demand and supply pricing, and, with creative meal planning, can be just as nutritious and delicious as fresh fish dishes.

Caribbean reefs under attack by predatory lionfish

People across The Caribbean and in nearby areas of North, Central, ans South America are being urged to include the lionfish in their menus. There are some compelling reasons:

by Christopher Pala

NASSAU, The Bahamas, Friday February 28, 2014, IPS  - THE lionfish, with its striking russet and white stripes and huge venomous outrigger fins, wasn't hard to spot under a coral reef in 15 feet of clear water. Nor was it a challenge to spear it.As I approached and brought the point of my Hawaiian sling to within a foot of it, it simply looked back, utterly fearless until I pierced it and brought it back to the surface.

Within a half-hour, we had caught four of these gorgeous one-pound fish, and the fillets made excellent eating that night.

But the arrival of a tasty, abundant and easy-to-shoot fish on the Caribbean's much-depleted coral reefs is anything but good news. A recent scientific paper brought new detail to previous studies, showing that a year after colonising a reef, lionfish reduced the number of native fish by about half.

"They'll eat just about anything they can swallow and almost nothing eats them," said principal author Stephanie Green of Oregon State University. That's why they're so easy to catch, she explained.

However tasty they may be, only a miniscule fraction of the invaders has been removed, while their numbers continue to grow exponentially, reaching densities never seen in the Pacific, their native habitat.

This suggests the lionfish, believed to have been introduced to the Atlantic coast by aquarium lovers in the 1980s, will likely wipe out most Caribbean reef fish in a decade or two, scientists agree. As a result, many corals that depend on herbivore fish will die and eventually turn to rubble, making shorelines more vulnerable to waves just as global warming is lifting sea levels.

Read more: http://www.caribbean360.com/index.php/news/bahamas_news/1107119.html#ixzz2ur5FWH6c

  How to Quickly Lose Weight After Christmas and 

In time for Carnival

By CASSANDRA JAMES

Although we all love Christmas and New Year, few of us love the weight we invariably gain as a result of all the holiday festivities. But, never fear, after Christmas and New Year you can lose weight fast. It just means following these quick tips.

1. Exercise Every Day - While this might seem obvious, it's amazing how many people think losing weight fast after Christmas and New Year can be done while plonked in front of the TV all night. Get up and exercise. Fifteen minutes walking around the neighborhood every night, walk the dog, half an hour on a treadmill, or exercise bike in front of the TV. All of these activities, if done every day, will give you at least a 2lb weight loss over a month, just for the exercise itself. If you watch what you eat too, there's no reason you can't drop 10-15 lbs by the end of February

2. Freeze or Throw Away The Christmas/New Year Leftovers - The problem with Christmas and New Year is, not only is there food on the holiday day itself, but there's usually boatloads of it left afterwards. If you have a lot of food left over after the holidays, either freeze it and eat a little at a time over a couple of months, or pass it on to someone else or throw it away.

Leaving huge piles of leftover Christmas and New Year goodies lying around will do nothing but tempt you to continue eating too much.

3. Re-gift Food Gifts - Another great way to lose weight fast after Christmas and New Year is to give away the food you were given as presents. If you get lots of food, chocolate and candy as Christmas and New Year gifts and it doesn't have obvious holiday packaging on it, re-gift it to someone else in January.

While I love chocolate and candy, I can't have much of it in the house as I can't stop myself eating it. So, every year, right after Christmas I pass on the holiday goodies to the security guards in my building, the maids or various friends who aren't worried about losing weight. I live in Thailand, where food gifts over the holidays are too many to count. If I kept everything I get, I'd be still eating it in July and be an extra 20 lbs heavier.

4. Cut Out Just 300 Calories a Day - Find a way to cut out 300 calories a day. That's a candy bar, chocolate, a latte, a dessert - anything that's at least 300 calories. To lose one pound, you need to cut out 3,000 calories so, with just 300 calories a day omitted from your diet, that's over 3 lbs you'll lose by the end of January without even trying.

5. Join SparkPeople - If you don't have time to go to a weight loss group in your town, join SparkPeople. An amazing weight loss support website, not only do they have tons of resources for people trying to lose weight fast after the holidays, it's all free too. Get calorie counters and meal plans, meet other people in the chat rooms who are trying to lose weight and, most importantly, drop 20 lbs by the end of January. SparkPeople can show you how.

6. Eat Breakfast - I don't know how many people I meet who think, losing weight after Christmas and New Year means cutting out breakfast. Not only will you feel tired and sluggish if you do, you'll also not lose weight. Starting the day with breakfast gets your metabolism moving. If you don't eat it, your first meal of the day is lunch and, because your metabolism is slow, it will take that much longer for your body to burn the food it's eating. Thus turning it into fat. They don't call breakfast 'The most important meal of the day' for nothing.

7. Eat Lots of Fruit - One of the healthiest and most filling snacks is fruit. It also hits that 'sweet tooth' craving and stops you reaching for candy, cake or chocolate. Like a doctor once said to me, "I've never seen anyone get fat on fruit".

Cassandra James, Yahoo Contributor Network

Keeping the holiday-flu blues at bay

By SHELDON OSBORNE

THE flu season is here again. Those words are often heard in the international media whenever “winter” rolls around, but for people living in the tropics - in case you haven’t noticed - flu season is year-round.

Here in Trinidad and Tobago, people change the name of the flu on a regular basis to add a little fun to something that is no fun at all! But the fact is, each flu-wave is a mutation of the same flu, and the approaching Christmas season is one of several times each when folks flying in for the holidays will inevitably bring in strains of the flu that most Trinis at home have not been exposed to, and will have little power to resist.

Apart from Christmas, it happens at Carnival, Easter, August, and again in October at the onset of the North-American winter, when those seeking warmth find these shores again – as noted above, all year is flu season here.

Of course, most will agree that the yuletide holiday is one of the worst times to be sick – imagine not having the appetite to partake in all that food, or the energy to make the round s of parties! Not a comforting thought, right?

So naturally, you will want to take every step you can to avoid being infected, and if you are not so lucky, and you get it, you want to minimize the effects as much as possible. Here are some preventative and curative tips to ensure you enjoy a flu-free Christmas:

Tip 1: Stay home if you're sick with the flu.

Tip 2: Avoid close contact with people who are sick with the flu.

Tip 3: Wash your hands often and avoid touching your eyes, nose and mouth.

Tip 4: Cover your mouth or nose with a tissue when coughing or sneezing.

Tip 5: Keep up with health information put out by the Ministry of health, or local  

           Public Health departments. 

By the way, in case you are wondering, the above flu-safety basics are the same whether you get the common cold, human flu or the swine flu. The swine flu is a respiratory disease of pigs caused by type A influenza viruses. While human infections are rare, they do happen.

This virus spreads the same way that regular flu viruses are spread – from person-to-person through coughing, sneezing and touching of infected people or surfaces: door knobs, shopping carts, countertops, and so on, so, it’s also wise to carry your alcohol-based, disinfecting wipes, sprays and gels (sanitizer) with you.

As for preventative measures, remember to:

·        Wash your hands with soap as often as possible, or use sanitizer if you can’t get to a sink.

·        Eat more fruits and vegetables:  Try to include vegetables in at least one meal every day (two would be better). Also eat at least one fruit every day, or juice the fruits and have them with your meals.

·        Get enough sleep: This is important to keeping your immune system working as it should. Adequate sleep is also vital for recovery if you do get the flu.

·        Get enough exercise: This is also important for your immune system. You don’t have to join a gym – moderate 30 minute walks, or choosing the stairs instead of the escalator will do.