Dell recalls notebook computer batteries

Dell Inc. said Monday it will recall 4.1 million notebook computer batteries because they can overheat and catch fire.

Dell negotiated conditions of the recall with the federal Consumer Product Safety Commission, which called it the largest electronics-related recall ever conducted by the agency.

A Dell spokesman said the batteries were made by Sony Corp. and placed in notebooks that were shipped between April 1, 2004, and July 18 of this year.

The battery packs were included in some models of Dell’s Latitude, Inspiron, XTS and precision mobile workstation notebooks. Dell planned to launch a Web site overnight that would describe the affected models. Williams said the Web site would tell how consumers to get free replacement batteries from Dell.

There have been numerous recent news reports about Dell laptops bursting into flames, and pictures of some of the charred machines have circulated on the Internet.

It was Dell’s third recall of notebook batteries in five years.

Birmingham, Ala.

On-mend HealthSouth to keep tainted name

The name will remain the same at HealthSouth Corp., but plenty else will change under a restructuring announced Monday as the medical services company continues its recovery from a $2.7 billion fraud.

HealthSouth said it plans to shed its outpatient rehabilitation clinics, surgery centers and diagnostic division to focus on inpatient intensive care, an area where it is making the largest share of revenue.

But it shelved the idea of coming up with a new name to replace the one that was marred during an accounting scandal that resulted in guilty pleas, layoffs and a sharply lower stock price.

CEO Jay Grinney said studies found “a bit of a blemish” on the HealthSouth name around its hometown of Birmingham, but the company’s reputation was mostly intact nationally.

Minneapolis

Mediators in touch with NW Airlines

Federal mediators checked in with Northwest Airlines Corp. and its flight attendants on Monday, although the airline said no new talks are planned with the union that is threatening to strike on Aug. 25.

The National Mediation Board issued a statement saying it “remains active in helping the parties reach a consensual labor agreement.”

However, Northwest spokesman Kurt Ebenhoch said no talks are scheduled with flight attendants. He said the contact with mediators was a status conference by phone.

The National Mediation Board is a common fixture in airline labor talks, and it has been involved in earlier talks with flight attendants, too. Federal law generally bars airline strikes unless an NMB mediator releases both sides from negotiations.

Flight attendants had twice voted down negotiated agreements that would have saved Northwest $195 million a year.