Dell responds to latest capacitor-related fallout, ignores the whole lying to consumers part

The "capacitor plague" issue of the early 2000's has started to resurface, not thanks to another batch of bogus orange-hued electrolytes popping free, but this time thanks to the release of documents relating to a three year-old Dell lawsuit. The docs show that Dell asked customer service reps to deny there was any problem with their motherboards, telling them to pretend they'd never heard about the issue and to "emphasize uncertainty." Now, Dell is responding to the latest flare up -- sort of.

A post on the Direct2Dell blog reiterates that this was an industry-wide issue, which it was, but more or less ignores the crux of this latest report: those internal memos telling CSRs to play stupid while corporate IT departments panicked as OptiPlex desktops died left and right.  Dell also points out that AIT, the company that raised this particular lawsuit, was improperly using its OptiPlex machines as servers and not as mere desktops.
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Chevrolet bringing 10,000 Volts in 2011

Good news for all electric heads out there: "intense interest" in the Chevy Volt has led General Motors to expand its launch markets to now include Connecticut, New Jersey, New York, and Texas. They join California, Michigan and Washington DC, although only Austin in Texas and New York City will have the honor of retail Volts before 2010 is through; the rest of the new markets will get their fill in 2011.
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Apple PR says recent Steve Jobs emails are fake

If you've been anywhere near the internet in the past few hours, you've undoubtedly heard about a Steve Jobs email conversation in which he told an angry iPhone customer to "calm down" and that the iPhone 4 was "just a phone." That email chain, which was published on Boy Genius Report  earlier, was also reportedly shopped to AppleInsider a few days ago -- for a price. Well, now Fortune is reporting that they've been told by a "a top Apple spokesman" that the emails are fake, and the exchange never happened. Of course, emails are notoriously easy to fake, and Apple has not been in the habit of commenting on its CEO's online wanderings, so our ears pricked up when we saw this article. We've reached out to Apple and they have independently confirmed to us that the conversation is indeed a hoax.
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Sony Dash is ready to travel the globe if you're ready to pay the import duties

International readers, your day has come: the Dash will finally work for you. Sony has lifted restrictions on the device that prevented it from being used outside the US of A, meaning you can wake up with that company's most advanced alarm clock ever regardless whether your bedding down in Belarus or shacking up in Shanghai. However, the company warns that "many providers automatically geo-filter their content so your experience with your Dash may vary depending on your location."
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Intel shows off 'HERB' the robotic butler, the future is unimpressed

So, you're glamping out on Mars, and of course you need someone to buttle you as you relax within your well appointed, synthetic diamond-reinforced space tent; who better than a robotic butler? Good thing we've come a long way in the last 100 years or so, can you believe that early 21st century humans had to get by with this bot built by Intel named "HERB," who could barely manage to drop an empty into the recycling bin? Sure, he wasn't totally worthless, he could sort dishes and put them in the dishwasher (edible flatware wasn't the norm back then), and managed a vague approximation of speech synthesis (this was before Google blew the lid off the whole artificial voice problem in the 2030s), but it's hard to call any of these capabilities truly useful to any modern family.
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Verizon sends letter, $25 gift card to patient Droid Incredible buyers

Still haven't received your HTC Droid Incredible due to that AMOLED shortage? Then it looks like you'll soon be hearing from Verizon, if you haven't already. Android Central reports that the carrier has begun sending letters to all customers still waiting for their phones that apologizes for delay, and informs them that they'll soon also be receiving a $25 Verizon gift card as a little thank you for their patience.
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Microsoft announces InstaLoad battery technology: never insert a battery the wrong way again

Microsoft has certainly had some ups  and downs  with its products over the years, but we're pretty sure the company's new InstaLoad technology falls somewhere between a home run and the best thing it's ever done. It promises to do nothing short of redefine the way you insert batteries, and let you shove 'em into devices without any regard for positive or negative polarity. That's apparently possible thanks to a patented battery contact design, which Microsoft says "simply works," and is compatible with a whole range of battery sizes (both standard and rechargeable).
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