Gateway has become the latest notebook computer supplier to recall Sony-made laptop batteries. It has asked for some 35,000 lithium-ion power packs to be returned. The batteries could, under "very rare circumstances" overheat and catch fire, Gateway said, though it claimed it has not heard of any instances of this happening with its machines.

Gateway laptops covered by the recall began shipping in September 2005 or later. The model numbers are the CX200, CX210, E100M, M250, M255, M280, M285, M465, M685, MP8708, NX260, NX510, NX560, NX860, NX100, MX1025, MX6918b and MX1020j. Full details can be found on the company's website.

Gateway's announcement was accompanied by a a US Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) statement adding that batteries from Fujitsu, Sony and Toshiba are also being recalled, putting the formal stamp on battery recalls already announced by these companies in the States and overseas.

The US recall amounts to some 340,000 units, but all four firms' actions should see the return of around 3.42m battery packs worldwide, the CPSC said. ®