Here’s the company’s statement on the issue:

AT&T and Alcatel-Lucent jointly identified a software defect–triggered under certain conditions–that impacted uplink performance for Laptop Connect and smartphone customers using 3G HSUPA-capable
wireless devices in markets with Alcatel-Lucent equipment. This impacts less than two percent of our wireless customer base. While Alcatel-Lucent develops the appropriate software fix, we are providing normal 3G uplink speeds and consistent performance for affected customers with HSUPA-capable devices.

Says Sony, “In rare instances, these notebook computers may overheat due to a potential malfunction of the internal temperature management system, resulting in deformation of the product’s keyboard or external casing, and a potential burn hazard to consumers.”

Vaio owners with machines subject to the recall can resolve the problem themselves with a firmware update or by having Sony (SNE) do the repair.

“Our contacts revealed that some panels are being returned to Akeena, depending on the severity of the defect,” he wrote in a research note this morning. The issue he says, involved the frame, and not the performance of the modules themselves. “Akeena touts the aesthetically pleasing nature [of its Andalay line] as a key contributor to charging a premium price,” he writes. “Poor manufacturing quality affecting the looks, coupled with reports from our contacts that the module has been returned, suggest to us that either price breaks were negotiated on the modules kept in the field, or Akeena will suffer increased costs to rectify the situation.”

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