| Recurring |
multiple_organization |
(a) The incident described in the article does not directly relate to a software failure incident happening again within the same organization (Dell) or with its products and services. Therefore, there is no information provided in the article to support this option.
(b) The article mentions that similar incidents of batteries causing fires or explosions have been reported before, particularly with cell phones. The preliminary examination by firefighters suggested that the battery in the Dell laptop might have been the cause of the explosion, similar to cell phone fires. This indicates that incidents related to battery malfunctions causing fires or explosions have occurred with products from different organizations, not just Dell. |
| Phase (Design/Operation) |
unknown |
The provided article does not mention any software failure incident related to the development phases (design or operation). Therefore, it is unknown whether the incident was caused by factors introduced during system development, system updates, or procedures to operate or maintain the system (design), or if it was due to factors introduced by the operation or misuse of the system (operation). |
| Boundary (Internal/External) |
unknown |
The software failure incident reported in the article does not directly relate to a failure within the system or outside the system. The incident described is primarily related to a hardware issue, specifically the explosion of a Dell laptop due to a potentially faulty battery. Therefore, the boundary of the software failure incident is unknown as it does not fall under the categories of within_system or outside_system based on the information provided in the article. |
| Nature (Human/Non-human) |
non-human_actions |
(a) The software failure incident in this case was not directly related to non-human actions. The incident involved a Dell Inspiron laptop exploding while a 72-year-old woman, Loretta Luff, was using it to check email and play spider solitaire. The explosion resulted in burns to the woman's foot, arm, and face, as well as damage to her property. The preliminary examination suggested that the battery of the laptop might have been the cause of the explosion, similar to cell phone fires. Dell mentioned that using an incompatible or third-party battery could increase the risk of fire or explosion, indicating a potential issue with the battery itself [28075].
(b) The software failure incident in this case was not directly related to human actions causing the failure. While Loretta Luff had replaced the battery in her Dell laptop, she was unsure if the replacement was Dell-approved. Dell's statement highlighted the importance of using approved batteries to avoid risks of fire or explosion. Luff mentioned that the laptop was six years old and had been given to her by her daughter, indicating that the incident was not caused by any deliberate human actions but rather by potential issues with the battery itself [28075]. |
| Dimension (Hardware/Software) |
hardware |
(a) The software failure incident in this case was primarily due to hardware issues. The article describes how a 72-year-old woman's Dell Inspiron laptop exploded while she was using it, resulting in burns and damage to her surroundings. The incident was attributed to the laptop's battery, which flew across the room and caused injuries and property damage. Dell mentioned that the battery might not have been an approved one, indicating a hardware-related issue [28075].
(b) There is no specific mention of a software-related failure in this incident. The focus is on the laptop's battery causing the explosion, leading to injuries and damage. Therefore, the primary contributing factor in this case was related to hardware rather than software. |
| Objective (Malicious/Non-malicious) |
non-malicious |
(a) The software failure incident in this case was non-malicious. The incident involved a Dell Inspiron laptop exploding while a 72-year-old woman, Loretta Luff, was using it to check email and play spider solitaire. The explosion resulted in burns to her foot, arm, and face, as well as damage to her property. The preliminary examination suggested that the battery might have been the cause of the explosion, and Dell mentioned that using an incompatible or third-party battery could increase the risk of fire or explosion [28075]. |
| Intent (Poor/Accidental Decisions) |
unknown |
The software failure incident described in the article does not directly relate to poor or accidental decisions. The incident involved a laptop explosion caused by a potentially faulty battery, leading to injuries to the user and damage to property. The focus is on the physical consequences of the hardware failure rather than on decisions made by individuals or organizations. |
| Capability (Incompetence/Accidental) |
unknown |
The article does not mention any software failure incident related to development incompetence or accidental factors. Therefore, the information to answer this question is 'unknown'. |
| Duration |
unknown |
The software failure incident described in the article does not directly relate to a temporary or permanent software failure. The incident primarily involves a physical hardware issue with the laptop's battery causing an explosion, leading to injuries and property damage. |
| Behaviour |
other |
(a) crash: The incident described in the article does not involve a software crash. The failure was related to the laptop's battery exploding, causing physical harm to the user and damage to property. The laptop did not lose its state or stop performing its intended functions due to a software crash.
(b) omission: The incident does not involve a software failure due to omission. The failure was caused by the laptop's battery exploding, not by the system omitting to perform its intended functions.
(c) timing: The incident does not relate to a software failure due to timing issues. The failure was not about the system performing its intended functions too late or too early.
(d) value: The failure does not align with a software failure due to the system performing its intended functions incorrectly. The issue stemmed from the battery exploding, not from the system executing its functions incorrectly.
(e) byzantine: The incident does not exhibit characteristics of a byzantine software failure. The system did not display inconsistent responses or interactions leading to the battery explosion.
(f) other: The behavior of the software failure incident in this case is not directly related to the software itself. The failure was caused by a hardware component (the laptop's battery) malfunctioning and exploding, resulting in physical harm to the user and property damage. |