By The AsiaOne Techbot
Here's one safety tip that might save your life - if you aren't using your laptop, turn it off and leave it on the desk.
Leave your notebook computer on the sofa or desk might cause it to catch fire, and in the case of a 56-year-old Canadian man, result in fatal disasters.
According to a report from the Coroner's Service of British Columbia, Canada, a 56-year-old man was the first fatality of a fire involving a laptop.
The Coroner's Officer did not release the name or identity of the vicim, but said that he died six months ago.
According to a Shin Min Daily News report, the laptop belonged to the man's roommate, who had left it on a sofa after using the device. The roommate then went to sleep in the bedroom, leaving the laptop on and connected to a power socket.
50 minutes later, the device overheated and the sofa quickly caught fire. The blaze soon spread through the entire house.
When the victim awoke to the smoke and flames, he was able to make a call to the local fire department and alert his still sleeping friend to flee the scene.
However, he was unable to escape the flaming building himself.
When firefighters found him, the victim was already unconscious and was pronounced dead at a hospital soon after.
According to a report provided jointly by the Coroner's Service of British Columbia and its local fire department, laptop users are always encouraged to operate their devices on a hard surface that allows ventilation.
Soft surfaces can block air vents in electronics, causing devices to overheat.
Users should also adopt using a heat sink base to facilitate cooling should they be unable to find a suitable hard surface to operate their devices.
Air vents should also be cleaned and kept free of debris.
Laptop desks and coolers will also prevent users from getting burned when they are using a laptop.
