The following product safety recall was voluntarily conducted by the firm in cooperation with the CPSC. Consumers should stop using the product immediately unless otherwise instructed.

Name of Product: Acer Predator Desktop Computers

Units: About 215

Importer: Acer America Corp., of San Jose, Calif.

Hazard: The insulation on the computer’s internal wiring can become bent or stripped, causing the wires to overheat while the product is in use. This poses a burn hazard to consumers.

Incidents/Injuries: Acer has received two reports of computers short circuiting, resulting in melted internal components and external casing. Neither incident occurred in the U.S. No injuries have been reported.

Description: This recall involves Acer Predator desktop computers. The high-end gaming machines have model numbers ASG7200 and ASG7700. Model numbers are printed on the bottom right corner of the panel on the right side of the system.

Sold by: Computer and electronic stores nationwide from May 2008 through December 2008 for between $2,000 and $6,000.

Manufactured in: China

Remedy: Consumers should immediately stop using these recalled computers and contact Acer to schedule a free repair.

Consumer Contact: For additional information, contact Acer toll-free at (866) 695-2237 anytime, or visit the firm’s Web site at www.acer.com

The great Australian Firewall might be struggling to make political progress, but regulators are already using its blacklist to threaten local websites with fines.

Broadband discussion forum Whirlpool was threatened with an A$11,000 (£5,148) a day fine by the Australian Communications and Media Authority because a commenter posted a link to an anti-abortion website which appeared on the regulator’s list of websites banned in Australia.

The takedown notice was sent to Whirlpool’s hosting service Bulletproof Networks. Bulletproof contacted Whirlpool which agreed to remove the web link.

But the story gets murkier - ACMA added the website to its secret blacklist after receiving a complaint about one page on the site from someone in Melbourne with the user name Foad.

Foad’s intention was to highlight the stupidity of the blacklist idea by getting a site which had nothing to do with child sexual abuse added to the list. Foad succeeded.