[lostgame]

A power cable would be a passive component.

I've had several of Apple's little power charging blocks melt and burn on me.

I had a CRT monitor explode when I was a kid.

Just because stuff is getting smaller doesn't mean it's any more or less liable to break. You use electronics, you're taking a risk, and if you use off-brand, non-official components with other brands, well, hell, even if you're using the official brand apparently, you're playing with, well, not fire, but electricity, which is almost a cousin of fire? Heh.