Japan reports scorching Ipods

JAPAN'S MINISTRY of Economics, Trade and Industry reported Tuesday that Ipods had overheated and scorched materials near them.

It said that paper and a straw mat were charred in two incidents, but didn't cause injuries. The Japanese government issued a warning that Ipod Nano owners should be "careful about overheating of the machines," especially when they're recharging the lithium-ion batteries.

Ipods have overheated before. Last October, an Atlanta man said that his Ipod Nano caught fire in his pocket, destroying it and burning his pants.

Laptop PCs containing lithium-ion batteries have occasionally caught fire, and Apple, Dell, Lenovo, Toshiba and other PC makers have had to recall certain batteries made by Sony.

Poor quality control in the manufacture of lithium-ion batteries can make them prone to overheating, even catching fire. Breakdown of the porous ion-exchange membrane in the batteries can lead to a runaway reaction causing overheating and, in worst case, a fire.

But we'd like to see the US transportation security-theater authorities just try to ban all lithium battery powered laptops, cellphones and music gadgets from airplanes on safety grounds. µ

L'Inq
Informationweek