Flaming iPod Settlement Sets the Internet on Fire
Apple is no stranger to dealing with exploding iPods; the devices' lithium-ion batteries, like all lithium-ion batteries, have occasionally had problems with malfunctioning and bursting into flames. The problems have been isolated and we've been spared any sort of massive, iPods-are-fire-hazards media frenzy -- until now. A recent incident involving an 11-year-old British girl, her 'sploded iPod, an angry dad, and a very official-sounding legal notice from Apple have put the ubiquitous media player back in the headlines.Here's how it all went down: Allegedly, Liverpool resident Ken Stanborough dropped his daughter Ellie's iPod touch last month. He claims the device then started to hiss and smoke, and was too hot to hold. He apparently then threw it into his backyard where it exploded in "a big puff of smoke" and "went 10 feet in the air."
Mr. Stanborough contacted Apple, who eventually sent him a letter of settlement offering to refund the price of the 'Pod, despite it being off warranty, in exchange for his silence about the incident. The UK Times reports that, according to the terms of the agreement, Apple would accept no liability for the iPod's fiery demise and the company would take legal action against the Stanboroughs if they broke the confidentiality agreement.
"I thought it was a very disturbing letter," Mr. Stanborough told the Times, and he refused to sign it.
The story spread like wildfire around the Internet and various outlets claimed (in sensationalist fashion) that Apple was trying to silence the family with a gag order. Of course, Apple was quick to defend itself, telling Sky News it is "standard practice to have a letter of settlement." TUAW columnist (and attorney) Lauren Hirsch noted that confidentiality agreements in these situations are not just common, but expected. It's a way of giving the customer what they want (usually money) without exposing the company to more negative press and litigation than necessary.
Despite the story being blown out of proportion, the incident looks particularly bad when placed in the context of an investigation by KIRO, a Seattle television station, that uncovered 800-plus pages of complaints regarding exploding iPods that Apple had tried to prevent the Consumer Product Safety Commission from releasing.
Perhaps we should be less afraid of Apple trying to silence the victims of flaming iPods and more afraid of the ignited MP3 players themselves. [From: Times Online, Sky News, TUAW, Engadget]
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Reader Comments (Page 1 of 2)
Patricia said 8:17PM on 8-03-2009
Why, oh, why did the US ever lay the Trans-Atlantic world wide web cable??!!
We didn't need to drag the entire world into civilzation kicking & screaming like this!
We should have left them in the dust!
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Mikee said 2:20PM on 8-04-2009
Even though hardly any of our electronic devices are built in America, you think we'd somehow still be charging ahead of the pack? Really? Would you even have an iPod at all if it weren't for underpaid slave labor factories in China?
Please stop posting on the internet until your brain returns from vacation.
Beltway Greg said 8:18PM on 8-03-2009
Oh, where to begin. Please watch the KIRO documentary and decide for yourself.
It features a female jogger who is so afraid of the IPod that she allows her five children to take them to bed at night.
And, for a company as large as Apple to have 800 pages on supposed malfunctions/consumer complaints isn't remarkable. Simply, why don't these victims send their device to consumer reports or some type of consumer watchdog organization? If my daughter had a device that "exploded in a big puff of smoke and exploded ten feet in the air" I'd do something more than simply write a letter and indeed where is the letter in question from this corporate oppressor?
Problems? In a few cases, no doubt, I would think yes, but I'll bet many are related to abuse or attempts to open or modify the device. So please consumers, if you have a problem call your local government lab.
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kevin said 9:34PM on 8-03-2009
why not own up to the mess ,like most companies do & recall all those faulty ipods before some really gets hurt .the least you can do for the people who spend as much as $100.00 to $300.00 dollars on thier products .
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dadzfunn said 9:55PM on 8-03-2009
Interesting twist on journalistic license, O'Brien. Let's see...the headline says that Apple is trying to silence a little girl. Hmm...looks to me like they might have been trying to "contain" an adult (the father) and pretty much following industry norms. Are those "norms" right or wrong?...dunno...BUT...accusing Apple of trying to silence a little girl is so far the other side of the page as to scream "b-------t". I do kinda love it though...journalism has stooped so far in the past 20 years as to make themselves nearly irrelevant in modern society. And you wonder why reality shows and sitcoms steal the ratings game? Ha!....look in the mirror. :) Cheers and have a great day, eh?
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D Fisk said 10:10PM on 8-03-2009
Ipods that catch on fire thats crazy. Dont they have the same type of battery's hybrid cars have?
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Ken said 7:13AM on 8-04-2009
D Fisk,
It is the same TYPE of battery but battery technology is very different from manufacturing technology.
I mean a Yugo uses the same TYPE of engine as a BMW.. but there is a great deal of differnece in actual function and length of use.
Joe Papierz Jr said 10:15PM on 8-03-2009
Whoa Nelley. No where in it's advertising does Apple Corp. suggest "dropping" your iPod as being a good or acceptable thing to do without consequences. I don't think their request for confidenciality is out of order either. Sorry, I vote against the Dad. He is not only careless with phones but is also unreasonable. The phone wasn't faulty or defective until he dropped it. And, it was out of warranty too and Apple still tried to make him happy.
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Rick said 6:43PM on 8-09-2009
Lets see
John said 10:32PM on 8-03-2009
No surprise about an apple product failing like this. I was in O'Hare when an Apple laptop burst into flames while it was on it's charger. Damn glad it happened on the ground instead of in flight. there's a simple solution to keep Lipo batteries safe it's an aluminized kevlar wrap ariund it that does two things keeps it from rupurturing the case and spreading shrapnel and flames all over and suffocats the possible flames by denbitng it ogygen. I use a wrap exactly like this when charging my much higher denisty 4000Milli amp 22.2 volt lipo.s for my Fast Electric Modified Aquacraft SV27 Boat. 53.2 mph on gps.
The Lipo's/LiIon batteries in hybrids are ina solid metal and kevlar case to keep them from exploding.
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Candie said 12:29AM on 8-10-2009
Joe Papierz Jr- I don't agree with you. my daughter bought the iphone 16g last october 2008 still under warranty the stupid thing quit charging, took it to the store and they told her it had water damage, BS, she never dropped it or put it in water they just wanted her to buy another phone, they said they will swap the phone for another 1 if she paid $200. why??? the phone was still under warranty and they knew there was no water damage they were going to give her another and probably fix her and sell it again so the won't lose any money.
she ended up taking it to somebody who fixes phones but as soon as her contract is over she's done with the phone and she will get a different 1 but no apple BS anything.
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Jcsilverace said 11:10PM on 8-03-2009
BS your daughter probly did drop the phone in water and didn't want to tell you it's not apple's fault your daughter got her phone wet and you should be flaming on at&t for keeping up on the warranty not so it's not apple's fault idiot
brittyangel101 said 2:47AM on 8-04-2009
Candie, my dad owns a cell phone repair company so I know a lot about water damage. Inside every phone is a white sticker. If the phone gets wet, the sticker turns red. In the future open your phone and check the sticker. 99 percent of the time, the dealer is at fault; not the customer. My advice, stick to a nokia brick phone. All these new high tech phones suck! The iphone is great at meeting the standards for the "i" (aka the ipod, icamera, internet, ect.) but it sucks as an actual phone. I'd rather own a well working phone, a nice digital camera, and a good old mp3 player than have one device that can barely make a call. Stay away from LG, Samsung, and the Iphone. Stick to motorola and nokia. After all the point of a cell phone is to make a call.
steve said 12:01AM on 8-04-2009
I see we have a few apple fanboys on here refusing to accept that apple is not the rose garden it portrays itself. Fact is that, iPods and iPhones are the only thing keeping Apple from dying. They don't want people to stop buying them and they don't want the cost of having to recall and actually fix the design. If that was to happen you would see Apple in the red. Unfortunately for you fanboys, not very many people want an Apple computer. They can't survive on your support for those alone. So they are protecting the only thing keeping them alive. Face it. Apple is playing dirty to keep this from "blowing up" in its face. (Pun intended)
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Mark Gilbert said 8:03AM on 8-13-2009
So from now on all terrorist will have an iphone and will use it as a sucide bomb. LOL
And good news for terrorists are this that apple is launching its tablet so they will be able to use it like a atom bomb . LOL
have a look at this http://www.domesticutilities.com/apple.htm
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Lkb said 12:00AM on 8-04-2009
I'm glad that ipod wasn't around something combustible or flammable.
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ebonysharee05 said 12:14AM on 8-04-2009
I have an ipod touch and so far I haven't had any issues with it.
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Candie said 12:17AM on 8-04-2009
i guess your the idiot because my daughter bought the phone from apple store not from at& t and they were the ones who told her about the warranty told her to take it back to the store in case something happened with it, and when this other person who fixes phones opened it in front of me he told me what was wrong with it and he said no this phone was not dropped in water, and by the way also showed me another person's phone with the same problem my daughter had and they told him the samething that he dropped it on water, what a coincidence everybody does the samething to them. so now who is the IDIOT!
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stevebakerguitar said 12:31AM on 8-04-2009
APPLE NOW THERES A LIBRAL ACTION IF I EVER SEEN ONE
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Candie said 12:31AM on 8-04-2009
and she bought the phone from apple store because she was not an at&t customer she had t-mobile and buying the phone thru at&t for first time customers was more expensive than the apple store, thru them the price was cheaper and the same for everybody customers or not. IDIOT!
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