Japan orders Apple to investigate exploding iPod nanos

Uh oh. Japan's trade and economy ministry is now officially investigating the explosive nature of the iPod nano. The culprit is model MA099J/A -- AKA, the old black and white plastic model already reported to spew "chest high flames," cause bedroom fires, and explode across the floor. The Japan incident occurred in January when an iPod nano reportedly "shot out sparks while recharging." At this point, all odds are with the nano's lithium ion battery. Apple Japan has been ordered to investigate the issue and report back to the ministry with the cause. Kind of like asking the fox what it was doing in the hen house, eh?

Update: Apparently, the Japanese ministry "strongly warned" Apple for failing to report the incident (as required by law) when it occurred. Apple's filing with the ministry came on March 7th.

[blackfeathers @ Mar 12th 2008 3:27AM]

explosions must be available outside japan or it doesn't count.

[sk8rpro @ Mar 13th 2008 12:42AM]

Make sure you don't take them with you to airports. Don't even mention them! Just like you're not allowed to say the word 'bomb,' they just added 'iPod' to the list.

[deathdr0ne @ Mar 17th 2008 6:03AM]

I'm hoping this isn't a Hiroshima reference....

[Bender Bending Rodriguez @ Mar 12th 2008 3:28AM]

1) You can tell from the burn pattern that it is the battery.

2) With as many iPods sold this is a very occurrence so don't freak out just yet.

3) While Apple needs to rectify the situation, the fault will likely be on the battery manufacturer, like with the Sony battery incident in which we found out that they make 95% of the notebook batteries out there.

[albi @ Mar 12th 2008 3:38AM]

im ebaying a nib 1st gen nano now

[Chris Aubeck @ Mar 12th 2008 4:13AM]

We look forward to hearing more about that.

[ACEY RIOT @ Mar 12th 2008 3:40AM]

investigation findings:

1.it has something to do with the zune

2. tit had feelings of inferiority and it may have tried to play video.

3. it was likely asked a paradoxical question.

4. it likely had enough of that damn "gummimaci" song

...im so so sorry im just a nerd!

[webon @ Mar 12th 2008 4:36AM]

that you are my friend, that you are

[LordFarkward @ Mar 12th 2008 5:24AM]

tit have feelings alright.

[ACEY RIOT @ Mar 12th 2008 6:22AM]

oh like you have never had a typo!...GROW UP...to think I thought I was the dork

[Jack Storm @ Mar 12th 2008 6:48AM]

wow that was pretty corny dude

[Mwahaha @ Mar 12th 2008 3:42AM]

I had an exploding battery (I think) in an iPod nano. Nothing this severe though. The case just broke itsself open and there was a tiny silver bag that was all inflated inside. I assumed that somehow the battery was in that little bag.

[Jonathan @ Mar 12th 2008 3:52AM]

Uh Oh Spaghetti-O

[kevin_ho @ Mar 12th 2008 2:33PM]

SIMPSON!
(Reference to The Simpsons Episode 10x13 "Homer to the Max")

[webon @ Mar 12th 2008 4:47AM]

iPod nano get'em while they're hot

[trekkie @ Mar 12th 2008 4:55AM]

Interesting. I still have my 1G Nano (now replaced with a 3G); it survived being washed, full-cycle in my laundry machine; tough sucker. So I'll see if it someday just bursts into flames.

[Steffen Jobbs @ Mar 12th 2008 5:07AM]

What sort of iFUD is this?

[Kizorblade @ Mar 12th 2008 5:33AM]

A new strain of it I'm afraid. We're currently working on a way to counter this disease before it spreads to the rest of the world.

[Grimmy @ Mar 12th 2008 6:20AM]

Apple's new product the I-Bomb :)

[shamrock593 @ Mar 12th 2008 7:44AM]

NO capital I and NO dash - I honestly don't think it's hard.

[Drew @ Mar 12th 2008 7:47AM]

Everyone is missing the big picture! Apple will be forced to GASP!... replace batteries for FREE!!! moo ha! ha!
You could say that Apple "Sealed their own doom!"

And I still have my 1st gen 1GB iPod nano... would not mind a free battery replacement and refurbishing...

[Kizorblade @ Mar 12th 2008 9:14AM]

"You could say that Apple "Sealed their own doom!""

Stop. Just stop.

[Cesar Cardoso @ Mar 12th 2008 7:52AM]

Is Sony doing batteries for the iPod Nano now?

[Andrew @ Mar 12th 2008 9:27AM]

my guess is that they were using one of the crappy chinese knock off ipod chargers out there and it overcharged their battery

[Nate @ Mar 12th 2008 9:28AM]

This isn't surprising. I've seen these batteries bloat up like a balloon.

When they get punctured...boom.

[D @ Mar 12th 2008 11:13AM]

Boom!!!!!

[Karl Viklund @ Mar 12th 2008 11:33AM]

I think Apple should order Japan to get a clue. It's not the first time a consumer electronic product have caught fire.

[MegaHurtz @ Mar 12th 2008 11:38AM]

Probably a silly question, but was the model in question ever sold stateside?

[Max Shanly @ Mar 12th 2008 7:12PM]

Don't worry, my iPod touch set my desk on fire this afternoon. Apple have given me a replacement though. Here is a couple of pictures of the iPod that set itself on fire, the Apple rep seems to think it might have been a problem with the antenna (which is right where the fire was) sparking the battery and thus causing a small electric fire.

I have a couple of photos. http://img142.imageshack.us/img142/838/imgp0037gp7.jpg and http://img367.imageshack.us/img367/9522/imgp0035jm4.jpg

[Johan Jonsson @ Mar 13th 2008 7:44AM]

Wow, those pictures made me think about the game boy camera...

[YoMomma @ Mar 13th 2008 9:04PM]

cool, ixplosion!!!

[dalrik360 @ Mar 13th 2008 11:04PM]

WOW Can you say lawsuit im glad i never bought one and waited for the 5th generatin ipod hope it dosent go ca-boom!

[brenda @ Mar 15th 2008 4:33AM]

Apple, Dell, HP etc do NOT ever make batteries. They have them made for their products from Sony, etc. just like everyone else. If there is a problem it is up to Sony, etc to investigate -- and there are legal contracts that require silence from Apple until Sony finishes its investigations.

Probably SONY that makes the battery again. That is what happened with all of the Apple, Dell, HP, etc. laptop battery fires in the past. Lithium polymer does not like to get too hot, and Sony blackmails the manufacturers into silence, making them sign an agreement to never disclose that the batteries were Sony batteries.

This could be pretty serious as the batteries are also used in cell phones, handheld wireless phones for home use, etc.

[Scott Thatcher @ Mar 15th 2008 11:12PM]

Those darn Japanese made Li-Ion batteries!

[deathdr0ne @ Mar 17th 2008 6:00AM]

I guess it's a good thing they don't use Lithium Ion batteries in vibrators. If so Steve Jobs might have caught fire in the ass by now.

[BarryBee @ Mar 12th 2008 3:30AM]

But on to the article, I don't think you should have to be told to investigate the problem. After the first time this was made public, Apple should've actively looked for a solution for this seemingly growing problem.