Apple's iPod reported to have exploded

SEOUL, Dec. 17 (Yonhap) -- A user of Apple's portable media player the iPod has
claimed that his device exploded owing to a battery problem, South Korean media
reported Wednesday.
The user claimed in a posting on an Internet community site
(http://clien.career.co.kr) that his iPod nano, one of the highest-selling
digital audio players in history, exploded, supplying a photo of the player which
shows the device with a melted center.
Apple Korea, the U.S. company's local unit, confirmed that the claim has been
submitted to the company, but said further inspection is needed to clarify the
cause of the damage to the product.
"At present, we are not able to officially comment on the particulars of the
case," a company official said.
It marks the first reported case of an alleged explosion of Apple's flagship
model in South Korea.
If the lithium ion battery is identified as the cause of the explosion, it will
be the latest in a series of problems with lithium ion cells. In the past,
problems with lithium ion batteries have also affected mobile phones.
ygkim@yna.co.kr
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