Apple has been fined Y600,000 (about €5,600) after an iPod nano caught fire, burning the hands of a Japanese woman. The fine was imposed by a Japanese judge in the Tokyo District Court and was intended to cover medical treatment for the burns, the cost of bringing the issue to trial, and to act as compensation for pain and suffering.
The judge also found Apple guilty of a technical flaw in a first-generation iPod nano, noting that the company admitted that the device was faulty when it recalled first-generation iPods last year.
Apple initiated a replacement programme for first-generation iPod nano customers who bought one of the units, which "could overheat and pose a safety risk". Only the first-generation iPod nano was affected.
The iPod nano in this particular case was purchased in 2005, an attempt to charge it in July 2010 caused the battery to overheat, catch fire and cause injury to the plaintiff.
Reports suggest 1 million people took Apple up on last year's product recall.
This is not the first time Apple has been criticised for overheating batteries. There have been concerns that the new iPad runs too hot.
Engineers at Consumer Reports recorded temperatures as high as 46 degrees Celsius on the front and back of the device when plugged in and while playing Infinity Blade II.
Apple denied any overheating concerns on the new iPad, saying that the product operates well within its thermal specifications.
IDG News Service