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Apple Inc. said yesterday batteries from a single supplier are to blame for the meltdown of some models of its tiny iPod Nano digital music player.
The company was responding to the Japanese government's consumer alert that two iPod Nanos overheated in Tokyo, scorching nearby paper and a woven straw mat.
Apple said the flaw is limited to a small number of first-generation Nanos, sold between September 2005 and December 2006.
Japan's government was aware of a third iPod that melted down from overheating during the recharging process. A defect in the lithium-ion battery was suspected in all three cases.
Millions of lithium-ion laptop batteries made by Sony for PC makers, including Apple and Dell, were recalled in 2006 and 2007 after it was discovered that they could overheat and ignite.
