Thursday, February 7,2008 @ 4:40pm
PSP bursts into flames in child's pocket
A Sony gaming handleld burst into flames earlier this week, injuring a 12-year-old child, a Detroit TV station reports. At approximately 9AM on Wednesday, a fire in Harold Clay's PSP caused enough damage to not only create a hole in his pants, but inflict second-degree burns to his skin. Unusually, the PSP was not on, nor was the increase in heat gradual, say Harold's parents, speaking on his behalf. As a coincidence, the game in the system was a part of the Burnout racing series.
Sony battery technology caused havoc in the notebook world during 2006 and 2007, triggering a number of fires that in turn hurt the annual finances of Sony and others, as a result of massive recalls. If a recall became necessary for the PSP, it would not only hurt Sony's overall profit, but weaken its position even further next to the dominant gaming handheld, the Nintendo DS. [via Click on Detroit]