Yesterday Neowin reported on a MacBook Pro whose MagSafe adapter overheated burning the user and the laptop. Today reports are surfacing on an HTC Touch Pro whose spare battery erupted.
The story goes that the user "had a spare Touch Pro battery in the back pocket of his pants. He walked into his home earlier in the week to be greeted with a burning smell in the air. He later went on to do some laundry to find a huge hole with burn marks in the pocket of his pants. The battery in question must have expanded and burned through it. No word yet as to whether or not the battery was a battery from HTC or an after market one. Luckily the explosion didn"t cost him more than buying a new pair of jeans."
This may be one of the first reports of a spare battery burning/exploding. It seems that all battery related stories up till now have ruptured while either charging or being used by the device. This one, as the story goes, was under no strain and still ruptured.
As battery technology becomes more advanced this trend may only get worse. As we find ways to expand the capacity and life of batteries but not increase the size the possibility for larger explosions grows exponentially.
Remember to always follow the manufacturer"s instructions on how to care and maintain any device that has a rechargeable battery. It will not only prolong the life of the device but it will also help to protect you.