Of Exploding iPods, Gag Orders And Apple Blogstorms

Just came across the latest in recent Apple PR woes, with the Times Online reporting that:

Ken Stanborough, 47, from Liverpool, dropped his 11-year-old daughter Ellie's iPod Touch last month. "It made a hissing noise," he said. "I could feel it getting hotter in my hand, and I thought I could see vapour". Mr Stanborough said he threw the device out of his back door, where "within 30 seconds there was a pop, a big puff of smoke and it went 10ft in the air".

After some haggling with customer service, Apple sent a letter to Mr. Stanborough denying liability for the exploded device (of course), but offering a full refund (good move). However:

The letter also stated that, in accepting the money, Mr Stanborough was to "agree that you will keep the terms and existence of this settlement agreement completely confidential", and that any breach of confidentiality "may result in Apple seeking injunctive relief, damages and legal costs against the defaulting persons or parties".

Apple is known for having a fairly high degree of sophistication about its interaction with the consumer sphere -- however, in this day/age, such a move always ignites the inevitable blogstorm that lasts long after the exploded device has hit the scrap heap.