I knew there was a reason we kept the "Printer on Fire" message in Unix: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lp0_on_fire

I don't know what's better, printers on fire or spontaneously combustive iPhones http://www.theage.com.au/digital-life/mobiles/red-hot-smoking-iphone-selfcombusts-on-airliner-20111129-1o3zn.html

I think the take home message is that, either some hacker will set your device on fire or it will just catch on fire by itself. We're doomed either way ;)

+Shanika Kuruppu Nice! I'd heard of the exploding Dell, but not the iPhone. That's the scary thing about Li-ion and LiPo batteries: When they go wrong they do so rather spectacularly!

I think it'll be really weird to have your phone catch on fire while it's in your pocket. Or your laptop sets itself on fire and burn down the house. All of them are equally scary thoughts!

Weird is not the word I'd use :S
Possibly scarring, or devastating are more appropriate.

Has to be pretty strange circumstances for li batteries to go like that though. I couldn't make one do it ;)

Surely you could give it a good shot :)
I hear the biggest cause of li batteries letting go is physical damage. Maybe the battery in the 4S is less protected/shielded than others?

I did ;) physical damage and heat got a little spurt but that was it nothing spectacular.

Hmm. For a pack to heat up & glow, I'd expect plenty of current from somewhere. Would a short be able to do that? Or is it unlikely (protections or something)?

+brendan westhorpe I'm disappointed, but I guess if you can't blow one up, the chances of it spontaneously setting my desk on fire are pretty slim. ;)