Appletell

First generation iPod nano owners, listen up. If your iPod nano was purchased between September of 05 and December of 06, then you might have some “hot” features you don’t want.

Macworld has an article that details Apple recognition that “in very rare cases” (about 0.001 percent) said iPods could overheat. Apple is blaming the problem on an unnamed battery supplier. The faulty batteries can, in some instances, overheat, causing “failure and deformation of the iPod Nano.“

Details after the break.

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Although this may sound like something off a broken record, there is one thing I must say about Apple.  AppleCare and Apple service centers are absolutely, positively amazing.  I’m just puttin’ that out there.  Keep in mind that I did not even go to an actual Apple store for the latest repair, only an Apple specialist.

A few weeks ago, I was very disappointed when I opened my less-than-a-year-old MacBook and I was greeted with a sizable crack in the top casing.  It was about an inch long, about an eighth of an inch in, directly above the status light and infrared receiver.  Now, keep in mind, this problem was purely cosmetic and caused no detriment to functionality.  I talked to a friend of mine, Appletell writer Adam Fisher-Cox, and he said that he doubted it would be covered by AppleCare.  Now for the good news.  Two days ago, I finally decided to try my luck with a local Apple service department, and see if anything could be done.  They said that, yes, it would be covered by AppleCare.  They ordered the part, and said to expect it within a week.  I give them an “F” on their estimation skills, but a “A+“ on their timeliness.  Surprisingly, the part arrived yesterday, only the day after the order.  Maybe I got lucky with a shipment, maybe not. 

Today I brought my computer in to get the part installed, and they said that it would probably be ready within a day or two, possibly, though doubtfully, by the end of the day.  Again, “F” for estimation, “A+“ for promptness.  My computer was ready today at around 5:00, only 7.5 hours after I brought it in.  And for the icing on the cake, not only did they replace the top case, but the keyboard and trakckpad (maybe they’re connected? I don’t know), both of which were not really damaged at all.  My computer looks new again!

Leave a note in the comments about any AppleCare/Service experiences, good or bad.

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When I signed up to write at Appletell nearly two months ago, I had planned to write frequently, but soon after I began writing, things took a turn for the worst. The problem was that my 15” powerbook G4 kept randomly shutting down about every 9 or 10 hours. Because I had purchased the AppleCare extended warranty, I was eligible to receive repairs free of charge. I called up AppleCare (1-800-APL-CARE) and explained the situation to a representative.

They decided to send me a box which I would send the computer back to them in to get it repaired. After a couple of days, I got the box in the mail, and after about 2 weeks I got the computer back from the repair center. I eagerly fired it up, and everything seemed fine, but I would soon find that instead of every 9 or 10 hours, it was now shutting down every 2-3 hours. I called up AppleCare again and I was shortly transferred to a senior repair representative. He was very nice, and said that he would be happy to set me up for a second, expedited repair. This time, after only 1 week, I got my computer back, but only to find out that my computer was now shutting down every 40 minutes. I called my representative at his direct number and spoke to him about the situation.

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With the iPhone out for almost a month now there have been a few incidents of the people having trouble with their phones, mostly in the form of cracking screens. We had previously mentioned that AppleCare would be available for the iPhone, and it would be around the $60 mark.

Well, according to Apple’s site today, we were off by a few bucks. The final price of AppleCare for the iPhone is $69. “For $69, the AppleCare Protection Plan for iPhone provides an additional year of hardware repair coverage, including coverage for the iPhone battery.“ This seems like a small price to pay to know that if your iPhone breaks it will be taken care of.

Read [Apple.com] via [Gizmodo]

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If you’ve bought an iPhone, you’ll certainly be wondering about what to do, should the worst happen to your beloved little gadget. Apple has posted several tidbits on their support pages that we thought we should share with you, valued reader.

AppleCare for the iPhone will be available sometime “in July”. If your phone fails right now, erm, wait? Hardware coverage will last for 2 years, which is great, considering that the majority of consumer electronics is only warranted for one year. Should you have to return your phone for servicing, all customers will be provided with a courtesy phone (after a $29 “rental fee”).

Apple also lists some other nitty-gritty details regarding the courtesy unit and the kind of things that will void your warranty (a.k.a taking it apart). No details on pricing just yet, although it’s expected to be in the region of $60.

Read [Apple Support]

• Apple releases the top 10 applications downloaded at the iTunes Store for 2008
• Apple releases list of most downloaded iPhone games of 2008
• What is going to happen at Macworld 2009?

How do you make a giant corporation listen to just one of its customers? You smash one of its products and post it all over the internet. That’s what Michael did, when Apple refused to honor the warranty on his MacBook, citing liquid damage even though no beverages were spilled. He smashed it up with a sledgehammer and stuck the video on YouTube.

Of course, an Apple employee must’ve spotted it because the electronics firm has decided to replace the broken MacBook with a brand new model. According to Michael, “Apple bent over backwards for me, and they assured me a simple letter would have gotten the same results. I suppose I might have to try that next time before I break out the sledge…“

Now kids, Appletell does not encourage violence, but it seems that sometimes, you’ll just have to go the extra mile to get the attention of these big firms.

Via [Consumerist]

• Graphics issues on the new MacBooks?
• Apple releases QuickTime 7.5.7, addresses playback via Mini DisplayPort
• Apple airs tv ad claiming the new notebooks are the “world’s greenest family of notebooks”