The MacBook Air's ultra-thin profile was only made possible by certain changes to the conventional laptop designs of Apple. Among the changes made was the inclusion of  an integrated 37-watt-hour lithium polymer battery which caused some concern among the community.

According to Apple Insider, the replacement of these batteries isn't as complicated as some would believe. More information on this can be found in the full article.

If you're one of the people who bought an iPhone, you probably know that you have one year of hardware repair coverage and up to two years of technical support. If you think that's not enough, then you can purchase an AppleCare Protection Plan which extends your repair coverage to two years.

You can avail of this anytime within the one-year limited warranty period and your eligibility for coverage under the AppleCare Protection Plan begins on the day you purchased the iPhone.

Before signing up, note that Apple is not authorized to sell the iPhone AppleCare Protection Plan to residents of Alabama, Connecticut, Nevada, or Wyoming. If you don't reside in any of these locations, then you may want to go over this short list of what you get from the plan:

Key Features:

• Extends hardware coverage to two years from the date of iPhone purchase.
• Covers iPhone, iPhone Bluetooth Headset, and all included accessories.
• Guarantees genuine Apple replacement parts.
• Permits transfer of the plan between owners.

Getting this additional protection will cost you US$ 69.99. However, that sounds like a good deal to protect your five or 600 dollar investment. If you're interested, click on our Read link to head to the Apple Store for more details.

Lots of people are giving up on .Mac, not just fcodc from Mac Recon, and for the same list of reasons. Why pay the subscription fee when you can get equivalent or better services from Yahoo!, Google, YouTube, and other third-party providers for much less or even free? One quick browse through the Digg archives on anything .Mac related and you're greeted with an avalanche of customer complaints and shattered confidence. It's as though the apples of Apple's eye are its iPod and CPU businesses, and .Mac's the neglected child.

Well, one guy over at the unofficial apple weblog (TUAW) isn't about to give up on .Mac, no matter how disappointed he is. Not yet anyway. He aims to convince his readers to assert their rights as customers and flood Apple with a petition to improve .Mac's services and make it worth the fees that they pay for its use. He had posted a template for a viral petition that he asks dissatisfied .Mac users to copy and paste onto the .Mac feedback form at the Apple website.

He does have his skeptics. One comment noted a lack of confidence in online petitions themselves, saying that, in this case, a viral petition would feel more like a negative publicity campaign for .Mac, and Apple would simply dismiss it as customer whining. Another noted that the only way to grab the company's attention is to hit it where it hurts: the revenue from .Mac, because Apple will only start paying attention if a majority of its subscribers would suddenly pull out (or so the comment implied).

On the other hand, given all the news regarding Apple customer support and feedback lately, neglecting .Mac until it's too late may be par for the course with the company. It did take Cupertino quite some time to officially acknowledge a number of defects and issues with the MacBook and MacBook Pro as either factory defects or something covered by AppleCare, such as the MacStains, the whining keyboard, batteries, and sudden shutdowns. If a snowball of petitions doesn't get their attention, who knows what will?

Better late than never? AppleCare's finally accepting calls - or complaints - from MacBook owners whose notebooks suddenly shut down without any warning: "If your MacBook is shutting down intermittently, please contact AppleCare for service."

This would be good news for suffering - and complaining - MacBook owners who just want their notebooks running smoothly (or at least without any hiccups). Shutdowns have only been one of a number of complaints that have plagued the notebook and its high-end sister the MacBook Pro, such as the MacStain problem, overheat issues, and weird noises during operation. In some of those cases Apple had also taken some time before formally accepting such complaints into AppleCare.

Some enterprising folks have decided to take matters into their own hands, trying out some do-it-yourself quick fixes. In the case of random shutdowns, a German engineer decided to peek inside his MacBook and found that a heat sink was melting the insulation off some wires. With Apple accepting shutdown complaints though, at least you now have an option that wouldn't void your warranty.

Once upon a time, Apple decided to run on Intel processors. And so it did, starting with the MacBook Pro, followed by MacBook laptops a couple of months later. Everything went smoothly, and most Apple-users lived happily ever after.

Or is it? Apparently, the tides turned when the said laptops were shipped in quantity. Before we draw speculations, let's take a look at the complaints from most Mac users:

• Whining: The MacBook Pros seem to churn out an ominous whining noise that could be temporarily stopped by opening Photo Booth and closing the said appliction again. The cause? We have no idea. Apple responded though, by telling disgruntled users to contact AppleCare.
  

• Heat: Another source of frustration for MacBook and MacBook Pro users is heat (you might also want to check our article regarding the "exploding Apple Powerbook"), especially if they place it on their laps. Apple's advice? Don't use your laptop on your lap. Hmmm...
  

• Discoloration: Some users claim that there's an "odd discoloration on the casing around the plam rest ares on MacBooks, particularly white ones." Apple acknowledged the problem, admitted it was a "manufacturing defect," and told users to contact AppleCare.
  

• Batteries: There are also reports on warping batteries, which made many concerned about fire hazards. As a response, Apple had an official battery recall for MacBook Pro batteries sold before may 2006.
  

• Logic Boards: Complaints were made regarding random shutdowns "while plugged in or on battery, and usually multiple times in a single computing session." As a result, Apple launched a logic board repair program.

Some attribute these problems to the "rushed manufacturing" of these laptops. Many anticipated the Intel transition, and probably Apple responded by well, rushing the production of the said computers.

However, that's just a speculation. Do you share the same opinion? Let us know.

Recently we heard of Khyros' very inspirational story of getting his top case changed by Apple Spain because of the discoloration which occurred around the area of the touch pad and the keyboard.

This issue was previously thought to be a cosmetic problem that was caused due to the owner's mishandling of the machine, making it not covered by Apple's warranty. But, maybe because of the increasing numbers of complaints about MacBook owners, Apple has reportedly acknowledged that it is indeed a manufacturing problem and not a cosmetic one.

Just like Khyros, if you're experiencing the same of problem with your machine, you're advised to call AppleCare so you can get your top case replaced for no extra charge. Apparently, the plastic in the new MacBooks are smoother to the touch than the previous plastic used.

There have been a lot of reports about the white MacBook being prone to discoloration. Specifically around the trackpad and keyboard area after two to three weeks of use. Kyhros of stainedBook.info is basically experiencing the same dilemma and this prompted him to start a blog documenting these kinds of issues with any Apple products.

"I have started this site as a web platform where the customers having this issue with the new MacBook can gather and share information. My idea is to keep a database with all the users having the problem, so we can pressure Apple to solve it," says Khyros.

Well, it seems like his cries have been heard. He recounts in his blog entry dated June 26, 2006, that he received THE call. Apple Spain has called him to say that they have been given a go signal by the Apple HQ, authorizing them to replace his top case.

But of course there's a catch. The lady he spoke with says that they are still investigating the issue and that they are still uncertain what could be causing the problem. However they are going to repair his case under warranty.

Doesn't this story just inspire you to call AppleCare?