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.

And in the mobile world today, Steve Job's hobby - the iPhone - has just hit North America's east coast today, at a very prompt 6 p.m. launch as announced by the Cupertino-based company. People have lined up on Apple's retail outlets in New Jersey, Florida, New York, and Philadelphia, among some.
 
And while the west coast nears its launch window, Apple stores in California and Connecticut have already been prepping up for their share of the iPhone purchase craze. There are claims of people whisking past potential iPhone customers lined up, teasing folk with their iPhone.

The first iPhone owners have walked out of the official Apple stores with iPhone in-hand, although not one person has been named as the first official iPhone owner post-launch as of press time. Photo courtesy of Engadget.