Apple Issues MacBook Air Recall to Replace Failing Flash Drives - Mashable

With all the excitement surrounding Apple's upcoming event on Oct. 22, you may have missed a rather important recall that the Cupertino, Calif. company issued this week concerning its MacBook Air laptops.

See also: 16 Best Free Mac Apps

In a note published on Apple's website Thursday, the company announced that certain MacBook Air laptops sold between June 2012 and June 2013 contain 64GB and 128GB flash-storage drives that may fail.

Apple's MacBook Air Flash Storage Drive Replacement Program will replace the affected flash-storage drives for free.

The note also includes the following warning:

If your drive is affected, we strongly recommend that you do not install any operating system updates or new applications. We also recommend backing up your data on a regular basis until you receive a replacement drive.

Recent MacBook Air owners can check to see if their device is affected by opening the "About This Mac" menu located under the Apple logo on the computer's top menu; then, click the "More Info" button to see when your MacBook Air was made.

If it says "Mid 2013" — putting the device within the cited June 2012 to 2013 period — then you may want to run the firmware update Apple released, which can be accessed via the Software Updates panel.

BONUS: 7 Innovative Ways the iPad is Used in Retail

1. 

   1. Customization Kiosks

   When you see an electronic kiosk in a store, how often do you actually want to get your hands on it? Probably rarely. Traditional kiosks are usually slow and bulky. Things Remembered, a personalized gift store, has ushered in a new era of the self-service "kiosk."

   Things Remembered is one of the first retailers to allow customers to design their own gifts on in-store iPads. The once paper-based process has been streamlined through the iPad, offering self-designed engraving and adding some excitement to the shopper's experience.

2. 

   2. Pre-Flight Entertainment

   The Delta terminal at JFK airport may be the exception to the normal headache of air travel. The airline installed almost 140 iPads at its gates, so passengers can order food and drink or simply peruse digital entertainment.

   Delta's iPads have no time restrictions or ordering minimums, allowing passengers to happily pass time waiting in the terminal. As Delta travelers order Caesar salads or swipe through the People magazine app, the customers' iPad-driven satisfaction is easy to see.

3. 

   3. Restaurants 2.0

   New York City's 4food has aptly integrated the iPad into the restaurant dining experience. 4food's customers select from iPad-hosted menus and customize their orders via the devices right at their tables.

   4food is just one of several iPad-embracing restaurants popping up across the country and we certainly hope to see more of this tasty technology integration.

4. 

   4. Creating Local Connections

   Sports retailer City Sports joined the iPad bandwagon by weaving the device into the fabric of its Washington, D.C. concept store. In addition to accessing product information, City Sports' iPad kiosks allow customers to connect to specific local content such as running clubs and area events.

5. 

   5. Complete Collections

   J.C. Penney, one of the oldest department stores in the world, is proving it can stay relevant by using iPads as part of its "findmore" experience. Sales associates in 50 J.C. Penney fine jewelry departments can now showcase the company's full offerings of bridal jewelry, rather than just what's available in any given location.

6. 

   6. Digital Designing

   Puma is using iPads to allow its customers to design their own sneakers right from its stores. The in-store iPad station, dubbed The Creative Factory, connects Puma wearers around the globe through an app for comparing sneaker designs and learning about the lives of the shoes' creators. Stations can be found in Europe, Asia and Africa but are not yet available in the U.S.

7. 

   7. Personal Concierge

   Among the state-of-the-art amenities at the just-opened Cosmopolitan of Las Vegas hotel is an iPad embedded at the hotel registration counter. During the registration process, guests can virtually explore the hotel's facilities, restaurants, music venues and bars. The iPad is simultaneously a marketing tool for the property and an impromptu day planner for its guest.

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Image: Flickr, Quattro Vageena