A recent Apple report holds precious information about certain iBook and PowerBook lithium-ion batteries containing cells manufactured by Sony Corporation that tend to heat up under rare circumstances, posing a safety risk for users. The consumer electronics manufacturer has issued this Battery Exchange Program for iBook G4 and PowerBook G4 users to be able to benefit from a replacement, free of charge. Learn more below.

Apple support posts: "Apple has determined that certain lithium-ion batteries containing cells manufactured by Sony Corporation of Japan pose a safety risk that may result in overheating under rare circumstances. The affected batteries were sold worldwide from October 2003 through August 2006 for use with the following notebook computers: 12-inch iBook G4, 12-inch PowerBook G4 and 15-inch PowerBook G4."

As such, the company responsible for the upper-mentioned laptops is "voluntarily recalling the affected batteries," initiating an exchange program (worldwide) to provide "eligible" customers with a replacement battery, for free. According to the same report, Apple is co-conducting the program with the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) and other international safety authorities.

To identify your battery, remove it from the iBook G4/PowerBook G4 model you own and check the serial number. If the first 5 digits (of the 12-digit serial number) fall within the noted ranges, you are eligible... no, better yet, you really should order a replacement battery immediately!

You will also be asked for the serial number of your iBook G4 or PowerBook G4, to begin the battery exchange process, as well as the serial number of your battery and a shipping address.