Attaboy, ASUS. Not even 24-hours after reports starting flooding in over end users receiving less capacious Eee PC batteries in Hong Kong than expected, the firm is stepping up and doing the right thing. According to an admittedly rough translation of a statement on its website, ASUS is openly thanking its supporters for their business, and while it seems as though it's still chalking the whole mishap up as a simple mistake, every single Hong Kong-based customer will be receiving a free (5800mAh) replacement. 'Tis a shame we'll likely still be griping over the battery life.

[Via jkkmobile]

Select owners of Guitar Hero III for Wii have been moshing uncontrollably as best they can in mono for months on end, but it seems as if Activision has finally got its interconnects sorted and will start issuing replacement discs. According to direct end-user reports and the (admittedly blurry) shots in the gallery below, the firm is now dishing out pre-paid envelopes in which customers have to ship back their faulty GH III disc and wait "3 to 4 weeks" before getting a new, stereo-enabled one free of charge. Live sans your favorite game for a month, or keep rockin' in the monaural world? Tough call, indeed.

[Thanks, Sam K. and Michael S.]

Although it was but a week ago that we first caught wind of potential Rock Band hardware issues, it seems the problems are more than just a figment of our imagination. We know, living that rock 'n roll lifestyle can certainly cloud your judgment, but if you're certain your axe is experiencing some issues -- particularly with the strum bar -- EA's here to help. The company has affirmed that certain guitars in initial shipments may have left the warehouse with "an imperfection [in] the strum bar," and if you're one of the afflicted, EA is offering a brand new replacement gratis. So go on, hit the link below to get the process started, and while you're waiting to get a shiny new Strat, why not brush up on those drum rolls?

[Via Joystiq]
Read - EA confirms guitar issues
Read - Replacement website

While we can't help but feel all warm and fuzzy inside whenever a manufacturer owns up to defects that originated on its end, it's even better when affected customers are looked after for their troubles. According to GigaOM, users dealing with a malfunctioning Sidekick Slide can swap their unit for a shiny new Sidekick LX free of charge, and if for whatever reason that doesn't get your juices flowin', you can opt to exchange it and put the purchase price towards another handset. If you're dead set on just keeping your current Slide, you can simply wait things out until a fix is announced, but you won't find us passing up on any offers to upgrade gratis.

C'mon, surely you've coped with the fact that Microsoft's Xbox 360 Core system will likely be replaced with the impending Arcade console, right? If not, now would be a great time for some serious soul-searching, because both Amazon and Toys 'R' Us are listing the system on their respective websites as having an October 23rd ship date. Of course, we're still not sure exactly what ports / extras the Arcade flavor will arrive with, but it's safe to say it'll run you $279.99 when it (probably) ships in three weeks.

Read - Amazon's listing
Read - Toys 'R' Us' listing

When the time came and your battery died, you were probably thinking you'd have to send your iPhone off to Apple as part of their expensive and complicated battery replacement program -- but now you've got a sketchy DIY option instead. Once again, a mysterious Chinese company has stepped in and "created" a "solution" to your problem with its iPhone battery replacement kit. For just $20, which is cheap enough to elicit genuine concern, you get a 1400mAh, 3.7V iPhone battery, some type of screwdriver-like tool, a strange plastic shiv, and an instruction manual (presumably in English, but you never know). All you have to do is crack open your $600 phone, de-solder your old battery and solder in the new one... and probably some other, more complicated stuff too. At this price, it seems unlikely that this battery won't explode, so buy at your own risk, and definitely try at your own risk.

[Via I4U, thanks Luigi]

[Via Mac Rumors]

Get 'em while they're hot, Dell's offering up free (labor and parts) replacements for laptop LCD screens with vertical line issues. Owners of Inspiron 6000 and 8600, Latitude D800 and D810, and Precision M60 and M70 machines exhibiting one-pixel wide vertical line(s) are now eligible for a free LCD replacement or cash money refund if Dell already repaired your box sometime in the past. According to Dell, all the affected machines shipped between December 2004 and December 2006. Apparently, this is the same issue already corrected on the 17-inch LCDs shipped with their Inspiron 9200, 9300 and Dell XPS Gen 2 laptops back in April. Your slab not exhibiting the problem? No worries, if it gets ugly in the future, you're still eligible for a replacement within three years of purchase. The issue has been tracked back to one specific component used on a small number of LCDs across Dell's Lineup. Hey Dell, care to share that information with Apple to see if it's the cause of their 17-inch LCD woes? Wouldn't be the first time you two sourced the same OEM panels. Dell users, click the read link below to get yours.

We know there are many costs associated with the complicated process of screw production -- especially the process of fabricating special screws -- but this $82 unit really hurts. Although to be fair, the above Sony screw might not have been Sony itself screwing a customer, but rather some screwball retailer drilling down on Sony's behalf.

[Via Gadget Lab]

It's not too difficult to keep the faith if everything's clicking along nicely, but when console after console began to fail soon after Microsoft's highly-anticipated launch of the Xbox 360, skeptics began to surface. Rob and Mindy Cassingham were self-proclaimed "Xbox fanboys," and felt assured that their love for the next rendition would never sway, but after picking up six consoles to install in their home and personally owned gaming center, the relationship started to crumble. The jovial couple snatched up four units at the Zero Hour launch party, and while folks from all over were swarming to get their game on at their party haven, the days of elation were short lived. After dropping over $2,600 on hardware along, registering an "Xbox360" Utah license plate, and rocking Microsoft swag day in and day out, all four of the launch units bit the dust. Eventually, every single first wave unit croaked, and each time the Cassingham's found themselves fighting with overseas call centers just to get a much-belated refurbished unit sent back to them, one of which also fell victim to the red ring of doom. After seven out of six (that's over 100-percent, folks) consoles decide to call it a career before you've had your due fun, it's not easy to remain steadfast in your devotion, and even after an email to Peter Moore himself finally got a brand new console on its way to the once-diehards, things will never be the same. We feel your pain, man.

And not a minute too soon! After all that "excited" gameplay we've been doing over the holiday weekend, we were starting to think we might assassinate our damn HDTV with a tennis smash in Wii Sports. We ordered our straps on the 15th, the day the replacement program was announced -- meaning they came a good 6 days later than expected. Still, it was Christmas and all that, so we'll spot 'em. Check out the pics of the new thicker strap!

As with many things when it comes to AppleCare support, your mileage may vary, but AppleInsider apparently started to receive word that the Macbook discoloration issue is starting to result in some few-or-no-questions-asked returns, Apple simply offering up whole laptop replacements just like that. Now, we're not guaranteeing results or anything should you march that blemished MacBook into an Apple Store and foist it upon the first Genius you see, but it's a start, right? Anyone else having good luck getting their laptop taken care of?