Apple replacing MacBook bottom case

Apple has started replacing the bottom case of MacBooks sold over the last year and a half.According to the company, some MacBooks have a problem in which the rubber surface on the bottom of MacBooks separates from the underside of the computer. The issue affects MacBooks shipped between October 2009 and April 2011.Apple is offering three free ways to fix the problem.Apple said that it will replace the bottom case on affected MacBooks at the Genius Bar at any of its retail stores. In addition, consumers can choose to work with an Apple authorized service provider to get the new bottom case.If those options aren't possible, consumers can opt to order a replacement bottom case kit on their own. According to Apple, MacBook owners can order the kit over the Web. The company will then send users a new bottom case, as well as a Phillips screwdriver, screws, and instructions on how to replace the part.Apple is offering the free replacement for an indefinite amount of time. Those whose MacBooks might have been produced between October 2009 and April 2011 but aren't seeing the rubber surface separate from the case are not eligible to receive the new part.Further reading: Apple MacBook Spring 2010 review

Apple reminds iTunes Match subscribers of auto-renewal

With the one-year anniversary of iTunes Match fast approaching, Apple is reminding annual subscribers that their plan will automatically renew.The company sent out e-mails to subscribers this morning, noting that the automatic renewal can be turned off just like in-app subscriptions for newspaper and magazine feature Newsstand. iTunes Match stores music tracks in the cloud, and makes them available on any device with iTunes. It can also tidy up old collections of ripped CDs with high-quality versions from Apple's digital store. The $24.99-a-year service launched last November following a three-week delay. Josh Lowensohn/CNETApple was the first out of the gate with its scan-and-match service, but rivals have not sat still. That includes Amazon, which already has a service out, and Google, which this week said thatits own, free service would roll out in Europe in two weeks, then in the U.S. soon after. Apple has kept mum on just how many iTunes Match subscribers it has. Besides additional storage in iCloud, it's one of Apple's only Web-based subscription services that costs money, which is tallied in the company's music product and services group. In its recently reported fourth-quarter earnings, Apple pulled in an all-time record of $2.1 billion in revenue, which the company attributed to "strong sales" of music, apps, and video content.