Apple Inc. has informed registered owners of the first generation iPod nanos sold between September 2005 and December 2006 that the devices may overheat and pose a security risk.

"This issue has been traced to a single battery supplier that produced batteries with a manufacturing defect. While the possibility of an incident is rare, the likelihood increases as the battery ages," Apple said in its Web site.

Apple recommended users to stop using their iPod nano (1st gen) and follow the process noted in the site to order a replacement unit, free of charge.

There would be a six-week period between Apple receiving the old unit and shipping you out a replacement.

Although Apple, the world's most valuable tech company, is known for its sleek and innovative devices, it has been in headlines lately because of battery life problems and other issues.

iOS 5, iPhone 4S Problems

Apple released the iOS 5.0.1, the first update to its iOS 5 mobile operating system, which boasts of 200 new features, which Apple says takes "a mobile operating system that was already years ahead of anything else and moving it even further ahead. iOS 5 was made available for free for iPhone 3GS, iPhone 4, iPod touch third and fourth generation, iPad and iPad 2. But users who have upgraded to the new OS have been complaining of poor battery life following the upgrade.

"A small number of customers have reported lower-than-expected battery life on iOS 5 devices," Apple spokeswoman Natalie Harrison said in a statement. "We have found a few bugs that are affecting battery life, and we will release a software update to address those in a few weeks."

iOS 5 is the same platform used for Apple's latest best-seller, the fifth generation iPhone. The iPhone 4S sports a 3.5-inch screen; an 8-megapixel, 1080p high-definition camera; an A5 dual-core chip processor that a graphic processor that is seven times faster; two antennae to transmit and receive data; CDMA and GSM connectivity; 8 hours of 3G talk-time, and new applications like Siri and Find My Friends. Apple has reported record sales of 4 million units of the iPhone 4S in the first three days. But users were complaining that the battery life is lower than advertised.

In a document released by Apple, the iOS 5.0.1 software update will not only fix the battery life issues, but will also fix bugs in synchronizing with iCloud, add multitasking gestures to the iPad and improve voice recognition for Australian users using dictation.

But some customers who have downloaded iOS 5.0.1 are still complaining that the update still does not fix the battery drain issue. Will Apple also offer a replacement for the iPhone 4S? In 6 years, perhaps?