WOODSTOCK – Both Apple Computer Inc. and Dell Computer Corp. said in August that batteries powering millions of the companies' laptops are at risk of overheating and catching fire and need to be replaced.

One local company is prepared to do that for Apple laptop owners.

Woodstock-based Newer Technology Inc. has been designing and manufacturing Apple upgrade parts since 1984, including replacement batteries touted as having up to 62 percent higher capacity than their factory counterparts.

They also use an alternate temperature safety measure that prevents them from having the same danger of flammability, said Grant Dahlke, marketing manager for Newer Technology Inc.

Newer Technology batteries, sold under the name NewerTech NuPower, are American-made, constructed with lithium ion cells different than those manufactured by Sony Corp., which made the recalled batteries for Apple's ibook and PowerBook notebook computers.

The lithium ion batteries in the Apple computers were voluntarily recalled when the company determined they can overheat and possibly pose a fire hazard, the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission said last week.

Apple received nine reports of overheating which caused minor injuries or minor property damage, the commission said.

The NuPower batteries shut off permanently if the battery temperature reaches an unsafe level, according to the company.

The company's primary distributor is Woodstock-based Other World Computing, an online retailer of Apple replacement and upgrade parts.

Other World Computing chief executive officer Larry O'Connor also is president of Newer Technology Inc.

The companies are "separate entities" that have a business relationship, said Other World Computing public relations manager Rikki-Lee Travolta.

NuPower batteries also are distributed through a domestic and international network of independent retailers, Travolta said.

"We actually have a focus right now on going after, trying to secure other retailers," Dahlke said, noting that the company previously was focusing on product development.

One retail store, Macypher, an authorized Apple reseller in Lake Villa, sells about 10 of the batteries each month and has had no complaints from customers, said employee Luke Donald.

"We tend to sell those more than the Apple batteries, because they're pretty cost competitive," Donald said.

Apple is replacing the recalled batteries for free, but customers logging on to the company's Web site are given a delivery time of up to four to six weeks.

NuPower batteries can be shipped overnight, Travolta said.

How to get a new battery

Owners of the 12-inch iBook G4, 12-inch PowerBook G4 and 15-inch PowerBook G4 should log on to Apple's Web site, support.apple.com/batteryprogram, to check the battery's serial number and request a replacement.

Newer Technology Inc.'s NuPower batteries are available online at www.MacSales.com. Prices range between $99.95 and $139.99.