According to Apple Insider, Apple has filed for a patent that would help them determine (we supposed prior to fulfilling any warranted repairs) whether an end user had subjected the iPhone or iPod to abuse including such as exposing it to extreme cold, heat, or moisture:
"The system may include an interface by which a diagnostic device may access the memory to analyze the records and determine whether a consumer abuse event occurred, when the event occurred, and, in some embodiments, what type of abuse event occurred," the patent reads. "By providing the capability to quickly and easily detect whether consumer abuse occurred in an electronic device, a vendor or manufacturer diagnosing a returned product may be able to better determine whether or not to initiate a product return under a warranty policy."
Yet Apple has also applied for a Karaoke patent, which for some poor iPhones or iPods, may end up being a far worse form of torture...
