The stories of how Apple (AAPL) just ain't what it used to be when Steve Jobs ran the shop are building again, this time following an apology from the company to Chinese customers centering on warranties and service.

Apple posted a notice in Chinese saying effectively that it's sorry for its behavior toward owners of the iPhone 4 and 4S in the world's most populous country. The letter, signed by Apple CEO Tim Cook, says the Cupertino, Calif., company has received "a lot of feedback" about its repair and warranty policy in China, meaning it's been negative, according to the English version produced by Google Translate. Reports indicate China's media have been ramping up their criticism of Apple in recent weeks, clearly putting it on the defensive, but the Associated Press said at least some Chinese users weren't putting too much stock in the anger.

Regardless, the company went on to acknowledge that a lack of communication has led to Apple being viewed as arrogant and unbothered by any

For around 16 months, Chef Wiley Bates III has done his work in a closely monitored, difficult-to-access test kitchen in Plano, Texas, one where research is conducted, where ideas are abandoned or advanced, and where product development is handled with care.

He's gone from culinary school to high-end restaurants and hotels to this place, where he was found after a nationwide search that eliminated his competitors and left him alone, as the executive chef of Pizza Hut.

It is near this kitchen, located within an attractive building in a suburban office park, that he and a set of his colleagues are seated around the newest product from the pizza seller, the Crazy Cheesy Crust pizza.

The name is a fair one, though perhaps only by seeing it in person can one truly appreciate it. This particular item relies on the hand-tossed crust, but it comes with an immediately noticeable difference -- rather than the slices ending in that familiar arc of baked dough, each piece of the Crazy Cheesy