Apple takes trashed iPhones as trades
NEW YORK -- Apple for the first time is accepting banged-up iPhones as a trade-in from those wanting to upgrade.
Until now, Apple offered credit to iPhone owners only if the device had an intact screen and working buttons. Apple hopes that with more leeway, applicable only to iPhone 5 and later models, more people will upgrade to new iPhones.
Apple has told investors that it may book its first revenue decline in 13 years when it reports quarterly earnings in April due in part to weakness in the global economy. But the smartphone market has matured as well after a years-long streak of blistering hot demand.
Apple relies on the iPhone for two-thirds of its revenue.
Tech blogs have speculated about an iPhone 7 to be released in the fall with dual cameras and wireless earbuds.
Apple pays up to $350 for phones without cracked screens or broken buttons. For damaged phones, it will pay $50 for a 5s, $200 for a 6 and $250 for a 6 Plus.
The changes, first reported on the tech blog 9to5Mac, as well as in-store installation of screen protectors, were confirmed Friday by Apple spokesman Nick Leahy.
-- The Associated Press
Sweden tightens security at 3 reactors
Sweden will use dogs and armed guards to help protect its nuclear reactors against terrorist attacks.
The Swedish Radiation Safety Authority is stepping up security at the nation's three nuclear power plants, which meet 40 percent of domestic electricity demand, amid growing concerns over acts of terrorism. Providing guards with watchdogs and guns will help them detect and intervene against "antagonists" much more quickly, the regulator said Friday.
Swedish nuclear plants are already classified as vital installations under Swedish law, making it illegal to photograph them, and no-fly zones were introduced in October after several drone sightings. While no acts of terrorism or sabotage has so far been reported, activists from environmental group Greenpeace have on several occasions entered atomic-plant sites and scaled the reactor buildings.
-- Bloomberg News
Morocco king unveils $3.9B solar plant
OUARZAZATE, Morocco -- Morocco's King Mohammed VI unveiled one of the world's biggest solar plants last week, taking advantage of the Sahara sunshine and a growing global push for renewable energy.
The $3.9 billion project in the southern town of Ouarzazate, also known as Noor I, is the first phase of a project expected to provide 1.2 million Moroccans with power. Row after row of solar panels glisten in the sunlight, surrounding a power station in the center.
Climate Investment Funds, a global agency investing $435 million in the project, said it will be the world's biggest concentrated solar plant, meaning that it will store power to generate when the sun isn't shining. It said Morocco was chosen for the project in part because of its political stability and because the government created a solar-energy agency and introduced measures in 2012 to phase out fossil-fuel subsidies.
While other countries have seen democratic uprisings in recent years, Morocco's leadership quelled protests with some reforms to avert upheaval.
While the project is aimed at reducing carbon emissions, environmental activists are concerned that it will require water from the nearby Mansour Eddahbi dam for cooling at a time of ongoing drought.
-- The Associated Press
Microsoft lands SwiftKey in $250M deal
Microsoft Inc. has agreed to buy U.K. startup SwiftKey, the application company best known for its free software that replaces the default keyboard on phones and tablets manufactured by Apple Inc and Alphabet Inc.
The FT.com reports the deal was agreed for about $250 million, citing people familiar with the matter.
SwiftKey is one of the most popular alternative keyboards on the iOS and Android mobile platforms, installed about 300 million times across both. It uses machine-learning to predict the ends of sentences as a user types. After initially charging a small fee for downloads, it now is monetized through in-app payments for features such as different colored themes to suit customer tastes.
Crucially perhaps for Microsoft, it does not currently support the Redmond, Wash.-based company's Windows Phone or Windows 10 platforms.
The market for third-party keyboards became more attractive to software-makers since Apple first allowed such products to be installed directly into its iOS mobile operating system in 2014. Before this, developers were not allowed to replace the default keyboard on the iPhone or iPad.
-- Bloomberg News
SundayMonday Business on 02/08/2016