The Daily Populous

Thursday January 3rd, 2019 night edition

image for Apple says cheap battery replacements hurt iPhone sales

Last year, Apple admitted it was throttling older iPhone models to compensate for degrading batteries that caused the phones to sometimes shut down.

It offered to cut its $79 battery replacement fee down to $29 as a way of apologizing.

Degraded batteries were enough to give Apple’s business a boost while they were hard to replace.

Now that iPhone batteries are cheaper and easier to replace, fewer people are shelling out for new iPhones that can now cost up to $1,449.

And once Apple admitted it was throttling older iPhone models, users became more informed on how to turn the feature off.

Also, anyone who struggled with degrading battery life could simply replace it for a $29 fee instead of having to remember to turn on Low Battery Power mode or reach for an external battery pack.

Update January 2nd, 6:16PM ET: This article previously incorrectly stated that Apple stopped throttling older iPhone models. »

Tim Cook to Investors: People Bought Fewer New iPhones Because They Repaired Their Old Ones

Authored by motherboard.vice.com

The lengthy letter cites, specifically, that people are buying fewer iPhones because they are repairing their old ones.

The Department of Homeland Security, meanwhile, has seized iPhone replacement parts from prominent right to repair activists in the United States.

Apple has never clearly articulated why it doesn’t want people to fix their own iPhones or to have independent experts repair them. »

House Democrats Start Investigating Trump This Morning

Authored by huffingtonpost.com
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Democrats will almost immediately begin to investigate the many controversial policies and scandals of the Trump administration.

), left, and Rep. Jerry Nadler (D-N.Y.), right, will lead investigations into the Trump administration from their respective posts as chairman of the House Oversight and Reform Committee and House Judiciary Committee.

Democrats are willing to wait to see its conclusions before they start talking about impeachment. »

Texas has enough sun and wind to quit coal, Rice researchers say

Authored by houstonchronicle.com
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Texas is one of the only places where the natural patterns of wind and sun could produce power around the clock, according to new research from Rice University.

Texas is the largest producer of wind energy in the United States, generating about 18 percent of its electricity from wind.

In the summer, Gulf Coast wind generation could overtake West Texas wind capacity from about 1 p.m. to 8 p.m. when sea breezes kick in, Rice research showed. »