linkman

The US Patent Office apparently grants a patent for nearly everything, even if it is stupidly general, simple, or obvious. Pardon me, I'm going to file a patent for a circular thing that vehicles can propel themselves on...

The iPhone 4S released in 2011 could do 1080p video. Apple is 10 years behind its own products.

Nothing I'm reading here states that WD will be offering a no charge data recovery service nor will the trade-in be overwhelmingly favorable to the customer. Time will tell.

AppleInsider said:

The company says it's a grid-scale energy storage project that will be able to store 240 megawatts of energy -- enough to power more than 7,000 homes for one day.

Important distinction in terminology here. Even a single AAA battery can store 240 MW of power; but that storage/discharge will probably be limited to mere picoseconds. Electrical energy is usually rated in watt-hours, where power is often rated in watts. A MW is an instantaneous measurement of power. This is like stating "I can just lift a 250 kg weight off the floor" vs. "I can lift a 100 kg weight 2 meters." 240 megawatt-hours could indeed power 7000 homes for a day. 240 megawatts could power those 7000 homes nonstop.

I would have hired a diver to retrieve it -- they'll usually dive for a sunken phone for something like $80, and in this case it would probably be a lot cheaper because SCUBA gear wouldn't have been necessary. A wet or dry suit with gloves, boots, and hood would have been all that was needed.