Trading iPhones

Confirming earlier rumours, Apple launched a new program on Friday (Pacific Daylight Time) that will allow customers to trade in old iPhones at US Apple stores for credit towards a newer model. In addition to helping support the environment, the program lets customers receive a credit for their returned phone that they can use toward the purchase of a new iPhone - most likely the next iPhone, expected to go on sale this month - provided the new phone comes with a wireless contract. But the most Apple will credit someone for an old device is US$280, and the store credit needs to be used on a new iPhone. While this does sound like a good idea, they could improve it somewhat, one of those ways being to allow Android users to trade their inferior devices for what is clearly a better model. But enough about that because in the aftermath of a failed relationship, jilted lovers have been known to lash out by posting sexually explicit photos or videos of their exes online. Called "revenge porn," or the less-salacious "cyber revenge," the trend has been around for years, spawning entire websites that profit off these images. But now, state laws could make this illegal. For example, the California Legislature is debating a new bill that would make it a misdemeanor for people to distribute sexually explicit photos or videos they'd shot in order to cause others humiliation or distress. It has already passed the state Senate. A similar bill was under consideration in Florida this year that would have made the act a felony, but it failed to muster the votes to become law. New Jersey is the only state that already has such a law on the books.