In late August 2016, Ireland was ordered by the European Commission to reclaim €13 billion in back taxes from Apple.

It is claimed that Ireland illegally gave significant tax breaks to Apple, allowing the gadget mega-corporation to pay just 2% on profits compared to the country’s rate of 12.5%.

Although both Apple and the Irish government are appealing the ruling, it is unclear whether they will be successful.

However, with such a large cash pile, could there be another way for Apple to avoid paying the tax?

In 2014, the GDP figure for Ireland was $205 billion, just a few billion more than the cash hoard Apple reported to hold in 2015.

Ireland may not be for sale, but their debt potentially is. With a reported $226.6 billion in the red, Apple could pay off the entire amount in just a few instalments.

What would Apple get in return? Perhaps an even better tax deal or even the offer of paying no tax at all. That may not currently be legal under EU rules, but with neighbouring Britain having recently decided to leave the union, Ireland may not be far off joining.

Ireland may be seen as a tax haven and therefore attractive to Apple to place its European headquarters, but what’s stopping Apple from just creating its own country and making its own taxation laws?

In theory, Apple could buy its own country and build a bank for under $150 million, avoiding hefty penalties like the one it currency faces.

The idea may initially sound absurd, but in 2007 ‘Sealand’ was put on the open market. An ugly second World War II gun platform, just outside Britain’s three-mile territorial waters, claims to be the world’s smallest state. Remarkably, the UK government agrees.

For offers in the region of $100 million, this platform comes with the right to print its own postage stamps and even put a team into the qualifying stages of the World Cup.

According to OffshoreCompany.com, the costs of starting a new bank is roughly between $10 - $20 million; pocket change in comparison with Apple’s net worth.

Whether Apple considers one of these possibilities to avoid large future tax bills or not, it’s going to interesting watching what Apple does with its eye-watering cash stockpile and how it operates in an international economy with politicians increasingly clamping down on tax avoidance.

*The information in this blog is designed to provide helpful information on the subjects discussed. Please seek a professional for expert advice as we can not be held responsible for any damages or negative consequences upon following this information.

Smartphones have come a long way from the usual functions of calling and messaging; you can play 3d games, watch movies, take high resolution pictures, etc. All of these tasks consume a lot of battery power, but smartphones are equipped with powerful processors that can handle the power demands. Although batteries have been enhanced, they still need a quick recharge to ensure that they last the day.

People have been working on innovative solutions to resolve battery issues and as a result, there are quite a few battery chargers available in the market or rather will be in the near future, that are just plain awesome, while some are even outlandish.

·      Body Heat Charger

What if you came across a device that could charge your phone while it was in your pocket, without plugging it in any power outlet? Of course, that would be awesome. Dr Gang Chen, the head of the mechanical engineering department at MIT has built a prototype material that absorbs heat from low grade sources to produce electricity. The device consists of cheap nanomaterials that draw in energy from the environment and generate an electric current.

Experiments show that the device can be used to charge your mobile phone’s battery while it it’s in your pocket; it will utilize your body heat to do so. Of course, the device is still under research and it will be quite some time when we see it in the market, but the idea is intriguing at best. It has an efficiency of 12 percent at a temperature of around 20 to 60 degrees Centigrade.

·      The Super Fast Charger

Would you want to buy a charger that would charge your phone in just 30 seconds? Yes, you heard it right. There is a startup in Israel called Storedot that has developed a prototype of a battery that is capable of being recharged in 30 seconds. The super fast charging battery employs nanotechnology to achieve such record breaking times. This battery consists of special amino acids, instead of Lithium which allow it to be charged in under a minute. It can be used on laptops and tablets as well.

·      Plan V

No it is not the title of an alien invasion movie nor is it the plot to the next Star Wars franchise; rather, it is a device that makes use of a 9 Volt battery to charge a smartphone. If you ever faced a situation in which you are having a night out with your friends and your phone becomes low on battery, then this charging device is the perfect match for you.

Made of plastic, the charger has two parts; one end of the device is a USB cable, while the other end is a battery connector. A 9 Volt battery goes there and you can plug in the USB into the charging port on your phone. It is a good remedy in situations when you need a quick boost in battery life. It provides up to 4 hours of talk time.

*The information in this blog is designed to provide helpful information on the subjects discussed. Please seek a professional for expert advice as we can not be held responsible for any damages or negative consequences upon following this information.