The author of the piece is considering a company's value based upon their cash on hand. Don't let them anywhere near finances. Not to mention Apple's current Market Value: $288.95B.

Companies are often (usually?) described by the annual sales. Apple's sales were US $65 billion in the last year.

The rods were incased in a metal container called a "pig" that contains their radiation.

Emphasis addeded. I suppose they do that en case the package falls into the hands of innocent children?

Yep - "The battery prefers a partial rather than a full discharge. Frequent full discharges should be avoided when possible. Instead, charge the battery more often or use a larger battery." http://batteryuniversity.com/parttwo-34.htm