Showing posts with label Apple. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Apple. Show all posts
Apple CEO Tim Cook Apologizes for Apple Maps, Suggests You Download Bing
Saturday, September 29, 2012 // by Saurabh //
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Its a kinder, gentler Apple under Tim Cook, an Apple which is in fact able to apologize to their users for messing up big time.
Apple CEO Tim Cook has apologized for “falling short of their commitment” to “deliver the best experience possible to our customers” but promised things will get better, and in the mean time recommended users use alternate applications, mentioning specifically Bing Maps and Nokia web maps, amongst others.
Bing Maps is considered by many to be even better on iOS than Windows Phone, and has already been recommended by many as a free alternate to the mess that Apple Maps has been.
Now he only needs apologize for scuff-gate and purple-haze gate not to mention just for stretching out the iPhone 4S.
Here's the Full Letter:
To our customers,
At Apple, we strive to make world-class products that deliver the best experience possible to our customers. With the launch of our new Maps last week, we fell short on this commitment. We are extremely sorry for the frustration this has caused our customers and we are doing everything we can to make Maps better.
We launched Maps initially with the first version of iOS. As time progressed, we wanted to provide our customers with even better Maps including features such as turn-by-turn directions, voice integration, Flyover and vector-based maps. In order to do this, we had to create a new version of Maps from the ground up.
There are already more than 100 million iOS devices using the new Apple Maps, with more and more joining us every day. In just over a week, iOS users with the new Maps have already searched for nearly half a billion locations. The more our customers use our Maps the better it will get and we greatly appreciate all of the feedback we have received from you.
While we're improving Maps, you can try alternatives by downloading map apps from the App Store like Bing, MapQuest and Waze, or use Google or Nokia maps by going to their websites and creating an icon on your home screen to their web app.
Everything we do at Apple is aimed at making our products the best in the world. We know that you expect that from us, and we will keep working non-stop until Maps lives up to the same incredibly high standard.
Tim Cook
Apple's CEO
Report: More fixes for overheating iPads?
Apple is quietly revising its third-generation iPad in a number of ways to fix an overheating issue with the tablet, according to Digitimes.
The Taiwanese tech site reported Friday that Apple is switching out the third-gen iPad's dual-LED backlight module for a single-LED module like the one used for the iPad 2. That report comes on the heels of a Digitimes report from a day earlier that claimed Apple was upgrading the battery in its new iPad, also to deal with the overheating problem.
Both reports cited unnamed sources in the Asian electronics supply chain. The rumored revisions to the third-gen iPad will appear in models made available around the holidays, Digitimes reported. The iPad's overheating issues have been well-documented. Days after Apple released its third-gen iPad, Dutch site Tweakers.net published thermal images that it said showed the new iPad running 10 degrees hotter than the iPad 2. Using an infrared camera, Tweakers measured the temperature of each tablet side by side after five minutes of running GLBenchmark and found that the new iPad hit 33.6 degrees centigrade (92.5 Fahrenheit) while the iPad 2 ran at a cooler 28.3 degrees centigrade (82.9 Fahrenheit). Apple told All Things D that the new iPad runs "well within our thermal specifications."
If Digitimes' sources are correct, Apple is tackling the overheating issue on several fronts. First, there's the reported revision to the battery, which would make the tablet "slightly lighter and thinner than previously designed," the site reported. The third-gen iPad's second LED is apparently also a contributing factor to the tablet running hotter than Apple would like. Luckily for the iPad maker, returning to the single module design "will not affect luminosity and clarity of Apple's Retina Ddsplay," according to Digitimes' sources. Finally, the touch-screen panel on the revised iPad will utilize Sharp's indium gallium zinc oxide (IGZO) panel technology, Digitimes said, citing the Chinese-language Apple Daily site. That will allow for a thinner profile for the revised tablet and, somehow, "longer battery life," according to Apple Daily. It would also mean Apple is switching from its current panel supplier, Samsung, to Sharp. As always, Apple product rumors should be taken with a grain of salt
Microsoft wins ruling against Motorola over texting
A German regional court ruled in a hearing on Thursday that Motorola Mobility(GOOG.O) infringed Microsoft(MSFT.O) patents by offering the option on its mobile phones to send a longer text in a batch of several messages.
"We're pleased the court agreed today that Motorola has infringed Microsoft's intellectual property, and we hope Motorola will be willing to join other Android device makers by taking a license to our patents," Microsoft said in a statement, referring to Google's Android operating system for mobile phones.
Motorola, which was recently bought by Google, said: "We expect a written decision from the court on June 1 and upon review, will explore all options including appeal."
The two companies are fighting each other in courts across the globe, as are several other makers of devices including Apple (AAPL.O), over the intellectual property of software features offered in the latest smart phones and gadgets.
In another case, the same regional court in the city of Munich on Thursday rejected a complaint by Microsoft against Motorola Mobility's use of a software feature called programme localisation.
Motorola Mobility, in turn, is currently suing Microsoft in the U.S. over features in the Xbox gaming console.
Microsoft: ‘iCloud might not be enough for you’
Wednesday, May 9, 2012 // by Saurabh //
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News and Articles
We covered the release of Microsoft’s new SkyDrive for Mac and updated iOS apps last month, and today the company is once again trying to convince iCloud users to make the switch. On the Office for Mac blog and SkyDrive blog, Microsoft posted a video today titled “iCloud not enough? Try SkyDrive,” alongside the following three reasons to choose its cloud service over Apple’s:
Access files and Office docs, anywhere:
With iCloud, you can only access certain files across devices—like iWork files or photos you take on your iPhone.
With SkyDrive, you can access or manage any file from anywhere. It doesn’t matter whether the file is a document, photo, video, PDF, or anything else—just drag files to theSkyDrive folder on your Mac and they’ll automatically be available on youriPhone, iPad, or PC. If you don’t have your devices with you, you can still access, view, or edit any file by signing in to SkyDrive.com on any browser.
Share and work together with anyone:
With iCloud, you can only collaborate with people who have the right software.
But with SkyDrive, you can share any type of file—even big ones up to 2 GB—with anyone. SkyDrive works seamlessly with Office. Anyone you share with can view or edit Word,PowerPoint, or Excel files using Officefor Mac, Office for Windows, or withOffice Web Apps in their browser (it’s free!).
Your notes, everywhere:
With iCloud, you can access notes across your devices but can’t share them.
SkyDrive and OneNote, both free, are integrated so you can take notes, track to-dos and lists all in one place, and share your lists with friends and family so they can coordinate shopping or other tasks you’re working on together. You can share and keep your lists automatically updated from any device.
Microsoft also linked to a page with instructions for moving from iDisk to SkyDrive.
It's Official: Google Has Lost Control of the Android Tablet Market
Saturday, April 28, 2012 // by Saurabh //
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News
More bad news for Google and Android.
Amazon's Kindle Fire now has 54.4% of the Android tablet market in the U.S., according to comScore.
This means Google has lost control of the Android tablet market to one of its newest mobile rivals after just a few months.
Amazon used the base layer of Android to build its own operating system. Google doesn't have its app store or any of its services on the Kindle Fire.
Amazon isn't the last company to do this. Phone makers are planning on forking Android, making it more fragmented and ultimately cutting Google out of the loop.
The success of the Kindle Fire is proof that you don't need Google to make a popular Android-based device.
Apple is 10 years behind Microsoft on security, expert says
Articles
Apple may be the most valuable company in the world, but when it comes to security, the Cupertino-based company doesn’t hold a candle to Microsoft. Kaspersky Lab co-founder and chief executive Eugene Kaspersky on Wednesday told CBR that Apple is a decade behind Microsoft in terms of computer security.
"I think they are ten years behind Microsoft in terms of security,"Kaspersky said.
"For many years I’ve been saying that from a security point of view there is no big difference between Mac and Windows. It’s always been possible to develop Mac malware, but [Flashback] was a bit different. For example it was asking questions about being installed on the system and, using vulnerabilities, it was able to get to the user mode without any alarms.”More than 600,000 Macs were infected by the Flashback trojan virus before it was discovered earlier this month and the exploit it used to infect OS X PCs was patched.
“Apple will understand very soon that they have the same problems Microsoft had ten or 12 years ago,” Kaspersky said. ”They will have to make changes in terms of the cycle of updates and so on and will be forced to invest more into their security audits for the software.”
If MAC was the most popular OS in the world, Hackers would have bankrupted Apple!
Thursday, April 19, 2012 // by Saurabh //
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"If MAC was the most popular OS in the world hackers would have bankrupted apple!"More than half a million Apple computers have been infected with the Flashback Trojan, according to a Russian anti-virus firm.
The report claims that about 600,000 Macs have installed the malware - potentially allowing them to be hijacked and used as a "botnet".
The firm, Dr Web, says that more than half that number are based in the US.
Apple has released a security update, but users who have not installed the patch remain exposed.
Flashback was first detected last September when anti-virus researchers flagged up software masquerading itself as a Flash Player update. Once downloaded it deactivated some of the computer's security software.
Later versions of the malware exploited weaknesses in the Java programming language to allow the code to be installed from bogus sites without the user's permission.
Remote control
Dr Web said that once the Trojan was installed it sent a message to the intruder's control server with a unique ID to identify the infected machine.
"By introducing the code criminals are potentially able to control the machine," the firm's chief executive Boris Sharov told the BBC.
"We stress the word potential as we have never seen any malicious activity since we hijacked the botnet to take it out of criminals' hands. However, we know people create viruses to get money.
"The largest amounts of bots - based on the IP addresses we identified - are in the US, Canada, UK and Australia, so it appears to have targeted English-speaking people."
Dr Web also notes that 274 of the infected computers it detected appeared to be located in Cupertino, California - home to Apple's headquarters.
Update wait
Java's developer, Oracle, issued a fix to the vulnerability on 14 February, but this did not work on Macintoshes as Apple manages Java updates to its computers.
Apple released its own "security update" on Wednesday - more than eight weeks later. It can be triggered by clicking on the software update icon in the computer's system preferences panel.
The security firm F-Secure has also posted detailed instructions about how to confirm if a machine is infected and how to remove the Trojan.
Although Apple's system software limits the actions its computers can take without requesting their users' permission, some security analysts suggest this latest incident highlights the fact that the machines are not invulnerable.
"People used to say that Apple computers, unlike Windows PCs, can't ever be infected - but it's a myth," said Timur Tsoriev, an analyst at Kaspersky Lab.
Apple could not provide a statement at this time
Source: BBC News
Apple's iPhone that Never Was
The first iPhone was actually dreamed up in 1983. Forget that silly old touchscreen, this iPhone was a landline with full, all-white handset and a built-in screen controlled with a stylus.
The phone was designed for Apple by Hartmut Esslinger, an influential designer who helped make the Apple IIc computer (Apple’s first “portable” computer) and later founded Frogdesign. The 1983 iPhone certainly fits in with Esslinger’s other designs for Apple. It also foreshadows the touchscreens of both the iPhone and iPad.Images of the 1983 iPhone have been circling the web for a while but there has been renewed interest in Apple’s early designs and history thanks to a peak inside Stanford University’s massive trove of Apple documents. The archives are a close-guarded secret but Stanford is starting to grant access to select journalists and organizations. The archives were donated in 1997 after Steve Jobs rejoined the company and document much of the design and personnel changes that took place in the 1980s.
The 1983 iPhone is just one of many prototypes buried in Apple’s past. There’s even a device that looks eerily similar to an iPad. Despite the phone’s age, it actually looks like a cool concept that could easily be updated into a modern consumer product by replacing simple stylus screen with an iPad-like interface.
Stay tuned for more, but in the mean time, take a look at some pics of the iPhone that never was.
- iPhone that never was || Via Mashable
Microsoft Opens iOS Window for Xbox Live Fans
Sunday, December 11, 2011 // by Saurabh //
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News & Article Microsoft has brought an Xbox Live app to iOS devices. The app allows players to communicate on the Xbox Live network and manage their profiles. "The iPad and iPhone platform is significantly larger than the Windows [Phone] platform, and this is really about going after the largest installed base to reach more users," said Collins Stewart's Kevin Buttigieg.
Xbox gamers can access their Xbox Live accounts from their iPhones and iPads now that Microsoft (Nasdaq: MSFT) launched the My Xbox Live app for iOS.
Access to Xbox Live has been available on Microsoft's Windows Phone platform since it launched more than a year ago, but this is the first time Microsoft is offering the app on a competing system, although third-party apps have allowed at least partial capability before.
After downloading the free app, users can edit their 3D avatars, chat and send messages to other Live users, update and edit features such as the user profile or friends list, and receive videos, tips and news about Xbox games.
The app is formatted for both the iPhone and the iPad.
Offering Choices
While the app doesn't offer all the access that a Windows phone does -- My Xbox Live is an app, whereas the Xbox hub on the Windows 7 is an integrated part of the phone -- it still shows Microsoft's willingness and desire to spread the product to as many venues as possible.
"Microsoft has always been about giving consumers choices. They didn't want to do what Apple (Nasdaq: AAPL) did with their phone and say 'Here's your one phone and boom, you're done.' Here, they figured that gamers might use the Live feature on the phone and go home and want a bigger experience on a console or PC, and that's where Microsoft is going to try to play into as many points in the consumer experience, on different platforms," Robert Breza, analyst at RBC Capital Markets told MacNewsWorld.For Microsoft to get into those different platforms, it requires collaborating with even the toughest of competitors.
"Obviously the iPad and iPhone platform is significantly larger than the Windows [Phone] platform, and this is really about going after the largest installed base to reach more users," Kevin Buttigieg, analyst at Collins Stewart, told MacNewsWorld.
Even if that large base isn't using the Windows 7 phone or a different Microsoft device to access those games, the company is still displaying some influence.
"Microsoft's long-term, clearly stated goal is to dominate every element of your life, from phone to TV to PC, and really make a seamless experience across those. From a gamer's experience, this creates a seamless experience since they're not always going to be sitting in front of a TV, so Microsoft is reaching for that seamlessness, even if it's on another system," said Breza.
Microsoft didn't respond to requests for more comments in time for publication.
Riding the Xbox Train
"Xbox Live has been a tremendous success for Microsoft, and it's been financially designed to expand across that installed base, both on their phone as well as a number of others of internally generated technologies. In the future, I'd expect those individual components to become more tightly integrated with one another rather than other platforms," said Buttigieg.

It may not be the direction Microsoft expected it would head when it launched Xbox in 2001, but it's become an important part of the company's financial success. When fiscal first quarter earnings were reported in October, the entertainment division had seen a 9 percent growth since the previous year and took in US$1.96 billion, mostly revenue from the Xbox 360.
"The market has evolved in ways they probably didn't anticipate at the time, but certainly Xbox has become a successful console and they're using it for a launching pad for additional services," said Buttigieg.
Bill Gates responds to Steve Jobs criticisms
Wednesday, November 9, 2011 // by Saurabh //
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Microsoft chairman and co-founder Bill Gates has responded to Steve Jobs’ criticisms from his recently released biography.
Steve Jobs’ official biography, authored by Walter Isaacson, details some of his feelings on Microsoft and Bill Gates. Jobs mocked Microsoft’s lack of humanity and claimed that Microsoft “just didn’t get” the original Mac enough to copy it properly. Jobs also spoke about Gates in one of his interviews, describing him as wealthy but questioning whether that was his aim. “Bill ended up the wealthiest guy around, and if that was his goal then he achieved it,” explained Jobs. “Its never been my goal and I even wonder in the end if it was really his goal, I dunno.” Jobs also thought Bill Gates was “unimaginative and has never invented anything.” Jobs also claimed that Gates “just shamelessly ripped off other people’s ideas.”
Gates responded to Jobs’ criticisms during an interview with ABC News on Sunday. Asked about Jobs’ comments, Gates praised Jobs. “Steve Jobs did a fantastic job,” Gates told ABC News during a video taped interview. During the interview, see below, Gates described his relationship with Jobs over their 30 year history:
“When you think about why is the world better today, the Internet, the personal computer, the phone, the way you can deal with information is just so phenomenal. Over the course of the 30 years we worked together, you know, he said a lot of very nice things about me and he said a lot of tough things. I, you know, respect Steve, we got to work together. We spurred each other on, even as competitors. None of that bothers me at all.”Gates also detailed his feelings on why Jobs may have described him as unimaginative. “He faced, several times at Apple, the fact that their products were so premium priced that they literally might not stay in the marketplace,” Gates said. “So the fact that we were succeeding with high volume products, you know, including a range of prices, because of the way we worked with multiple companies, it’s tough.” Gates added that Jobs’ feelings were reasonable. “And so the fact that … at various times, he felt beleaguered, he felt like he was the good guy and we were the bad guys, you know, very understandable.”
Apple Macbook Air
Sunday, October 23, 2011 // by Saurabh //
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Both the 11- and 13-inch MacBook Air now feature the latest generation of Intel processors, the Core i5 and i7. With speeds up to 1.8GHz and faster memory, the new MacBook Air gains up to 2.5x the processing performance over the previous generation.1 MacBook Air also features the Intel HD Graphics 3000 processor, which includes an on-chip engine for video encoding and decoding. That means you experience video playback and FaceTime calls that are smoother, more responsive, and more true to life.Thunderbolt I/O.
With one port, MacBook Air gives you access to a world of high-speed peripherals capable of transferring data up to 12 times faster than FireWire 800 and up to 20 times faster than USB 2.0. Or use the Thunderbolt port to connect the new Apple Thunderbolt Display and transform your ultracompact MacBook Air into a complete desktop workstation. Power over 4 million eye-popping pixels while enjoying some major benefits: Gigabit Ethernet, FireWire 800, an additional Thunderbolt port, three USB ports, a FaceTime HD camera, 2.1 stereo sound, and a built-in microphone. The display even charges your MacBook Air, so there’s no need to unpack and unravel your power adapter. With two quick connections — the MagSafe power cord and the Thunderbolt cable — you’re up and running in seconds. Unplug them, and you’re on your way just as fast.
All-flash storage.
Devices like iPhone and iPad have already demonstrated the advantages of flash storage: reliability, speed, and efficiency. So the decision to use flash storage in an ultracompact notebook like MacBook Air made perfect sense. With flash, your computer starts up in almost no time and accesses data quickly. Flash also gives MacBook Air the astonishing ability to remain in standby mode for up to 30 days.3 Which means your MacBook Air snaps to in an instant, whether you open it tomorrow, next week, or next month.Backlit keyboard.
As incredibly compact as MacBook Air is, it still manages to fit a full-size keyboard that makes typing as natural as it is comfortable. And now the keyboard is backlit, so you can type with ease in even the dimmest light. A built-in ambient light sensor detects changes in lighting conditions and adjusts the display and keyboard brightness automatically. From a seat in a sunny café to a seat on a cross-country red-eye, you’ll always have the perfect lighting for any environment.Multi-Touch trackpad.
The Multi-Touch gestures in OS X Lion make everything you do on MacBook Air more intuitive, direct, and fun. And the spacious Multi-Touch trackpad is perfectly designed for them, whether it’s a three-finger swipe to activate Mission Control or a four-finger pinch to see all your apps in Launchpad. Gesture responses in Lion are smooth and realistic. So when you’re scrolling up and down a web page or swiping from one full-screen app to another, it’s almost like you’re touching what you’re seeing.
Display, camera, and speakers.
High-resolution display.
Millions of pixels. Millimeters thin.
Corner to corner and pixel by pixel, the MacBook Air display is both an engineering feat and a design breakthrough. The display measures a mere 4.86 millimeters (0.19 inch) thin, yet the resolution is so high, you’ll feel like you’re looking at a much larger screen. And with good reason. The 11-inch MacBook Air features a resolution equal to that of your typical 13-inch notebook, while the 13-inch MacBook Air wows with a resolution equivalent to a typical15-inch notebook.
FaceTime camera.
Your smile goes for miles.
The wafer-thin MacBook Air display houses something pretty huge: the FaceTime camera. It’s so thin — even thinner than the camera on iPhone 4 — you barely notice it, but it’s incredibly capable. Using the FaceTime for Mac app, you can make video calls with anyone who has a Mac, iPad 2, iPhone 4, or the latest iPod touch.2
Stereo speakers.
Heard but not seen.
Despite its compact form, MacBook Air delivers full stereo sound. Space-efficient design inside the enclosure allows for the placement of left and right speakers that project sound through the keyboard. So you’re able to enjoy a richer audio experience while chatting online, watching TV shows, listening to music, or playing games.Long-lasting battery.
Since space-saving flash storage leaves room for a bigger battery, you can devote more time to the things you enjoy most. Things like browsing the web, editing photos, and watching videos. Get up to 5 hours of battery life on a single charge on the 11-inch model and up to 7 hours on the 13-inch model. Put MacBook Air to sleep, and it enters standby mode to conserve battery life for up to 30 days.3 When you come back to your MacBook Air and open it up, it’s on in an instant.
Connectivity.
Steve Jobs: 1955-2011
| Steve Jobs 1955-2011 |
Jobs’ influence on technology started with the early days of the personal computer and continued through the mobile revolution, as Apple’s Mac, iPod, iPhone and iPad brought the company back to the forefront of the industry and ultimately made Apple the most valuable company in the world.
Apple has turned its its home page into a simple tribute to its longtime leader. The company issued this news release this afternoon.
We are deeply saddened to announce that Steve Jobs passed away today. Steve’s brilliance, passion and energy were the source of countless innovations that enrich and improve all of our lives. The world is immeasurably better because of Steve.His greatest love was for his wife, Laurene, and his family. Our hearts go out to them and to all who were touched by his extraordinary gifts.The news follows a series of illnesses, including a long battle with pancreatic cancer. Jobs stepped down as Apple’s CEO in August, saying he could no longer meet his duties as the company’s top executive.
“I believe Apple’s brightest and most innovative days are ahead of it,” wrote Jobs in his letter of resignation.
Bill Gates, the Microsoft chairman, issued this statement through a spokesman.
I’m truly saddened to learn of Steve Jobs’ death. Melinda and I extend our sincere condolences to his family and friends, and to everyone Steve has touched through his work.Steve and I first met nearly 30 years ago, and have been colleagues, competitors and friends over the course of more than half our lives.The world rarely sees someone who has had the profound impact Steve has had, the effects of which will be felt for many generations to come.For those of us lucky enough to get to work with him, it’s been an insanely great honor. I will miss Steve immensely.Paul Allen, the Microsoft co-founder, issued this statement.
My condolences to Steve Jobs’ family and friends. We’ve lost a unique tech pioneer and auteur who knew how to make amazingly great products. Steve fought a long battle against tough odds in a very brave way. He kept doing amazing things in the face of all that adversity. As someone who has had his own medical challenges, I couldn’t help but be encouraged by how he persevered.We are tracking some of the most thoughtful tributes and obituaries of Jobs.
The Wall Street Journal:
Those who knew Mr. Jobs say that one reason why he was able to keep innovating was because he didn’t dwell on past accomplishments or legacy but kept looking ahead and demanded that employees do the same.Mark Anderson, CEO of Strategic News Service:
In a product world led by Steve, everyone else is a forger or a fraud. Tomorrow, the media will be full of paeans and pictures. All you need do to remember Steve is look at what is in your hands. If he didn’t design and make it himself, it came from someone doing their best to mimic his ideas. Steve had the faith to drive mercilessly for a nearly endless series of absolute visions, and the courage to live the life that this commitment demanded.The San Francisco Chronicle:
Jobs was considered by many to be the greatest corporate leader of the last half century, and indeed his numerous successes rank him alongside Ford, Disney and Edison as a giant of American business. He was a taskmaster who demanded the most from his employees – often in expletive-laden bursts – and wasn’t afraid to scrap products that didn’t meet his expectations. But consumers benefited from his perfectionism, which resulted in beautiful and intuitive products.The New York Times:
Apple’s very name reflected his unconventionality. In an era when engineers and hobbyists tended to describe their machines with model numbers, he chose the name of a fruit, supposedly because of his dietary habits at the time.Cnet:
Coming on the scene just as computing began to move beyond the walls of research laboratories and corporations in the 1970s, Mr. Jobs saw that computing was becoming personal — that it could do more than crunch numbers and solve scientific and business problems — and that it could even be a force for social and economic change. And at a time when hobbyist computers were boxy wooden affairs with metal chassis, he designed the Apple II as a sleek, low-slung plastic package intended for the den or the kitchen. He was offering not just products but a digital lifestyle.
He put much stock in the notion of “taste,” a word he used frequently. It was a sensibility that shone in products that looked like works of art and delighted users. Great products, he said, were a triumph of taste, of “trying to expose yourself to the best things humans have done and then trying to bring those things into what you are doing.”
One of the most legendary businessmen in American history, Jobs turned three separate industries on their head in the 35 years he was involved in the technology industry.President Barack Obama:
Personal computing was invented with the launch of the Apple II in 1977. Legal digital music recordings were brought into the mainstream with the iPod and iTunes in the early 2000s, and mobile phones were never the same after the 2007 debut of the iPhone. Jobs played an instrumental role in the development of all three, and managed to find time to transform the art of computer-generated movie-making on the side.
Michelle and I are saddened to learn of the passing of Steve Jobs. Steve was among the greatest of American innovators – brave enough to think differently, bold enough to believe he could change the world, and talented enough to do it.
By building one of the planet’s most successful companies from his garage, he exemplified the spirit of American ingenuity. By making computers personal and putting the internet in our pockets, he made the information revolution not only accessible, but intuitive and fun. And by turning his talents to storytelling, he has brought joy to millions of children and grownups alike. Steve was fond of saying that he lived every day like it was his last. Because he did, he transformed our lives, redefined entire industries, and achieved one of the rarest feats in human history: he changed the way each of us sees the world.
The world has lost a visionary. And there may be no greater tribute to Steve’s success than the fact that much of the world learned of his passing on a device he invented. Michelle and I send our thoughts and prayers to Steve’s wife Laurene, his family, and all those who loved him.
Bill Gates: Working with Jobs was ‘an insanely great honor’
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| Steve Jobs and Bill Gates at D Conference |
It’s easy to focus on rivalries in the technology industry, and certainly there was no love lost between Steve Jobs and Bill Gates and their respective companies at many moments in their storied careers.
But the Microsoft chairman’s statement on the Apple co-founder’s death today is a reminder that their relationship was much more complex than that.
“Steve and I first met nearly 30 years ago, and have been colleagues, competitors and friends over the course of more than half our lives,”
Gates said.
“The world rarely sees someone who has had the profound impact Steve has had, the effects of which will be felt for many generations to come. For those of us lucky enough to get to work with him, it’s been an insanely great honor. I will miss Steve immensely.”
Under Jobs’ leadership, the company he co-founded in 1976 rebounded to reclaim its spot at the top of the technology industry, outpacing Microsoft in the market with its iPod portable music player, the iPhone smartphone and most recently the iPad tablet computer.
But it was a controversial strategic investment from Microsoft, announced at Macworld Boston in 1997, that helped to get Apple on a stronger footing following Jobs’ return to lead the company. Microsoft has also continued to make its widely used Office software for Macs, creating a bridge between the competing platforms for many computer users.
Jobs reflected on his history with Gates during a joint appearance in 2007 at the D conference by quoting a Beatles song: “You and I have memories longer than the road that stretches out ahead.”
Paul Allen, the Microsoft co-founder, also expressed his condolences, and his perspective and empathy for Jobs as someone who has also battled cancer multiple times in his life.
“We’ve lost a unique tech pioneer and auteur who knew how to make amazingly great products,” said Allen in a statement. “Steve fought a long battle against tough odds in a very brave way. He kept doing amazing things in the face of all that adversity. As someone who has had his own medical challenges, I couldn’t help but be encouraged by how he persevered.”
Here’s the video from the joint appearance by Jobs and Gates
“I want to express my deepest condolences at the passing of Steve Jobs, one of the founders of our industry and a true visionary. My heart goes out to his family, everyone at Apple and everyone who has been touched by his work.”
Bill Gates and Steve Ballmer react to Steve Jobs death
Steve Jobs, Apple co-founder and former CEO, passed away on October 5, aged just 56.
The world has been sharing its reactions to a truly incredible individual. Bill Gates, Microsoft co-founder and Chairman, shared the following statement:
“I’m truly saddened to learn of Steve Jobs’ death. Melinda and I extend our sincere condolences to his family and friends, and to everyone Steve has touched through his work.
Steve and I first met nearly 30 years ago, and have been colleagues, competitors and friends over the course of more than half our lives. The world rarely sees someone who has had the profound impact Steve has had, the effects of which will be felt for many generations to come.
For those of us lucky enough to get to work with him, it’s been an insanely great honor. I will miss Steve immensely.”
Steve Ballmer, Microsoft CEO, shared the following statement:
“I want to express my deepest condolences at the passing of Steve Jobs, one of the founders of our industry and a true visionary. My heart goes out to his family, everyone at Apple and everyone who has been touched by his work.”
Both Gates and Ballmer’s words mirror an industry reaction to a man that has changed the world. It’s with the deepest regret that I’m reporting his untimely death after just 56 years. My thoughts go out to Steve’s family and friends. Rest in peace Steve Jobs, a genuine legend.
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