Mar 4, 2008 Mar 6, 2008 Wednesday March 5, 2008
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Peter Elkind’s ‘The Trouble With Steve Jobs’ Epic in Fortune
Summary of the “trouble” Apple has with Steve Jobs, uncovered by Fortune editor-at-large Peter Elkind in a 7,500-word piece: he waited nine months before having surgery for his pancreatic cancer (a six-hour “brutal and complex” procedure where 1 in 20 patients die), the stock options backdating saga, and he’s an asshole. I liked this bit best: Jobs is notoriously secretive and controlling when it comes to his relationship with the press, and he tries to stifle stories that haven’t received his blessing with threats and cajolery. This story is one of them. While Jobs agreed to be interviewed by my colleague Betsy Morris on the subject of Apple’s selection as America’s Most Admired Company, he refused to comment for this story, which had been in the works for months. So refusing to talk to a reporter who is (a) digging into the details of Jobs’s personal life, and (b) writing what is, without question, a negative piece, that constitutes “threats and cajolery”? ★
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Cnet to cover iPhone SDK live
Cnet will be covering Steve Job’s iPhone SDK keynote live tomorrow, so make sure to head over to their site to check things out while they happen. We’ll be refreshing compulsively to see what Steve has in store for us. If past keynotes are any indication, there should be a…
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Cnet to cover iPhone SDK event live
Cnet will be covering Steve Job’s iPhone SDK keynote live tomorrow, so make sure to head over to their site to check things out while they happen. We’ll be refreshing compulsively to see what Steve has in store for us. If past keynotes are any indication, there should be a…
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Will we see the 3G iPhone in Q2 2008?
We’ve seen many rumors about the fabled 3G iPhone, but this analyst report seems more reputable than ever. After a meeting with Taiwanese electronics companies- presumably the ones that manufacture the iPhone- Citigroup analyst Richard Gardner says his sources confirmed the launch of the 3G iPhone would be in the…
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Apple preparing another large London store?
Filed under: Retail As many of our readers know, London is already host to the world's largest Apple store (pictured above) on renowned shopping-mile Regent Street. However, Apple's ambitions for the UK capital have yet to be fully realised according to a Macworld UK report today - for Apple is preparing to open another store just over a mile away in Covent Garden. The new store is touted as being a 3-storey affair taking up around 25,000 square foot. The existing Regent Street store is approximately 28,000 square foot, and according to ifoAppleStore remains one of the best performing stores - clearly Apple thinks there's plenty more custom to be snapped up and certainly TUAW visits to the flagship store have never been quiet affairs.The Covent Garden store is apparently going to be located at 4 The Piazza, in a location currently taken by a restaurant and nightclub -- it is of course too early to guess when the new store will indeed open.Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments
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MagStay PRO keeps your MagSafe stuck
Filed under: Hardware, Macbook Pro The MagStay Pro is a little plastic clip that holds in your MagSafe power connector on a 15" or 17" MacBook Pro. Basically, it's a retainer that plugs into the USB port next to the MagSafe to keep it from being disconnected. It also allows you to store the little plastic cap that comes with the MagSafe power adapter. Obviously, this completely undermines the point of the MagSafe, but if you find it accidently coming out when using it on your lap, etc., and you're not worried about the cord tripping problem, then it might be worth a look.The MagStay Pro is $11.99 and is available from thought out.[via The Gadgeteer]Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments
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If Not Flash on iPhone, Then What?
Adobe's Flash Player doesn't have what it takes to be part of the iPhone, Apple CEO Steve Jobs reportedly told shareholders at a meeting on Tuesday. The comments came just two days before Apple's much-anticipated unveiling of its iPhone software development kit, which is expected on Thursday and widely believed to include technologies that would bring Flash to the popular mobile devices. The iPhone needs something better than Adobe's Flash Lite for cell phones, Jobs reportedly said, yet better optimized to run faster on mobile technology than the PC Flash Player for larger devices.
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The $39,750 MacBook Air
Filed under: Accessories, MacBook AirIf the golden iPod isn't luxurious enough for you, check out this MacBook Air. Called "Golden Age", it's got a coating of 24k gold beneath 12,000 Swarovski crystals. Each crystal was applied by hand (of course), and only 20 Golden Age Airs have been made.That's right, you can buy one! Why not show up at Starbucks with an Apple laptop that cost nearly 40 thousand dollars? And people say Mac users are smug.Thanks, Marco!Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments
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OmniGraffle 5: Make diagrams people actually want to look at
The Omni Group's major upgrade to its powerful diagramming app brings much more powerful tools and more compatibility with competing apps.Read More...
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Apple CFO upbeat about unlocked iPhone's impact
Apple CFO Peter Oppenheimer calls the matter of unlocked iPhones "a positive indicator of future demand" for the company's mobile phone product.
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Flash on the iPhone: Steve Jobs Should let Users Decide For Themselves
So Steve Jobs says that Flash is not fast enough for the iPhone. Well that’s just great Steve. Way to make the decision for everyone. Here’s a novel idea: why not let the users decide whether it…
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Apple's iPhone SDK press conference tomorrow at 10:00AM PT / 1:00PM ET
Filed under: Announcements Alright iPhone nerds, it's the eve of iPhone's next big day. The SDK may or may not actually be released tomorrow, but we'll finally find out what's going on with it -- and what those "exciting new enterprise features" are that Apple teased. Check back tomorrow (and feel free to leave your local time zone in comments), we'll see you there!08:00AM - Hawaii10:00AM - Pacific11:00AM - Mountain12:00PM - Central01:00PM - Eastern06:00PM - London07:00PM - Paris09:00PM - Moscow03:00AM - Tokyo (March 7th)Where you need to be:Live from Apple's iPhone SDK press conference Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments
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Steve Jobs dismisses Flash for iPhone
Filed under: Other Events, Internet, Internet Tools, iPhoneBack in early February, we reported that sources had given GearLive (of jiggly-icon fame) the nod about Flash coming to the iPhone 'very, very soon'. Unfortunately, anyone hoping to get Flash on their iPhone (or iPod touch) anytime soon is likely to be left waiting, as Steve Jobs yesterday pulled a broadside on Adobe Flash, saying it simply wasn't suited for the iPhone. Ouch. Of course, some folks are likely to be more than disappointed with this announcement (not least Adobe and perhaps GearLive). Others, myself included, are simply relieved that our iPhones will remain clear of Flash's clutches [call me bitter, but I've seen enough 'Unresponsive Script' errors for my liking]. Either way, with Flash now brushed aside by Steve-O, it's all-eyes on Apple's Campus Event tomorrow, which starts at 10am PST, as the veil of secrecy (hopefully) rises on Apple's plans for third-party applications.Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments
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Logitec's LIC-iREC01 puts a stereo mic on your iPod
Filed under: Portable Audio There's no shortage of microphones for one's iPod, but Logitec is looking to earn the business of those still on the hunt with its LIC-iREC01. Put simply, this dock connector appendage is said to work on "all generations of iPods" (with dock connectors, obviously), and provides a built-in stereo mic for voice recording on the fly, an additional audio input for connecting something more sophisticated, and a mini-USB port for keeping your PMP synced while this thing is plugged in. At the moment, pricing details are unknown, but those camped out in Japan can look for it to land in their neighborhood later this month.[Via AkihabaraNews] Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments
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Fortune Interview With Steve Jobs
As part of their “America’s Most Admired Companies” package (Apple placed first), Fortune has a rare interview with Steve Jobs. The format is horrible — 3,000 words spread over 15 web pages, averaging just 200 words per page. Shameless page-view-inflation at its worst, but it’s worth it. A few highlights: “We do no market research. We don’t hire consultants. The only consultants I’ve ever hired in my 10 years is one firm to analyze Gateway’s retail strategy so I would not make some of the same mistakes they made.” “People think focus means saying yes to the thing you’ve got to focus on. But that’s not what it means at all. It means saying no to the hundred other good ideas that there are. You have to pick carefully.” “So what we do every Monday is we review the whole business. We look at what we sold the week before. We look at every single product under development, products we’re having trouble with, products where the demand is larger than we can make. All the stuff in development, we review. And we do it every single week. I put out an agenda — 80% is the same as it was the last week, and we just walk down it every single week.” ★
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Freeverse working on Flick Sports for iPhone
Filed under: Gaming, iPod Family, iPhoneFreeverse wrote today to tip us off about this webpage that describes their new Flick games for iPhone; the games are going to be written using the iPhone SDK as soon as soon can be. These games will use the iPhone's accelerometer to create Wii-like interaction for baseball, motosports, bowling and so forth. The page shows a number of mockups of the games in progress, and Freeverse's PR folk assure us the games are going to be released as soon as possible. There's more details of the games in action over at Freeverse's site. [Update: the page is down at the moment.] Let the games begin!Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments
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Apple Gazette Daily 221 - Jobs pans Flash for iPhone, Hides disease choices, and more!
podcast sponsor link:http://www.audiblepodcast.com/applegazette Click the link above to get your free audio book from Audible, and help support Apple Gazette at the same time! Today's Show: Jobs says that Flash isn't ready for the iPhone, speculates on the future, and it is revealed that he hid vital decisions about his health from shareholders for 9 months. You can subscribe via iTunes, or by RSS feed, or… you can listen to the episode right here: In addition to that, you can also download the Apple Gazette Daily Widget and listen to every episode of the show right on your Dashboard. Click Here to download.
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Vudu updates software and hardware offerings as it continues to battle Apple TV
In the face of increased pressure from Apple TV, Vudu is adding some distinguishing features to its own Internet VOD box.
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Vudu updates software and hardware offerings as it continues to battle Apple TV
The Vudu XL, which offers 1TB of storage, is now available.(Credit: Vudu)Apple TV has gotten a lot of press since its recent 2.0 upgrade added the ability to rent instant-on movies from all the major studios directly through its on-screen interface. But start-up Vudu--whose set-top box offered ...
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Gakken amplifier kit brings vacuum tubes to your iPod
Filed under: Home Entertainment, Portable Audio Gakken's no stranger to build-it-yourself retro audio gear, and it now looks to be trying to bring some of its old school ways to your iPod with its new Vacuum Tube Amplifier kit. As you can see above, however, while the company is apparently pitching it as an iPod dock of sorts (like we've seen before), it'll also work just as well with any other audio device, as it relies on nothing more than a headphone jack to hook things up. Of course, you'll only be able to do that after you put the kit together, but judging from the number of parts that doesn't look to be too daunting a task, and at about $150, it's not all that unreasonably priced either (the shipping from Korea could be another matter though). Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments
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Photos: Cracking open the MacBook Air
How exactly did Apple get an entire working computer into a space as thin as a magazine?
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Jobs spurns Flash for iPhone at shareholder's meeting
Reiterating the obvious—that Adobe's Flash is not fit for the iPhone—the question then becomes about what would work instead.Read More...
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Reminder: Live coverage of iPhone Software Roadmap
Thursday, March 6 is Apple's iPhone Software Roadmap where we will hopefully learn details about the SDK and some enterprise news. Check out our coverage on Ars Technica's front page for all the latest updates!Read More...
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Meizu's CeBIT booth shut down over MP3 licensing issues, not the M8
Filed under: Portable Audio, Portable Video Well, it looks like that Meizu CeBIT shutdown wasn't for what you'd expect -- in a Meizu forum post, Jack Wong says that an Italian company called Sisvel complained about another Meizu PMP's unlicensed use of the MP3 codec, and that's what prompted the 5-0 to arrive. Interestingly, Jack also says that it's all a big misunderstanding, because Meizu products, including the M8, don't actually play MP3s, just WMA, and that local distributors have to cough up the licensing fees for MP3 playback. Apparently the booth is now open again, with the offending PMP removed -- the M8 remains on display, probably because it doesn't actually work yet.Read - Jack Wong post at Meizu forumsRead - Heise article about the shutdown[Thanks to everyone who sent this in] Permalink | Email this | Comments
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Bubble Bash
Familiar iPod puzzle game still suds up freshly
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Contrarian Indicator: Analyst Buy Ratings
We recently gathered the amount of buy and sell ratings that analysts have on each stock in the Russell 1,000 to see which ones analysts are currently the most bullish or bearish on.
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This Guy Must Be New Here
Gregory Ng: So Steve Jobs says that Flash is not fast enough for the iPhone. Well that’s just great Steve. Way to make the decision for everyone. Here’s a novel idea: why not let the users decide whether it is “sluggish� or not. This is a joke, right? ★
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News: Munster: 12.9m iPhones by end of 2008
Following Apple CEO Steve Jobs' statement yesterday that the company is holding to its target of 10 million iPhones sold in 2008, Piper Jaffray analyst Gene Munster has said that according to his models, Apple will easily beat that target. “We are currently modeling for 12.9m iPhones in CY08,â€? said Munster. “Exceeding the goal by 2.9m units or 29%.â€? Fortune reports that Munster also received confirmation that the goal is for 10 million…
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Leopard Install Problems
Leopard's password paranoia
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iPhone Tip: Save Emails As Drafts On Your iPhone
I’ll say it right now, the iPhone’s mail client isn’t the most robust but then again it’s what we give up for simplicity. However, one feature apparantly remains unknown to users: draft saving. I wasn’t aware that some didn’t know how to save drafts but it’s easy. When…
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iPhone 101: Finding Local Services
Filed under: iPhone 101You're on a trip. You want to order in pizza. What's the easiest way to do this on your iPhone? Open up Maps and tap the "locate me button" at the bottom-left corner of your screen. Wait for Google Maps to find you and then type "Pizza" into the search box and tap Search. Maps automatically searches near the "locate me" results--finding all the pizza delivery services near your actual location. Tap on any blue "disclose" button to find the phone, home page, and address for each item. Of course, you're not limited to pizza. Search for shoe repair or pediatricians or any other retail type or service.Permalink | Email this | Comments
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More on Yesterday’s Apple Shareholders Meeting
Good summary from Tom Krazit. ★
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Parallels drops Server beta, but OS X support isn't fully baked
Parallels has released a public beta of its long-awaited server virtualization software. Licensing restrictions on OS X may make it less than ideal for some users, however. Not that you could virtualize Leopard Server in the current beta anyway.Read More...
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Steve Jobs on Flash for iPhone
Asked at yesterday’s shareholders meeting whether Apple plans to add Flash to the iPhone: Jobs used the Apple shareholders’ meeting to publicly dismiss the the full-blown PC Flash version as “too slow to be useful” on the iPhone. He then went on to describe the mobile version — Flash Lite — as “not capable of being used with the Web.” I love to say “I told you so.” ★
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Fujitsu ScanSnap S510M
Make The Paperless Office A Reality
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Be here Thursday for live iPhone SDK coverage
The event at Apple's headquarters in Cupertino, Calif., should provide a much better sense of how the company plans to roll out iPhone applications--and we'll bring it to you live.
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This Day: March 5, 1975: Feel Like Showing Off?
The Apple I launched the empire that became Apple computer. But what inspired the Apple I? Steve Wozniak will tell you that it was his sincere desire to own a computer, but by the time he built the Apple I he had already built several other computers so that reasoning…
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Flash Not iPhone Friendly, A Brief History of Jobs and Woman Snubbed by Genius
Technical hurdles may kill Flash on iPhone, Yahoo looks to AOL and native MySpace on iPhone.
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Fresh From Cupertino, Daniel Eran Dilger Does Dallas
Daniel Eran Dilger This weekend, I'll be visiting the Apple Corps of Dallas to give a roughly drafted presentation on Apple, me, technology, and whatever else tumbles from my mouth, followed by a question and (hopefully) answer session. If you're in the Dallas area, it would be great to meet you at the event, being held at the Richardson Civic Center on March 8, 2008. There's more information on the group's website at www.acd.us. (more…)
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iPhone or Macbook Air: Which will save you the $$s?
Filed under: iPod Family, Retail, Apple Financial, iPhone, MacBook AirScott and I were chatting yesterday about recent iPhone sales. Rumors from yesterday's Apple Shareholder Meeting suggest that the iPhone is on-target to reach its 10 million unit goal. "Of course it's selling well," Scott said. "The iPhone costs a lot less than a new Mac. Doesn't it?" Leaving aside such silliness as $40K Swarovski-encrusted laptops, the real cost of an iPhone over a two-year contract remains high. On top of the $399 for the base unit itself, the lowest-advertised AT&T 2-year contract costs $1440 plus about 10-12% in surcharges, for a total of about $2000. The 13-inch 1.6 GHz MacBook Air? $1800. You can save yourself some money on the iPhone side by opting for the contract-free prepaid account for only $49.99/month or even (heaven forfend!) unlocking your iPhone and using it with an existing non-AT&T account. If you really want to shop on the cheap, AT&T is selling refurbished 4GB iPhones for just under $200, and 8GB for $249. All things considered though, if you're looking at an AT&T contract, there's not too big a difference between putting the Internet into your pants and putting it into an office envelope.Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments
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Think tank pins Apple's iPod as possible culprit for increase in violent crime
Filed under: Portable Audio, Portable Video We know what you're thinking, and trust us, we're right there with you. Nevertheless, The Urban Institute, a Washington-based think tank, has reportedly come to the conclusion that the reason US violent crime rose in 2005 and 2006 after declining every year since 1991 is because more iPods were on the streets. You heard right -- these researchers are suggesting that the "iCrime wave" occurred primarily due to the popularity of Apple's darling and the relatively high value of possessing one. Granted, the iPod has been the focal point of quite a few muggings in the past, but blaming a fruit-flavored PMP for a nation's sudden urge to take up larceny? Pfft. Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments
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A Rotated Home Screen: The Necessary Step for iPhone for Business
The iPhone that we all love has a problem when it comes to true infiltration in the business sector. And it is not what you may think. Sure, it needs built-in Outlook capabilities as well as an easier tethering setup. But there is…
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What Would You Talk to Steve Jobs About?
Recently I had a dream I met Steve Jobs, and he asked me what I thought of my Macs. It set me to wondering, what would I say to him if I did have five minutes with him? What would you say? First off though, I'd thank him.…
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Another university hops on board with Mac/iPhone handouts
Oklahoma Christian University will be following Abilene Christian's lead and handing out Apple products to incoming students and faculty. And if you're a current student with a Dell, you can trade it in for a Mac!Read More...
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Parallels opens up Server Beta program
Parallels on Wednesday offered its Parallels Server Beta for download to the Mac community. The initial beta program was limited to a select group of testers and was announced the week before the Macworld Expo in January.
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CNN: “The trouble with Steve Jobs�
CNN published an interesting story on Steve Jobs on Sunday The trouble with Steve Jobs. It reveals that Apple's Chairman and CEO nearly didn't have surgery for his pancreatic cancer in 2004, other family problems, and looks at his leadership style. The Steve Jobs adventure: By now it's one of the most remarkable stories in business. When Jobs returned in 1997 to Apple - then facing its own near-death experience - he arrived with a tarnished legend. He was, of course, the charismatic boy wonder who at age 21 had co-founded Apple with Steve Wozniak in his parents' garage back in 1976. He was worth $200 million by 25, made the cover of Time magazine at 26, and was thrown out of the company at age 30, in 1985. Tags: News, steve-jobs Related posts A plea to Steve (37)
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Logitech's ClearChat PC wireless stereo headset does VoIP, too
Filed under: Misc. Gadgets What's the use in having a wireless set of cans to rock with and a separate contraption to make / receive Skype calls on? Exactly, thus the Logitech ClearChat PC was born. Of course, it's certainly not the first cordless set of stereo headphones to sport a microphone, but being that it's built on 2.4GHz technology, you can finally take your calling habits wherever you go in the house (well, within 33 feet of the USB transmitter) without fear of static ruining a good pep talk. Quite frankly, it's a little unsightly for our tastes, but those who can overlook that can pick one up (in the US and Europe, mind you) for $99.99 this May. Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments
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HUMOR: Top 5 Possible Steve Jobs Successors
There has been a lot of talk of who might run Apple after Steve Jobs today, after a shareholder meeting yesterday afternoon. After thinking about it myself this morning I have come to one conclusion…finding a Successor for Steve Jobs is going to be no easy task. In fact, his run as CEO at Apple is legendary almost to mythical proportions…so it seems only fitting that the only possible replacements for him would be from the land of myth and legend (and pop culture)… With that in mind, I present to you the Top 5 Possible Steve Jobs Successors 5. Tony Stark (aka Iron Man) Mr. Stark is probably the Steve Jobs of the Marvel Comics Universe. He's an insanely successful business man, who has recently (in the Marvel Universe Anyway) helped usher in a new era of super-human registration, and has become the Director of the most elite government organization in history, S.H.I.E.L.D. Tony would be a perfect replacement for Jobs because he, much like Steve, is constantly able to evolve. From his clunky Silver-Age armor to his modern, sleek look - Tony had evolved his technolgy, and always been on the bleeding edge, with slick, innovative design. 4. Zeus From “Supreme Ruler of Mount Olympus” to CEO of Apple isn't THAT hard of a stretch, right? I mean, Apple is clearly an upgrade, and this guy is the god of the sky AND thunder. Wouldn't that make for some AWESOME Keynotes? He says “Boom!” and lighting comes from the heavens…even Steve can't do that. Yet. 3. Mr. McMahon Never has there been a more fictional character that actually exists in flesh and blood than WWE head honcho Vincent Kennedy McMahon. His “ruthless aggression” and ability to convince talented people to work for him helped him crush the Turner-owned WCW giant in the 90s, and with Mr. McMahon at the helm, Macs might just do the same to the PC industry in the future. 2. Emperor Palpatine Now granted, he might not be an obvious choice - but stick with me on this. The man knows how to run an operation and eliminate the competition. In his brief reign as Emperor he manage to spread fear throughout the galaxy AND almost destroy the Jedi completely…if only he hadn't under estimated the power of “love”. It's a mistake that I don't think he'll make again - making him a likely candidate. Although, it is worth noting that design would likely take a down turn. I mean, look at what ships looked like before he took over, and after his accession to power…but you have to make some sacrifices to be on top, right? 1. RoboSteve The most likely of all candidates is simply a cyborg-enhanced version of Steve Jobs himself. In fact, its the most logical and likely reason that the company is continuing to stock-pile millions of dollars. By re-building Jobs “Robocop-style” he'll not only be able to maintain his love of technology and his vegan lifestyle (since his Robo-innards will only be able to process baby food), but he'll get a ton of free PR - and if its one thing Apple is good at it's getting free PR.
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Found Footage: MXTube
Filed under: Found Footage, iPhone 13-year-old Max has been working on his YouTube download utility for, well, a very long time. He's been plugging away at it over on the IRC channels wheedling experienced programmers into donating their time and energy to help it become real. And now, with a insanely big assist by iPhone developer Pumpkin, it has. The software is available from Installer.app and you can read more about it at Max's site. Congratulations Max and Pumpkin and everyone else who chipped in on the project.Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments
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Tip: How to rename Finder items
You can rename files and folders in the Finder in several ways: Use Get Info 1. Select the item in the Finder. 2. Choose File > Get Info. 3. Rename the item. Click the name a second time 1. Select the item in the Finder. 2. Wait a brief moment. 3. Click on the item's selected name. 4. Rename the item. Press the Enter key 1. Select the item in the Finder. 2. Press the Enter key. 3. Rename the item. 4. Press the Enter key again.
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Great news for Microsoft: Zunes stolen!
Providing yet another sign that Apple's iPod is the audio and video platform, a policy think-tank on Tuesday said that thefts of the media player have skewed crime statistics. Microsoft wishes it had that publicity.
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iPod and Nike Hit the Treadmill
Nike and Apple are making the iPod compatible with gym equipment. The companies said Tuesday that they are working with several gym equipment manufacturers and the health clubs 24-Hour Fitness and Virgin Athletic Health Clubs to allow members to plug their iPod nanos into cardio equipment. They can then track workouts, set goals and upload the information to a Nike Web site. The new technology is expected to start rolling out to more than 500 gyms worldwide this summer. It's another major partnership for Nike and Apple, which created Nike+ technology more than a year ago.
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3G iPhone by June '08 says analyst, but we're not so sure
After meeting with a few Taiwanese manufacturers, one analyst says he got the details on a launch date for the 3G iPhone. We think it's a little early, but we're all but guaranteed one this year one way or another.Read More...
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Why I hate Jailbreaking
I sit in eager wait for whatever Apple plans to throw at us (or toss accommodated by a small wimper) but knowing that their track record for releasing stuff on time hasn’t been so great. Instead they taunt us with a road map (you know an announcement sucks when they…
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Convert movies and undercook eggs on the iPhone
Filed under: iPod Family, Hacks, iPhoneThe bad news is that the iPhone really does not run hot enough to cook an egg. Uncomfortably warm? Yes. Safe egg-cooking warm? No. The good news is that you can use an iPhone port of ffmpeg to convert videos from DivX and XVid to mp4. iPhone hacker "core"'s latest version of ffmpeg will convert a wide range of video formats to iPhone-compatible formats. If you decide to do this, be aware that it will take forever and run hot, and we still don't know how to change the clock rate to make it go faster. Make sure your iPhone is well ventilated and plugged into a power-source for the duration. Also run your conversion with nohup so that when the iPhone goes to sleep (because you know it will) it won't kill your conversion process like it did with mine. So is there a point to converting videos on the relatively underpowered iPhone? Well, no, really there isn't. Sometimes it's just enough to know that you can. Here's an example of the syntax: ffmpeg -i AVI_DivX.avi -f mp4 test.mp4Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments
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A possible fix for very slow AirPort transfer speeds
Yesterday, the hard drive in my 12" PowerBook G4 (purchased in April, 2004) died a horrible, painful death. After doing some testing on the machine (it typically doesn't hold any critical data, so it's an ideal test platform), it failed to reboot. Long story short, the hard drive was dead. Really dead -- Disk Utility told me "This drive has reported a fatal hardware error to Disk Utility. If the drive has not failed completely, back up as much data as you can and then replace it with a working drive." Thankfully, it then mounted in a partially-usable state, and I was able to retrieve the one bit of non-backed up data on the drive (my wife's Palm Pilot contacts, which contained updates she hadn't yet synched back to the Pilot). After installing a new drive and reinstalling 10.5.2, I set about copying key files and programs back to the machine. However, my AirPort performance was glacially slow: time estimates to copy 70MB of data were in excess of 45 minutes! Some Google sea...
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10.5: Permissions and SMB shares in Leopard
In OS X 10.5, Apple added the ability to share individual folders to the Sharing preference panel. However, one needs to be aware of permission problems when attempting to share a particular folder. To illustrate this problem, I will use an example: Create folder ABC in ~/Documents Press Command-I and check the Shared Folder checkbox Click on the Enable button to enable file sharing Go to the Sharing panel in System Preferences and click on the File Sharing item Click on the Options button and enable SMB sharing by checking the Share Files and Folders using SMB checkbox (there is no need to enable SMB sharing of accounts, as we will see later) By this step, you would expect to see folder ABC under your computer's name in Network Neighbourhood in Windows, but it's not there. In fact, you can't even acce...
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Toggle a proxy server on and off via scripts
I've recently configured my Mac to tunnel web traffic through my university to take advantage of some free services accessible only from their IPs. I accomplish this using a dynamic port tunnel over SSH with the great SSHKeychain tool (which handles SSH key management as well as tunneling). Enabling the tunnel is just a click in a menu bar drop-down. Enabling/disabling the global proxy settings is not quite as easy, however. You have to manage everything through a secondary tab in the Network preference pane. So I wrote ToggleProxy (874KB download) to speed up the process. It will toggle the SOCKS proxy on and off automatically (make sure the server and port are already set in the Network preference pane), and display the status with a Growl notification if you have the growlnotify tool installed,...
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Clone Parental Control settings with Apple Remote Desktop
The key to cloning parental controls with ARD is niutil, the command line utility for netinfo. This works for Tiger (and probably Panther), but will not work in Leopard as Apple has finally banished netinfo from Leopard. Read on for the how-to... Here's how to do the cloning... Set the parental controls in the normal manner (System Preferences » Accounts » Parental Controls) on the donor machine. On the ARD admin machine, select the donor machine and send this Unix command /usr/bin/niutil -readprop . /users/student mcx_settings, where student is the account with the parental controls; execute as root and be sure to display all output. Select the plist in the ARD results window. Use Command-A to select all, then place the cursor in front of the first line of the plist, hold down shift, and click. Copy the plist. Create a new document in a text edito...
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How to upgrade Readiris Pro to the newest version
I noticed while browsing macupdate.com that Readiris Pro 11.6.2 (OCR software) is out. As a user of Readiris Pro 11.5.3, I wondered if an upgrade was available. Clicking the link at macupdate.com took me to a page that would let me buy the full version for the full price, but contained no hint as to whether an upgrade path was available. Searching the Iris site drew a blank, so I sent their tech support a short query. Their answer kind of surprised me, but it was 'yes, if you contact us.' In their email reply to me, they stated that "...because of piracy issues, we provide updates only to customers who contact us." So if you're a Readiris customers, drop them an email to get your free upgrade to the latest version.
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Exchange Email Integration: RIMM's Lifeline in an iPhone World
I have long felt that since the introduction of the iPhone, Research In Motion (RIMM) is a dead man walking (ok, it's walking pretty well for a dead man so far).
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Apple Stock: Still 35% Off at a Broker Near You
Apple's stock has been yo-yoing lately and is 35% off its high. What gives? What's next?
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News: PodWorks updated to version 2.9.3
Sci-Fi Hi-Fi software has announced PodWorks 2.9.3, the latest update to its iPod song transfer application for Mac. According to the company, PodWorks 2.9.3 “includes a large number of changes aimed at increasing the performance, reliability, and ease of use of the application's existing iTunes integration, as well as a new “metadata only” transfer feature that can set a song's play count, last played date, star rating,…
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Contest - Win a Mac Mini, free hosting, and a Macbook Air
It's not often I write about contests that others are putting on, but this one from Macminicolo is just too cool. The company describes themselves as a “colocation company that hosts Mac minis as dedicated servers”, and they've seen a lot of creative ways for Mac Minis to be used in this capacity - and they want to see more. What would you do with a free remotely hosted Mac Mini to run your idea on? Would you start a new business, develop a web application, or just use it as your own personal media server? That's what Macminicolo wants to know - and if they like your idea the best, you'll win free hosting with their company including your own dedicated Mac Mini server for a year, and a Macbook Air to develop your project (unless of course you're going to be doing some heavy graphics or video work - then you can use the Macbook Air to impress your friends, while you do the work on a faster computer). You can check out the full details of the contest right here. via tuaw
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Delicious Library 2 almost ready for primetime
After many months of waiting, the Mac faithful may finally see the release of one of the most popular third-party OS X applications ever: Delicious Library 2.Read More...
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BusySync 2.0 Public Beta
Filed under: SoftwareThe BusySync 2.0 public beta is now open. We've blogged about BusySync 2.0 before (and we even managed to snag an interview with the developer during Macworld this year), so no doubt you are aware of the big ticket item: bidirectional syncing between iCal and Google Calendar.When BusySync 2.0 leaves beta it will cost $24.95, which is a $5 increase to the price, however, if you buy it now you get the old $19.95 price (and users of BusySync 1.5 get the upgrade for free).Thanks, Benni.Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments
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Meizu CeBIT booth shut down by German authorities
Filed under: Cellphones Remember how the folks at the Meizu booth swore up and down that the M8 Mini One wasn't that similar to the iPhone? Well apparently the Hanover police think otherwise. According to a report, the booth (shown above in its vacated state) was shut down by cops for piracy during CeBIT and passersby were told that, "The venue is closed until further notice." It appears that after stopping down the M8 show, cops proceeded to confiscate equipment and literature associated with the painfully obvious knock-off, and will be making a more detailed statement on Thursday in regards to the action. Meizu, it might be time to get yourself a makeover... and a good attorney.[Thanks to everyone who sent this in; Image courtesy Heise Online] Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments
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Adobe bites its tongue after iPhone Flash jab
Steve Jobs didn't mince words about what he thought of Adobe's Flash technology on the iPhone. Such is life among business "partners."
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News: Apple drops iPod classic, nano 3G prices in Europe
Apple has dropped its prices on the iPod classic and iPod nano (wth video) in several European markets by 10-20€. In France, the 4GB and 8GB iPod nano models have dropped from 159€ and 209€ to 149€ and 199€, respectively, while the 80GB iPod classic was reduced from 259€ to 249€ and the 160GB model went from 359€ to 349€. In Germany and Italy, both nano models saw price reductions of 10€, while the iPod classic was reduced by €20.…
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First Looks: XtremeMac Tango X2 2.1 Speaker System + AM/FM Radio
Evolved from the company's earlier Tango, XtremeMac's new Tango X2 ($150) features a streamlined silver and black enclosure with a smaller footprint and more features than its predecessor. On the front is a volume dial that can be pushed inwards for power, iPod, AM/FM radio, and auxiliary inputs, while tuning buttons, track controls and presets sit in front of a Universal iPod Dock on the top. Separate AM and FM antennas are included in the package,…
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Steve Jobs names possible successors, talks cash reserve
At yesterday's Apple shareholder meeting, Steve Jobs took questions on a variety of topics, including Apple's large cash reserve and who Jobs' possible successor might be.Read More...
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PodWorks updated to 2.9.3
Filed under: iPod Family, SoftwarePodWorks is a great utility that nearly every iPod owner (and iPhone owner) will want to have around. In a nutshell, it lets you copy songs and videos from any iPod or iPhone to any Mac running OS 10.4x. It works wonderfully.Version 2.9.3 brings some very nice changes, including Applescript improvements (not support for Applescript, but the script the app runs has been re-written) New method of reporting errors Duplication prevention improvements There's more, of course, and you can read the (highly detailed) change log here. PodWorks will cost you $8US. Version 2.9.3 is a free upgrade for existing users. It works with every model of iPod (even the original 5GB!) and the iPhone.Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments
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First Looks: XtremeMac InCharge FM
Using styling and the car charging bulb from XtremeMac's earlier InCharge Auto, the new InCharge FM ($70) combines a cabled FM transmitter with the ability to charge your iPod while you drive. A play/pause/next track button for iPod touch and a stereo/mono toggle switch are accessible on one side of the transmitter, while the other side has two preset buttons, and the face has manual tuning buttons for the transmitter. Quintic's PureFM…
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Buffalo's LinkStation Mini packs 1TB into entirely too small an enclosure
Filed under: Storage This has got to stop, people. We just can't stand to think of all these bits and bytes -- not to mention their offspring -- crammed into something like this Buffalo LinkStation Mini NAS. Dual 500GB 2.5-inch hard drives were just never meant to be in this close of proximity. Oh, it has RAID 0 / RAID 1? We suppose those 1's and 0's will just have to suffer. The LinkStation Mini LS-WS includes an FTP server, DLNA and iTunes capability, can share a printer of USB and reads memory cards and other mass storage devices. Buffalo plans to ship it in March for 85,000 yen (about $824 US).[Via Engadget Japanese] Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments
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Is the iPod responsible for national crime wave?
Filed under: Analysis / Opinion, iPod FamilyWebsite MassLive.com is suggesting that there's a positive correlation between the increase in crime that occurred in the US during 2005 and 2006 and the popularity of the iPod (this isn't the first time we've seen such a suggestion).Washington's Urban Institute noted that the 1990's saw a reduction in the incidents of violent crime, while 2005 and 2006 saw a spike. At the same time, iPod sales were soaring. In 2005 Apple sold 42 million iPod, and almost 90 million in 2006.Now, we all know that iPods are stolen frequently. They're easy to grab, users are frequently "in their own world" while absorbed in their music and they sell well. It's not difficult (unless the thieves are idiots) but that doesn't mean that a single factor - iPod popularity - is responsible for the national violent crime rate. Use common sense when walking around with your iPod. Pay attention to your surroundings, keep it inside your clothing if possible (a jacket pocket) or even in your hand and, most importantly, ditch the tell-tale white ear buds. Or just encase it in machined aluminum.Thanks, Edsel!Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments
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The Ripserver may make your CD collection history
Filed under: Storage, Networking Gigantic, festering CD collection got you down? Need some solution to get all of that music onto a hard drive, but simply don't have the patience or skill to use iTunes and an external hard drive? Well you're in luck, because the Ripserver is here. Acting as a completely stand-alone solution, this handsome black or white box lets you rip and store your music without any additional hardware or software. The RAID 1 device comes in 500GB or 1TB configurations, rips as FLAC files or MP3s (with adjustable bit rates), functions as a NAS device with UPnP support, supports connectivity with additional USB drives, and is DNLA compliant. The Ripserver runs a Linux build atop an Epia 1GHZ CPU, with 512MB of RAM, and boasts VGA, USB, and PS2 ports. The 500GB will run you £599 (or around $1,189), and the 1TB £699 ($1,388) -- both are shipping now. Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments
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Wall Street Breakfast: Must-Know News
Bernanke to banks: Forgive and forget. Fed chairman Bernanke said foreclosures will continue to rise. Boldly, he said he hopes banks will rescue homeowners by reducing principal amounts, because anything less is just prolonging the agony.
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Win a Mac mini, hosting and a MacBook Air
Filed under: Hardware, Mac miniAside from being a company with a name that's dangerously close to copyright infringement, Macminicolo has long been dedicated to creating hosting solutions for Mac users. In fact, they only host - you guessed it - Mac minis. It's a pretty nice service. Just send them your mini and they host it for you and give you full access (it's all yours, not shared). If you've thought about colocation but shuddered at the cost, this could be your chance. Right now, Macminicolo is running a contest to find the greatest answer to the question: "What would you do with a remote mini?" Start up a new business? Create a non-profit? The contestant who submits the best answer will receive a year's free hosting, a Mac mini and a MacBook Air. As Jeff Probst would say, "Worth playing for?" Yes, Jeff, it is.You can get the details here. Good luck!Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments
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Going One-on-One With Apple's Tech Tutors
My "Creative" for the day, I was told, would be "Sundown." I recently took a test tutorial through Apple's One to One program. The service, which costs $99 a year, allows anyone from a novice to an experienced techie to sit down with an Apple guru one hour a week for one year. These eager teachers, dubbed "Creatives," patiently unpack secrets to everything from the basics of operating an iPhone to movie making. It's all part of the carefully cultivated Apple experience, one of the reasons the company's customers tend to be loyal.
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Mac OS Ken: 03.05.2008
Notes on the Apple Shareholders Meeting / Caris & Co Cuts Apple Target Price, Drops iPhone Numbers / Warner Music Starts Music Price War with iTunes in UK / Microsoft Antitrust Spokesman Headed to Apple / Nike + iPod + Cardio Machines + 24 Hour Fitness + Virgin Athletic / iTunes UK Gets Hanna-Barbera Cartoons and More BBC / Scotland School Pilots iPod in Class Program / MiniGolf (Again) and Scrabble Added to iPod Games / Dungeons and Dragons Co-Creator Gygax Dead at 69
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Wednesday Outlook: Holding the Line
Not that AMBAC (ABK) thing again!
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Fortune Can't Make Up Its Mind on Apple's Steve Jobs
Once again, Steve Jobs is on the cover of Fortune magazine. He is there because Apple (Nasdaq: AAPL) is the most admired company in America. No, wait. He is there because investigative reporter Peter Elkind wrote a 12-page takedown of his Steveness. It turns out both are true. Jobs is steering the most admired company in America and he is a “reckless� CEO whose “behavior put the company and its shareholders at risk.�
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Jury Still Out on Intel's Flash Adventure
Over the next two days, Intel Corporation (INTC) will hold its annual spring meeting with analysts. This event is critical for the share and the tech sector in general, since unlike the presentation Cisco Systems Inc. (CSCO) is giving, and the one Apple (AAPL) gave last week, Intel will specifically address the state of its business in the first quarter, and it could even revise downwards the guidance it gave in January, when it unveiled its results for the fourth quarter of 2007. Goldman Sachs believes that Intel will not lower its guidance this week since the quarter has another month to run, and it is known that the sales in the final month of any quarter are far higher than in either the first two months.
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MacBook Air gilded again - that's two times too many
Filed under: Laptops Really, it's ok, you can stop tipping us on the Golden Age / Bling My Thing MacBook Air. We know it's all 24k gold and has 12,000 Swarovski crystals and crap, but we'll be honest, this stuff kind of freaks us out. We don't know, it's just offensive in that way that only a triggered gag reflex can properly describe. Supposedly only twenty are being produced, and you know the story about price, and these things being out of your league if you even have to ask.[Via Pocket-lint, thanks to everyone who sent this in] Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments
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Steve Jobs pans Flash on the iPhone
Over the last year, many observers have wondered when Apple would deliver Adobe Flash support on the iPhone. At the company's shareholder meeting on Tuesday, Steve Jobs made comments that indicate that support isn't coming anytime soon, thanks to architectural limitations in Flash itself. A full explanation of those limitations follow. Continues: Steve Jobs pans Flash on the iPhone Previous coverage of iPhone Flash support and Flash Lite: Apple iPhone vs LG Prada KE850 The iPhone Threat to Adobe, Microsoft, Sun, Real, BREW, Symbian Gone in a Flash: More on Apple’s iPhone Web Plans Technorati Tags: Apple, Development, iPhone, Mac, Software, the Media
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Maccast 2008.03.04 - Apple TV Take 2 with Ara Derderian
A podcast about all things Macintosh. For Mac geeks, by Mac geeks. A special episode of the Maccast looking in depth at the new Apple TV Take 2 with Ara Derderian from the HDTV podcast at htguys.com. Subscribe to the Podcast Feed or Get the MP3
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Jobs hid cancer for nine months before seeking treatment, damn
Filed under: Misc. GadgetsCNN has a pretty extensive profile on El Jobso -- the likes of which seem to appear almost monthly these days in the mainstream media publication of your choosing -- but one of the more interesting tidbits is that apparently he sat on his pancreatic cancer for nine friggin' months before seeking treatment back in 2004. To put that in perspective, although his diagnosis was curable at the time, pancreatic cancer is considered to be among the most deadly forms and despite the urgings of the very few friends, family, and associates in the know, Steve apparently sought to cure himself holistically for three quarters -- while everyone else (including Pixar, where he was also CEO) was in the dark. Of course, eventually he gave in and got the surgery he so desperately needed to make his recovery; water under the bridge now, but Apple shareholders certainly must have a feeling or two about Jobs coming so close to the brink.[Thanks, Adhik] Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments