Daily Bits

Steve Jobs

Happy Birthday, Steve Jobs!

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Steve Jobs Birthday
Join the rest of the world in making a toast to one of the most brilliant people of our generation: Steve Jobs. Born Steve Paul Jobs in February 24, 1955, the co-founder and CEO of Apple has made himself a lot of critics – and even more devotees – over the years. Whether you admire him or you hate him, there is no doubt that Steve Jobs has made an impact in your life – one way or another.

Today, Steve Jobs celebrates his 56th birthday. We have not heard much from Mr. Jobs in the recent weeks, although rumors about his failing health have been circulating. We may not hear from him or Apple regarding this memorable day, but we can still send a greeting his way. Some Steve Jobs fans have created a web site – Happy Birthday Steve Jobs – where anyone can leave a message for the Apple CEO. Whether or not he gets to read your message, you may never know – but it’s the thought that counts!

In case you want to do something more than leave a message on that site to commemorate Steve Jobs’s birthday, check out an infographic I shared about a year ago: 15 Things You Didn’t Know About Steve Jobs. And, if you’ve got a hankering for something sweet, why don’t you make some ice cream just the way Steve Jobs likes it? You can find the recipe here.

Got any ideas on what to do on Steve Jobs’s birthday to send good vibes down his way?

Apple City to Be Designed by Norman Foster?

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News came out recently that Apple had bought HP’s old campus in Cupertino. For exactly what reason, we common people can only make informed guesses. It does seem logical, though, that this property will eventually be transformed into a new campus for Apple. While that in itself is not something one should spend more than one second of thought on, the rumors details surrounding the “mystery” campus just might pique your curiosity.

Architecture enthusiasts will certainly recognize British architect and designer Norman Foster. He is arguably the most known builder of landmark office buildings in Britain, and his company has worked on countless high profile projects all over the world. From the IBM pilot head office in the UK to the Carre d’Art Nimes in France to the Hearst Tower in New York to the Expo MRT Station in Singapore – this is only a handful of what this man has achieved.

In the next year, he just might have another groundbreaking project to take on: the building of Apple City (yes, that is the rumored name of the new campus). While nothing has been confirmed yet, rumor has it that Apple City (I don’t know about you, but there is something that doesn’t sound quite right here) will be based on the concept and design of Masdar City in Abu Dhabi. This city holds the distinction of being the first city without cars and carbon emissions, and this is what Apple City is going to be, if the rumors come true.

I didn’t know about Masdar City before I read about this piece of news, but it does look awesome, doesn’t it? And, I am sure that if Steve Jobs gives Norman Foster the go signal (now that is another story altogether), Apple City just might be THE place to be/see.

Apple Goes After “Sexting”

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I think I first heard of the term “sexting” from the kids at Glee (yeah, cat’s out of the bag, I used to watch the show).  It doesn’t take a rocket scientist to figure out what sexting means (sexually explicit text messaging, in case you aren’t sure), and the guys at Apple are going out of their way to make sure that users who shouldn’t be sexting will not be able to do so – in the future.  (Something to think about: who is to determine who shouldn’t be engaging in a certain activity?)

The news is that Apple has just been granted a patent that can block sexually explicit messages – both at the sending and receiving stages.  The patent was originally filed back in 2008 but was only granted now.  This move is not really surprising as Apple has always taken a stand against sexually explicit material.  Remember that the Apple Store already has a ban on sexually explicit applications.  Steve Jobs himself has spoken out about this stand, and says that it is unlikely to change in the future:

You know, there’s a porn store for Android. You can download porn, your kids can download porn. That’s a place we don’t want to go — so we’re not going to go there.

Here’s an abstract of the patent:

Systems, devices, and methods are provided for enabling a user to control the content of text-based messages sent to or received from an administered device. In some embodiments, a message will be blocked (incoming or outgoing) if the message includes forbidden content. In other embodiments, the objectionable content is removed from the message prior to transmission or as part of the receiving process. The content of such a message is controlled by filtering the message based on defined criteria. The criteria may be defined according to a parental control application. These techniques also may be used, in accordance with instructional embodiments, to require the administered devices to include certain text in messages. These embodiments might, for example, require that a certain number of Spanish words per day be included in e-mails for a child learning Spanish.

I find the clause about other applications particularly interesting, don’t you?  If ever this technology finds its way to the market, there will certainly be a lot of takers, I think.

15 Things You Didn’t Know About Steve Jobs Infographic

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I have been spending a lot of my time discovering infographics, courtesy of a co-writer whose posts on Forever Geek opened up this world to me. When I ran across an infographic on Steve Jobs, I knew I had to post it.

We all know who Steve Jobs is, of course. Anyone who hasn’t been living under a rock or in a cave in the past 5 or so years would know all about Apple, iPods, the iPhone, and the iPad. The messianic character behind the company – Steve Jobs. [Read more…] about 15 Things You Didn’t Know About Steve Jobs Infographic

Apple iPhone 4 It Is!

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So the keynote speech that Steve Jobs gave might not have gone flawlessly. From what the guys at Gizmodo have been saying – it was a funny event due to the technical glitches that were encountered. Check out the video for yourself, and tell me it isn’t ironic.

Despite that funny clip, I have to say that I am wow-ed by the iPhone 4. Yup, count me in as one of the boys – the fanboys!

You might think that I am being irrational at this point, but let’s take a look at why, if you’re buying a new phone, the Apple iPhone it should be.

One, it has multi-tasking capabilities now. No need to go to the home screen to use another app. Just like your “powerful” little netbook, you can switch from one app to another with ease!

Two, it has got FaceTime. Nah, it’s not a Facebook app. In fact, this is the new feature that allows video calling. In line with this, the new iPhone has two cameras – back and front – that will make video calling even more convenient!

Three, you gotta have the Retina Display. This technology makes the iPhone 4 the best mobile phone when it comes to screen resolution. It really doesn’t get any better than this (yet)!

Four, I think this is the best looking iPhone yet. It exudes machismo which no other phone out there can beat. And, it’s the kind of machismo that does not offend.

Yep folks, it’s the Apple iPhone 4 for me.

Apple’s “Special Event” Is That All There Is?

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Finally, after weeks of rumors and speculation, the men in black took to the stage and announced Apple’s new lineup of iPhones. This “special event” came as no surprise because that’s pretty much what Apple has does in September. Even less surprising were the products, mostly due to well-placed leaks that had been circulating for quite some time. In fact, the event left many wondering if Apple wasn’t hiding something else up its sleeve—like a smart watch. While that little gadget would have been a cool addition to the event, its “me too” status would have only served to underscore Apple’s apparent innovative slump, which prompts the question, “Is that all there is?” Here’s a look at a number of questions that come to mind in the wake of Apple’s “special event”. [Read more…] about Apple’s “Special Event” Is That All There Is?