You know, “The Journey is the Reward” : Steve Jobs

The title represents one of those frantic buddhist quotes that Steve Jobs believed in.

I had this strange feeling that Jobs was going to pass when he resigned from Apple. It was obvious, why would a man leave his dream job? Especially a man like Steve who always followed his heart?

This morning I woke up to find that the greatest idol of my childhood (and for many more years to come) is no more. I couldn’t help myself from getting too emotional.

Relation I (and many more like me) shared with Steve Jobs

I don’t know Jobs and not had one conversation with him. I’m not even sure if he has ever read my name. There are millions like me whom he has helped and changed while not knowing us. But we knew him. He was the great visionary who had the guts to always follow his intuition and make the Apple of his dreams. We’re connected to him through all his inventions, we’re listening to Music, Playing games, Surfing the Internet, Watching Television Shows. We’re all surrounded by Steve’s creation.

For me, one of things why Technology always enticed me was Apple. They always challenged their past to make something better. The perfectionist Jobs lead to the perfectness of the products.

What about his family?

Steve Jobs had 4 children and wife, Laurene Powell Jobs. Three Daughters (One of which is adopted) and a son.  They will be good and FYI Laurene is also a good-to-do entrepreneur.

Will Apple be the same without Jobs?

Ofcourse not. Nothing can fill the gap of a brilliant personality like Steve’s. The Optimistic attitude. The Aura. Nothing can replace it. Apple will never be like Jobs’ Apple.

Will the world be the same without Jobs?

Obviously not. His ideas changed the way we interact with Digital Media and probably shook the hell out of mobile companies. He raised the standards and ethics of business. He made the tech scenario beautiful and perfect.

Emotional Attachment..

I shared something more than just what most people do. He’s served as an inspiration for me. His presentation skills have awed me, time to time.

I started blogging and first few posts were dedicated to Apple, a company who we knew to make MP3 Players. Today, six and a half years later under the direction of Jobs, they shaped the Digital World. I’ve covered almost all product unveilings from 2005 and liveblogged many. His controversial statements, sudden replies to emails and random acts have left a mark on my mind. I can never forget him. He’s left a legacy and inspired millions of children like me to get up and follow our hearts.

How can I miss his speech? I’ve seen it 100′s of times and I request you to see it too. After 15 minutes you will know why.

iPod Nano to get a camera : No changes to current design

Nothing in the world spreads more faster than radiation and Apple rumors. Here’s something hot off the rumor mill. Sources suggest that Apple iPod Nano is going to get a camera. If you remember Apple had added a video recording camera to the fifth generation iPod Nano. It dropped it all in the sixth generation iPod.

Now what we are hearing is that the next (seventh) generation iPod Nano is going to retain its shape and design but it will get a camera again along with the touchscreen iOS. The only other change visible would be to the side buckle for holding the iPod. That’s great. I can’t imagine having such a tiny looking device and clicking photos. Awesome. Via 9to5mac.

The new Facetime hits Mac : Also poses threat to security

If someone said chatting was not enough, we’ve got video conferencing. To complement that Apple released Facetime for Mac. It’s already hit the devices running iOS ie. iPod Touch and iPhones and now it finally comes to the Macs.

This could be the beginning of a revolution. It could alter they way people communicate with each other on a massive scale. Obviously, Apple has a large user base with iPods and iPhones and now when it comes the the Macs, all can connect with each other for free.

Video conferencing is not something new which Jobs invented and it has been around for a few years, but Apple has leveraged it and organized around it (clearly visible in its products) with Facetime cameras in devices and perfect software to support it. The latest Mac OS 10.7, as we said is being developed on the lines of iOS and a facetime software just adds to its perfection.

Steve Jobs army of developers have made a perfect blend of all products. In short, Jobs is lucidly explaining to us that we must buy the whole Apple family and not just a device. If you get an iPod, you’ve got to have an iPhone to Facetime with and if you’ve got a iPhone you’ve got to have a Mac to Facetime with. Its all interconnected and this gives an impetus to the sale bringing in more profits.

The Threat

The beta version of the software is out on Apple’s website and in few hours, devs have found out a way to exploit the software and how to reset the password of a innocent user.

The information of the apple id including birth date, security question and answer is displayed in plain text and the password can easily be reseted using the forgot password option and the details obtained before. Long way to go, Jobs.

The iPod Revolution : All captured in one Graphic

After 2001, there was an explosion. Music, Music and Music. From a 90 year old granny to a 7 year old timmy, all seen rotating their fingers on a little, smaller-than-10-cm-device. Even today, walk around you’ll find tons of people snapping, pinching and shaking little devices to mix up music and much more. That’s the iPod magic. Nah, wait.. It’s Steve Magic.

Since 2001, Apple has sold millions of iPods and billions of Apps. Want to know some more amazing facts?

The Ipod Revolution
Via: Online MBA

“iPod, iPad and Xbox are source of distraction” – Obama

In an address to the Hampton University graduates, President Obama bemoans the iPod as a distraction, and that information has become a distraction posing problems for the democracy.

He stated,  “You’re coming of age in a 24/7 media environment that bombards us with all kinds of content and exposes us to all kinds of arguments, some of which don’t always rank that high on the truth meter,” he told the students. “And with iPods and iPads, and Xboxes and PlayStations — none of which I know how to work — information becomes a distraction, a diversion, a form of entertainment, rather than a tool of empowerment, rather than the means of emancipation. So all of this is not only putting pressure on you; it’s putting new pressure on our country and on our democracy.”

What the president wants to convey is that these are toys as compared to the laptops. Let me tell you, the iPad has various educational applications , which educate the users, if not distract them. And there is only one benefit by using these gadgets.  The ipad can revolutionize the education system. Imagine, in a class where you don’t have to write in the text books, and use the iPad instead. The information could me immediately updated.

The White House has already rolled out an app for iPhone, called The White House App, so that people can directly watch the stream of the live President’s public events at the White House. Firstly, they roll out the application , then they say they are distraction.

Simply put , iPads are next generation notebooks, and calling them distraction, isn’t limiting their use. Time will tell if the iPad becomes just another distraction or, rather, more of a reading platform and educational tool.

One simple reason why Apple did not make iPad technologically fat [Myth Buster]

Everyone’s frowning over Apple’s decision to not add camera, multitasking etc.. to the iPad. But you know there’s one man somewhere smiling, in the dark and the reason is because everything is going just as he wished.

It’s not a joke that humans more than the capabilities look over disabilities first but finally, whatever it is they have to accept it and if you ask me, then Apple has added a lot of features to the iPad and it has focused a lot on not what is currently existing but what is going to be there with you, in your hands in the future and you will desire for it.

If we fly back to 2001, when iPod was first released people said that it was called a big fat storage device for “fat” people to store their huge libraries. The first review from Slashgear also highlighted all the negative points about the iPod which convinced people quite well. Lastly, ask me who won? Selling over 240,000,000 pieces from 2001 till last month, Apple clearly did and they know quite well that they will.

If we see Apple’s iPad is the perfect for everything it does. iPad’s large screen size made it to be called as an oversized iPod by everyone, including me, said that but well it did take me sometime to realize it’s potential. a 9.7 inch is capable of doing things which you did earlier on other devices too, but there is something impressive and un-noticed about it unless you actually start using it. I have often desired the iPod and iPhone screens to be larger while i was watching videos and something less heavy and more portable than my laptop and television. Here’s where the iPad steps in. Guess what else? It does nearly most of what all the devices do, sort of.

iPhone and iPod touch OS being used on iPad was lamented all over by all experts as people wanted innovation. Well, iPhone OS itself was a innovation but it’s true that it has grown 3 years old but it’s always evolving. Amidst all this, one most not forget that whenever something new enters the market, you need to teach your consumers how to use it and the iPhone was as simple, a 12 year old kid or a 70 year old man could just unlock and start using it easily and i couldn’t have imagined for anything much simpler than this for the iPad. It’s a real smart move.

Next on the track. Where’s the camera? I know if i say that not adding a camera was a brilliant move by Apple, there will be people waiting to kill me. Wait, read the rest of this. When Steve Jobs introduced the iPad at the keynote he showed you a picture. He said that he wanted to introduce something, a new product line which was between the MacBook and the iPod, iPhones and not a replacement for the rest of the products. Get that right, it’s not a replacement.

That will surely answer all of your questions. Steve Jobs is a shrewd businessman. He knows what to sell, when and most importantly he knows what not to sell. Just imagine, if iPad had multitasking and a camera, people would think twice before going for a iPhone. Also the larger screen gives it a huge advantage over the iPod touch, so if it had additional features, would people buy iPod Touch’s?

If iPad had a OS somewhat similar to the MacBook’s and MAC OS X do you think the Mac sales will continue to be as they were? Obviously not. They would see some amount of sales drop and those people will be the one’s the buy iMacs.

What I have learnt from history, it shows that Apple always wants to sell most of it’s products to one customer at a time, like iPhone and Macs have real tight integration via iTunes and so does iPad. It’s like a family and without any member it cannot survive so Apple is trying to do something like that.

Apple is reknowned for the simplicity of it’s products and I have never seen any gadget made by Apple crammed with all features. The art of segregating is very well known by those at Apple and they know what is important for the product and not.

The last thing that i have always noticed is that Apple would not add anything to it’s army till it’s competitors force it to, like the Video Recording feature to the iPhone. It’s this simple game that Apple always plays and wins, either you accept it or not. Overall Apple is seriously a marketing genius!

Then there is this saying,

If your product is great, it doesn’t need to be good.

Nokia to Apple : Ban all your product imports to U.S

The two electronic giants Nokia and Apple have literally gone on a legal war. First, Nokia slapped Apple with a patent infringement case where they said the iPhone was infringing their 10 patents. Apple’s answer was a countersuit claiming that Nokia infringed 13 patents.

It was quiet till Nokia once more issued a complain to ITC (U.S International trade commission) over patent infringement and now the most recent news is that they appealed to court to ban nearly all of it’s devices from being imported to the U.S.

iPhone’s, iPods and all the Macs are said to be infringing Nokia’s patents and according to the company, the only way to stop is would be banning the products. They are also asking Apple for a huge fine with interest as damages.

Nokia said,

Apple’s acts have caused, and unless restrained and enjoined, will continue to cause, irreparable injury and damage to Nokia for which there is no adequate remedy at law

It’s business and it’s a game. Earlier things like this have worked like Microsoft was slapped by a lawsuit and they had to stop selling Word in U.S till they had made some changes to their software.

We are still waiting for Apple’s answer and it’s obvious that Apple has got a fireball to throw at Nokia soon!

Image Credit : Engadget.

What you can expect from Apple in 2010 : We predict the future!

Rumors always are Apple’s friends. Lot of them are currently blowing around. Lets have a look at what could be possible in 2010!

Apple Tablet (iSlate – rumored name)

What is it? : A Tablet Computer from Apple

Specs : 7″ Display or a 10″ Display (Rumored) and will run on a similar OS as to the iPhone. The App store for both will be the same.

Release Date : Announcement in January, and Mass Production after WWDC 2010.

Pricing : Upwards $1000

iPhone 4G

What is it? : Successor to the current iPhone 3GS

iPhone 4G

Specs : It is rumored to get a larger display screen with a 5 Megapixel camera. Maybe a longer battery life too.

Release Date : All eyes on the January 2010 event for more updates

Pricing : Should be same as the current pricing with contract.

iPod Touch (Refreshed)

What is it? : Successor to current iPod Touch generation

Specs : Should carry a 5 Megapixel camera and OS 4.0. Similar to iPhone 4G.

Release Date : If it is to be announced, it will be with iPhone 4G.

Pricing : Might see a drop in the current pricing because it is going to give other handheld gaming consoles a tough fight.

MacBook Pro (Refreshed)

What is it? : Apple’s Range of laptops for professionals. Would be a refresh to the existing line.

Specs : Upgrade from Core 2 Duo to Core i7 and also changes to Graphics, a shift from Nvidia graphic cards to ATI. Better Display, perhaps?

Release Date : Mid 2010?

Pricing : Could see a $100 drop

Looking at the rest of the products i think there won’t be massive changes because most of them have been refreshed sometime back. I just hope if Apple really does pull down their product prices!

iPhone 4G Image Credit : iPhoneFreakz

Finally. Raw Vs Smackdown 2010 on iPod Touch and iPhone!

You played it on PS2. You played it on PS3. You played it on Pc and nearly all the consoles. What’s left? iPod Touch’s and iPhones!

I think THQ did finally realize that millions of users on these devices are desperate for awesome games, and so they released Raw Vs Smackdown 2010 for the devices!

Game Features

  • 11 superstars from WWE
  • Create your brand new players
  • A better Career mode
  • Like always, awesome controls

Well, multiplayer isn’t there. The app is priced at $4.99 which is quite decent. If you would like to enjoy six arena’s then this app is worth buying!

Link to App Store.