Steve Wozniak
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DWTS Week 2 is kinder to Woz
You think a pulled hamstring, judges' scorn, and general lack of grace or terpsichorial skill are drawbacks? Fuggedabout it. You cannot stop the Woz, you can only hope to contain him: the second-week results from Dancing With The Stars were a surprise for Steve Wozniak and his partner Karina Smirnoff, as they avoided the bottom two slots and another dance-off. For a while there it looked like Woz' injury might knock him out of the competition, but he stuck it out and delivered a performance that the panel hated but the Internet and phone voters cherished. If the power of Apple fandom can keep Woz twirling and dipping long enough to, you know, actually learn to dance without hurting himself or others, perhaps we will see the King of All Geeks on the winner's podium by season's end. Perhaps. [via CNN]
Michael Rose03.26.2009Woz dances: "like watching a Teletubby going mad"
He did it. Steve Wozniak, co-founder of Apple and nerd superhero, just made his debut on Dancing with the Stars. As you'd expect, the surprisingly nimble Woz enjoyed himself without concern of mockery. But as one judge put it, "overall it was a disaster." Hey Woz, you're still a champion to us.
Thomas Ricker03.10.2009Engadget's recession antidote: win a copy of iWoz autographed by Steve Wozniak!
This whole global economic crisis, and its resulting massive loss of jobs got us thinking. We here at Engadget didn't want to stand helplessly by, announcing every new round of misery without giving anything back -- so we decided to take the opportunity to spread a little positivity. We'll be handing out a new gadget every day (except for weekends) to lucky readers until we run out of stuff / companies stop sending things. Today we've got a hardcover copy of iWoz by Steve Wozniak on offer, and yes, it's autographed by the famous dancer himself! Read the rules below (no skimming -- we're omniscient and can tell when you've skimmed) and get commenting! Check after the break for some photos of the prize!Special thanks to the Geek Squad for providing the book!The rules: Leave a comment below. Any comment will do, but if you want to share your proposal for "fixing" the world economy, that'd be sweet too. You may only enter this specific giveaway once. If you enter this giveaway more than once you'll be automatically disqualified, etc. (Yes, we have robots that thoroughly check to ensure fairness.) If you enter more than once, only activate one comment. This is pretty self explanatory. Just be careful and you'll be fine. Contest is open to anyone in the 50 States, 18 or older! Sorry, we don't make this rule (we hate excluding anyone), so be mad at our lawyers and contest laws if you have to be mad. Winner will be chosen randomly. The winner will receive one signed copy of iWoz. Approximate value is unimaginable. If you are chosen, you will be notified by email. Winners must respond within three days of the end of the contest. If you do not respond within that period, another winner will be chosen. Entries can be submitted until Monday, March 9th, 11:59PM ET. Good luck! Full rules can be found here.
Laura June Dziuban03.09.2009Woz is set for his Dancing with the Stars debut
ABC has released a promo picture of Woz and his dancing partner in the upcoming series of Dancing with the Stars, and it is amazing. Woz is looking good. I thought about photoshopping a pimp hat and a cane into his hands, but frankly, he doesn't need it. That man can rock a pink shirt like no one else. That's professional dancer Karina Smirnoff hanging off his arm, too -- she apparently came in second place on the show a few seasons ago dancing with Mario Lopez, but she's definitely upgraded this time around.I stay away from reality television, and talent shows usually give me hives, but I just might have to tune in for this. Our favorite Chief Scientist strolling across the floor showing up the likes of David Allan Grier and Steve-o might be too much to miss. The series premiere airs March 9th.
Mike Schramm02.20.2009Steve Wozniak comes to 'Dancing With The Stars,' universe quivers
Yes, your greatest / worst dream has come to fruition: Steve Wozniak will be featured on the next season of Dancing With the Stars. There's not much we can tell you right now about his upcoming moves, though we will be watching with bated breath, quietly hoping for a double Lindy, the Sugarfoot, and Denise Richards being dipped on a Segway. [Thanks, Ethan]
Joshua Topolsky02.09.2009Woz to be on 'Dancing...'
We heard the rumors, but now it has been officially confirmed: Steve Wozniak will be appearing on the upcoming season of ABC's Dancing With the Stars. We're as shocked/horrified as you, but apparently, ABC has deemed Woz Dance worthy. We're still awaiting word of his partner and we'll let you know as soon as we do. Dancing With the Stars premieres on ABC on Monday, March 9 at 8/7 c.
Christina Warren02.08.2009"Chief Scientist" is an apt title for Woz
Apple co-founder, Segway polo player, date to the stars and über-nerd Steve Wozniak has accepted a position at Fusion-io. Specifically, he'll be the company's Chief Scientist.Fusion-io uses densely-packed clusters of flash memory chips in servers to enable them to find data very quickly. Woz has been serving on the board at Fusion-io, and recently asked for a larger role. "In this case, I like the people and the product, and said I would like some greater involvement," he told The New York Times. This will be Steve's first full-time job since he shut down Wheels of Zeus in 2006.Good luck, Steve! We're looking forward to seeing what's next.[Via Ars]
Dave Caolo02.05.2009Woz on Jobs' medical leave
In a conversation with NBC about Steve Jobs' leave from Apple, co-founder Steve Wozniak said this break could be exactly what Steve -- and Apple -- needs. Woz had some great things to say, and my favorite was his answer to the question, "If Steve [Jobs] were not at Apple, would the company be as able to produce the kind of products we've seen?" Woz's answer:"Way too hypothetical. I would never venture a guess ... obviously, Steve's very important but Apple has some incredible people, followers of the Apple mentality, followers of Steve himself."In other words (if I may paraphrase you, Woz), Steve isn't Apple and Apple isn't Steve. No matter what happens, the company will be fine. Good call.A bit of the audio from the Woz interview was played on last night's talkcast, along with your voicemail wishes for Steve Jobs' improved health. Mike assures me he'll have the show up and online tonight.[Via AppleInsider]
Dave Caolo01.19.2009Mac founding-fathers appear at Welcome to Macintosh screening
This year at Macworld 2009, two documentary films about the Mac held screenings. While we didn't have anyone on-site at MacHEADS, a few of us were fortunate enough to attend Thursday night's screening of Welcome to Macintosh. Welcome to Macintosh, a documentary by Josh Rizzo and Rob Baca, chronicles the history of Apple and the Mac, using interviews with the people and the users that were there. Tony Walla contributed a great piece about the film last April, which fills in more background. While the film is amazing (the DVD is available now and it is chock-full of awesome), the discussion after the screening was truly magical. Five of the participants from the film, along with Very Special Guest, Apple co-founder Steve Wozniak, appeared on-stage and answered questions from the crowd. (See the Woz answer our own Mike Rose's question here) Read on for more historic geekiness...%Gallery-41649%
Christina Warren01.11.2009Woz gets a new job
Apple co-founder Steve Wozniak seems to be a lot more visible lately.First, he's been making bad web ads for SCOTTEVEST. Next, we received pictures of Woz whizzing from the deck of his Segway. He was fined US$700 for driving his Prius at 104 miles per hour (167 kilometers per hour) on I-5. At last, we've received news that he's actually using that geek cred of his for the good of mankind.Yes, Stephen Gary Wozniak has just joined the Board of Advisors of Axiotron, makers of the Modbook (that's the mod that turns a stock MacBook into a Tablet Mac). Andreas Haas, CEO of Axiotron, was quoted late last week as saying "We're thrilled to bring Steve onto our Board of Advisors. His deep knowledge and experience are an invaluable resource for Axiotron. Steve's forward-thinking and non-conformist approach, his incredibly creative engineering designs and his emphasis on the human aspects of technology have always been an inspiration to me."We'll be visiting Axiotron and reporting on the newly updated Modbook at Macworld Expo 2009, as well as interviewing some well-known artists and designers who use the Modbook as a creative tool. Stay tuned January 5th through 9th for TUAW's extensive coverage of the Expo.
Steve Sande12.22.2008Found Footage: SCOTTEVEST Woz-i-sodes
Apple co-founder Steve "The Woz" Wozniak must have a lot of time on his hands. He's acting in online ads for SCOTTEVEST, the company that makes those great geek clothes with all sorts of pockets, cable runs, etc...Two Woz-i-sodes are already posted on the SCOTTEVEST site; one titled "Return of the Woz", featuring Woz as Lord Dirth Wozniak (see picture above), while the other "A Fish Story" has Woz using a 1G iPod nano as a handy fishing accessory. And of course, those geeky clothes products from SCOTTEVEST are featured heavily throughout the videos. Additional Woz-i-sodes will be posted weekly, giving you an excuse to work on your Christmas list and have some fun in the process. Click here to view these cinematic blunders wonders.Thanks to Kevin for the tip!
Steve Sande10.24.2008Woz says the iPod will "die out after a while" like radios and Walkmans
Uncle Woz is stirring things up today in an interview with The Telegraph, saying that he thinks "the iPod has sort of lived a long life at number one, things like, if you look back to transistor radios and Walkmans, they kind of die out after a while... they get real cheap and then they are not selling as much." That's certainly an interesting parallel to draw, since the iPod is unquestionably the market leader and the recent updates to the nano and classic weren't particularly overwhelming -- but we've got to disagree here and say that the metaphor doesn't quite work. Walkmans and radios were standalone products that didn't really change over time, while the iPod is clearly evolving into a compelling standalone computing platform -- and it's tied to iTunes, which, hate it or love it, is the most popular content store out there. Sure, things could change dramatically -- competitors like the Zune are getting way better, subscription music could finally take off, and DRM is slowly going away (at least for music) -- but it's hard to see Apple getting baited into a brand-tarnishing price war or simply letting the iPod fade away without putting up a fight. We'll see, we suppose -- any of you willing to throw down some bold predictions?[Via Wired]
Nilay Patel10.07.2008Woz talks to developers at Intel Developer Forum
Steve "Woz" Wozniak is often considered the "God" of Apple. He was the designer of the first ever Apple computers (Apple / & Apple //). At a recent developer forum at Intel, Woz gave a bit of advice to the engineers. He told them that, "the right way of going through life" is pursuing a vision without compromise. "If you have technical ideas, if you know what you're good at, and you know what you're doing is right ... you have to shut them out," Woz said, in reference to others telling you how to do something.According to InformationWeek, Woz went on to discuss other topics. He talked about being a successful inventor. While on this topic, he admitted that not having money helps the creativity. InformationWeek has the full details on the interview.
Cory Bohon08.22.2008Screen Grab: Woz hacks Kathy Griffin's iPhone... on TV
Steve Wozniak is much more than a throbbing brain with a tie. He knows that the quickest way to a girl's heart is to jailbreak her iPhone... on TV. As he tells Ms. Griffin, "You know, some people would criticize you for not having hacked your iPhone." Certainly not you, Mr. Apple Co-founder? Watch it all go down after the break.P.S. Looks like Woz's watch is a Nixie -- the man's nerd to the core.[Thanks, Karim S. and Jon]
Thomas Ricker06.13.2008Woz strikes again: disappointed by iPhone, wary about MacBook Air and Apple TV
We'd say 2007 was a pretty big year for Steve Wozniak, what with Kathy Griffin, an Epcot animatronic, some widely covered Apple sentiments, and (honor of honors) an Engadget interview to top it all off. Turns out he's not backing down in 2008, and spoke out at a Sydney press conference with some fairly constructive criticism for some of Apple's brightest stars. He expressed concern over the 24 hour limit for iTunes movie rentals, and doesn't see the Apple TV taking off just yet, though he sees it as a "good indication of the future." Woz was less kind to the iPhone, saying he was "really disappointed" at the iPhone's introduction, due to the lack of 3G. He's still a fan of the phone interface, particularly the browser, but he's miffed about those speed constraints. Finally, he likes his MacBook Air, and he's currently attempting to see if he can make it his single laptop, but the shortage of ports and lack of disc drive and removable battery are making it difficult. We really couldn't have said any of it any better, Woz. [Via The Inquirer]
Paul Miller03.03.2008Second Life's Cory = Apple, Inc.'s Woz
Cory (Ondrejka) Linden's leaving Linden Lab is the most grid-altering event this past year, and arguably of the past 2 years as well. And if I were to play the Nostradamus game, and I'm going to right now, then I'd say that Cory's headed for a life where he will eventually end up forming his own Segway polo pony league.Cory Ondrejka is Second Life's Steve Wozniak. He's the technology guru/wizard who helped write the code that made the grid what it is today. Many think of Cory and Philip as integral entities of Linden Lab, the same way people used to think of Woz and Steve Jobs for Apple, Inc. Cory is the tech guy with the answers, Philip is the front man with the charisma. And if we follow this line of reasoning, we can envision a future where, without Cory's support, LL will eventually run aground, bogged down by poorly-differentiated versions of its flagship product, causing Philip to leave the company in favor of putting his boyish good looks behind a virtual world competitor, only to return years later to save the beleaguered company like the prophesied King Arthur to Britain.Cory will be just fine, and will probably be less stressed out, gain a few more pounds, and continue to see his popularity among geeks grow to near-legendary status. Maybe he'll get a tiny avenue named after him someday, or even, if Philip would have its cultural influence, get to star in an exhibit in animatronic form. Cory, good luck with whatever you put your hand to, and we'll miss you.
Akela Talamasca12.12.2007Epcot's Spaceship Earth reopens with a cameo from Woz
Disney just finished refurbishing the iconic Spaceship Earth attraction at Disney World, and it looks like a certain board member gave a little shout-out to a friend: there's (animatronic) Woz in the garage, diligently hacking away on what appears to be the mutant offspring of an Apple I and the Lisa. Anyone else see this yet? We're dying to know if there's a check made out for $350 with "Breakout" listed in the memo line.
Nilay Patel12.10.2007Woz raps on Apple for lower ideals, locked iPhone, less innovative UI
Joining a growing crowd of people to complain about the general lack of openness in the iPhone is none other than Steve Wozniak, co-founder of the company. Woz has a reputation for being critical of the company he helped create, although no-one would argue that his views are unreasonable: in an interview he calls into question Apple's treatment of the iPhone as an appliance, and not as a computer platform designed to allow users to install their own apps at will ("I'm really for the unlockers, the rebels trying to make it free.") He also took a dig at Leopard, saying that OSes aren't what sell computers these days, and that OS updates today are nothing more than slow improvements, rather than a procession towards a UI that works "for someone who knows nothing about the computer." Personally, we think these are fair viewpoints: as much as we may hate to say it, a lot of new technology these days requires a compromise. Isn't it about time compromise took a back seat?[Thanks, Jame]
Conrad Quilty-Harper10.29.2007Steve Wozniak engaged to Kathy Griffin?
We wouldn't bet the farm on this being true -- after all, it's a celebrity rumor -- but Us Magazine has it that Apple's Steve Wozniak may be engaged to loudmouth Kathy Griffin. Apparently, Kathy was spotted rocking "what appeared to be an engagement ring" at the Emmys, and when questioned about it, she simply stated that she doesn't "kiss and tell." Of course, Kathy has made known that the two are in some sort of relationship, but whether she's well on her way to becoming Woz's wife (or if she's the elusive genius behind Apple's next cash cow) remains to be seen.[Via The Raw Feed]
Darren Murph09.21.2007PodBrix to sell young Jobs and Woz figures
PodBrix produces nifty lego figures that commemorate moments in Apple history, like the 1984 ad and a Steve Jobs keynote (I've got this one), as well as other things. Two days from now, their next creation will go on sale: The young Jobs and Woz playset. While the Woz works on a circuit board, Jobs has another idea (yes, the thought bubble is a part of the set). PodBrix has only produced 300 of these, and they typically sell out in minutes. Set your watches for 9:00 PM EST on 8/29/07. Good luck, and let us know if you get one!
Dave Caolo08.27.2007