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Steve Wozniak: Android will be the dominant smartphone platform
Apple co-founder, Steve Wozniak, has never been one to mince words. Today's no different as demonstrated in an interview with the Dutch-language De Telegraaf newspaper in The Netherlands. The first revelation is an admission that Apple had collaborated with a well-known Japanese consumer electronics company in 2004 to develop a phone that was ahead of its time. Woz is quoted as saying that while Apple was content with the quality, it "wanted something that could amaze the world." Obviously, the phone was shelved followed by Apple's announcement of the iPhone in January 2007. Woz then moved on to the topic of Android saying that Android smartphones, not the iPhone, would become dominant, noting that the Google OS is likely to win the race similarly to the way that Windows ultimately dominated the PC world. Woz stressed that the iPhone, "Has very few weak points. There aren't any real complaints and problems. In terms of quality, the iPhone is leading." However, he then conceded that, "Android phones have more features," and offer more choice for more people. Eventually, he thinks that Android quality, consistency, and user satisfaction will match iOS. Steve closed the interview with a jab at Nokia calling it, "the brand from a previous generation" suggesting that the boys from Finland should introduce a new brand for a young consumer. Hmm, so we guess he'll be in line for the launch of the MeeGo-based N9 then? Update: We've contacted Steve (an Engadget commenter) for clarification. He says he was misquoted by De Telegraaf. [Thanks, Nguyen T.]
Apple-1 computer going on auction at Christie's in London
One of the original Apple-1 computers -- that's right, the wood-encased PCs that Steves Jobs and Wozniak built in the garage all those years ago -- is going up for auction at Christie's in London. There were only about 200 sold back in 1976 (for $666.66, of course) and only a few still left around today, but this one's going up on the auction block. And it's got all of the original materials included, apparently, including the original manual (with that old Apple Computer Co. logo) and a letter from Steve Jobs himself, answering questions about which keyboards and monitors to use with the PC. The sale will go down on November 23rd, and the price is expected to reach £150,000, or about $242k. Honestly, it'd be nice to see this either bought up by Apple themselves (though Jobs must still have even more interesting treasures from back in those days), or by a museum somewhere. But even if it goes to a private collector, whoever picks it up will likely understand how important it is anyway, and they can make sure to preserve this piece of Apple history. [via MDN]
In Brief: Woz' Big Bang Theory episode airs September 30th
I'm looking forward to the Big Bang Theory episode with Steve Wozniak, both because I'm a fan of the show, and because who doesn't love the Woz? A post on the CBS forums says that the episode with the Apple co-founder is coming up on September 30th, just the second episode of the show's new season. There's no information yet on why Woz will appear with the nerds on the show, but the plot of the episode apparently has wacky physicist Sheldon Cooper trying to put his brain into the body of a robot in an effort to stay immortal. As you can see in the picture to the right, he either succeeds or (more likely) has a sitcom fantasy about succeeding, so maybe Woz will appear in a dream sequence. At any rate, it should be fun -- The Big Bang Theory pretty successfully walks the line of friendly sitcom mixed in with some well-done geek cultural references. I'll be setting my Tivo for September 30th. Thanks to Steaps for the tip!
Woz gives kid a ride to overnight iPhone line
It goes without saying, but I'll say it anyway: You gotta love Woz. Apple's co-founder Steve Wozniak is well known for making himself extremely accessible to his fans and admirers. We're sure he can get his hands on any gizmo he wants. Despite this, he waits in lines and hangs out with fellow Apple fans. When the iPad launched, Steve lined up for his tablet and in the process got to know Parth Dhebar, creator of Simple Reviews. Parth is a high school student and when he needed a ride to the iPhone 4 line, Woz picked him up. The pair joined the rest of the customers who were camping out, where Woz signed autographs, talked with fans and drove his Segway around the empty mall (does he go anywhere without that thing?). Sounds like fun! Do you have an interesting line story or set of photos? Send them to our @ask_tuaw twitter stream. Thanks!
First 3G iPad sighted in the wild, Steve Wozniak plays it cool by riding a Segway (video)
Loyal reader Parth Dhebar is keeping us updated on happenings in the San Jose Valley Fair Apple Store this morning, and earlier laptop signings from the Woz have escalated into an impromptu Segway demo courtesy of the eccentric Apple Inc founder. Where he got the personal transporter from, we don't know, why he's riding it around and doing his best Paul Blart impersonation is not important, what matters is that we've got video of Steve Wozniak on a Segway and it's right after the break. We're also told an iPad has emerged out of the ether for the Woz-man and his fellow early bird queuers to have a tantalizing play around with -- presumably thanks to Apple Store employees treating their patriarch like they should. The perks of being in the right place at the right time, eh? [Thanks, Parth] Update: That's a 3G iPad old Steve is playing around with! Look at the plastic up top. We'll do our usual digging to try and find out how that wily superhero managed to get his mitts on a device that's a good few weeks away from release. Update 2: We've got video of the 3G iPad running Netflix. An Apple engineer apparently walked through the queue with it, it didn't come out of Steve's magical trenchcoat pocket. Update 3: Interested in seeing Woz grab his iPad, sign a few hundred others, and then ride off into the sunset on his Segway? Gallery's just below. %Gallery-89696%
iPad line watch: the few, the proud? (updating, Woz on deck!)
We just landed at Apple's 5th avenue flagship, "The Cube," and it's... a little bare. We count less than 15 people in line at this point (still headed by the inimitable Greg Packer), and most of them actually have pre-orders. Despite the minimal line situation, Apple has a huge section of The Cube's plaza cordoned off to make room for more, and the NYPD is here with barriers galore, ready to lay down the law. We're told the lines will be split between pre-orderers and non-pre-orderers at 6:30PM, at which point the scene will look truly pitiful. Presumably the crowd will grow later tonight and swell early next morning, as those pre-orderers with nothing to worry about shuffle in, breakfast in their bellies. Or maybe everyone just went to the beach for the weekend. Have you spotted a line in your city? Send us a tip! Not planning on braving the beautiful spring weather for a shot at this revolutionary / magical device? Make sure to check out Josh's iPad-equipped Jimmy Fallon appearance later tonight. CLICK HERE TO READ ENGADGET'S FULL REVIEW OF THE IPAD! Update: News is filtering in from all over -- check it after the break, and make sure to send in what you're seeing, wherever you are! Update 2: The line at The Cube is moving! Check out the update after the break. Update 3: We're Ustreaming live from NYC's Cube store. Check it after the break! %Gallery-89648%
TUAW Bookshelf: Apple II Reference Manual
TUAW BOOKSHELF Apple was kind enough to include a veritable encyclopedia of information with my Apple ][. Inside the big, red manual, you'll find complete step-by-step instructions for setting up the machine, adjusting a tape recorder for optimal use, plenty of programs to get you started, and a handy reference for the hardware inside.I found the manual easy to read, although given the constraints of typing programs by hand using a typewriter, some code was printed using a dot matrix printer. Mr. Wozniak includes excellent code to help you build your own programs, however, and code for interfacing with the likes of a teletype, should you need printed output. There are critical routines for floating point calculations, which I'm sure some will appreciate.Apple introduces a little design philosophy in the manual, which is a welcome break from the volumes used to learn the 5100, for example. Rumors on our sister site Engadget say Tandy is working on a consumer machine with BASIC and a human-readable manual as well, but I'll believe that when I see it. Anyway, the Apple ][ manual has some sample code for making actual audio tones using the built-in speaker (a novel idea, by the way). Why use audio in a program? Here's the design philosophy I found interesting:"Computers can perform marvelous feats of mathematical computation at well beyond the speed capable of most human minds. They are fast, cold and accurate; man on the other hand is slower, has emotion, and makes errors. These differences create problems when the two interact with one another. So to reduce this problem humanizing of the computer is needed. Humanizing means incorporating within the computer procedures that aid in a computer's usage. One such technique is the addition of a tone subroutine."It's like they want to make the computer more *personal*, somehow.Once you've seen how to make graphics, sounds and even interaction and I/O in code, the manual wraps up with a thorough examination of the included hardware. This is a hobbyists' machine, after all. The schematics and diagrams will have you fully understanding how the computer addresses memory and controls video, plus many other miracles I can't believe they crammed into such a small package.This valuable red book of data comes free with your Apple ][, but I wouldn't part with it! You'll find yourself referring to it time and again. Check out the photostat gallery below for a few sample pages.%Gallery-49007%
SCOTTEVEST: Think you can make a better Woz ad? Prove it!
Remember the horrible SCOTTEVEST ads featuring Woz that were going around back in October? A lot of people thought they could do better, so many that SCOTTEVEST is hosting the "Woz Green Screen Contest".The rules are simple. All you need to do is download some of the green screen footage featuring Woz, and use your video editing skills to create an ad that is funnier than the SCOTTEVEST attempts (it shouldn't be hard...). Post your ad on YouTube, and then promote the heck out of it. If it makes Woz and the folks at SCOTTEVEST laugh, and you're getting thousands of hits on YouTube, you may be a winner.$4000 in prizes (cash and SCOTTEVEST gear) await your entry. Make sure you get your entry in before April Fools Day.
UK newspaper interviews Woz
UK newspaper Telegraph recently interviewed Steve Wozniak about the iPod, iPhone and his future wishes for Apple. He discusses, among other things, the gradual end of the iPod's reign."The iPod has sort of lived a long life at number one," he says. "Things like, that if you look back to transistor radios and Walkmans, they kind of die out after a while." I've wondered about this myself. How many time can Apple create an iPod model that's adequately unilke previous versions to create incentive to buy? Jonathan Ive is good, but he's not Gandalf. For example, the new nanos are cool, but not cool enough to cause me to abandon my "fat nano."Towards the end of the interview, Steve suggests that Apple's next product could be an "iWatch," but we're considering that one of his infamous practical jokes.Thanks to everyone who sent this in!
Woz 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.
Happy Birthday and Best Wedding Wishes, Woz!
A very happy birthday to Stephen Gary "Woz" Wozniak, the co-founder of the company we all know and love. No comments about "third founder" Ron Wayne, please. Woz will be 58 on Monday, the 11th, but we wanted to give you the scoop on some other things going on in his life right now, so we're running his birthday greetings early.Woz's Segway Polo team, the Silicon Valley Aftershocks, is playing in the annual Woz Cup at SegwayFesT 2008 in Indianapolis this weekend. They're currently at 2nd place in the standings.Woz also took the time on Friday, August 8, 2008, to get married to WozWife 4.0 at SegwayFesT 2008. You will be happy / uninterested / dismayed to know that he did not marry former gal pal Kathy Griffin - the name of the new Mrs. Wozniak is not being released at this time.
1st-gen iPod nano lanyards work with new "fatty" nanos
In case you were wondering, the old lanyards for the 1st-gen iPod nanos work with the current 3rd-gen (aka "fatty" or "video") nanos. Apple moved the dock connection and headphone port away from each other in the 2nd-gen nanos, thus ruining the party for a lot of 3rd-party accessory manufacturers. But now all is well again, unless you just despise the look and shape of the new nano, of course.And before a wiseacre chimes in with "slow news day, huh?" we'll be honest and say, that yes, it IS a slow news day. Apple has an event next week, which generally means a quiet period beforehand. So until someone sends us pictures of Steve Wozniak showing Larry the Cable Guy a magic trick, we're just going to have to deal with a fairly sparse day of posting.[thanks to moo for the Woz link and Atariboy for the lanyard tip]
Steve Jobs: Smooth Criminal
Steve's a smooth guy, we know this. Witness his near-flawless execution of the keynotes. Marvel at how he keeps a straight face when asked about secret projects. Not that he always keeps his cool, but I certainly wouldn't want to play poker with the guy. The criminal part? Well, I'm not talking about stock options, I'm talking about crimes Steve has committed in front of us all, or admitted to publicly.So remember the prank call to Starbucks during the keynote? Word on the street back in my school daze: prank calling is illegal! Of course, there's a right way and a wrong way to prank call (ask the Jerky Boys). Steve was wise to end that call before someone started pouring the coffee...Now think back to November 2006, when Universal Music Group's CEO made the bold statement that iPod users are thieves, or, at least, their iPods are full of stolen music (I was just holding it for a friend, officer, honest!). Well hey, maybe he's right. I still don't see the Beatles on iTunes, and yet, somehow Steve had them on his iPhone... So Steve, do we get a copy of Limewire on our iPhones or what? You sneaky devil!Lastly, don't forget Jobsy's hacker roots. OK, Woz was the real hacker, or prankster in this case. Steve's clicker failing provided everyone in the room with a trip down memory lane. Back when the FCC didn't really worry about a couple of college kids jamming the airwaves and wreaking havoc on nerds in the common room... And then there's the association with a certain Captain Crunch, aka John Draper, and tinkering with Woz's Blue box. That was certainly a crime, although one that was apparently never pursued (despite Draper's arrest and conviction). Boy Steve, what other criminals do you hang with today? Are they as smooth as you? I forgive ya, as long as I can call for free on the iPhone by emitting a 2600 Hz tone...[Asbestos claim: this is tagged as humor, please make a note of it]
Woz and Buzz to take Hydrogen Hummer to South Pole
Before we dive into the actual story, lets just take a minute to sit back and appreciate just how fantastically bizarre that title is....Ok then! Mac daddy Steve Wozniak has announced that in December 2007, he and Moon man Buzz Aldrin (second person ever to set foot on the Moon) will participate in an expedition to the South Pole in which the intrepid explorers will be conveyed by Hydrogen fuel cell powered H1 Hummers. The Apple co-founder revealed his plans at Stanford University's AlwaysOn conference. The modern day eco-friendly adventure will be filmed using 3D cameras for use in an upcoming James Cameron film. According to Woz, the team has received significant input from the Santa Clara Valley Transportation Authority, which runs three of its buses on fuel cells. [via Cult of Mac]
BusinessWeek sits down with Woz
Who doesn't like the Woz? Communists, perhaps, but other than that I think he is universally liked (unlike some other Steves). As you know Woz has penned a memoir which means that promotion for the book is needed.BusinessWeek's Hardy Green sat down with Woz and asked him a few questions. Woz assures people that he and Jobs have never fought, and that he still has a very good relationship with Apple.Read the whole interview for the full scoop.
Woz interviewed about Apple's 30th
He just wanted to be an HP engineer, but instead he co-founded the company that introduced the world to personal computers as we know them. That's Steve Wozniak for you, the merry prankster of the computer age and the affable genius behind Apple's earliest creations. The Mercury News sat down with Woz and spoke to him about the early days at Apple, his relationship with the other Steve (you know, the one that likes turtlenecks), and how he is treated at Apple Stores. Thanks, jbelkin.
Certain people prefer to prank call Woz
Leander Kahney has some odds and ends at his Cult of Mac blog, stuff that didn't make it into his column. There's the usual hardware debate, you know, the philosophical differences between Woz's hardware beliefs and Jobs' hardware demands. But there at the end, there's something totally different: a little story about Woz that is just wonderful. It turns the tables on a jokester like Woz in a most unexpected way, and is terrific writing in itself (by Gary Wolf actually). My wife hates for me to read things to her, but this had her spellbound. So here's my recommendation: when you need to tell a funny story, use this one. But don't bungle the ending! It's the best part, and no way I'm telling you what segment of our population tended to prank call him a few years ago... You'll just have to read it for yourself.
Woz interviewed in Berkeley's Forefront magazine
David Pescowitz, columnist and Boing Boing coeditor, conducted a great interview of Steve Wozniak in the Fall 2005 issue of Berkeley School of Engineering's Forefront magazine. The interview includes some nifty nuggets of Wozness including why Woz's Berkeley Engineering diploma is made out to Rocky Raccoon Clark.I'm not sure I agree with Woz's prediction of 2020, however. He notes that if wireless and wired standards sift down to only a few formats, then we'll have less things to hack on and invent. I'm sure by that point we'll have a slew of new formats in non-wired or wireless ways that evenTesla couldn't imagine.[photo courtesy Forefront and Boing Boing]
ITConversation with Woz
Steve Wozniak is the Steve that everyone likes. Sure Jobs gets most of the attention; he's the flashy in your face one. Woz has always preferred to stay in the background with his nose to the grindstone and work hard. This side of his personality makes him a favorite amongst the geeks of the world, so it is no surprise that he was at Gnomedex 4.0 (also known as 'Geek Central).ITConversations sat down with him in October 2004 and interviewed him, sure it is a little out of date but still worth a listen.
