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Wax Woz is coming to Madame Tussauds in San Francisco
Step inside the Madame Tussauds in San Francisco and you'll find waxworks of Barack Obama, Mark Zuckerberg and other American icons. Steve Jobs is also present, but for many Apple fans there's something amiss about his model. The problem? There's no Steve Wozniak standing alongside him. Following a public competition to decide the next "tech innovator" waxwork, Madame Tussauds has agreed to immortalize the Apple cofounder next to his friend and fellow tech visionary. Woz now needs to visit the museum and conduct a two to three hour sitting, during which 250 measurements will be taken to ensure his model is accurate. Sculpting should take three to four months, and when the finished article is unveiled in the fall, Woz will be there for a quick side-by-side comparison. "I can't wait to see my figure next to Jobs – it'll be just like old times," he says.
Haunted Empire: An unflattering and misguided look at the Tim Cook era
I really wanted to like Yukari Iwatani Kane's new book about Apple, Haunted Empire: Apple After Steve Jobs. Based on over 200 interviews with current and former executives and other industry insiders, I was anticipating an intriguing look behind the secretive walls of 1 Infinite Loop. More so, I was hoping to gain a more nuanced view as to how Apple has in fact changed with Tim Cook at the helm. To my dismay, the book failed to deliver on all counts. It's overwhelmingly clear that Kane starts with the pre-conceived conclusion that Apple's best days are behind it and cherry-picks facts and anecdotes to support her thesis. In doing so, the book is rife with bizarre leaps of logic, misleading claims, and what I can only imagine were purposeful omissions of fact. The end result is a disjointed read without a whole lot of meat or new information. The book spends a disproportionate amount of ink discussing stories and events that don't really weigh heavily on the current state of things at Apple, such as working conditions at Foxconn, early Siri mishaps, Apple's e-book trial, the company's tax situation, and yet another retelling of Apple's legal squabbles with Android. For a book that sets out to describe Tim Cook's Apple, there's an awful lot of filler regarding issues that either pre-date Tim Cook's tenure as CEO or are wholly irrelevant to a cogent discussion on Apple's ability to remain a influential tech player in the future. But what really bothered me most about the book were the sheer number of misleading inferences Kane subtly presents in an effort to factualize what were ultimately her own opinions. I frankly was expecting more from an author with Kane's journalistic pedigree. Ultimately, Kane's anti-Apple bias is so prevalent that it works to taint the entirety of the book. Below are a few representative examples of logic-gone-wild which illustrate why many of the conclusions Kane presents about Apple are hard to take seriously. Kane puts a negative spin on EVERYTHING For those not familiar with Apple, Kane's book would have you believe that Apple is wandering aimlessly from one mistake to the next. Particularly puzzling is Kane's attempt to frame most everything Apple has done over the past two years in a negative light. Even Tim Cook's performance at last year's All Things D conference wasn't safe from scrutiny, with Kane writing that Tim Cook came across as "delusional" and painfully out of touch. 1) Tim Cook as a demanding boss is worrisome Following the dismissal of former retail chief John Browett, Kane writes the following regarding Cook coming into his own as Apple CEO: By this time, Cook's management style was becoming more apparent. Cook delegated responsibilities and rewarded his executives as long as they did well. But if they made a mistake, he came down on them hard. The danger with that approach was people becoming risk-averse and stifling innovation. All of these considerations raised the question: Was cook the best choice to chart Apple's future? So let me get this straight; Tim Cook, as a CEO with high expectations, and as a CEO who holds employees and executives accountable, is actually working to stifle innovation? Umm, okay. 2) Tim Cook as a respectful boss is worrisome Meanwhile, Kane also writes that whereas Steve Jobs would routinely call back employees from vacation, Cook is more respectful of employee personal time. But, of course, this comes at a cost because Kane writes that "with more flexibility, people began taking vacations more freely." Why might this be worrisome? Because what Apple employees under Tim Cook "gained in happiness, they lost in intensity." So Kane essentially argues that Cook may not be the best fit as Apple CEO because his high expectations stifle innovation at the same time that his respect for his employees creates a sense of complacency. Put differently, Cook as CEO is a questionable choice because he's too demanding while also being too lax. 3) Apple employees are in it for the money Kane also smells trouble at Apple because long-time employees who saw their stock options make them millions now "didn't need to work as hard anymore, especially if they couldn't see a further upside." Compounding matters, Kane writes that newer employees at Apple now had no incentive to stay at the company because they had "joined too late to benefit from the huge run-up in stock price over the last few years before the decline started." This is nothing more than pure conjecture without any facts, details, first-hand accounts, or examples to stand on. There's no denying that shares of Apple are down significantly from their all-time high of $700, but Apple's share price today (in the $530 range) is still about 44% higher than it was at the time of Jobs' death. 4) Apple beat Samsung in court, and that's also worrisome Particularly bizarre is Kane's attempt to spin Apple's legal victory over Samsung as a defeat because the ruling was unlikely to "convince more consumers to buy iPhones and iPads." Kane further writes that Apple's legal victory came at a cost because it "validated" Samsung as a worthy competitor while also providing the Korean tech giant with free advertising. In truth, Samsung is a worthy competitor because it sells millions upon millions of smartphones and tablets, not because Apple decided to take them to court. Kane adds: Apple's win also put an uncomfortable spotlight on its motivations. Why was the company wasting so much time, money, and energy protecting its older technologies if it had game-changing products up its sleeve? Could it be that there was nothing more in the pipeline? Steve Jobs was famous for never looking back. But perhaps the company now had too much to lose. These types of logical leaps really strain the book's credibility, especially considering that it was Steve Jobs, and not Tim Cook, who spearheaded Apple's initial legal battle with HTC and Samsung. Was it not Steve Jobs who famously declared that he was prepared to go thermonuclear on Android? In yet another example highlighting the book's aversion to providing a complete story, Kane is gutsy enough to write that Samsung was handed "another advantage" when Judge Lucy Koh struck down $450.5 million from Apple's $1 billion judgement on account of a jury miscalculation. This, Kane explains, was another setback for Apple because collection on the judgement was postponed. What's more, Kane writes that it was a success(!) for Samsung insofar that they "had been remarkably effective at pushing the narrative that the jury had no idea what it was doing and Apple didn't deserve the magnitude of the win that it scored." Not quite. Ultimately, Apple was awarded $929 million instead of $1.05 billion, not exactly the black mark Kane would otherwise have you believe. Irrelevant facts to back up assertions abound Throughout the book, Kane relies upon flimsy facts that don't quite align with the points she's trying to make. In detailing Apple's executive team, for example, Kane describes Apple's Senior VP of Marketing Phil Schiller as a bombastic fellow who relishes his grip on power. But rather than providing detailed examples, aside from Schiller being wary of new executives until they prove themselves, Kane instead focuses on the music Schiller enjoys and his favorite hockey team. Even in his personal life, he projected bold tendencies. He was a fan of the San Jose Sharks hockey team and owned a Lamborghini. A former percussionist, he favored music with aggressive, driving drum tracks like Led Zeppelin's "Good Times. Bad Times." I suppose if you can't source detailed behind the scenes info, you sort of have to focus on immaterial facts like favorite sports teams and personal music preferences. This type of spotty narrative unfortunately permeates many of the book's chapters. Apple may have tried to embarrass Woz.. Say what?! Somewhat indicative of most of the book, Kane casually suggests that Apple may have purposefully tried to embarrass Steve Wozniak by having video monitors pan to him after Phil Schiller introduced the Mac Pro at WWDC 2013. Why would Apple do this, you might ask? Because Woz had previously made statements about Apple potentially losing its creative edge. Was it a flourish of choreographed revenge, a staged dose of instant karma aimed at embarrassing Wozniak? To his credit, Wozniak did not give his attackers any satisfaction. When the camera closed in, his face betrayed only mild interest. One blogger, watching the live feed, thought Woz looked sleepy. Wow, masterfully played, Woz! I can only wonder who tipped him off to the fact that "attackers" had invited him there with a grand plan to embarrass him. Incidentally, you can check out Woz's neutral reaction to the announcement here. Again, it's passages like this that really undermine the book's credibility as a whole. Instead of say, oh I don't know, actually asking Woz for his initial thoughts on the Mac Pro, Kane crafts a story about Apple potentially engaging in a bit of "choreographed revenge." Conveniently, Kane neglects to mention a rather easy to find June 2013 video interview Woz did with Slashgear where he addresses his demeanor during the WWDC announcement. Incidentally, it's the first hit that comes up when you Google, "Woz on the Mac Pro." In some one-to-one time, we asked the Apple co-founder what he thought of the new Mac Pro also shown at WWDC, and in particular its design. Wozniak told us that he really likes the drastic change in aesthetic, and that it reminds him of the older Power Mac G4 Cube, which also sported a smaller form-factor like the 2013 Mac Pro. As for his much-commented-on expression during the keynote when the Mac Pro was being detailed, there have been suggestions that he looked less than impressed, but he argues that people are mistaken. The look on his face during the applause while everyone else was clapping, he says, was simply him "just thinking". Unlike a lot of people, he pointed out, Wozniak prefers to carefully evaluate products and situations first before arriving at a conclusion, so as to not make a rash opinion. In fact, he was mentally comparing the Mac Pro to HP's workstations, which he believes are now the best on the market. So instead of doing a simple Google search or perhaps reaching out to Woz for clarification, we're presented with a spotty and misleading story about an Apple co-founder remaining unimpressed with innovation at Apple. While Kane's telling of the story aligns with her overarching narrative -- namely that Apple has lost its luster -- it's also quite misleading. Siri? Really? Kane spends an inordinate amount of time talking about Siri, never mind the fact that Siri was purchased and developed as an iOS feature while Jobs was still alive. Measuring the Tim Cook era by examining initial launch issues with Siri is far from instructive, and perhaps speaks to Kane's inability to truly attain much information about Apple post-Steve Jobs. Kane even adds that "Siri's rocky start wasn't Tim Cook's fault." Okay, that's fair, but then why spend so much time detailing Siri's history, Siri advertising efforts, and Siri's launch-day shortcomings? For a book that promises to provide an "illuminating portrait of Apple today that offers clues to its future", why is there no discussion whatsoever centering on how Siri may factor into Apple's future plans for the iOS ecosystem? As a final point, I was covering Apple extensively when Siri launched and don't recall it being the big fiasco of a flop that Kane makes it out to be. Sure, people enjoyed posting Siri missteps, and sure, Apple's Siri servers were sometimes overwhelmed , but I don't believe the Siri launch is heralded as a big black eye in Apple history. It certainly didn't garner the same level of negative attention as Apple Maps or Antennagate. Tim Cook: A happy #2 or a man with with grand ambition? One last example. Kane writes that Tim Cook was able to excel at Apple because he lacked an ego. Content at playing an important role behind the scenes, Kane articulates that Cook was okay with letting stars like Steve Jobs and Jony Ive garner much of the press attention because he was happy to be "second-in-command." But just one paragraph later, Kane writes that there were hints of grand ambition with respect to Cook ascension to the CEO position. But underneath the demure denials were hints of grand ambition. One of Cook's favorite quotes was one from Abraham Lincoln. "I will prepare and someday my chance will come." ... He had prepared and waited with seemingly infinite patience. Now his moment had arrived. The quote Kane cites was originally made by Cook during his 2010 Auburn Commencement address. Looking at the quote in context, It wasn't a statement that shrouded any grand ambition on the part of Cook, but rather a quote meant to instill in students the notion that if they work hard, opportunities will come their way. The notion that Tim Cook has long had a "grand ambition" to be Apple CEO would be incredibly interesting if there were facts or interviews to back it up. But if all we're presented with is an out-of-context passage from a college commencement address, why bother including it at all? As Charles Arthur noted in his own review of the book: I found the bizarre attribution of meaning to events which didn't seem to have meaning more and more intrusive. Wrapping up Overall, the book provides a simple rehashing, albeit with a negative slant, of Apple news stories over the past two years. What the book doesn't provide is any true insight into how Apple operates differently under Tim Cook than it did Steve Jobs, at least in any ways that are important. The book's back cover reads in part: Hard-hitting yet fair, Haunted Empire reveals the perils and opportunities an iconic company faces when it loses its visionary leader. If only that were true. Again, I really wanted to like this book but found it no more compelling or insightful than Kane's somewhat strange New Yorker article wherein she criticized Apple's '30 years of Mac' celebration. The inherent challenge in writing any book about Apple is that the company is notoriously closed off. Even former employees are unusually loyal and tend to shy away from discussing their tenure at the company. Consequently, authors in Kane's position are often forced to craft their own narrative and work backwards from there. The end result, in this case, is a book that undermines its own premise. By blindly presenting opinions as facts and spending too much time rehashing issues of no consequence to Apple's future innovative prospects, we're ultimately left with a book that fails to present an intriguing and informative look at the Apple empire that Kane would desperately have us believe is "haunted" by Steve Jobs.
Steve Wozniak thinks Apple should build an Android smartphone
Yes, folks, this is real life. In an interview with Wired, at the Apps World North America conference, Steve Wozniak revealed his belief that Apple should create a phone using Google's Android operating system. According to him, "There's nothing that would keep Apple out of the Android market as a secondary phone market ... We could play in two arenas at the same time." As Wired's Mat Honan notes, the idea of such a handset wouldn't be technically impossible, but anyone who's familiar with the Apple of today knows that the chances of this actually happening are slim to none. "We [Apple] could compete very well. People like the precious looks of stylings and manufacturing that we do in our product compared to the other Android offerings," Wozniak stated during the interview. Of course, this isn't the first time (and very likely won't be the last) in which the great, legendary Woz has spoken openly about his thoughts on Apple- and Android-related affairs -- still, it's always interesting to hear his perspective on the tech industry. Wozniak also spoke to Wired about the film Her, Moore's Law and even why he thinks the Cupertino company has yet to release a smartwatch or TV. You can check out the full interview right here.
Woz predicts that in 2013, iOS devices are headed to work
Apple's co-founder Steve Wozniak often appears here on the pages of TUAW for doing some silly things like joking around with Stephen Colbert or starring in an iOS game. But the man's still got a great mind (and a lot of experience with technology), so when he makes some predictions for 2013 over in Forbes, it's worth giving him a listen. Woz's main theme seems to be business technology -- specifically how that field is trending more and more away from standard beige box desktop PCs and much more towards personal smartphones, tablets and other such devices. Woz says that the cloud will continue to be a big trend next year, and that will extend to businesses using smartphones and tablets more and more in the workplace. Finally the software and hardware on mobile devices is catching up to the growing need businesspeople have to make good use of the powerful computers they carry in their pockets. Businesses have already seen a "BYOD" (bring your own device) trend in the workplace, where employees are increasingly using their personally owned iPads and iPhones for work. Woz says that will continue, as businesses will have to balance issues like security and productivity with the comprehensive customization and portability that smartphone and tablet devices offer. That's some good insight right there, and Woz should know: the guy carries like 10 different smartphones. We've already seen businesses making good use of iOS devices, and it makes sense that 2013 would bring that trend even more into the forefront. [via Slashdot]
Woz discusses what he'd change about Apple
Apple co-founder Steve Wozniak recently did a Q&A over on Slashdot, and Gizmodo has boiled down his answers into five things he'd change about Apple today. There's a little bit of putting thoughts in Wozniak's head here, as he wasn't specifically talking about what he would change. Still, he does have some good insight, and in a few interesting ways, his ideas about what Apple is doing lately do seem to differ from what the company thinks. For example, Woz believes iTunes should be ported to Android; he says bringing iTunes to Windows created a huge market for Apple, and porting iTunes and its various stores to other mobile OSes would grow that market as well. Woz also believes Apple should back off of the lawsuits a bit, especially when (or if) it impedes Apple's own innovations. Woz also suggests that Apple aim for a big influx of younger talent right now, when the company's future is so important. As for Woz himself re-joining Apple in any official capacity, even he agrees that he and the company have grown apart. "Apple is very complex," he says, adding that "I like personal simplicity. I like to do what I'm good at, which is enjoying technology." Woz says he would go to Apple to help out if ever called upon, but honestly, we'd agree that he's happier just enjoying what's out there at this point.
Woz's backpack brings new meaning to "overpacking"
If you were a genius who helped create the first Apple computer and have since then been able to pretty much do whatever you want, wouldn't you carry around a crowded backpack as well? Steve Wozniak has listed out just what he happens to carry around on his back every day, and the entire list (via Gizmodo) is something to behold: Almost ten iPhones and iPod touches, two iPads, countless adapters and cables for everything, multiple Game Boys, multiple earplugs and headphones, too many cards to even list, and pens, laser pointers, accessories and clip on lights, and everything else (although a few items are carried by his wife). It's a wonder the man is still standing given how much technology he's carrying around in that backpack everywhere. Here's the question I have, however: Just what kind of backpack is this? I can barely fit all of my technology in a huge shoulder bag when I go out on assignment, and I'm not carrying a fourth of the stuff that Woz is. I'm more curious about what he holds all of this stuff (and how he's able to haul it all around) than what's in there.
Woz wants a Surface
Apple co-founder Steve Wozniak spoke at a recent conference in Chile, and perhaps the most interesting thing he said was that he is looking forward to Microsoft's new Surface tablet. Yes, there's something about Microsoft's consumer-focused attempt at making a tablet computer (maybe the case with a keyboard or the built-in stand) that has caught Woz's eye. And he says that not only do Microsoft's latest offerings "have such a strikingly good visual appearance," but Woz also joked that maybe "Steve Jobs came back reincarnated at Microsoft." We don't know about that one, but obviously Woz was joking around. And the fact that Woz wants a device that seems aimed at directly competing with Apple isn't new at all -- even when the iPhone was brand new, Woz was happy to carry around at least three iPhones and a few smartphones besides. What can we say -- the guy likes the latest and greatest tech, no matter who's making it. As he says, "I prefer to judge things I really know and not just what I've read about."
Apple I fetches $374.5K at Sotheby's auction, Steve Jobs Atari note goes for $27.5K
Here's an update for all the collectors of vintage Apple Computer-wares out there. If you'll recall, it was a few weeks back when Sotheby's announced it would auction off an Apple 1 motherboard, cassette interface and its BASIC programming manual, originally set to fetch upwards of $180,000. Just this week, the hand-built piece of computing history from 1976 was sold to one lucky phone bidder for an even more massive $374,500. As Apple Insider notes, the computer is one of six that's accounted for out of 50 that are likely still out there -- ensuring these will only remain for folks with deep pockets indeed. Past that, a hand-written note from Steve Jobs during his time at Atari was also on the auction block, garnering $27,500 even though it was only estimated to sell for less than half that price. Knowing the cost of collecting a premiere piece (arguably) from the fruits of Woz and Jobs, it certainly makes that new MacBook Pro with Retina display seem like a grand bargain in comparison. Details at the links below.
Apple I up for auction: buy a bit of Apple history for the bulk of your net worth
Attention Apple lovers: here's your chance to get your hands on an original piece of company history, but the past has proven that you better have a lot of extra cash lying around. Sotheby's auction house is offering a working Apple I computer, which is the original design that was built by Steve Jobs and Steve Wozniak back in 1976 -- by hand. It's expected to fetch between $140,000 - 180,000, and those dollars buy you a mobo, cassette interface and the original BASIC manual to get you programming partying like it's 1979. This isn't the first Apple I to hit the auction block, but with only 200 of the things in existence, the winning bidder will join the upper echelon of Apple enthusiasts. So, if you've got cash to burn and fancy yourself the ultimate fanboy, head on down to the source link for the full details. [Thanks, Deepa]
The Apple II, as described by Steve Wozniak
Ask the average geek to describe the Apple II and you'll probably hear something about its legacy or software. Ask Steve Wozniak circa 1977, on the other hand, and he'll write you a technical tome -- or at least he did for Byte magazine. Way back when the classic computer was fresh, a young Woz penned an extremely detailed "system description" for the rig, pouring over specifics on the II's graphical capabilities, memory, peripherals, programming language and more. Perhaps in (slightly late) honor of the machine's 35th anniversary, Information Week has seen fit to reprint the extensive examination for your reading pleasure -- assuming you're up to wading through the technical nitty gritty. No? Well, Woz does have a few nuggets of wisdom for the layman. "To me," he says, "a personal computer should be small, reliable, convenient to use and inexpensive." No arguments here, Steve. Read the man's words for yourself at the source link below.
Woz: Windows Phone is 'beautiful,' Android 'no contest,' still loves iPhone, ask again tomorrow
When Steve Wozniak talks mobile, people love to listen. Last time we checked in, he was lauding some of Android's finer points, and now he's raining praise on Windows Phone. In an interview with A New Domain, the Apple co-founder was all too happy to share his recent positive experiences with the Espoo / Redmond collaboration. In particular, Woz waxes about how intuitive the interface is, and how naturally apps lead you around. He goes on to say how there's nothing he's seen that isn't more beautiful (than iOS and Android) on the Windows system, before claiming Android is "no contest" when it comes to the interface. It's not all lemonade and roses, however, as he then admits he's no fan of the voice control functionality compared to the other two platforms. When pushed to admit what he uses as default, it's still the iPhone -- two of them in fact -- but Woz's ability to see the best in all mobile operating systems will be sure to further confirm his status as one of tech's most liked. Head down to the source to hear for yourself. [Thanks everyone who sent this in]
Where's Steve Wozniak? He's doing his regular waiting-in-line thing
Sure it's marketing, but it's also a nice little ritual. Speaking to an interviewer from What's Trending, Apple co-founder Steve Wozniak acknowledged he doesn't have to wait in line for his new iPad, but said he'd "rather be genuine, like the real people". They're the ones you can see pretending to sleep / read in the background.
iPads bought, unboxed ahead of US launch; Woz waits patiently in LA (Updated)
The wave of happy new iPad owners is rolling towards US shores, as the 8 am local on-sale time has already hit the other side of the world; heavy traffic and brisk sales were reported in Sydney, Hong Kong and elsewhere. For those of us waiting in line overnight outside Apple Stores to pick up a new iPad (picture above is from Burlington, Ontario and the one below is from Park City mall in Lancaster), we should take a moment to acknowledge our wacky, wealthy patron saint: Woz. Yes, once again Apple's co-founder and resident free spirit has chosen to wait in line to buy a product that he could certainly have delivered to him by a fleet of hovercraft or a butler on a Segway. That, in part, is why we love him. Business Insider pointed out the interview below, where Woz talks with our buddy Shira Lazar in Los Angeles. Woz knows that he doesn't have to wait in line from Thursday noon to Friday morning, but he says his "ritual" is important to him. He also said he's finally going to move up to a higher-capacity iPad so he has more room for movies. Inveterate line-waiter Rob Shoesmith opted to have his iPad delivered directly, and shares his unboxing video. NYC retailer Tekserve has a video rundown of iPad accessories, too. If you've got pictures to share, hit us up on Twitter or on our Facebook fan page! Park City line: And here's Knoxville, TN as of 7:30 AM ET.
Distro Issue 31: Tales from the South Pacific, Apple's new iPad and the Woz
Let's just call Issue 31 the New Issue, shall we? That's what Apple did this week with the refresh of the iPad, and in this week's refresh of Distro, we'll bring you our first-hand impressions of Cupertino's latest slate. Also in this issue, Darren Murph takes a look at the challenges of bringing wireless to the disconnected, in "Internet Tales from the South Pacific," and Steve Wozniak tackles the Distro Q&A like only he can. We'll also bring you our reviews of Lytro's debut light field camera and Dell's XPS 13 Ultrabook. So go on and download the new issue.Distro Issue 31 PDFDistro on the iTunes App StoreDistro in the Android MarketDistro APK (for sideloading)Like Distro on FacebookFollow Distro on Twitter
Steve Wozniak on Steve Jobs
Steve Jobs was the man most often associated with Apple, but another Steve played a big part in the formation of the company, and Mr. Wozniak has some kind words about his friend and former business partner. Well said, Woz.
Vintage Apple-1 up and running
An original Apple-1 sprung back to life during a presentation at the Polytechnic University of Turin in Italy this week. Hand-built by a then young Steve Wozniak, the vintage computer was purchased by Mark Bogle for US$211,000 as part of a high-profile Christie's auction. Despite its age of 35 years, the computer booted smoothly with the help of an oscilloscope to check the wave function of the clock, an NTSC monitor to display text and a MacBook Pro to send a simple BASIC program to the Apple-1's BASIC interpreter. Much to the amusement of the crowd, the Apple-1 displayed the words Hello Polito, a charming reference to the Polytechnic University. [Via Engadget]
Eighth Circuit declares RAZR a computer under federal law
There's little doubt that today's smartphones are pocketable computers -- they're equally or more powerful than the desktop PCs of yesteryear -- but what about dumbphones? Well, in US v. Kramer, the Eighth Circuit Court of Appeals just held that a Motorola Motorazr V3 fits the federal statutory definition for a computer -- and quoted Woz in the opinion: "Everything has a computer in it nowadays." Seems a bit silly to call a RAZR a computer, but courts can only interpret existing laws, not make new ones -- and US law says a computer is "an electronic, magnetic, optical, electrochemical, or other high speed data processing device performing logical, arithmetic, or storage functions." Because this was the first time a federal appeals court had ruled on the issue, the Eighth Circuit set a precedent that other courts are likely to follow. And yes, the court is aware such a definition may include microwaves and coffee makers, and informed Congress that it should change the law if it doesn't like it. Regardless of whether you agree, this interpretation added some jail time for a guy who pled guilty to trying to engage in sexual activity with a minor, so the mild absurdity of it all is fine by us. Somewhere Chris Hansen is smiling.
The Engadget Show: Steve Wozniak's white iPhone (video)
You may have heard a thing or two about Steve Wozniak's white iPhone from the Engadget Show this past Sunday, and while you should really go and watch the entire amazing interview, we've broken out the iPhone conversation. Enjoy!
Woz gets quizzed on Wait Wait
Apple co-founder Steve Wozniak is something special. He has an uncanny wit and carefree personality that makes everyone smile. His latest foray into the public spotlight found him as a guest on the NPR program Wait Wait... Don't Tell Me! In the show, host Peter Sagal quizzes celebrities, asking them to figure out which statement is real and which one is made up. Woz's topic of apples, the real fruit kind, was aptly chosen. While the three-question quiz on apples was enjoyable, the brief interview before the questionnaire is where Woz really shines. Host Sagal asks Woz about his early history with Steve Jobs and his thoughts on the computer and smartphone revolution. Woz reveals some gems, like the fact that he carries three iPhones - one Black model, one White model, and a third used for tethering and other testing purposes. Woz flashed this white iPhone on CNN last week and now admits with candor that his white model is one of those case hacks obtained illegally (at least from Apple's perspective) from China. The 10-minute audio clip is embedded after the break (apologies for Flash) and is worth a listen to help chase away those Monday blues. Enjoy!
Apple buys former HP campus in Cupertino
In the latest sign of a trend that has been ongoing in the tech industry for more than a decade, Apple has gobbled up another big chunk of land in Cupertino, CA that is being vacated by Hewlett-Packard. Apple recently closed on a deal to buy HP's 98 acre Cupertino campus for an undisclosed price. The former HP property is north of a 50 acre site that Apple bought in 2006 and east of the main Infinite Loop campus that has been home to Apple since the early 1990s. Apple has been on a steady growth path, with a stream of new products, since the return of Steve Jobs in the late 1990s; HP has been heading in the opposite direction, having shed numerous traditional businesses in that same time. Apple had $65 billion in sales in its last fiscal year and added 12,300 employees, bringing its total headcount to 46,600. The 57 buildings currently occupied by Apple are reportedly "bursting at the seams," but the company has not yet provided a timetable or plan for revamping its new campus. Several thousand HP employees that currently work in Cupertino will be consolidated in Palo Alto over the next two years. This latest move brings the Apple-HP relationship full circle. When Apple was founded in 1976, Steve Wozniak was an engineer working in HP's calculator division. As with most large companies, HP had a policy that anything invented by employees belonged to the company, even if it was created on personal time. Wozniak offered the Apple I and Apple II designs to HP, but the company didn't want to get into the personal computer business at the time, which paved the way for Woz to eventually leave and join his partner Jobs at their startup on a full-time basis. If HP had made different choices in the late 1970s, the many innovative products created by Apple over the years might never have been built, and today's technology landscape would probably be a very different place. [via Mac.Blorge]
