Steve Jobs innovations that changed the tech industry forever, Technology ,

Hours after breaking news on Sky News left me speechless, I have finallyaccepted that a man whom I met in 2003 is dead.I wish I was in Melbourne topost those pictures for all my readers.Apple founder and former chief executiveSteve Jobs passed away after several years of battling against pancreaticcancer.Although Jobs had been on medical leave since earlier this year, andresigned from his role several weeks ago, the news has shocked the technologyindustry.From introducing the original Mac to the latest iPhone, Jobs has beenresponsible for some of the biggest changes in the information technologyindustry – changes that have informed how other companies and entire industriesdo business.Here are five of his biggest innovations in my opinion.

The Mac

This is the device that changed how everyday consumers use personalcomputers.It can’t be overstated how significant the release of the Mac was inthe 1980s. That period in the information technology scene represents thetransition from computers being mysterious objects used by universities androcket scientists into something personable and useful. Jobs and peersincluding Bill Gates made PCs must-have household item.An early video of Jobs debuting the Mac to thunderous applause highlightsits significance. This was the first powerful, useful personal computer thatwould set the trend for years to come.Jobs didn’t do it alone, but the Mactransformed how we perceive and relate to desktop computers – a consumerrelationship that informs business decisions to this day.

The iPod

Apple never takes the first step. When Jobs debuted the iPod in 2001, itwasn’t the first MP3 player on the market and it technically wasn’t even thebest. But this device – which has sold hundreds of millions of units in thepast decade – represents Jobs’ vision.By releasing the iPod, Jobs proved thatconsumers don’t necessarily respond to technical specifications. Instead, theyprefer stylish, well-designed objects that are as much of a fashion item asthey are music player.Although Jobs’ obsession with design started in the 1990s, the first iPodrepresents the strengthening of the relationship between technology andindustrial design. Until his resignation Jobs had always been obsessed withdesign – how gadgets look and feel, rather than just what’s inside.

The iPhone

Before the 2007 release of the first iPhone, smartphones were barelybreaking any ground. They weren’t good looking, they couldn’t browse theinternet very well, and they certainly couldn’t operate any comprehensivesoftware.Jobs’ vision for the iPhone changed not only how smartphones operate, butalso how they appear – nearly every major smartphone that is released nowappears similar to the original version of the iPhone that launched just fouryears ago.The genius in Jobs’ vision isn’t the phone itself, but in his recognitionthat the phone was slowly becoming more of a personal computer than just atelecommunications device. Even now experts and analysts constantly comment onhow the phone is now becoming a personal computing device with more power thansome laptops currently on the market.

The iTunes/App Stores

Having Macs and iPods is great, but devices are nothing without the contentthat fills them. Two of Jobs’ most underrated innovations are the iTunes andApp Stores, both of which have changed how people interact with digital musicand software forever.Think back to the year 2003. There is basically no easyway to buy music online, so most people pirate it from peer to peer networks.Music labels are in disarray, publishers are fretting over what to do next, andconsumers see no reason why they should ever have to pay for music again.
The creation of the iTunes Store represents a fundamental shift in how weconsume content, and once again, highlights Jobs’ ability to not only see wheremarkets are going, but create entirely new ones when none exist.Working withmusic labels to create an entirely new digital marketplace, Jobs created aperfectly simple way for users to buy music – just click on a song. No mess, nofuss, just clicks. And most importantly, it’s cheap. Users were given an easyalternative to support artists and get high quality tracks.

Although the App Store wasn’t necessarily filling a gap in the market likethe iTunes Store, it nevertheless represents Jobs’ ability to spot a futureopportunity.Just as Jobs recognised smartphones were becoming more likecomputers, he also recognised these computers need software to fill them.Giving developers the freedom to create all different sorts of products andfeatures, and then sell them, has not only created new revenue streams forApple but – put simply – has created an entire new industry out of thin air.Jobs had a great eye for design, and loved to create well-built devices. Butcontent is king, and Jobs recognised that offering customers valuable materiallike music, television shows, films and apps is just as big a part of theentire Apple experience.

Pixar

Not a device, not a piece of content, but nevertheless technology that haschanged filmmaking forever. In the 1980s Jobs bought a small graphicstechnology group form George Lucas that would later become Pixar, now renownedand celebrated for its high quality feature films and for being the firstcompany to produce a film entirely generated with computer graphics.Jobs’vision is obvious here. Recognising that technology would not only changeconsumer electronics forever, but also filmmaking, he set out on an opportunityto have a stake in that change.Although Jobs has had less to do with the company as time has gone on, it isnevertheless a key point.To all my friends I want to say Jobs may be gone, buthis impact on the technology world will never be forgotten.

Steve Jobs dies: Tributes, Technology ,

AppleCEO Tim Cooksent to staff to announce Jobs' death: 

"Team,

Ihave some very sad news to share with all of you. Steve passed away earliertoday.

Applehas lost a visionary and creative genius, and the world has lost an amazinghuman being. Those of us who have been fortunate enough to know and work withSteve have lost a dear friend and an inspiring mentor. Steve leaves behind acompany that only he could have built, and his spirit will forever be thefoundation of Apple.

Weare planning a celebration of Steve’s extraordinary life for Apple employeesthat will take place soon. If you would like to share your thoughts, memoriesand condolences in the interim, you can simply emailrememberingsteve@apple.com.

Nowords can adequately express our sadness at Steve’s death or our gratitude forthe opportunity to work with him. We will honor his memory by dedicatingourselves to continuing the work he loved so much."

 

Some of the World Leaders Tributes

 USPresident Barack Obama President BarackObama also paidtribute to Jobs in a statement, saying "the world has lost avisionary".Steve was among the greatestof American innovators - brave enough to think differently, bold enough tobelieve he could change the world, and talented enough to do it. He transformed our lives,redefined entire industries, and achieved one of the rarest feats in humanhistory: he changed the way each of us sees the world. The world has lost avisionary. And there may be no greater tribute to Steve's success than the factthat much of the world learned of his passing on a device he invented.Twitter feed for the official re-electioncampaign of Barack Obama stated on Twitter, "rest in peace, SteveJobs...thank you for the work you make possible every day".

AustralianPrime Minister Julia Gillard said "it's not too much to say he literallychanged our world"

Facebook chiefexecutive and founder Mark Zuckerberg also wrote on his official profile pagesaying, "thank you for being a mentor and friend...thanks for showing thatwhat you build can change the world".

Mike Lazaridis and JimBalsillie, co-CEOs of Blackberry-maker Research in Motion: "Steve Jobs was a great visionaryand a respected competitor." 

Dell Inc. founder andCEO Michael Dell:"Today the world lost a visionary leader, the technology industry lost aniconic legend and I lost a friend and fellow founder." 

Microsoft co-founderBill Gates:"For those of us lucky enough to get to work with Steve, it's been aninsanely great honor. I will miss Steve immensely." 

Larry Page, CEO of Google:"He was a great man withincredible achievements and amazing brilliance. He always seemed to be able tosay in very few words what you actually should have been thinking before youthought it. His focus on the user experience above all else has always been aninspiration to me." 

Steve Wozniak, Apple co-founder: "Peoplesometimes have goals in life. Steve Jobs exceeded every goal he sethimself." 

Paul Allan, co-founder of Microsoft: "We'velost a unique tech pioneer and auteur who knew how to make amazingly greatproducts. Steve fought a long battle against tough odds in a very brave way. Hekept doing amazing things in the face of all that adversity. As someone who hashad his own medical challenges, I couldn't help but be encouraged by how hepersevered." 

Steve Case, Founder of AOL: "I feel honoredto have known Steve Jobs. He was the most innovative entrepreneur of ourgeneration. His legacy will live on for the ages."

Yahoo co-founder Jerry Yangsaid "Steve was my hero growing up."

John Biggs of Tech crunch saidthey have given reflections on the death of "one of the greatestthinkers" of this generation: It’sbeen a hard night and Erick and I thought it would be fitting to reflect a biton Steve Jobs and his legacy. We’re both understandably crushed by the news butrather than look back we wanted to look forward, forward to what comes next ina world without one of its greatest thinkers.SteveJobs is important to us because the gifts he gave mankind are innumerable. Hegave us the gifts of elegance, of clarity, of drive. He gave us computers thatspawned industries, phones that paid millions of salaries. He made it so I canFacetime from the road with my children before they go to bed and not have toworry about connection issues, downloads, fiddling. The stuff he made just works.

 

Some of my friends tributes

InconsolableJason Roberts, a MOCE software developer sent me an email saying Jobs was a manof conviction who left an indelible mark on computing and that the sector willnever be the same again.

HarunMakandi, a well renowned researcher posted on his facebook;iCry

VilleMakinnen also posted on the same topic;This isthe most painful death to me outside a family member.

Another friend of mine Tumaini Foya postedon his Facebook page;Mayhis soul rest in peace: we will always remember you Steve Jobs

Samcook from New South Wales currently in Washington USA posted on her facebook; RIP Steve Jobs

As I post this,tributes are flowing fromcorners of the world and all walks of life. For now I say,go in peace Steve,you have left us with an awesome legacy.my only hope is that your colleagues atApple can continue to stay on the bleeding edge with constant innovation iswhat turned me to Apple and keeps me going .Am lucky to have met you.

Steve Jobs' 2005 Stanford Commencement Address, Technology ,

In his address to Stanford University in 2005, Jobs aid: "Death is the destination we all share. ... It clears out the old to make way for the new."

Steve Jobs introduces the Macintosh in 1984, Technology ,

Finland fans of Apple mourn Steve Jobs, Technology ,

Many Apple fans I have spoken to inFinland said they will miss Steve Jobs and his visionary thinking that led tothe creation of revolutionary gadgets such as the iPod, iPad, iPhone andMacintosh. Jobs died at age 56 two days ago after battling pancreatic cancer. VilleMakinnen said the irony is that Jobs died a day after the launch of the iPhone4S. It was as if he was making sure that the Apple ship would be in good hands.MrMakinnen aged 34 reckoned Jobs has left an indelible mark on the world with histalent for making technology almost second nature to many people. 

My old time friends Kai and hissister mailed me saying that Steve Jobs has humanized technology because histoddler is operating the iPad and iPod without fear and easily grasps appletechnologies which according to sister Heiddi that was Steve Jobs' crowningachievement. Anna Jenkins can't believe that the former Apple CEO, with apenchant for black turtlenecks and jeans, is gone. She joked that perhaps SteveJobs is somewhere in the iCloud, watching over us. Ms Jenkins told me on phonethat she wasn't really affected by the news that he was sick, but to wake up tonews of such a great loss was terrible. Another friend, Mr Niiranen admiredJobs for being a very creative person who managed to tie the creative andtechnology worlds together.Mr Niiranen has always thought that some awesometechnology would be developed to save his life.

 On my part,I would like to say that a portionof Jobs' commencement speech in Stanford University in 2005, has alwaysresonated with him, especially the part where Jobs said: You can only connectthe dots backwards.Having studied and lived in San Francisco, I can relate tothe energy of living and working there. Although my cousin Julia Varley whoresides in London,UK made a joke that she always thought that some awesometechnology would be developed to save his life,to me, Jobs is the person whorevolutionized the computer and music devices.

The irony is that Steve Jobs died aday after the launch of the iPhone 4S and have been thinking that it was as ifhe was making sure that the Apple ship would be in good hands.He said Jobs tooktechnology to new heights and created products where technology served the userand not the user having to conform to the technology. Just like another friendHarun Makandi told me yesterday as we exchanged notes on Steve Jobs death,the pressurewould now be on Tim Cook, Apple's current CEO, to continue Jobs' legacy, andthat many would expect him to have the same kind of charisma that hispredecessor had when presenting new Apple products.

Nexus Prime phone launch cancelled, Technology ,

In the last two hours,Samsung and Google have announced thepostponement  of  eagerly awaited Nexus Prime.According to thepress release,the two companies agreed that it is just not the right time toannounce a new product and new date and venue will be shortly announced.Thisevent was due to take place this coming Tuesday.Rumor is that this may just bebecause of Steve Jobs, but there is no concrete information about the reason asto why the two have canceled the launch.

The launch was for their much-anticipated new phone, which is expected to becalled the Nexus Prime, and will have the new version of Android operatingsystem, known as Ice Cream Sandwich. In a hastily worded statement, Samsungsaid “Samsung and Google decide to postpone the new product announcement atCTIA Fall. We agree that it is just not the right time to announce a newproduct. The event, which was to take place in San Diego was dubbed as “SamsungUnpacked: Google Edition”.

Ice Cream Sandwich is the latest version of the Android operating systemthat will be the first to unite mobile phone and tablet interfaces. Google andSamsung had announced that they would reveal “what’s new from Android” duringthe event. The release is set to be rescheduled, although a Samsung spokesmancould not say when. I think this is about media coverage because next week willlikely be Steve Jobs funeral because no matter what,I cannot imagine any newsthat will compete with the funeral.This is Samsung and Google being at theirbest and is a smart move. The two haven't mentioned the new launch dates thatensures they will not clash with funeral which makes them seem more respectful.

Dr Dre Sensation XL phone, Technology ,

HTC Corporation, a global designer of mobile devices, on early August announced a strategic partnership and investment with Beats team Electronics LLC, the company redefining the audio market with its iconic Beats by Dr. Dre audio experience. The two fast-growing brands have been working endlessly to bring high performance sound to HTC phones. When I heard it first,my conclusion was that the partnership was timely opportunity for the two companies to redefine the smart phone industry and define the future. There is no doubt it represented a critical step to reengineer how sound is delivered so that the consumer feels the music the way that the artist intend to.

Now,HTC has launched the new flagship mobile phone that includes hip-hop producer Dr Dre’s ‘Beats Audio’ technology called HTC Sensation XL which is the second on since they announced the partnership with first one being HTC S XE.Now this one has improved headphones, along with an 8MP camera.This ends the days when camera was the only thing that could make the phone sell and have a feeling this will appeal to the young market. The Sensation XL model, also features a 4.7” screen which has been specifically optimized for its audio performance in a bid to capitalize on the increasing number of users who play music through their mobile phones.

Google has integrated music services with its voice recognition technology and that means users can search for the relevant artist or track.The HTC Sensation XE also integrated the technology. Great audio is no longer an experience that consumers are willing to sacrifice when purchasing a phone,” said Jimmy Iovine, Chairman of Beats by Dr Dre. “The digital revolution has been great for everything but music,” he added, referring to the quality of the sound typically recorded and played through mobile phones. It looks like soon I will listen to my fellow aborigine Jessica Mauboy music on my phone.

HTC unveils Mango, Technology ,

HTC Corp unveiled its firstsmartphone that runs on Windows Phone 7.5, also codenamed Mango.Called theRadar, the sleek smartphone is just 10.9mm thick and weighs 137g. It is poweredby a 1GHz processor, and has a 3.8in touchscreen and 8GB of internal storage.TheRadar features a 5-megapixel camera with a dedicated button to capture imageseasily.The camera also has an LED flash, f/2.2 aperture lens andback-illuminated sensor for capturing images in low-light conditions.It alsohas a mode that can combine up to five images into a single panorama-like shot.The Radar supports the Digital Living Network Alliance protocol for wirelesslystreaming media from the phone to a compatible HDTV or computer.

HTC Radar

At the launch in Singapore, HTC also unveiledthe Rhyme and Sensation XE with Beats Audio. The Rhyme, which is powered by a1GHz processor, runs on Android 2.3 with the Sense user interface. It comeswith 3.7in touchscreen and 5-megapixel camera. A photo enhancer app will allowusers to quickly touch up pictures and upload them to Facebook.The camera isalso capable of recording 720p HD videos.Users will also be able to watchmovies on the go with the Radar. Its Watch application will allow users to buymovies starting next year.TheRhyme comes with a number of cool accessories like a docking station and Charm.Thedocking station recharges the phone and turns the phone into an alarm clock aswell as music centre so you can wake to your favourite songs played from thebuilt-in speakers.The Charm is a small light-emitting cube that is meant todiscretely alert the user to incoming calls and messages.It's particularlyhandy for ladies because it attaches to the phone via a cord which can be leftdangling from a handbag.The Rhyme also comes with other optional accessoriessuch as a sports armband, and Bluetooth headset.

HTC Sensation with XE

The Sensation XE, on the other hand,is the first smartphone to offer a Beats Audio experience as will come with acustom made Beats earphonesHTC said the Beats Audio experience is a combinationof software and hardware that allows the users to hear music the way theartiste intended.The Android 2.3 smartphone is powered by a 1.5GHz dual-coreprocessor, and has a 4.3in touchscreen and 8-megapixel camera that records HDvideos of 1080p.HTC also unveiled two phones thatwill be available next month and they are called the Explorer and Sensation XL with Beats Audiosmartphones.The Explorer is designed for first-time smartphone users. It comeswith a 3.2in touchscreen and 3-megapixel camera.It has a 600MHz processor andruns on Android 2.3 OS with the Sense user interface.The Sensation XL comeswith a huge 4.7in touchscreen, 8-megapixel camera, 1.5GHz processor and Beatsheadsets.

HTC Rhyme

BlackBerry blackout:Media should be fair, Technology ,

Research In Motion's private network has disrupted BlackBerry service tomillions of customers across four continents upto this moment and situationseem to continue.Delays hit Europe, the Middle East, Africa and India on Mondayand the problems spread to Brazil, Chile and Argentina on Yesterday. RIM saidit was now working to clear a large backlog of data and restore service asquickly as possible.The company had released a message yesterday saying the messagingand browsing delays being experienced were caused by a core switch failurewithin RIM's infrastructure.RIM added that although the system is designed tofailover to a backup switch, the failover did not function as previously tested.Failoverrefers to the automatic switching of service to a standby server in the case ofa failure of a main system.

However,I do have my own description that I can say it’s a process by whichIT systems should automatically fall back to a back-up system in the event of afailure in the primary system that include using back-up generators for power,using secondary hard disks which are synchronized with the primary hard disks,using other methods to route electronic communications and so on.RIM'sBlackBerry service has long been prized by executives and politicians who relyon its security and reliability to deliver e-mail and other messaging to mobileworkers.The Canadian company manages this service via servers parked withinenterprises and hooked up to a proprietary network carried by wirelessoperators.

Blackberry Bold 9900

RIM hosts a number of network operating centres, including one at itsheadquarters in Waterloo, Ontario, and another in southern England, whichmanage the massive amounts of data that flow through its system.RIM had earliersaid it had resolved problems disrupting its services in Europe, the Middle Eastand Africa.I talked to a proud owner of a Blackberry bold and he told me thecurrent situation with the BlackBerry outages couldn't come at a worse time forRIM, following some harsh criticism in recent months.In fact,a senior mobile networkoperator told me that some businesses may see this as a good reason tore-evaluate their reliance on centralised servers and instead look to investingin more corporately controlled servers.

Network operators and users in EMEA complained that e-mail and BlackBerryMessenger services were not working. Many have been unable to browse the web oruse BBM, a popular instant messenging service that offers a free alternative totext messaging and is a major selling point for BlackBerry devices.In myopinion,all technology fails sometime and there is no need for mainstream mediato sensationalize this problem and even some bloggers have gone overboard.Ihate monopoly and should RIM succumb we are going to play into big boys tones.Onegave me a reason that people so animated because what is for some people ahandy tool for light browsing is probably a vital and an important necessarytool that help them do jobs in a timely fashion.I find it unjustified because aservice that has no problems history for close to a decade has been hanged by aone or two days of problems.