Apple That

If you are really into collecting things like action figures, you may want to listen up. It has recently been discovered that a completely unauthorized replica of the late Steve Jobs is planned by Chinese manufacturer InIcon. The figure is extremely lifelike and will be a highly collectible product that includes the former Apple co-founder and CEO’s signature black turtleneck, rimless glasses and jeans.

The figure, which stands 1 foot tall, will also come with a stool and a backdrop that reads “One More Thing…”, a reference to the trademark phrase Jobs would use to unveil Apple’s latest product at the carefully orchestrated press releases that Apple is famous for.

If you don’t think that this is going to be a popular product then think again. The sheer amount of traffic that hit the company’s website today was enough to slow the site to a crawl which just goes to show you that anything related to Apple or Steve Jobs is destined to sell. The interesting part is that it is still uncertain as to whether or not this product will actually ever make it to store shelves.

Apple’s lawyers, famous for their fierceness, are reportedly completely aware of the product with most of them taking issue with InIcon’s appropriation of Jobs’ likeness. According to a statement released by Apple’s lawyers, “Mr. Jobs has not consented to the use of his name and/or image in the product.”

Well, good luck getting that. InIcon has not responded to any requests for information on the product from multiple media outlets. In addition to the figure, the company has planned an entire cornucopia of accessories for the figure, including two apples (one with a bite taken out) and three pairs of hands.

A note on the company website states that the pictures seen are only of prototypes with the final appearance and colors subject to variation. In addition, the mini Mac, iPhone and iPad seen in the pictures will not be available. If released, the figure will cost $99.99, although InIcon has already stopped pre-orders for the product which is set to debut in February.

Source: Fox News – Incredibly Lifelike Steve Jobs Action Figure Due in Feb.

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It appears as if Apple has recently won a couple of patent applications that the company has created over the past few years. These patents include such things as the second generation iPod Shuffle, as well as the ability to switch between applications during a call on the iPhone. Unfortunately, these patents do not foreshadow anything that will be released in the future necessarily nor were they meant to be kept secret for long.

However, even though these patents may not lead to new technologies, each is interesting to look at in order to know the process. One thing that sticks out immediately is that Steve Jobs’ name is still very much attached to the core of these transactions.

The first application displays details about a button that will allow the user to switch between apps while talking to someone on their iPhone. You would, essentially, be able to tap the application switch icon that is on the same screen as the phone dialer and switch back to the call with another button located above the display at your leisure.

Functionality like this was replaced by the multitasking abilities of iOS 5 since the application was created. The original patent was filed back in Q1 of 2008 and credits Senior Vice President of iPhone Software Scott Forstall, as well as his team members Stephen Lemay, Imran Chaudhri, Greg Christie and Marcel Van Os.

The other patent was for the second generation iPad Shuffle which also credits Steve Jobs as a designer. There are dotted lines in the picture of the patent that, interestingly enough, are not claimed in the patent. Then there is a microperforated and backlit display having alternate display capabilities which relates to an earlier patent won by Apple. That patent win deals with components on Apple computers that are invisible until light is shown behind them.

Full details can be found at Patently Apple, who have recently found themselves in possession of these newly won patent applications. Head on over there if you want to learn all about it.

Source: Slash Gear – Apple Patents won for iPhone application switching, iPod Shuffle

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On October 4, 2011 Apple fans from around the world will cry out in triumph and amazement as that is the day of the next big media event from Apple. It is also the day that the company, known for its popular iPad and Mac computers, will unveil the next installment in its other popular franchise, the iPhone 5.

There have been a lot of differing opinions about the exact timing of the event, some of which even suggested that it would take place this month. However, it has generally been assumed that the event, as well as the unveiling of the iPhone 5, would take place in October.

And while it is true that Apple could change its plans whenever it feels like it, multiple sources have said that October 4 has definitely been selected by the company as the unveiling date of the iPhone 5. In addition to that, sources added that the plan, as it stands right now, is to make the device available for purchase within a few weeks after the announcement.

While the unveiling of the iPhone 5 is definitely the highlight for fans and consumers, the event itself holds more importance for the company. This event will mark the first big event for new Apple CEO Tim Cook, who took over for Jobs when he resigned last month for personal reasons.

It is this fact that also alludes to the fact that Cook himself will preside over the unveiling, much like Jobs did when he was in charge. If Cook were to pass the event off to another Apple employee, even one as trusted as key executive Phil Schiller, it would undermine his entire position and present an image to the Apple public that the job may be too much to handle.

I can find no better event to mark the first for Cook than the unveiling of Apple’s most anticipated product in the iPhone 5. So stay tuned for all the information and details that are sure to arise from the event on October 4, it should be one to remember.

Source: All Things D – Apple’s Next Event to Be Held on October 4, Starring Its New CEO

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In a shocking and unexpected turn of events, Steve Jobs has decided to resign as CEO of Apple. Jobs, who has been battling an undisclosed medical illness for the past couple of months, has officially stepped down as the head of the world’s largest technological empire, Apple, the company he co-founded over 35 years ago.

In regards to his resignation, Jobs released a letter to everyone explaining his motives.

August 24, 2011 – To the Apple Board of Directors and the Apple Community:

“I have always said if there ever came a day when I could no longer meet my duties and expectations as Apple’s CEO, I would be the first to let you know. Unfortunately, that day has come.

I hereby resign as CEO of Apple. I would like to serve, if the Board sees fit, as Chairman of the Board, director and Apple employee.

As far as my successor goes, I strongly recommend that we execute our succession plan and name Tim Cook as CEO of Apple.

I believe Apple’s brightest and most innovative days are ahead of it. And I look forward to watching and contributing to its success in a new role.

I have made some of the best friends of my life at Apple, and I thank you for all the many years of being able to work alongside you.”

Cook has been acting CEO for Apple ever since Jobs took an indefinite leave of absence from the company a while back due to medical issues, so he can manage the company and employees which is easier to do with software like check stub maker online. For those of you who remember, Jobs took a previous leave of absence whilst battling pancreatic cancer. Jobs has made appearances at certain events, showcasing some of the newest Apple products, like the iPad 2, but hasn’t done much else.

Many consumers, as well as investors, are worried about Apple no longer being under the direct direction of Jobs. However, Cook seems to have proven his worth in the last few months and Jobs would not have left him in charge if he himself didn’t have full confidence in his abilities and skills.

Needless to say, the next couple of months will be tough as well as crucial for both Apple and Cook as both have to prove that the company can survive despite the absence of Jobs. Nevertheless, my prayers for good luck and good health go out to Mr. Jobs. I hope that whatever ails him is something that he will be able to overcome.

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You’re making Steve Jobs angry; you won’t like him when he’s angry. And that is just what Apple’s MobileMe team found out recently as the group of budding Apple employees was dragged into Jobs’ office for a not so nice chat about MobileMe and the team’s work on it. There is more public awareness than ever of diversity in the office and so key stakeholders and potential employees are actively searching for it.

Now everybody knows that not everything a company makes is going to work. You cannot expect a company to be perfect 100% of the time, even one like Apple. People also know that it takes a lot to be the CEO of a company. Being CEO of any company is not easy but I can’t even imagine the kind of toll it takes on you if you are CEO of Apple, probably the biggest technological manufacturer in the world.

Now Steve Jobs seems like a pretty nice guy. He always seems so pleasant in his classic black shirt and jeans while he is making the world drool over Apple’s latest gadget. However, Jobs is also human, so it stands to reason that he would, eventually, get mad about something that may not be going right in the company and that is exactly what happened in his little “talk” with Apple’s MobileMe team.

When MobileMe launched in 2008, it didn’t really take off like most of Apple’s products do. Well, when something doesn’t go right for Apple, Steve Jobs doesn’t just sit back and let it slide. In the meeting, Jobs asked the MobileMe team, “Can anyone tell me what MobileMe is supposed to do?” Now this is one of those questions where you know that nothing good can come of anything you say.

Well, one brave soul offered up an explanation of just exactly what MobileMe was supposed to do and apparently it was a pretty good answer. When Jobs heard the response he responded with, “So why the f*** doesn’t it do that?”  However, Jobs wasn’t finished there adding, “You’ve tarnished Apple’s reputation. You should hate each other for having let each other down.”

None of this bodes well for the new executive that Jobs supposedly named in charge of the MobileMe team during that same discussion. This news, which comes from the latest issue of Fortune Magazine, details some other very interesting things about how things work at Apple.

The magazine reports how meeting rooms are checked for bugs (the kind use to spy, not the kind used for squishing) before presentations, how Apple holds “Top 100” meetings and how Steve Jobs had a hand in designing the shuttle buses that take employees from San Francisco to Cupertino.

I don’t think that any company is as closely related to its CEO as Apple is, so it makes sense that when something reflects badly on the company, it also reflects badly on Jobs. That is why it isn’t surprising that Jobs gets mad and when he does, he lets the people know about it.

Source: CNET – When Steve Jobs isn’t happy, he really isn’t happy

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If you recently bought tickets to the upcoming Apple 2011 Worldwide Developers Conference in hopes of seeing some exciting new hardware, then you may want to look into getting a refund. Apple recently released the dates for the event which is scheduled for Monday, June 6 through Friday, June 10, 2011. To add to that, the wording of the announcement all suggests that this year’s WWCD will be largely based around Apple software not Apple hardware.

Don’t believe me? Well then take a look at a quote from the Senior Vice President of Worldwide Product Marketing at Apple Phil Schiller. “At this year’s conference we are going to unveil the future of iOS and Mac OS. If you are an iOS or Mac OS X software developer, this is the event that you do not want to miss.” Sounds pretty clear cut if you ask me.

If you are not the aforementioned type of person and are hoping to catch a glimpse of the upcoming iPhone 5, you may not want to get your hopes up just yet either, even if Apple has used WWDC to unveil the next generation of iPhone in the past. Explicit reports are coming in from all over that this year’s event is a software event. One source even said, “If you go looking for an iPhone 5, you’re probably going to be disappointed.”

All this does, however, kind of make you wonder just what exactly Apple has in store for the iPhone 5. Some speculation concerning the iPhone 5 is that the reason for the postponement of the unveiling and release date could be because the iPhone 5 will be running on 4G LTE networks. AT&T is expected to launch their LTE networks by the middle of the year and Verizon already has their LTE networks up and running. Not to mention the fact that Wang Jianzhou, Chairman of China Mobile, said this earlier in the month, “Steve Jobs has expressed his interest in an LTE iPhone and is willing to start the development at an early date.”

Some interesting information is floating around out there but we won’t know more until Jobs and Apple release something official. All we have now is speculation and rumor.

Source: All Things Digital – No iPhone at WWDC 2011

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When Apple introduced the iPad, nobody believed that it would take off like it did. However, the iPad is one of the hottest selling pieces of technology out right now and everybody wants to get their hands on it. When Apple announced it was going to be coming out with a second generation iPad, people were ecstatic. And it seems Apple and Steve Jobs listened to the reviews because they have a great big plan in anticipation for this next device.

Apple believes that its anticipated second-generation iPad will be immensely more popular than the first generation device. So much so that Apple is expected to order as many as 6 million a month. If this is true, then this number would shatter the 4 million units a month Apple ordered for their first generation iPad. Sources overseas indicated that Apple added Chimei Innoulux and Cando, two additional touch panel makers, for production of the iPad 2.

These new suppliers join the team of iPad makers already comprised of Wintek, Sintek Photronics and TPK Touch Solutions. By adding Chimei Innoulux and Cando, Apple can reportedly produce more iPads per month allowing them to reach their 6 million a month mark. Sources have indicated that suppliers will begin shipments to Apple in January and February of 2011. This is consistent with previous reports that the iPad 2 would begin shipping within 100 days in order to allow Apple to stockpile for their April launch.

It has also been indicated that Apple has no interest whatsoever in producing a 7-inch iPad. A 7-inch iPad would be much smaller and lighter than the current 9.7-inch model. This is worth mentioning because there were many rumors floating around out there about Apple making a 7-inch iPad. Steve Jobs snuffed out this rumor back in October during Apple’s fourth quarter conference call. Jobs believes competing products, like the 7-inch Samsung Galaxy Tab, have chosen a smaller size in order to reduce costs rather than usability.

According to Jobs, “When we make decisions on 7-inch tablets, it’s not about cost. It’s about value of the product when you factor in the software.”

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