Steve Jobs

No, Steve Jobs never asked prospective employee if he was a virgin

Christian Zibreg ∙ Updated January 22, 2018

I take it you watched Pirates of Silicon Valley, a 1999 made-for-television film directed by Martyn Burke and based on the book Fire in the Valley: The Making of The Personal Computer by Paul Freiberger and Michael Swaine. If not, you should!

The flick depicts the Microsoft-Apple rivalry and covers the early days of Steve Jobs, played masterfully by Noah Wyle.

Those who saw the movie remember the famous job interview scene which explores the darker aspects of Jobs’ personality, with him famously asking a prospective employee - an IBMer - if he was still a virgin.

That scene sticks in mind as a classic portrayal of Jobs infamous personality tantrums. Too bad it's been made up. Yup, you read that right, this never actually happened...

Indie Steve Jobs biopic being rushed through production, will it flop?

Christian Zibreg ∙ April 16, 2012

An indie Steve Jobs biopic starring Ashton Kutcher is reportedly being rushed through production, with principal photography scheduled to start next month so that the project could hopefully be ready for a fourth-quarter release.

They are actually hoping to get it out ahead of Sony's upcoming flix about Steve Jobs and Apple, according to the movie's producer.

But does an independent movie starring a comedic actor in a serious role have what it takes to beat a multi-million dollar project, based on Walter Isaacson's authorized biography of Apple's co-founder and backed by one of Hollywood's most powerful studios?

Brazil commemorates Apple’s co-founder with Steve Jobs Avenue

Christian Zibreg ∙ April 11, 2012

Jundiai city council in Brazil has confirmed Steve Jobs Avenue, a moving gesture aimed at commemorating Apple's late co-founder, a local blog reported yesterday.

It’s interesting that the city of Jundiai is located near São Paulo where Foxconn runs a new manufacturing facility that produces iPhones in Brazil...

Watch this rare vintage Steve Jobs video

Jeff Benjamin ∙ April 7, 2012

[tube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GfxxRKBgos8[/tube]

Ever since the passing of Steve Jobs, more and more vintage and/or rare videos have began to trickle out. In this video, circa 1980, Steve Jobs addresses the audience about a number of interesting subjects.

Topics range from a photo shoot with Scientific America, the amplification of human abilities, and much more. It's a very interesting video, and a look back at the one of the greatest entrepreneurial minds of our generation.

Jobs’ biographer says the CEO’s disdain for Android was real

Cody Lee ∙ April 5, 2012

Yesterday, Google's Larry Page sparked some controversy with some comments he made regarding Steve Jobs. In an interview with Businessweek, the CEO suggested that Jobs' disdain for Android was more for show than anything else.

But Walter Isaacson, author of the Apple founder's popular biography, tells a different story. Isaacson gave a lecture at the Royal Institution in the UK last night, and had no problem clearing the air about Jobs' feelings on Google's mobile OS...

These leadership tips explain why Steve Jobs was the world’s best CEO

Christian Zibreg ∙ Updated January 18, 2018

Steve Jobs used to be frequently named the world's best CEO - and for a number of reasons, too. Apple's co-founder was (in)famous for his unique corporate style that flies against just about every conventional management lesson taught at universities. Indeed, one could learn a lot about business and life in general from Steve.

If you feel like expanding your horizons today, you should check out this collection of memorable business tips from Steve's authorized biographer Walter Isaacson and Ken Segall, the marketing wizard and author of a new book titled "Insanely Simple: The Obsession That Drives Apple’s Success".

Ashton Kutcher to play young Steve Jobs in upcoming indie biopic

Christian Zibreg ∙ April 2, 2012

Variety insists this one ain't an April Fool's Day prank. Apparently, an indie biopic covering the early days of Steve Jobs is in the works, starring Hollywood celebrity and Silicon Valley investor Ashton Kutcher.

This is not the same movie as another biopic in the works by Sony, which itself is based on Walter Isaacson’s authorized biography of Apple's co-founder.

Directed by Joshua Michael Stern of the Swing Vote fame, from a script by Matt Whiteley, the independent project aptly entitled "Jobs" will apparently follow Jobs' early days and his meteoric rise from a Northern California hippie to co-founder of Apple.

Kutcher, who indeed looks a lot like the 1970s Steve Jobs, has apparently accepted the offer. Principal photography is said to begin in May.

Like Jobs, Tim Cook scores 97 percent approval rating, across all industries

Christian Zibreg ∙ March 30, 2012

An anonymous poll last August found out that a staggering 97 percent of Apple employees approved of Steve Jobs when he stepped down as CEO, only three percent saying the co-founder could have done better.

A new study by careers community site Glassdoor, which also conducted the previous survey, now pegs Tim Cook's approval rating at the same 97 percent high.

While it's too early to judge the new CEO, the numbers are indicative and important, telling us that the post-Jobs Apple and the U.S. industries at large have high confidence in the new leadership.

Tim Cook views Android litigation as “a necessary evil”, not a thermonuclear option

Christian Zibreg ∙ Updated July 11, 2017

Remember how Steve Jobs told his biographer Walter Isaacson that he is willing to wage a "thermonuclear war" on Android because it's "a stolen product"? Having already spent an estimated 100+ million dollars on war on Android, Apple certainly means business. Sadly, the larger contest between Apple and Google is nowhere near resolution.

According to a fascinating cover story by Bloomberg, Apple is in it for the long run. The company is well-aware that many people have yet to choose a smartphone, a decision which usually entails loyalty to that phone's operating system. Yup, it's all about the same ol' lock-in.

Steve Jobs didn’t really like the Siri name. What about you?

Christian Zibreg ∙ March 28, 2012

Siri, a digital assistant exclusive to the iPhone 4S, is heavily featured in Apple's advertising as it's the handset's key differentiator in the eye of public. For all the rage surrounding Siri, Apple's late co-founder Steve Jobs didn't really like her name to begin with. This comes from the mouth of Dag Kittlaus, the guy who made Siri and became a millionaire following a personal phone call from Steve Jobs.

"Siri" is Norwegian for "beautiful woman who leads you to victory." A new report highlighted Kittlaus's speech from last weekend in which he briefly reflected on how he came up with the Siri name and why Steve Jobs wasn't a fan of his choice.

Steve Jobs said no to the new Apple TV UI design five years ago

Jake Smith ∙ March 24, 2012

A former Apple TV engineer took to Twitter last night discussing the latest UI that has been implemented on the Apple TV. For those unfamiliar, the new Apple TV UI was announced at the March 7th media event, along with the new 1080p Apple TV. The new UI isn't much of a change, but brings larger buttons to the home page. Some love it, many hate it.

Michael Margolis, who formerly served as an Apple TV UI designer, said on his Twitter last night that Steve Jobs said no to the latest UI changes five years ago, however Apple's senior executives recently approved the new UI...

Apple patent depicts iPhone as self-programming TV remote

Cody Lee ∙ March 22, 2012

While most inventions depicted in Apple's patents don't usually end up in consumer products, they do provide an interesting look into the company's R&D labs. Some are particularly entertaining when they fall in line with persistent rumors.

Such is the case with the new "Configurable Remote Control" patent, discovered this morning by PatentlyApple. The invention shows a method of using your iPhone as a self-programming universal TV remote...