Steve Jobs

Interesting excerpts from ‘Becoming Steve Jobs,’ upcoming Apple-endorsed biography

Christian Zibreg ∙ March 17, 2015

Penned by the The Wall Street Journal and Fortune reporter Brent Schlender and Rick Tetzeli, Executive Editor with Fast Company, ‘Becoming Steve Jobs: The Evolution of a Reckless Upstart into a Visionary Leader’ is slated for release on March 24 and already whole sections have been posted online. Endorsed by Apple execs, it's fairest portrayal of the famous inventor who co-founded and led Apple to become the world's top corporation.

Unlike Walter Isaacson's much maligned biography, Becoming Steve Jobs offers an insight into the side of Steve Jobs you didn't know: kind, patient and human.

Leaked excerpts offer Tim Cook's reflections on working for such a demanding boss, the secret projects they discussed doing and not doing, tidbits on Jobs' thought process and the events leading up to Jobs's passing on October 5, 2011, including the story of Cook offering to give Jobs his liver.

Documentary critical of Steve Jobs picked up by CNN, Magnolia Pictures

Jake Smith ∙ March 16, 2015

A documentary often critical of late Apple co-founder Steve Jobs has been acquired by Magnolia Pictures and CNN Films, after premiering at the SXSW Film Festival in Austin this week.

"Steve Jobs: The Man in the Machine", directed by Oscar winner Alex Gibney, aims to give viewers a "greater understanding of the celebrated tech icon."

Pre-order ‘Becoming Steve Jobs,’ a new book on Apple and its mercurial co-founder

Christian Zibreg ∙ March 2, 2015

Though it may seem the world doesn't really need another book on Steve Jobs, I beg to differ given Walter Isaacson's disappointing biography on Apple's famous co-founder and late CEO.

Written by the The Wall Street Journal and Fortune reporter Brent Schlender and Rick Tetzeli, Executive Editor with Fast Company, Becoming Steve Jobs: The Evolution of a Reckless Upstart into a Visionary Leader promises to be the Steve Jobs book that true fans deserve.

Scheduled to arrive on March 24 via Crown Publishing Group, it's now available for pre-order over at Apple's iBooks Store or Amazon's Kindle Store for $15.

Tim Cook honors what would’ve been Steve Jobs’ 60th birthday

Christian Zibreg ∙ February 24, 2015

CEO Tim Cook took to Twitter today to commemorate what would have been the sixtieth birthday of Apple's late co-founder and mercurial chief executive, Steve Jobs.

Honoring the memory of his friend and mentor, Cook tweeted out a quote from Jobs' emotional commencement address at Stanford University in 2005, in which he said “the only way to do great work is to love what you do.”

Universal Pictures releasing Steve Jobs movie in October

Jake Smith ∙ February 4, 2015

Universal Pictures announced on Wednesday that the Steve Jobs biopic will be released on Friday, October 9, 2015, written by Aaron Sorkin and based on the best selling biography by Walter Isaacson.

The film, which has seen a rough road to begin filming, features Michael Fassbender playing Steve Jobs and Seth Rogen playing Apple co-founder Steve Wozniak.

Another Steve Jobs film is in the works

Christian Zibreg ∙ February 4, 2015

As first noted by Variety, a new Steve Jobs film will be premiering soon. No, not Universal's ill-fated biopic that started filming last week, based on Walter Isaacson’s biography and starring Michael Fassbender as Apple's mercurial co-founder.

Titled “Steve Jobs: The Man in the Machine,” the new film is basically a 120-minute nonfictional documentary that explores the impact of Steve Jobs' work on the society and our embrace of computers and technology.

Universal Pictures announces cast list for “Steve Jobs” biopic based on Walter Isaacson’s biography

Jake Smith ∙ January 27, 2015

Universal Pictures has finally announced the set-in-stone cast for the upcoming Steve Jobs biopic, along with word the picture has begun shooting in San Francisco with Academy Award-winning director Danny Boyle directing. The film will simply be titled "Steve Jobs" and will be based on the biography by Walter Isaacson.

You’ll never guess whom Google’s Chairman Eric Schmidt named his personal hero… or will you?

Christian Zibreg ∙ January 27, 2015

Google's former CEO and Chairman, Eric Schmidt, has a penchant for exaggeration. Not just infamous for telling bad jokes, Eric is known for going into a sputter when pressed on Google's privacy practices and making platitudinous statements on Android and rivalry with Apple that earn him headlines.

The iPhone 6, for example, he dissed by stating that “Samsung had these products a year ago”. Sometimes, he can't control himself to the point of risking public ridicule over claims like “Android is more secure than the iPhone”.

No doubt a talented technology executive, he's such a multi-layered personality and it's therefore perfectly fine to ask ourselves what principles guide Schmidt's thinking. Does he have a personal hero he looks up to, both in tech and outside of the technology industry?

Apple did not harm consumers with iTunes’ FairPlay digital rights management, ruling finds

Christian Zibreg ∙ December 16, 2014

Apple's proprietary digital rights management software, FairPlay, that prevented users from loading songs from rival music stores on early iPods, did not harm consumers nor did it violate the United States antitrust laws, an eight-person jury has determined.

As reported by The Verge, the jurors have sided with Apple in a decade-long suit and have not found Apple guilty of exploiting FairPlay DRM as a lock-in preventing rival music stores from syncing with iPods. Though the iPhone maker is off the hook now, an appeal will be filed with a higher court.

Natalie Portman passes on Jobs biopic, Jeff Daniels being considered for role

Cody Lee ∙ December 9, 2014

Natalie Portman has decided to pass on the upcoming Steve Jobs biopic, according to a new report from Variety. Portman was said to be in talks for a lead female role in the movie, either as Jobs' daughter Lisa or former Mac marketing chief Joanna Hoffman.

Additionally, The Wrap reports today that Universal Pictures is eyeing Jeff Daniels for the role of former Apple CEO John Sculley. If he signs on to the project, Daniels would join fellow Newsroom alumni in writer Aaron Sorkin and producer Scott Rudin.

Big media wants to make Steve Jobs deposition video public

Christian Zibreg ∙ December 9, 2014

A videotaped deposition of Steve Jobs, recorded in 2011 shortly before his passing and played during the iPod class-action lawsuit, could be made public if news organizations such as The Associated Press, CNN and Bloomberg succeed in proving that releasing the two-hour video is in public interest, CNET reported Tuesday.

And boy would it be interesting to watch Jobs make a series of snarky comments. Asked whether he had heard of Real Networks, Apple's late co-founder asked “Do they still exist?” All told, he responded 74 times with “I don’t remember,” “I don’t know” or “I don’t recall.”

Snarky comments revealed by Steve Jobs’ testimony in iPod class-action lawsuit

Christian Zibreg ∙ December 3, 2014

A decade-old class-action lawsuit over the iPod and Apple's practice of locking the media player to its iTunes ecosystem is kicking off this week and with it comes a videotaped deposition of Steve Jobs, recorded in 2011 shortly before he died.

It's full of snarky comments and as if that wasn't enough, attorneys have unearthed emails between Apple executives and other evidence casting light on the company's inner workings at the time.

The suit revolves around the iPod, iTunes and FairPlay, Apple's digital-rights management (DRM) system for copy-protection of music sold through the iTunes Store. FairPlay was dropped in 2007 following the 'Thoughts on Music' open letter by Steve.