Farewell and Thank You... R.I.P Steve Jobs.

Depending where you are in the world, in the early hours of the morning of October 6 (and night of October 5 in other parts of the world), Apple creator, wiz, and former CEO Steve Jobs tragically passed away at the age of 56. The very sad news broke all through media and the internet, and major sites like Yahoo! have reported the details and mounted up a record of his brilliance and vast accomplishments in the world of technology, specifically being the figurehead behind such modern innovations as the iMac, iTunes, iPod, iPad, and the iPhone. To reflect the loss of such a beloved and talented figure, Apple.com has posted the very picture you see above - a recent photo of Steve with the words "Steve Jobs - 1955 - 2011", on the main page of their official website, giving a solemn tribute to a man who has literally "changed lives and given jobs and opportunities to the world and beyond".

I suppose it goes without saying that we should be indebted to Steve. Without his contributions, we'd never see the light of day on portable social media products such as the iPad and iPhone, and he literally changed the landscape of the music industry by introducing iTunes. This man has been at the center of it all, and while his failing health has led him to quietly step down as CEO of Apple last August, he remained an inspirational figure nonetheless. Today, I am among the number of people who use these devices and technological innovations, and this post here was typed using a MacBook. Truly, the world has lost one of its icons and legends, and we shall always remember him for his legacy.

His commencement speech at Stanford University in 2005 remains one of the most inspiring and breathtaking videos to watch. View it here via YouTube, and see the man for who he was .


Steve Jobs commencement speech at Stanford University 2005

Rest In Peace, Steve. Thank You.

The iPad 2... Revealed!

The iPad 2 was just revealed and officially announced as of this writing by Steve Jobs during the Apple iPad/ iOS Event. Macworld has official photos posted on it's Liveblog feed of the sucker, so you can take a look at all the buzz and what's going on via this link! So far, here's the specs detailed about the upcoming new Apple release, due in stores next week March 11!

- It'll have iOS 4.3, with expanded iTunes sharing and "significantly increased Safari performance" with Nitro JavaScript Engine.

- A Dual-core A5 processor and improved graphics

- Two built-in cameras - one in the front for FaceTime and the back

- A built in Gyroscope like the iPhone and iTouch

- It'll be 33% lighter than its predecessor

- It will come with the same storage choices: 16GB, 32GB, and 64GB, and consumers have a choice between white and black models!

All things considered, this is pleasant news for Apple and Mac users, and I just happen to be among the number. While the first iPad was a pretty convenient tool to see and use, I was waiting for a model with built-in cameras... and it has finally arrived! Now that it supports FaceTime, users who buy it can communicate with other Mac item users who have an iPhone, iTouch, or Mac supporting the app! For more updates as they come (and still going even with this post) and info on the story, visit the source post at Macworld! Alright! Your Angry Birds moments can be played and captured with a new and improved Apple device!