Becoming Steve Jobs


There’s a new biography of Steve Jobs, Becoming Steve Jobs (iBooks) (Amazon), by Brent Schlender and Rick Tetzeli. I’ve already bought it and am looking forward to digging in. The Walter Isaacson Steve Jobs biography, released shortly after Steve’s death, felt one-dimensional to me. It seemed to catalog his sins more than explore why he was so influential.

I fully appreciate that Steve Jobs had his flaws. What makes him interesting is how successful he was despite them. If we truly was that tyrannical, how could he possibly succeed? Early reviews indicate that this new book does a better job of answering that question.

If you are on the fence about the book, read this article by Steven Levy, which is what convinced me to buy the book.

Comparing the FitBit and iPhone Step Counts

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“If the first generation of computers made us sit down, hopefully the next generation will put us back on our feet.”
— Eddie Smith

Eddie Smith took the trouble to do something I’ve always wondered about. He compared iPhone and Fitbit step counts. Eddie tested the devices going up and going down, riding elevators, walking through nature, and even riding in a car. It’s actually a really good read. To me, the most interesting datapoint was how close the devices were on step count over a 90 day period. I think that as motion tracking becomes standard issue on smart phones and smart watches, step counters are going to have to bring something to the table or they’ll go the way GPS navigators and iPods..

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Apple Watch and Physical Touch

I was at a family event today and talking to relatives about the Apple Watch. Everyone is expecting the notifications to be useful but the more I think about it, I’m really interested in where this is all going with the Taptic touch features. The ability to draw a picture on my watch and have it appear on my wife’s watch seems nifty but I’d argue the tap could be more useful.

With two Apple Watches I can tap on my watch which would result in my wife’s watch tapping her wrist. Just think about that for a moment. We’re using technology to remotely physically touch one another. I think this opens up a lot of interesting possibilities.

  • One tap as I’m pulling in the driveway and we need to leave for our next appointment.
  • Two taps when I’m leaving the park and walking home.
  • Three taps while at a party = I want to go home.

John Gruber recently talked about this on The Talk Show when explaining how he’d like to use watch taps to communicate with his son when picking him up from the movies. Thinking about this, I’m not aware of any prior technology that gave these options and I have to think that when this thing gets out to the public, we’ll find all sorts of interesting ways to use it. The next few months are going to be fun.

Another Case for the New MacBook

Last week I wrote about people that may be right for the new MacBook. Based on the volume of email I’ve received, I clearly left one group out.

iPad + Keyboard Users

A not-insignificant number of MacSparky readers wrote in to explain that they view the new MacBook with just one port and underpowered processor as an upgrade to their current rig of iPad plus keyboard. One reader even did the math and reports his new MacBook will only be 0.3 pounds heavier than his iPad plus keyboard combined. I realize that the iPad has its own advantages (like a touch screen and always-on Internet connection) but if my inbox is any indication, the new MacBook is going to get several iPad converts.

Unlocking Hyperlapse

I don’t know how I missed this when it first posted but Austin Mann did a post on Hyperlapse that has the potential to change your game with iPhone videography. I’m going to be trying some of these techniques over the weekend. Maybe you should too.

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Pixelmator for iPad 1.1 – Aquarelle

One of the best things about being a Pixelmator customer is reaping the benefits of their aggressive update schedule. Today, the Pixelmator team released version 1.1 of the iPad app, Aquarelle. This new version includes some amazing watercolor tools. there are 12 separate watercolor brushes and I can’t wait to see what artists do with this. The painting engine is also faster and the new color picker remembers recently used colors. 

There is a reason why Apple awarded Pixelmator App of the Year. Check it out their website or on the App Store.


Tim Cook on Collaboration

Fast Company has an excellent interview with Tim Cook. If you’re interested in this stuff at all, you should read the entire interview. I know that Tim Cook’s statements to the press are more deliberate than those we used to get from Steve Jobs but I also think Tim says what he thinks. This passage about collaboration struck me.

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“We’ve turned up the volume on collaboration because it’s so clear that in order for us to be incredibly successful we have to be the best collaborators in the world. The magic of Apple, from a product point of view, happens at this intersection of hardware, software, and services. It’s that intersection. Without collaboration, you get a Windows product. There’s a company that pumps out an operating system, another that does some hardware, and yet another that does something else. That’s what’s now happening in Android land.”
— Tim Cook

For so long, I felt that this was the missing piece at Apple. Specifically, it appeared that their obsession with secrecy was keeping the right people needed to make the magic happen in separate rooms. Apple’s words and actions in the last year indicate they’ve moved past that now.

I know there were problems (and continue to be problems) with some of the new continuity features and other iOS 8/Yosemite features aimed at making Apple products play together better but I’m convinced they are moving in the right direction with this and things are getting better.