Apple CEO Steve Jobs has stepped down, the board naming Tim Cook as his replacement. The company said "Steve's extraordinary vision and leadership saved Apple and guided it to its position as the world's most innovative and valuable technology company."
Steve himself published the following letter:
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 all for the many years of being able to work alongside you.
Steve
Apple has confirmed that Jobs will stay on as Chairman. Full details in the PR after the break.
Source: http://www.engadget.com/2011/08/24/steve-jobs-resigns-as-ceo-of-apple
It found worldwide success with a device that changed the way people listen to music, and now Apple wants to teach the world to sing.
A patent application submitted by Apple has revealed its plans to transform the iPod and iPhone into a mobile karaoke system that can be used to teach amateur singers to hit the right pitch and key.
There is more good news for those forced to listen; the technology will be capable of making the off-key warbling sound in-tune.
The device will allow users to select songs to sing along with, displaying the lyrics as a video on screen. As the user sings, the technology will analyze their voice and compare it with how the song is supposed to sound.
If the singer hits the pitch and key flawlessly, they will be rewarded by having their performance enhanced to give a ''concert hall'' effect.
When they are off key, or sing at the wrong pitch, the device will amplify their mistake.
The system would also be able to alter the output going to speakers, so an audience would not have to tolerate bad singing. As an alternative, it would ''fuzz'' the singer's voice to cover up the fact they are off key.
In addition to this, the users are allowed to record their performances and edit them later, while also being able to see how they had performed compared to the original.
As for now, Apple refused to comment on how it plans to develop the patent and when its karaoke system will be available on the market, but iTunes, its online music store, sells tracks under the category of karaoke.
So what will they call it? iSing?
apple iphone ipad sing application teach how to sing apple karaoke application
Apple Insider reports that customers started arriving at 5 p.m. Thursday — and many chose to wait overnight. The staff at the Beijing Apple Store had the launch-day process down pat, thanks no doubt to the experience of previous launches of devices like the iPhone 4 and the white iPhone.
There were several perks that Apple Stores in the U.S. don’t offer. Those who chose to wait overnight could stay in a special waiting room. And everyone in line wears wristbands, so customers could leave for up to an hour and return to the same place in the queue.
Looking through M.I.C. Gadget’s coverage of the Beijing iPad 2 launch, we couldn’t help but feel a warm sense of kinship with line dwellers on the other side of the world. (We heartily recommend M.I.C. Gadget’s coverage, especially the hilarious photo captions.)
As in the U.S., many of the people in front of the line were either scalpers looking to sell items at a profit to other line dwellers or people paid to wait in line for others.
M.I.C. Gadget took an informal survey and found the white iPad 2 variant to be more popular than the black. Apple Insider came to the same conclusion.
Chinese customers can also order an iPad 2 from the Apple Store online, though the wait is now at least a week
