Read all 191 pages of Steve Jobs’ FBI file

The FBI has released its full dossier on Steve Jobs.

Jobs, who passed away just last October after a prolonged battle with cancer, is best known for his role as Apple’s enigmatic co-founder. However, the FBI seems to have cast Jobs in a number of other roles, as well — some of them far from flattering.

The file, which we’ve embedded below, contains commentary on Jobs’ marijuana and LSD use, especially during the 1960s and … Continue Reading

Tim Cook expresses pride over Apple’s philanthropy

Apple is not well known for its charitable contributions, but Apple chief executive Tim Cook wants to change that perception. During a company meeting last week, Cook talked about Apple’s contributions to local charities and its participation in global campaigns.

Cook told Apple employees that the company has donated $50 million to Stanford’s hospital, the Verge reported. In addition, Cook also talked at length about Apple’s participation in (Product) RED, a charity fighting against AIDS, … Continue Reading

Obama calls for reforms to support the “next Steve Jobs”

In his State of the Union address Tuesday night, President Obama recognized startups and entrepreneurs for innovating and creating new jobs, while calling for reforms that would support everyone who “aspires to become the next Steve Jobs.”

The speech focused heavily on leveling the playing field between the U.S. and other countries so that America’s economy could be more competitive, and included key calls to action that would directly affect the startup community. He asked … Continue Reading

Quantifying our lives will be a top trend of 2012

The Quantified Self is one of the big trends of 2012, as we noted in our recent summary of the Consumer Electronics Show.

As everything analog shifts to digital, we can collect a huge amount of data about ourselves. As I noted in our earlier story, the trend was spearheaded by researchers who wanted a “quantified self,” or self-knowledge through numbers that measure things such as how long we sleep or how many stairs we … Continue Reading

Digital textbooks fulfills a dream of Steve Jobs

Apple’s event in New York showed that the iPad could eventually make paper textbooks an endangered species. And that’s just the way that former Apple chief executive Steve Jobs wanted it to be.

In his biography of Steve Jobs, author Walter Isaacson wrote about how Jobs met with media magnate Rupert Murdoch to talk about education. The books says, “Jobs agreed with Murdoch that the paper textbook business would be blown away by digital learning … Continue Reading

Creepy Steve Jobs action figure canceled after Apple lawyers step in

The Chinese company that planned to manufacture a life-like Steve Jobs action figure has scrapped its plans after Apple lawyers and Jobs’ family asked it to stop.

The somewhat creepy 1-foot-tall Jobs doll was unveiled by Chinese toy company In Icons a few weeks ago and immediately attracted headlines. The doll was supposed to include Jobs, a black turtleneck, blue jeans, sneakers, two pairs of glasses, black leather belt, black socks, two apples and a … Continue Reading

Last week Steve Jobs was a doll, this week, a comic book

BANG! POW! SIMPLIFYING THE USER EXPERIENCE! Steve Jobs is being immortalized yet again, this time in comic book form.

The comic book is titled “Steve Jobs: Founder of Apple and is scheduled to hit Amazon as well as physical newsstands and comic books stores on Wednesday. Soon after Jobs’ death in October, people became hungry for more on his life story. Walter Isaacson’s biography was hugely anticipated, but despite its completeness, people still wanted more. … Continue Reading

Apple threatens to sue over unauthorized Steve Jobs doll

Apple is putting a big ol’ legal kibosh on some unauthorized Steve Jobs action figures.

The creepily lifelike dolls were slated for a late February 2012 release and were set to sell for $99.99 plus shipping.

The Telegraph reports that Apple has written a letter to the manufacturers of the doll, stating that any action figure depicting the Apple logo, Jobs’ name, his appearance or his likeness is a criminal offence.

The “Super Realistic Steve … Continue Reading

Steve Jobs immortalized with unofficial, “super realistic” action figure (pics)

Attention Apple zealots: An eerily lifelike, unofficial Steve Jobs action figure set is slated for late February release, and can be yours for just $99.99 plus shipping. That is, of course, if Apple doesn’t issue a cease-and-desist order first.

The “Super Realistic Steve Jobs 12″ Collectible Figure,” as it’s called, was unveiled by toy companies In Icons and Dragon in Dream Corporation on New Year’s Day, and is the almost-perfect (some might say, freaky) reincarnation … Continue Reading

TV features emerge as Apple holds meetings with media companies

Apple may be deeper into the television project than we thought, as the company is reportedly visiting media companies to share its technology plans.

Since Walter Isaacson’s biography of Steve Jobs was released, people have been buzzing about what the late Apple chief executive suggested was Apple’s next adventure: televisions. Many have speculated what an Apple television could be like. Former Apple executive Jean-Louis Gassée sees it as another box, supporting applications, a function that … Continue Reading

Steve Jobs bio tops Amazon’s list of best-selling books of 2011

Walter Isaacson’s biography of Apple visionary Steve Jobs has topped Amazon’s list of best-selling books for 2011, with print and Kindle e-books sales combined.

The death of former Apple CEO Steve Jobs was one of the biggest news stories of 2011, and interest for Isaacson’s 656-page book on Jobs spiked when it was released just weeks after Jobs passed. Isaacson made a lengthy appearance on 60 Minutes a few days before the book was released, … Continue Reading

The icon designer who helped make the Macintosh so darn cute

When it appeared in 1984, the Macintosh blew people away with its graphical interface, its mouse, and its unusual industrial design.

It also charmed customers with its cute, approachable icons, from the smiling Mac that appeared while it was booting to the bomb that popped up when something went terribly wrong. The Mac’s many icons were the work of Susan Kare, a painter who landed at Apple at just the right time and came to … Continue Reading

Apple picks Arthur Levinson as Chairman, Disney’s Iger joins board

Apple has named Arthur D. Levinson to the position of non-executive Chairman of the Board, filling former CEO Steve Jobs’ long time role.

When Jobs stepped down as CEO because he was too sick to continue working, he retained his title of chairman. But since he passed away in early October, that spot has been vacant. Levinson (pictured left) makes sense as a replacement because he has been a long-time member of Apple’s board and … Continue Reading

How the iPhone got tail fins: Lessons Apple learned from GM

Editor’s note: Serial entrepreneur Steve Blank is the author of Four Steps to the Epiphany. This story originally appeared on his blog.

It was the most advanced consumer product of the century. The industry started with its innovators located in different cities over a wide region. But within 20 years it would be concentrated in a single entrepreneurial startup cluster. At first it was a craft business, then it was driven by relentless … Continue Reading

Hands on: iTunes Match isn’t yet ready for prime time

Apple launched its anticipated iTunes Match music service yesterday, two weeks after the company initially said it would release it. Most likely, the debut was delayed to address bugs, but Apple should have waited longer to fix more issues because it isn’t yet ready for the spotlight treatment.

When Steve Jobs announced iTunes Match and iCloud at WWDC in July, I was excited for it. The promise of access to all of my music across … Continue Reading

Apple’s iTunes Match finally goes live

Apple’s anticipated iTunes Match service, which will give iCloud users access on one device to songs they have on their other devices, has gone live after missing the company’s self-imposed October deadline.

The iTunes Match feature will help complete Steve Jobs’ momentous vision for iCloud, which syncs media and files with most Apple devices and Windows PCs. For $25 a year, iTunes Match will scan your library and let you download music files to other … Continue Reading

The DeanBeat: After Steve, will Apple press its advantage in games?

Steve Jobs never liked video games, particularly the violent ones. Years ago, when id Software’s John Carmack demonstrated a cool shooting game during one of Jobs’ keynotes, Jobs wouldn’t allow him to show any blood on the big screen.

That approach defined Apple’s stance on games, just at the moment that 3D games were flourishing due to the growth of powerful graphics hardware support. And it doomed the Mac to a secondary position.

No longer. … Continue Reading

“Steve Jobs: The Lost Interview” is a must-watch, bittersweet glimpse at Jobs’ genius

It’s like something out of a thriller: A long-lost glimpse of an industry genius is found buried in a garage shortly after his death.

That’s the story behind “Steve Jobs: The Lost Interview,” an extended cut of an interview with Jobs by tech journalist Robert Cringely for the 1995 PBS special “Triumph of the Nerds.” Master tapes of the interview were lost in the 90s during shipment from London to the U.S., but months ago … Continue Reading

Mark Zuckerberg on Steve Jobs and whether Apple tried to buy Facebook

Facebook CEO and co-founder Mark Zuckerberg claimed that Apple never tried to buy Facebook, and disclosed candid details about his conversations with Steve Jobs, in an exclusive interview with broadcast journalist Charlie Rose.

VentureBeat has obtained the full transcript of the Charlie Rose interview, set to air Monday night on PBS.

The conversation also included Facebook COO Sheryl Sandberg. The trio discussed Facebook’s reluctance to enter China, the company’s competition with Google, Amazon and Apple, … Continue Reading