Some of the greatest tech companies...

...have come up with products with names that reflect the four main elements of nature: Earth, Air (Wind), Fire, and Aqua (Water). That's Google, Apple, Amazon, and Apple. But obviously I'm bending the rules here. MSI has a netbook line called the MSI Wind but they're not really one of the greatest tech companies. And what about Facebook and Intel and Microsoft, and so on?

Anyways, in Chinese beliefs, metal (Chrome?) and wood are also part of the elements of nature, whereas air or wind is not. Which tech company will use Wood or Timber or Lumber or a similar term in a product name and will it be from one of the greatest tech companies of all time?

Climate Change is Real

Let's group scientists into two. A and B.

Group A, a long time ago, said "Climate change is coming and it is because of humans!"

Group B said "That is not true! You guys did something wrong! You are stupid!"

So Group B went to do a study of their own.

And now, Group B folks are saying "Climate change is coming and it is because of humans."

Anyway, read this article entitled "Climate Change Skeptics Eat Crow" on Gizmodo UK.

All this reminds me of this other story. Not related, but well it just came to mind.

Group D uses the innovations of Group C, without any license to do so.

Group C goes to court for Group D's copycat behaviour.

Group D whines, "Group C's choice to go to the courts hinders innovation."

I have one thing to say to the Group B and Group D people: "Duh."

[quote me] The 3 T's of blogging

Think first.
Type second.
Talk last.

I say this because I saw this Pinoy invention blogged about somewhere, and some stupid, seemingly Filipino citizens were quick to comment, "A Pinoy invented that? No way! They're selling those things in China!"

Hey people. So if they are selling them in China, does that mean they invented it in China?

They're selling iPhones and whatever else in China. They're selling McDonald's hamburgers and so on in China. Were those invented in China?

Anyways, I didn't like that some people were quick to find something that could invalidate that one positive Pinoy thing, when they could have first tried to validate it. But what happened was that their own "proof" that was meant to invalidate the Pinoy claim to the invention was itself invalid!

Google Search has already been invented, people, in case you haven't heard. Oh but yeah, you need to know how to use it properly. That's difficult.

Anyway. These type-first people are the very voices that continuously tell us and treat us like we're not good enough, essentially becoming our very obstacles to growth. If you ask me, I would deport them right away. Nevermind if they are actually Filipino citizens. Put them somewhere very far from our consciousness.

* * *

Wait a minute. Talk third? It has always worked for me, when seeing some illogical or baseless argument being posted on forums and what not and I feel really compelled to react, to type and compose and re-type my response very carefully, reading it always at least one more time before I post. It helps to play around with what you have composed because that "written" word when published will be there forever, more or less. Say something differently, and its meaning could be very far off from your original intent.

It also pays to check your spelling and grammar because some low-lifes will invalidate your argument just because they find something superficially wrong, and then you might not get your point across to some people who really need to hear you. So yeah, type second and "talk" (i.e. transmit your message) last.

Lastly, I sometimes do not post my message anymore when I think it will only cause more harm than good, e.g. when people you are addressing are the type who can never understand and will just continue to think "I'm right, you're wrong." "Talk never" also works.

[quote me] I make the product, not you. Vote with your $$$.

If I make a product, I make the decisions as to the features of that product. Not you. Not anyone else.

There are many ways I can decide on whether or not a feature gets into my product or not. It could be based on what is available. It could be based on what I think is best for you. In the end, it's MY decision. Not yours. Not anyone else's.

[did you know?] The First Internet

The internet's invention is credited to Tim Berners Lee. Sorry, it's not Al Gore. But did you know that the first web server was hosted on a NeXT computer - i.e. a machine whose design and production has Steve Jobs responsible for. NeXT computers were basically one of the first high-end workstation computers, i.e. a capable but easily accessible server (whereas previously you probably had to look to IBM for large systems of those kinds of things). The computer also used the NeXTSTEP "object-oriented" computer operating system that became the foundation of later Apple products, i.e. Mac OS X and eventually iOS and any OS that are derivatives of such. Just another one of the simple impacts of the man in black (turtleneck).

[quote me] finger pointing is bad journalism

FU to those of you who whined that Steve Jobs didn't do enough philanthropic work, blah blah blah, contrasting him to people like Bill Gates, Warren Buffet, or Mark Zuckerberg, who, guess what, DO NOT HAVE TO BATTLE CANCER WHILE DOING THEIR BEST AT WHAT THEY ARE HERE ON EARTH FOR; you who have nothing better to do but to point fingers at others whereas you have nothing to show for yourself. To me, you have killed the man. FU! Unlike you who only have pageviews, ad clicks, and paychecks in mind, he might actually have thought to give to charity when he's not around anymore, so that he will have amassed as much as he can so he has the most to give (which I think is a personal decision), but probably more so that he will not need to hear the praises and accolades that people like you would otherwise want for yourself while you're alive. FU!

[quote them] Are you an A-type or a B-type leader?

Guy Kawasaki, former Apple marketing employee, now author and venture capitalist, talked about what kind of an executive Steve Jobs was while he guested on the CNET Reporter's Roundtable podcast (paraphrased):

"A-type people hire A-type people. B-type people hire C-type people."

Apple went on to become the most valuable company in the world, sharing the honor with Exxon. Digest that.

On the 7th day

7 days now since Steve Jobs' passing. While many mourned, many are also dumbfounded as to why many mourned his death. I would like to give props to the man, but there's just too many things to say. That's why when I heard the news, I only had an article title, but not a main body. I was speechless. Sad.

My own story went like this. October 6th morning, Japan time, I went to the university a little bit earlier than usual because I had a  9:30am class. I had my breakfast as usual, but I was probably running a little late. Ideally I would leave my apartment no less than 15 minutes before 9:30am to have ample time for whatever else I needed to do. Anyway, as I left, my wife started getting on her Facebook fix for the day. I was probably just 2 minutes into my bicycle ride to the university when she gave me a call. My first thought was I had probably left something - my lunch for the day or my umbrella or my raincoat or something else - and then she broke the news. Steve Jobs passed away.

My first reaction was like, "No way!" I got to the office maybe 5 minutes early. The first thing I did was check - on my iPhone, nonetheless - if the story is true. I am subscribed via RSS feeds to a number of Apple-related news/gossip websites and after seeing similar headlines from two or three, only then that I accepted the truth. The first thing I did then was blog about it. But I didn't really know what to say. It was sad. So I said nothing. Life must go on.

Anyways. When Steve Jobs resigned from Apple back in August, 8 months into his 3rd medical leave (which was this time, an indefinite one), I should have seen it coming. But then I would have eroded my mind with too much negative emotions then. I had a ton of hope that his passing is far from happening. Not this soon. After all, in his 2005 Stanford commencement address, he said he was still looking forward to decades ahead. It was wishful thinking on my part, looking back. I thought though that he made the best move for himself, for his family, and for Apple; just be the Apple chairman. No need to be CEO. Tim Cook is very much capable. But as chairman, he can still do plenty of things. We can still expect even more awesome products. We can still expect to see him make those keynote presentations now legendarily called "SteveNotes." He might have ended his full-time reign at Apple, to better take care of himself and his health, but there would still be one more thing. I really thought there would still be one more thing. I could never be more wrong.

Guy Kawasaki argued that Disneyland is still a very fun, very enjoyable place for most visitors, young and old alike, and meanwhile Walt Disney himself has not been around for a very long time already. This could be one scenario for Apple, considering that Steve Jobs has ingrained his DNA into this very first baby of his, particularly thru Apple University, an in-house executive learning school. You know what, I'm just really hoping for more insanely great products.

Of course, coincidentally, Steve waited until after the October 4th announcement of the iPhone 4S concluded. There was a lot of unmet expectations speculations about the iPhone 4S, mostly from non-Apple fans, as if Apple never released the iPhone 3GS which was a minimal upgrade of the iPhone 3G, although some reports say that Jobs himself was pleased. And so he went. Anyway, as I appended in my blog article about the iPhone 4S announcement, what "one little thing" that people did not notice from the iPhone 4S announcement was the announcement of the iPhone 3GS being free and the iPhone 4 being only $99 under 2-year contracts. The 3GS is still a very capable smartphone and a price tag of free would get a whole lot more people into the iPhone ecosystem. The iPhone 4 is like - you know, it still wows me up to this day. It is just beautiful. And it becomes everything that I need it to be. It's no wonder the iPhone 4S still looks like the iPhone 4. As of today though, pre-orders of the iPhone 4S have sold out. I don't think it's people intentionally doing it for Steve. It's just Siri and that new camera are on another level compared to most similar products even though people might not admit it. Overall though, it's nice to see Apple-haters who are respectful enough to pay respect to the man. I respect them, too. Unfortunately, there are also the disrespectful ones. You know who you are. You don't deserve any respect from me, or from anyone.

Anyways. Sad, sad, sad. Steve Jobs is the third game changer who I really admired but who has already passed on, Kurt Cobain and FrancisM being the other two. I should stop admiring people, but you know, I would strive to be a game changer myself. Until then, I should stay hungry, stay foolish.

Steve Jobs has passed away

[thoughts] Here we go again.

I felt compelled to talk about Apple's new product launch earlier today (or yesterday, depending on where you're at). Here's the gist. iPhone 4 was announced in June of last year, and 4 months after, the rumor mills for an iPhone 5 started grinding. There were rumors that Apple might release an iPhone 4S instead, similar on the outside as the current iPhone 4 but slightly upgraded on the inside. And rumors of all sorts of new internal and external features for a possible new iPhone 5. And then rumors of two new iPhones, a 5 and a 4S, coming out at the same time surfaced. There were also rumors surrounding the iPod Touch, which usually gets an upgrade around this time of the year. And the death of the iPod Classic. And so on and so forth. Ladies and gentlemen, there won't ever be an iPhone 5 anymore. The next new iPhone will be called an iPhone 6. Or the iPhone Seis. Or probably, just the iPhone, followed by a "(mid-2012 model)" in smaller fonts.