A basic feature of most password managers is data encryption using ciphers such as AES and Blowfish. A cipher is simply a mathematical formula which uses a string of characters (encryption key) and a user password to turn plain text into something unreadable.  To read the information a hacker needs access to the encrypted data, encryption key, password and the formula used to encrypt the data.

One way to access the encrypted data is to obtain the device. A password manager can’t stop a thief but it can provide an alert if a person obtains your device, starts your password manager, and enters the wrong password.

Another way to access your data is to obtain a backup, however some operating systems embed a device identifier so that decrypting them is nearly impossible without the unlocked device.  For example, iOS uses information from the Keychain to protect backups. Apple provides developers with access to store data in the Keychain for additional security.

The next challenge for a hacker is trying to obtain the encryption key. To make this as difficult as possible, most password managers do not store the encryption key in the app but use a formula and the user password to derive it. These formulas are generally referred to as Hash function and often include “SHA” in their names.

The master password is the key element stopping a hacker from accessing your data. It is very important that password managers avoid storing the master password in the app itself. However, as the Elcomsoft study explains, many password managers do store the master password, or an easily decipherable version of the master password, in the app itself.

This leads to a common question. If the master password isn’t stored in the app, then how does it know if the user entered the right one? Good password managers use a sophisticated Hash algorithm, applied over and over to the master password to produce a derived value or “hash” of the master password. This hash should be stored in a secure place such as the Apple Keychain. When a user enters their password, the same Hash algorithm is performed to see if the derived value is the same. It’s important to note that calculating the master password from the hash is virtually impossible.

If a hacker can’t find the master password in the app, they must try guessing it using techniques generally referred to as password recovery attacks.

The first line of defense is choosing a long master password containing many types of characters. If you limit the master password to four digits, there are only 10,000 possible combinations. If you increase the length of the master password to 8 alphanumeric characters, the number of combinations increases to 8 (characters) to the 38th power (26 alpha + 10 numeric) and even more if you include special characters such as “!@#$%”. Even a supercomputer would take a very long time to generate all possible combinations.

The second line of defense to a password recovery attack is to make it difficult to submit a guess. In the Apple environments, this can be done by storing the hash in the Apple Keychain so the hacker would need to get through two levels of security. In metaphorical terms,this would be like breaking into Fort Knox only to find the vault of the Bank of England.

All security systems are vulnerable to attack and experts such as Elcomsoft do a good job of describing these risks. However, good security software can make hacking your data an   extremely difficult undertaking. While not invincible, a well designed password manager offers considerably more protection than commonly used alternatives.

by Marc Bolh
Founder & CEO of Ascendo
Developer of DataVault Password Manager

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LEGAL NOTICE

If you purchased a Palm Treo 700p, 700w, 700wx or 755p smartphone,
your rights may be affected by a class action settlement.

A settlement of a class action lawsuit may affect you if you purchased, in the United States, a new Treo 700p, 700w, 700wx or 755p smartphone (collectively, “Treo Phone”). If you qualify, you may send in a claim form to ask for a redemption code (voucher) for use on the HP online store.

The Superior Court of California, San Francisco County, ordered this notice. The Court will have a hearing to consider whether to approve the settlement, so that the benefits may be distributed.

Who is affected?

You are a Settlement Class Member if you purchased a new Treo Phone in the United States for your own use and not for resale, and your Treo Phone had at least three warranty or defect returns caused by a problem with the device. The Settlement Class excludes Palm, Palm’s parents, any entity in which Palm has a controlling interest; Palm’s directors, officers and employees, Palm’s legal representatives, successors, and assigns; and any judge to whom the case is or has been assigned and the members of his or her immediate family; and all persons who timely and validly request exclusion from the Settlement Class.

What is the case about?

The lawsuit claimed that Treo Phones had certain defects, failed at unacceptable rates, and that Palm made misrepresentations concerning Treo Phones. Palm denies all allegations and has asserted multiple defenses. Palm is entering into this settlement to avoid burdensome and costly litigation. The settlement is not an admission of wrongdoing or an indication that any law was violated.

What can you get from the settlement?

Palm has agreed to provide a redemption code, worth $10, for use on the HP online store (www.hp.shopping.com), to Settlement Class Members who send in a valid claim form.

How do you request a $10 redemption code?

The Settlement website, www.treo700settlement.com, tells you how to make a claim for a redemption code.

IMPORTANT DEADLINES

The claim form for a redemption code must be postmarked on or before August 10, 2012, and received by the Administrator no more than 21 days thereafter.

What are your options?

If you do not want to be legally bound by the settlement, you must postmark your request to exclude yourself by August 28, 2012. If you exclude yourself, you cannot obtain a redemption code. If you are a member of the Settlement Class and you do not exclude yourself, you may object to the settlement. Objections must be filed by August 28, 2012.

The detailed notice available at www.treo700settlement.com describes how to exclude yourself or object. The Court will hold a hearing in this case (Buccieri v. Palm, Inc., Case No. 489578) on October 2, 2012, at 9:30 a.m. to consider whether to approve the settlement, and award attorneys’ fees, costs and incentive payments to the named plaintiffs totaling no more than $250,000. You may appear at the hearing, but you do not have to do so. For additional details visit www.treo700settlement.com, send an email to info@treo700settlement.com, or write to plaintiffs’ counsel, Edward S. Zusman, Markun Zusman & Compton LLP, 465 California Street, Suite 500, San Francisco, CA 94104.

Here is a small sample for your viewing pleasure.

First off: it’s great device apart from 2 tiny things: reports of overheating, and the fact that LTE (the true 4G) is working only in USA and Canada, not in any other country.

This thing has a display of incredible resolution 2048 by 1536 pixels (4 times more pixels than iPad 1 and iPad 2)

and this display alone is a huge update.

Model names of third generation iPad are now different, e.g. for iPad WiFi 16GB black French version it is MC705NF (US version of this model is MC705LL, in general: all 3rd gen iPad models start with “MC7″-something).

So if you are not certain which generation you have in front of you, you can go to settings and check the model.

* * * * *

So, my impressions: the shocking news is that new iPad is overheating and heating up a lot, as reported by a number of owners! Why first reviews didn’t report heating up of iPad 3? Because those people were bribed by early access by Apple, shame on them! Of course, I have no proof of any bribery going on. Of course, it’s just as likely that no heating was observed in early use scenarios.

The whole point of ARM processor in tablets was to have cool devices without loud fan and now with iPad 3 this may be gone.

What is particularly annoying is that even iPad 3 WiFi-only is overheating. In the end, if you think about it, having true 4G (LTE) module in iPad 4G would be reasonable cause for overheating but the fact that WiFi-only model is getting warm after short use even, is inexcusable. After all getting warm causes people to have discomfort when using this device and to being forced to put it down after some time due to the heat. So clearly, no matter how to spin it, this overheating is inexcusable, if it is widespread, and not just a few isolated incidents as reported in various forums.

The reasons for overheating, in my opinion, are twofold: ultra-high resolution display needs more power both battery wise (iPad 3 has battery 2 times bigger than iPad 2) and processor wise (iPad 3 has A5x – similar dual-core like A5 in iPad 2 but with stronger graphics support via 4 graphic cores). The problem is that Apple’s dual core processors (A5, A5x) are working on overload when powering retina display – that’s why also iPhone 4S has tendencies to warm up.

Together with the new iPad, Apple has released a new app: iPhoto, which supports new retina display of iPad (iPhoto has some great multitouch gestures and it’s importance goes beyond mere feature set, I will review it later here on this blog). Apple also updated to retina iPad all their other apps like iMovie etc. What’s happening is Apple is positioning iPad increasingly as a creation device, and not just a consumption device.

To convince users that iPad 3 is consumption device alone no more, the new iPad has a 5 megapixel camera with optics on par with iPhone 4S (but 3 megapixels less in sensor as 4S has 8 megapixel). With new rear camera, new iPad owners can take photos of extremely high quality and immediately appreciate them thanks to the retina display. Also video recording and on-iPad editing is now a reality, and having full-HD (1080p not just 720p) recording ability is nice.

Unfortunately, the front-facing camera is still lowly VGA resolution, so video calling is still lame and I still cannot shave my gob by using iPad as a mirror.

It is annoying for people outside of USA that LTE-bands in iPad 3 are not working at all e.g. in Europe, so in fact buying iPad 4G is like buying it crippled. What is weird, is that Apple couldn’t offer Europe-specific iPad versions. First LTE phones (not just USB sticks) are on sale in Europe already so there is no excuse for not supporting LTE. Lack of LTE is truly annoying as LTE brings DSL-like feeling due to small latency not achievable even in very fast HSPA+ technologies.

The bottom line is that the new display is worth any expenditure but one has to prepare for possible overheating and warming up even in iPad WiFi-only.

* * * * *

Should first-time tablet buyers get the new iPad? Absolutely! For low price ($499) one gets otherworldly resolution. Also: on Verizon network in USA and Rogers in Canada one gets internet sharing via built-in hotspot (not in any other operator in the world yet). Apart from that iPad 2 units are now available very cheaply as refurbished or second hand, so first-time buyers might grab them instead.

Should iPad 1 owners get it? Yes, as the new iPad is a big leap compared to iPad 2, but they should prepare for heating up.

Should iPad 2 owners get it? No, iPad 2 is as fast (or faster due to fewer pixels) than the new iPad and additional pixels is not enough considering the overheating. Not to mention the iPad 2 is still the thinnest and lightest of the 3 iPad models now available.

* * * * *

White or black?

If you read more ebooks and internet (websites, social networking), than you watch movies on iPad, then white iPad is better. If you watch more movies and TV series, then black iPad is better because that way, the white frame is less disturbing (most TV sets are black for a reason).

* * * * *

Conclusions

Overheating and lack of European LTE is disappointing but quantum leap in resolution and charging for the same price as for old iPad 2 is extremely impressive. Clearly Apple is entering new territory with huge resolution (2048×1536) that no other device on the planet has in such small size and with new wireless technology (LTE, the true 4G) so the new iPad is not as mature yet design-wise as iPad 2, but that’s the price that many people will be willing to pay for retina display experience on tablet.

When it was evident that Palm was going the way of the dinosaur, I switched to Windows Mobile. And I gave Handango even more of my money.

All the while, happy Blackberry users were doing likewise, and buying apps left and right, increasing the purchased apps database on Handango.

Handango loved its customers, and loved the developers as well. How many of you remember the Champion Awards, and the value of having that logo on your website to prove your coding skills! Handango would find bloggers and industry analysts who knew the field and could properly evaluate programs – and the best were rewarded with their seal.

But today developers don’t get much choice over where they sell their wares. If you are an iOS developer, you can sell your apps in iTunes. That’s it, case closed. (We won’t delve into jailbreak or root apps.) If you program for Android, you have a slightly larger market, but, you won’t find Android devs selling their apps on their own sites either. You really have to go to Google or Amazon. Web OS had its App Catalog. Windows Phone? Yes, even they have a marketplace of their own, although it’s a brand new one, and not the one Microsoft attempted for Windows Mobile 6.

So where does this leave Handango? They are closing up shop slowly. All paid content has been moved off Handango. Although they still partner with some carriers, they are not selling directly, and they don’t even sell “premium” apps through their carrier partners. They maximum price point is $19.99.

We have entered a new world when it comes to loading our smartphones: App World, iTunes, Google Play. I am reminded of people complaining about Apple’s “walled garden,” but it’s no longer just Apple. WalMart has done its best to kill off the mom and pop stores in our neighborhoods, and these big app stores have done the same in the land of technology.

Goodbye, Handango. In my memory, you’ll always be the Champion.

While browsing Kickstarter recently, I came across the ATC Ergo Dock. It can be used for both iPad and iPhone, and is designed to adjust for a better viewing angle.

What struck me while watching their video, was the ease with which they both removed and placed the iPhone into the dock. I have tried several docks, and without exception I have to pick them up to line up the dock with the port on my iPhone or iPad. I would love to be able to just slide it into the dock.

This is the very first aluminum docking station that is ergonomic. The ergonomic viewing angle is adjustable for the perfect view. Docking and undocking iPads and iPhones is easy with the streamlined 30 pin connector.  It flawlessly charges and syncs as if Apple made it themselves. With video conferencing applications like Facetime the audio acoustics are superb as it’s crisp and clean.”

It seems as though there will be two versions of the ATC Ergo Dock: one to fit your naked iPad or iPhone, and one with a larger opening to house your device in a case. (I imagine this will be limited to “typical” cases, and not bulky cases like the Otterbox.)

As with all Kickstarter campaigns, you have a choice of tiers to get in on, starting with a $10 pledge just to show you believe in them, an $89 pledge which will be rewarded with a basic Ergo dock, on up to a pledge of $249 or more, which gets you a pair of “Encompass” Ergo Docks – the version that allows you to use a case.

Well worth looking at – you can see more here.

The CueTab case struck me as having what so many cases are missing – optional methods of holding your iPad.

You have to watch the video for yourselves to see the versatility of this design. Needless to say – I want one.

The handle is the clincher. Who doesn’t want a handle on their iPad?! I do! And I like the idea of the handle being used to hang your iPad for easy viewing, or to prop up the case. It does seem pretty complete.

Join me in backing this one! http://www.kickstarter.com/projects/202789185/cuetab-case-the-best-all-in-one-case-for-ipad

While it may be understandable why Apple is iOSinizing the Mac OS: the huge success of iPhone and iPad. It is strange why Microsoft is pushing the user interface of very unpopular smartphone. Windows Phone has only 2-3 % of the global smartphone market. And they’re pushing it to cash cows like Xbox (Windows Phone-like update pushed at the end of last year) and Windows (starting with Windows 8 later this year). But well, it’s beyond the point: the fact is Microsoft is doing it, never mind users being angry about it.

So let’s take a look how Windows Phoneification looks like in Xbox now, after latest major update!

Look at this, doesn’t it look like Windows Phone tiles? Yes it does!

There are even bigger horizontal tiles.

And you can use also tile-based television (over Internet naturally).

Social network integration is also included. Typical also for Windows Phone that also integrates both Facebook (where Microsoft invested hundreds of millions) and Twitter (that is so popular that Microsoft can’t ignore it).

On Windows Phone if you hit the search button you get Bing page with some random background. Not surprisingly, the latest Xbox update also gets Bing page.

But how deeply does Windows Phoneification go when it comes to user interface elements?

Well, I checked it out, and noticed that it’s not deep. While user interface elements of Windows Phone are all typically square, not so in Xbox – they are still old-style and round.

One more thing: if you do typical hand waving to your Kinect, then you can move around new tile-based user interface of Xbox also with hand gestures (note the hand icon).

Can you imagine having tiles everywhere, also on your personal computers? If you can’t, then buy Apple hardware only and you may be able to avoid it, but since many companies and people still buy Windows powered computers, we will see many more tiles. And also because soon-to-be-released Windows 8, that is also tile-based, supports not only Intel x86 processors but also ARM processors. So we will see also tile-based touch tablets aplenty.

While you may hate tiles, consider this: yes, it’s true that in the case of video games for Xbox usually users have immersive gameplay experience and users don’t care about the Xbox dashboard interface, but since Microsoft has released (mainly for developers) a Kinect sensor for PC, we may soon see many PCs with both multitouch and 3D hand-gestures control and then tiles may come in handy.

Conclusion: 2012 will be the year when Windows Phoneification of Microsoft user interfaces will be completed by Windows 8 release. But you can see already in current Xbox that even if you don’t have Windows Phone, you might not be able to avoid it.

These days, it seems like everyone a member of at least one social networking site, if not more. Social media claims to have benefits for your social life, your education, your career – but which one should you be using? Here are just four which you might consider…

First up, it’s Facebook. What started out as a networking site for students at Harvard University has quickly become an international phenomenon, and one of the most popular platforms when it comes to social media. If you’re keen to keep in contact with old college friends, travel buddies and even colleagues, then Facebook is ideal, as it will allow you to share messages, wallposts and photos with everyone you’re friends with via the site.

Another hugely popular social networking site is Twitter. Rather than a two-way friendship, Twitter allows users to follow other members, providing time-line of status-like updates. With access to high-speed broadband widely available and via apps from the latest smartphones like those from O2, automatically updating micro-blogging sites have gained a huge audience. Twitter is particularly useful in that, depending on who you decide to follow, you can tailor you account’s time-line to suit your own personal interests.

If you’re a keen music fan, then one site you’ll definitely want to visit is Last.fm. Not only is this a great way to listen to music online, but it actually builds user profiles based on their own specific tastes. Users can then share their ‘radio station’ playlists with others, and will also have music recommended to them.

Lastly, those who want to keep it professional might choose to opt for a social networking website like LinkedIn. Instead of adding friends, LinkedIn allows users to build up their professional contacts online. The site is generally much more formal than many social networking alternatives, and is specifically designed to help users build up a database of business connections.

This has been a sponsored post.

Importance

This is the only authorized autobiography of Steve Jobs where the author (Walter Isaacson) was able to get Steve Jobs’ opinions on many topics. Since Steve Jobs has died there will be no other authorized biography about him. This book is unique.

This book is not merely for people interested in Steve Jobs’ personal life, but for people interested in the history of Apple. Shortly speaking, it is a must-read.

How to read it?

You can read it in paper form if you insist on destroying forests, but I recommend using an eBook form for 2 reasons: the text is searchable and you can use lookup dictionary (Isaacson sometimes uses sophisticated wordage).

Which eBook form? I prefer the Amazon Kindle form of this Steve Jobs bio because you can then read it everywhere: on Kindle devices, on smartphones (there is a Kindle app for absolutely all smartphone platforms), on tablets and on personal computers (Kindle reader both for PC and Mac available).

However some people think that the only appropriate way to read this book is by buying it in Apple iBook form and to read it on iPhone or iPad – to honor memory of Steve Jobs.

Personal stuff

I will not discuss those things related to personal behavior. This book covers these topics extensively from both sides. Isaacson not only got the opinion of one side (Steve, his wife) but also the other side of the story (like Bill Gates, former Apple CEOs etc). You get it: both Steve Jobs and many people who had contact with him were talking directly with the author of this biography!

Personally, I think it’s wrong to judge people – particularly if they are not doing anything immoral (except for smokers: these are evil people). Germans have a word “Streitkultur” that could be translated “atmosphere of constructive debate” or “argumentative atmosphere” – that could describe how Steve Jobs worked, and I think that decisiveness was the main reason for Apple’s success. While other corporations needed many meetings to get some product decision, at Apple, Steve Jobs decided in a matter of minutes.

Note: in this book it is revealed that the biological parents of Steve Jobs were German-American (mother) and Arab-American (father) so ethnically speaking Jobs was 50% German, 50% Arab.

Role of Woz

Warning: Steve Wozniak is one of 10 million Polish Americans (compared to 51 million Americans originating in Germany and 49 million Americans originating in England) and I am myself Polish so I am a bit biased about him.

However, in this book Steve Jobs admits that there would be no Apple without Woz (nickname for Steve Wozniak) as it was Woz who developed Apple I and Apple II computers single-handedly while Jobs was doing marketing/sales. Steve Jobs admits in this bio in his own words that Woz was 50 times better than the average engineer.

Steve Jobs is portrayed as a teddy bear – a lovable character interested only in engineering and not in management and office politics – so he was ying to Jobs’s yang. Although Jobs himself was technically good, Jobs was not doing the programming (which, by the way, was belittled by Bill Gates who called him “super-salesman” – but more about Bill Gates below) and all work initially was done by Woz, who was extremely nice to all people.

Woz had an airplane accident, so he left Apple and couldn’t participate in the development of Mac, but there were some quarrels. Jobs was badmouthing Woz many times as somebody not having enough focus in work and there is this frog design matter…. (Read the book, I will not spoil it here!) However, in the end Woz forgave Jobs and they were at peace with each other.

Woz also admitted that without Jobs’ business skills there would be no Apple. Woz recognized the importance of Jobs’ contribution.

History of Apple corporation

This book is also about the history of Apple as a corporation. By reading this book you can understand how many products came into being, and why many design decisions were made. This book could just as well have been called “History of Apple”.

The author depicts the history of Apple from both sides so it is nice to hear for, example, what various CEOs of Apple had to say about Jobs. For example, what they believed and what was Jobs thinking (he tells it to author!) despite the fact he was saying something different.

The NeXT company episode – when Jobs was ousted from Apple – is also discussed and it is important because later Apple purchased this NeXT company and integrated many NeXT technologies both into Mac, OS X, and into iOS products.

Pixar

The fact of the matter is that Steve Jobs poured 50 million dollars into Pixar before it became profitable. Pixar also constituted a breakthrough moment for Steve Jobs on 2 levels: he became a billionaire for the first time thanks to Pixar, and he received confirmation that his way of being on “intersection of tech and liberal arts” is right.

Many dealings with Pixar and with Disney are described, where you can learn the history not just of Apple, but also of Disney and other computer generated movies.

iPad was before iPhone!

An interesting fact is that Apple had developed multi-touch iPad before releasing iPhone, and it was spawned by bragging of Microsoft employee about Tablet PC. However, the iPad was not released because Jobs considered mobile phones an endangerment to iPod business so he had to release cellphone first.

Maybe you remember when Kevin Rose (founder of Digg and other startups) claimed before release of iPhone that it would have a click wheel? Well, this book reveals that there were 2 iPhone projects ongoing within Apple: one with click wheel (like in old iPods) and one with multi-touch display. Apparently the click-wheel solution didn’t have the ability to easily enter numbers so Steve Jobs decided on the iPhone as we have come to know it. But click-wheel iPhone prototypes existed!

Porn on App Store

In this book Steve Jobs confirms email exchange with a certain blogger about the absence of porn in the iPhone. It is a widely known argument that Apple’s app store may not have porn but it is free from virus software and not having porn is good for children.

Particularly what touched Steve Jobs was the argument that Bob Dylan wouldn’t like the absence of porn on iPhone as it is a limitation of freedom.

So it’s true: yes, it was Steve Jobs himself who was replying to emails that were leaking on various blogs. Amazing!

Jonny Ive – the lovely Brit

While Tim Cook is portrayed as somebody who may not give a monkey, gets credit for inventions, and focuses just on operations, it is striking to read in this book that Jonny Ive actually resented that Steve Jobs did not credit him for some ideas and claimed that Jobs himself invented them.

In fact Jonny Ive – the main designer of Apple – was Steve Jobs’ best friend, and in many arguments, Jobs actually supported Ive’s position.

However, it is worth underlining that since many designs were coming from Jonny Ive, Apple has bright future as Ive can continue without Jobs.

Interestingly, the British city of Newcastle in North England, is mentioned twice. Jonny Ive studed at Newcastle Polytechnic, and in his younger days, Jonny Ive attended a U2 concert in Newcastle!

Dealings with the entertainment industry

Having Pixar gave Steve Jobs leverage in dealings with the entertainment industry starting with record companies and ending with movies and television. Jobs sold Pixar to Disney and had a great influence on Disney studios, so Jobs was in a good position to convince the industry to offer music in digital form.

Apparently, prior to Apple, the only way to get music online was to steal it or stream it – there was no way to purchase it legally. Apple pioneered digital downloads and only thanks to Steve Jobs’ skills was it possible to convince the music industry.

Funnily enough, this book also explains why Sony – the company that invented walkman and had stylish design in products – has failed in music download and portable players. Shortly speaking: various divisions at Sony fight with each other but at Apple all work together.

Veganism

In his youth Steve Jobs was purely vegan and later he also ate fish (e.g. for unagi sushi), but generally his diet seem to be very unhealthy and unbalanced.

At one point it is written in this book that Jobs’ son, Reed. became an omnivore because he realized that veganism is very unbalanced and unhealthy.

Jobs also fasted via juicing or eating only one fruit (apple!) for several days/weeks.

Personally, I don’t mind various diets but I consider veganism to be unnatural. Even our cousins the apes also eat meat sometimes. Only humans are dick headed about diets.

Bill Gates

Steve Jobs admitted that having Bill Gates on the big screen during one of keynotes was a big mistake and generally Jobs despised Gates for his lack of style and for making crappy (his words!) products.

Bill Gates, on the other hand, says that without Steve Jobs, Apple has no chance to keep going with their “integrated model” (i.e. doing both software and hardware) and despised Jobs for not being technical enough. Gates was actually programming himself while Jobs was not (said Gates). Gates claimed that Jobs didn’t understand technology but admitted that Jobs understood what customers need (not want: as customers are too stupid to know what they need).

All in all however, Bill Gates was a close friend of Jobs and Microsoft supported Apple for many years, by doing things like releasing Microsoft Office for Mac at critical times.

Android hater

Steve Jobs extremely hated the fact that Eric “weasel” Schmidt, CEO of Google who was on board of Apple, stole the iPhone user interface design (array of icons, multi-touch, etc) and Google released Android. Jobs is quoted in this book saying that he would spend all Apple’s money to destroy Android.

So it is even more strange, that when Google’s new CEO (Larry Page, one of 2 Google founders, the other being Russia-born Sergey Brin) came to Jobs for advice, that Jobs gave him advice instead of refusing it due to Android.

The advice that Jobs gave to Larry Page: focus on fewer products! Some people claim that it was the reason why Google has recently discontinued many products – advice from Steve Jobs!!!! To this day I am scared that Google will cancel my personal most favorite Google product: fusion tables (I love it more than anything Google does).

Zen and other eastern philosophies

Jobs went to India for several months and he loved Japanese buddishm and unagi sushi. This was a big influence on his design philosophy and life.

He said that when it comes to the existence of God it is 50/50.

It is, however, extremely strange how many contradictions his philosophies contained: he was emotional, crying often and unstable so he was unable to achieve the desired Zen-like peace of mind and calm.

Death

While this book doesn’t describe the death of Steve Jobs itself, it describes that Jobs actually died of cancer and died in great pain. Great. Pain.

A shocking revelation is that for 9 months Jobs postponed surgery and in that time his cancer was spreading. It is uncertain whether he would still be alive if he hadn’t postponed it, but it shows that alternative medicine is useless in such tragical situations.

Legacy

By reading this book one realizes how big influence Steve Jobs had on many industries.

For many people it all started with the iPhone in 2007 and the subsequent halo effect (customers realizing that if iPhone is so good so also Macs must be good etc) but in fact Steve Jobs pioneered user interfaces (first OS with overlapping windows), graphical displays, portable players (playlist management in iTunes not on device), phones (multi-touch!), tablets (before iPad sales of tables were minuscule), digital downloads of music (before iTunes music was legally streamed but not available for download legally).

Conclusion

This is a must-read book and not just for people interested in Steve Jobs but also for people interested in Apple corporation in particular, and the tech industry in general.

The main purpose of Steve Jobs’ life was, in his words: “to make a dent in the universe” and everybody must admit that in fact he achieved his goal.

Thank you, Steve Jobs!