Apple Co-Founder Steve Wozniak Launches Tech Education Platform Woz U

Apple is a name to reckon with in the tech world today. Their products are testimonial of quality, class, style and performance all packed into one sleek design. While we all know its founder Steve Jobs well enough, do you know there was another Steve who worked hard to get the Apple name where it is now. Yes, we’re talking about Steve Wozniak.

While Jobs went on to become the public face and showman of the company, Wozniak presumed the role of being the geek-behind-the-scenes. After building some of the most popular products for the company, the Silicon Valley legend left Apple on February 9, 1985 as a full-time employee to pursue outside interests. The week saw Wozniak launching his latest initiative, an online learning platform called Woz U.

Based out of Arizona, Woz U will initially start as an online learning platform that will focus on both students and companies that will eventually hire those students. Eventually, Wozniak aims to launch physical locations for learning in more than 30 cities globally. It also plans on introducing an accelerator program in 2019 “to identify and develop elite tech talent”.

The platform’s main aim is to provide you a personalized approach to coding and tech education designed to get you through the curriculum faster so that you can get into the workforce quicker, and start changing the world.

Woz U’s curriculum is mainly centred around computer support specialists and software developers, with well structured courses on mobile applications, data science and cyber security coming in the future.

Understanding the difficulty people face when choosing their curriculum, Woz U will offer its users an app which will help them understand which field of tech they’re best suited for, so that they can make their choice accordingly.

Commenting on his new initiative, Wozniak said, “Our goal is to educate and train people in employable digital skills without putting them into years of debt. People often are afraid to choose a technology-based career because they think they can’t do it. I know they can, and I want to show them how. My entire life I have worked to build, develop and create a better world through technology and I have always respected education. Now is the time for Woz U, and we are only getting started.”

In addition to being an education platform, Woz U will also function as a platform for tech firms to recruit, train and retain talent through on-site customized programs and subscription-based curricula. It will also have a special platform for K-12 students, which will be especially made available to school districts, that will be offering STEAM programs to identify talent and encourage such individuals them to pursue a career in tech.

Students have 24/7 access to online programs with live access to instructors and mentors, high-quality video-based curriculum, and comprehensive career services. Their online program also offers flexibility for those currently working full-time, traveling or simply in need of a more adaptive approach to learning.

As of now, there’s no information on pricing for the different platforms and courses.

This development was first reported in Techcrunch.

[Image: Venture Beat]

Would Steve Jobs Approve iPhone 6 ?

Steve Jobs was known to be adamant on what he believed was the right choice. He had his beliefs set in stone when it came to how devices should feel, look and work. Would the late legendary CEO of the biggest company in the world change his position on what he once thought was the right size of their iPhones? Well, since no one can give anything more than a speculative answer to this question, we thought we use what we learned from the late Apple CEO throughout the years about how he made decisions on products and their design in addition to his biography to see what he would think of the latest addition to the iPhone family. Read on to find out whether Chairman Jobs would follow the rest of the crowd or not.

Steve Jobs was the master of aesthetics and no one ever had a doubt that when he “felt” a specific design was right, we all seemed to agree with him and congratulate him on his innate taste and selection. He didn't have any specific background or education in industrial design or arts like his peer Sir Johnny Ive but certainly had an eye for beauty. He felt rather than thought about the design of products and the reason for that was his unconventional approach to different things in life. He always approached things, be it business, design or life in general, from an angle that most of us wouldn’t dare to approach. Since he was a natural born leader, it wasn’t possible for him to do what the rest of the world was doing in terms of their product line until he felt is the right time.

Take the iPad, as an example. For decades, Bill Gates and the leaders of some of the biggest software and hardware manufacturers in the world insisted that tablets are the "next big thing" and tried to gravitate towards tablets and other handheld devices but all of them somehow failed. Take windows CE for instance. They all followed each other and the crowed but they did so immaturely and in the wrong time. None of them set back to watch what is going on before jumping in.

This is Apple's biggest untold secret. They wait for others to make their mistakes and to play all their cards while they stay silent and just watch. Steve Jobs never chose to launch a product when that product line was immature and he never got excited about ideas that were still in their infancy. They were certainly not the first but the last to introduce a music player to the market but what they gave us, was the best and most wanted music player of all time. The same was true about the iPhone, and the iPad. They were the last but the best. But does the same sequence holds to be true when it comes to the iPhone 6?

Chairman Jobs never liked big and utterly weird shaped smartphones also known as phablets. We can’t blame him for that since phablets, well, are very bulky and ugly and would naturally to pass any aesthetics test let alone, the eyes of the most hardcore perfectionist in the technology and mobile industry. They are hard to hold and are hard carry and thus are hard to control. Remember the handle on the first iMac? They were supposed to give a sense of control to the user to make them feel superior and in control of their device. All that said, even after three to four years after the lunch of the iPhone we never saw a phablet from Apple. Was that because Jobs didn’t agree on phablets or was it because the time wasn't right yet?

If we want to have a speculative approach to this questions, we need to consider the fact that despite his stubborn attitude and mindset towards things, he was a very open-minded and changeable person. His appearance and style weren't the only things that changed throughout the years but his mindset and thoughts were also always changing as well. And that is true about anyone with an artistic mindset: they always change. He never made decisions about the future and always resisted the question from reporters about what he thought apple would be doing three or four years down the road. He usually responded that "my head-lights are not that strong".

Despite the fact that he hated ugly devices like phablets there is a possibility that he would change his mind due to an impressive factor, let’s say a bright or “insanely great” screen for instance. But other than the size, there are other design prospects of the new iPhone that are not as impressive and coherent as were its predecessors. The design is becoming more mainstream and thus it seems like Apple wants to feet in rather than stand out in the crowd and in the competition.

I remember staring at the first generation of iPhones when they first came out and would appreciate the fine lines, shape and it’s beautifully crafted exterior appearance and wondered what were the mindset of its designers. But I was never mesmerized with the design of the new iPhone. It seems as it is trying to be a follower and understate itself rather than having a bold and redefining design. Maybe we are not used to seeing Apple products looking similar to other manufacturers such as Samsung. Maybe we want to see Apple design products defy the gravity and bring out the rebel in us. All that being said, even if Apple would have decided to manufacture a phablet, it would do so with better aesthetics if it’s late chief executive was still in charge.

5 things you must know about Apple’s acquisition of Beats

Apple acquired Beats electronics for a whopping $3 billion. This deal is being touted as Apple’s most expensive deal ever. Tim Cook, the CEO of the technology titian wore a happy face when he announced about the deal to the world on 28th May 2014. This deal means that the company will get its own line of hip and trendy headphones which are already famous among the youth for its thumping bass sound and good appearance. The company also sees great potential in beats music streaming service which is still in its developing stage and is very excited about the same.

Here are 5 most important things which you must know about this deal.

1) Job’s love

Jimmy Iovine of Interscope Geffen A&M had regarded the technology industry as being “culturally inept”. But according to him since his meeting with Steve Jobs, the late co-founder of Apple in 2003 to discuss the condition of digital music, he held a different view of the company on whole. According to Jimmy, Jobs understood and respected the industry and music.

2) Tim Cook’s Approval

Many Apple watchers and loyalists are sure of the fact that Jobs would have never went ahead with deal no matter how much he liked Jimmy. Job’s has all his tenure been famous for accumulating cash. He only believed in spending on research which would enable the company to innovate on its own. But Cook dismisses this rumour and insists that Apple has never been anti-acquisition.

3) Mixing Emotions with Numbers

Apple has always been fascinated by beats music approach in which it compiles playlists according to an individual subscribers taste.  Beats takes care of the ears of the tastemakers rather than relying on toneless algorithms or just grouping songs by genre.

4) Filling the Empty Space

iTunes Radio has been able to attract around 40 million listeners to its free service since it was launched eight months ago. Apple has also been able to gain the spot of top seller of songs downloaded over the net.  But nothing matches with a playlist tailored made according to a person’s mood or taste or a classic album for music lovers and enthusiasts.  With this acquisition, Apple will be able to fill that void and find a permanent space in the hearts of all music lovers.

5)  Big Bucks

Beats generated around $1.1 billion in revenue in 2013. It sales have seen an increase of 30% during first three months of this year. Thus, Beats is already profitable. Apple anticipates that this acquisition will further boost Apple’s sales.

 

5 things you must know about Apple’s acquisition of Beats

Apple acquired Beats electronics for a whopping $3 billion. This deal is being touted as Apple’s most expensive deal ever. Tim Cook, the CEO of the technology titian wore a happy face when he announced about the deal to the world on 28th May 2014. This deal means that the company will get its own line of hip and trendy headphones which are already famous among the youth for its thumping bass sound and good appearance. The company also sees great potential in beats music streaming service which is still in its developing stage and is very excited about the same.

Here are 5 most important things which you must know about this deal.

1) Job’s love

Jimmy Iovine of Interscope Geffen A&M had regarded the technology industry as being “culturally inept”. But according to him since his meeting with Steve Jobs, the late co-founder of Apple in 2003 to discuss the condition of digital music, he held a different view of the company on whole. According to Jimmy, Jobs understood and respected the industry and music.

2) Tim Cook’s Approval

Many Apple watchers and loyalists are sure of the fact that Jobs would have never went ahead with deal no matter how much he liked Jimmy. Job’s has all his tenure been famous for accumulating cash. He only believed in spending on research which would enable the company to innovate on its own. But Cook dismisses this rumour and insists that Apple has never been anti-acquisition.

3) Mixing Emotions with Numbers

Apple has always been fascinated by beats music approach in which it compiles playlists according to an individual subscribers taste.  Beats takes care of the ears of the tastemakers rather than relying on toneless algorithms or just grouping songs by genre.

4) Filling the Empty Space

iTunes Radio has been able to attract around 40 million listeners to its free service since it was launched eight months ago. Apple has also been able to gain the spot of top seller of songs downloaded over the net.  But nothing matches with a playlist tailored made according to a person’s mood or taste or a classic album for music lovers and enthusiasts.  With this acquisition, Apple will be able to fill that void and find a permanent space in the hearts of all music lovers.

5)  Big Bucks

Beats generated around $1.1 billion in revenue in 2013. It sales have seen an increase of 30% during first three months of this year. Thus, Beats is already profitable. Apple anticipates that this acquisition will further boost Apple’s sales.