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Job well done, Steve

28 Aug 2011 - Preaching the News for Sunday

The psalmist clings fast to the Lord, saying this Sunday, “Your right hand upholds me.” Silicon Valley legend Steve Jobs, who has stuck close to Apple, Inc. and supported it with innovative ideas since cofounding it in the late 1970s, announced Wednesday he was resigning as CEO, a post he has held for the past 14 years. The pancreatic cancer survivor and industry icon, on medical leave since January 17, will be replaced by COO and long-anticipated heir Tim Cook. Jobs will become chairman of the board. "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," Jobs said in a brief letter announcing his resignation. “Steve’s extraordinary vision and leadership saved Apple and guided it to its position as the world’s most innovative and valuable technology company,” said Art Levinson, chairman of Genentech, on behalf of Apple's board. “Steve has made countless contributions to Apple’s success, and he has attracted and inspired Apple’s immensely creative employees and world-class executive team. In his new role as chairman of the board, Steve will continue to serve Apple with his unique insights, creativity and inspiration.” Sources: An article by Poornima Gupta and Edwin Chan for Reuters and a press release from Apple, Inc.

apple inc steve jobs art levinson tim cook

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Justice Department throws the ebook at Apple, publishers

15 Apr 2012 - Preaching the News for Sunday

In the aftermath of the Resurrection the community of believers was fully united, being “of one heart and mind,” this Sunday’s first reading tells us. Several years ago major book publishers were of one mind about the potential threat electronic book publishing represented to their bottom lines and, together with Apple, Inc., colluded to fix ebook prices, a federal antitrust lawsuit filed Wednesday charged.According to the complaint filed by the U.S. Department of Justice, at least five publishers—Simon & Schuster, HarperCollins, Hachette, Penguin, and Macmillan—conspired with Apple on pricing ahead of the 2010 launch of the iPad tablet and iBookstore, forcing Amazon to raise prices for ebooks on rival Kindle.Simon & Schuster, HarperCollins, and Hachette have already settled with the Justice Department. Sources say Apple and Macmillan have refused to engage in settlement talks and deny they colluded to raise prices for digital books and that Penguin plans to fight the accussations as well.A class action lawsuit filed in California District Court last summer by Kindle consumers was the first to allege a conspiracy. According to that case, "booksellers were 'terrified' by the discounted ebook price structure Amazon launched in 2007" and the "spooked publishers" colluded with Apple to force Amazon's hand.Attorney General Eric Holder said that as a result of the conspiracy "consumers paid millions of dollars more for some of the most popular titles" and competition was eliminated. Sources: Articles by Dylan Stableford for The Cutline and Rob Lever for Agence France Presse

eric holder hachette penguin harpercollins simon schuster department of justice collusion ebooks ipad apple inc macmillan

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Papal reflections go digital

02 Sep 2012 - Preaching the News for Sunday

"Now, Israel, hear the statutes and decrees which I am teaching you to observe,” declares Moses the lawgiver in this Sunday’s first reading. Technologically speaking, we’ve come a long way since Moses descended Mount Horeb with divine teachings written on stone tablets. The Vatican publishing house announced this week it has reached agreement with Apple, Inc. to make the teachings of Pope Benedict XVI available in electronic form accessible to a variety of high-tech devices.The Libreria Editrice Vaticana will work with Apple to produce eBooks and I-Tunes containing the pope’s catechetical talks from his Wednesday public audiences. A series on “Prayer in the New Testament,” already available in print form, will soon be produced in electronic formats and illustrated with artwork from the Vatican collections. The pope’s works will eventually be available through computers, smart phones, and PDAs, the publishing house announced. Source: An article by Catholic World News

benedict xvi apple inc electronic publishing libreria editrice vaticana

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For January 1: Looking back at high-tech lows

23 Dec 2012 - Preaching the News for Sunday

On this Octave Day of Christmas, the Solemnity of the Blessed Virgin Mary, we recall the amazement all felt when shepherds first announced the good news of the birth of the savior. We’re used to being amazed by news of the latest breakthrough in technology and the niftiest new social networks and apps, but as a fresh calendar year begins let’s pause for a glance back at some of the most stunning high-tech flops of the past year.Apple Maps. The company Steve Jobs built may be a juggernaut, but even the mighty Apple makes mistakes. Apple Maps was such a fantastic disaster that CEO Tim Cook publicly apologized for it.When Apple revamped its mapping software to replace Google's maps, it looked good, and early reviews were positive. Users, however, quickly discovered it was broken. The internet buzzed with stories of Apple Maps suggesting routes that would intersect with a 747 at Dulles Airport or send a car careening off the Brooklyn Bridge.Apparently the years it took Google to assemble and fine-tune their product could not be replicated on the fly by Apple's cleverness. Fancy new features such as 3D imagery and spoken turn-by-turn directions couldn't save what was a product riddled with errors.BlackBerry 10. BlackBerrys used to be known as "CrackBerrys" for their addictive quality—there was a time when they were everywhere and people couldn't put them down. Even President Barack Obama was seen obsessing over his Blackberry during his first campaign. But those days are over.The Blackberry 10 is one of the year's biggest busts because it was never released as promised. This was supposed to be a comeback year for the Blackberry brand, but with the holiday season behind us, the new release day—January 30—may have the dwindling Blackberry faithful excited, but have the rest of us lost interest?Red-faced Facebook.Facebook's fumble of the process of selling stock to the public was daily news as the share price tumbled. But Facebook's “Reach Generator” bombed as well. A product that would have filled your news feed with more ads, it was killed after six months.And just this past week Facebook's heavy-handed attempt to commercialize photos that users share on the popular Instagram service suggests continued tone-deafness. Users reacted with outrage and canceled accounts when they learned of changes in the company’s terms of service that would apparently allow a user’s personal photos to be used in paid advertisements.Eric Goldman, an associate professor at the Santa Clara University School of Law, said the latest skirmish between Facebook and its users was part of the sometimes uncomfortable dynamic between companies offering free online services and their eventual need to turn a profit from them. “The interest of the site is never 100 percent aligned with the users, and the divergence inevitably leads to friction,” said Goldman. “It’s unavoidable.”Homily hint: The awe felt by many of us years ago on first hearing the Christmas story in all its gospel glory can fade over time as we get used to it each year and get distracted by all that glitters in our high-tech world. Take a moment on this special day in both sacred and secular calendars to invite all in attendance to pause and bring to mind the scene of the Nativity as it was witnessed by the shepherds. We can, and should, go to that place in our hearts to touch the feeling of wonder once more. Sources: Articles by Eric Jackson for Forbes, Victor Paul Alvarezfor Digital Crave, and Jenna Worthan for the New York Times

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