Steve Jobs: A Paradigm Shift; A CEO legacy

Apple’s Steve Jobs has resigned as CEO, but the imprint he left on the company will last for decades to come.

When you think of Jobs you think of four products—the Mac, the iPod, the iPhone and the iPad—industrial design, control and the idea that integration and ecosystem matters. Some folks would say Jobs was a control freak. Most geniuses are
When you think of Jobs you think of four products—the Mac, the iPod, the iPhone and the iPad—industrial design, control and the idea that integration and ecosystem matters.

I view Jobs tenure as CEO in two acts:
There’s the Steve Jobs that created the Mac and was a computing pioneer. That Jobs was kicked out of Apple for a few years. All Jobs did in that down time was grow Pixar and start Next, which was later acquired by Apple.
And then there’s the modern day Jobs. This Jobs created the iPod, the iPhone and then leveraged those ecosystems to create the iPad. The iPad pricing was so on point that Apple grabbed more than a year head start. The iPad was Jobs’ crowning achievement.

The Mac taught us what a computer could be. There’s a solid argument that the iPod was pure genius. Jobs reinvented the MP3 player and the music industry. The iPod with iTunes riding shotgun started the entire ecosystem that led to the iPhone and iPad.
Enter the iPhone. The iPhone captured imaginations, took its share of hits early on and became the device that inspired hundreds of similar efforts.

The iPad on the surface is basically a big iPhone. That thinking only lasted a few minutes. In retrospect, the iPad turned out to be the computing paradigm Jobs always wanted. The iPod is a hassle free conduit to the world. With the iPad, Jobs reinvented computing. The form factor of the future is the tablet.

The true test of Jobs legacy may come in the years after he’s gone. Has Jobs’ management DNA been instilled at Apple? Tim Cook has shown he’s very capable and can run Apple well. Meanwhile, Apple’s management bench is deep. The challenge for Cook and the Apple management team will be to keep the company rolling and deliver new innovations going forward.

Five tips for fitting in when you start a new job

When you begin a new job, it’s easy to get a little carried away trying to impress your boss and coworkers. Here’s some practical advice for getting off to the right start. You just landed a new job, and you’re understandably eager to make a good impression on your boss and your colleagues. First impressions are important — right or wrong, they can determine how you’re perceived for the rest of your days with the company. So take it easy and don’t try too hard. Here are some tips for easing into your new job without alienating anyone.

1: Don’t rush it

There’s an episode of The Andy Griffith Show in which a stranger arrives in town. No one knows him but he knows everything about everyone else. His familiarity toward people freaks everyone out and they turn against him. In the end, everyone learns that he knew all about Mayberry because he had read their town paper while he was in the service and he fell in love with the town. He wanted to belong but went about it the wrong way.

The moral of the story is to take your time getting to know your colleagues. Absorb the culture for a while before you start working yourself into the mix.

2: Don’t come in with all your guns blazing

I don’t mean that literally, although literally it’s not a bad tip either. What I mean is don’t come into your new job with the attitude that you know all the answers. You may have lots of experience, but you run the risk of suggesting things that have already been done. It’s an indirect way of insulting your new employer’s intelligence. Also, no matter how much people age, every group harbors a little of that middle school mentality — there’s not much tolerance for showoffs. And there’s no such thing as instant credibility.

3: Avoid gossiping

When I first started out in the working world, I encountered some office environments where you were treated with suspicion if you didn’t indulge in gossip. But the bottom line is, gossiping can lead to big problems. First, it’s risky to gossip when you don’t even know all the players yet. Second, if you’re good at it, you could get a reputation that is not easy to shake off in the eyes of those who make the promoting decisions.

4: Be a quick study

Take lots of notes when folks are instructing you. Although it’s tempting to act like you absorb information instantly, in the long run people don’t want you coming back and asking the same questions over and over.

5: Take the initiative

Many companies have clearly outlined training strategies in which they schedule you in blocks of time. If you find you have time between appointments, don’t just sit around and drink coffee. Use that time to ask questions about what you’ve already learned or do online research.

6: A good impression

Ultimately, the best advice you can take is to use the first weeks to absorb information about your new company and its processes. You don’t have to make a big splash your first day.

6 Health Secrets from Around the Globe

From the Japanese to the Russians, the Greeks to the Kuna Indians of Panama, every culture has its own secrets to better health and longer life. These traditional remedies and practices—like drinking a calming herbal tea or cooking with a particular spice—might seem inconsequential, but researchers are discovering that these little things can make a world of difference. Try importing these six habits, all worth bringing home.

Panama

The Secret
Harvard professor Norman Hollenberg, MD, PhD, has spent years studying the Kuna, an indigenous tribe on the San Blas Islands who drink five cups or more of unprocessed cocoa a day. He discovered that compared with residents of mainland Panama, who generally drink nutrient-poor grocery store cocoa, the islanders' risk of cancer, diabetes, stroke, and heart disease is reduced to less than 10 percent. They can likely thank cocoa's flavonoids, powerful antioxidants with a host of cardiovascular benefits.
The PrescriptionFor a heart-healthy beverage, stir a touch of honey and a tablespoon of pure cocoa powder (flavonoids are often removed from processed powders) into a cup of warm milk.

Japan

The SecretThe Japanese live longer than almost anyone else on the planet—and this may be largely because their country has one of the lowest obesity rates in the world. One of their tricks for calorie control is a cultural practice known as hara hachi bu, which means eating until you feel about 80 percent full. At that point, your stomach is likely 100 percent full; your brain just doesn't know it yet.

The Prescription
Try to chew your food 20 times before you swallow. Slowing the pace of your eating makes it easier to recognize that 80 percent full feeling.

Russia

The Secret
Golden root, or Arctic root (a.k.a. Rhodiola rosea)—an herb that grows at high elevations in the harsh environs of the Arctic region—is a traditional Russian remedy used to treat ailments ranging from infections and altitude sickness to depression and nervous system disorders. The extremely resilient plant is known to be an adaptogen, meaning it helps the body adapt to stressors; scientific studies indicate that it can indeed boost endurance and mood while lessening stress and fatigue.

The Prescription:
Pick up the root at a natural foods store and use it to brew a cup of tea whenever you need to de-stress.

Netherlands

The Secret
The Dutch ride bicycles as a form of everyday transportation. Almost one-third of all trips are made on two wheels, and each citizen pedals an average of 1.5 miles per day. A 2010 statistical review of Dutch drivers found that they'd live up to 14 months longer by switching to cycling for short trips on a daily basis, thanks to the extra exercise.

The Prescription
Cycle to work a few times a week, run errands on your bike, or just go for a joy ride. We know that 30 minutes of this kind of moderate physical activity at least three times a week can slash your risk of heart disease, diabetes, and some cancers.

India

The Secret
A large percentage of Indian meals contain curry powder, and curry contains turmeric—a spice that has been used in Ayurvedic medicine for thousands of years. Now research shows that turmeric may help prevent Alzheimer's disease because of its antioxidant and anti-inflammatory action and immune-boosting properties—all of which may help to block or remove plaque from the brain. It's not surprising that one of the lowest rates of Alzheimer's ever reported was found in northern India.

The Prescription
Incorporate more vegetable and chicken curry dishes into your diet—at least one a week. And go heavy on the turmeric.

Greece

The Secret
A 2007 study of more than 23,000 Greek adults may have revealed a surprising key to their legendary vigor—the siesta. Compared with those who power through the day, adults who nap for a minimum of 30 minutes at least three times a week have a 37 percent lower risk of dying from heart disease.

The Prescription
If your work schedule doesn't allow you to pencil in a snooze, nap on weekends—every little bit helps.

Top 10 iPad accessories

Apple's iPad is becoming a familiar feature of business life with organizations increasingly deciding to equip their staff with a tablet device. Always on hand to help, silicon.com's Shelley Portlet tracked down the 10 most useful iPad accessories for businesses to help users get the most out of the iPad.
First up is iPad Hut's 5-in-1 iPad Camera Connection Kit, which allows the iPad to connect with a range of different devices including digital cameras, TVs and monitors. The adaptor has five ports including a USB port, SD card port, microSD card port, 3.5mm DC port and mini USB port, as well as AV leads - allowing you to connect your tablet to other hardware or sideload documents and presentations from all those memory cards and USB sticks knocking around in your bag.

The Sir James iPad floor stand by Arktis can turn the iPad into a presentation aid for conferences and meetings.

The iPad wall mount by Vogel gives easy access to the tablet device with a click-and-release system that allows the iPad to be easily attached and removed.

iPad Hut's waterproof iPad case becomes 100 per cent waterproof when sealed, ideal for protecting the iPad from knocked over cups of coffee at heated board meetings - or pints during 'off-site meetings'.

While winter may seem but a distant memory, the recollection of icy fingers forced out of the warm to operate touchscreens still haunts us. Thankfully, the Isotoner SmarTouch Gloves pictured above have been designed to use on touchscreens so iPad-induced frostbite should become a thing of the past.

The HP Photosmart Wireless e-All-in-One Printer bypasses the need for the iPad to be connected to an office network in order to send documents for print - just email the documents to the printer's email address and wait for the printouts.

The least expensive iPad comes with just 16GB of storage so adding an external hard drive might be a good option. The Seagate GoFlex Satellite wireless external hard drive adds 500GB or storage space which Seagate says will hold up to 300 movies. It can stream to as many as three iPads at a time.

The Elgato Tivizen Mobile TV Tuner allows iPad users to watch TV on the go - handy for those who need to keep in touch with news and other programmes on the move or for making that commute slightly more bearable.

The Macally CARUSB10 2 Port USB Car Charger shown above plugs into a car's cigarette lighter jack and allows the iPad to be charged en route - useful for when your battery fails on the way to that all-important sales meeting.

The Eagle AppsKey Pro Foldable Wireless Shortcut Keyboard also allows you to dodge the tricky task of typing on glass, and its ability to fold in half makes it ideal for those who need a pocket-sized peripheral for use on the move.

And No. 11 as a bonus. Apple's iPad keyboard dock turns the iPad into a stand-in desktop as the full-size keyboard makes typing out long documents easier.

My favorite 7 questions

Great leaders seem to be able to get key information in a matter of seconds. But most can take hours to root out the same information — if they ever get it at all.

For those of you who can be lost for words when such opportunities arise, here are seven of my favorite questions for getting in touch with staff. Each one can provide more insight than a two-hour meeting with the entire team:



1. What’s the biggest issue on your plate right now? Most people will respond to this. Often it’s nothing more than a complaint or a status report, but it can lead to another question or two that will be enlightening.


2. If I could do just one thing to make you more successful, what would that be? This one often surfaces ongoing issues that are slowing progress. Usually a lower-level individual could resolve it, but that just hasn’t happened.
3. What’s the dumbest thing the company (or department) is doing (or working on)? Ask this question a few times to different people and you’ll soon find one or two things that should be put to death.


4. If you had my job, what would you focus on? Depending on the level of the person you ask, I assure you that you’ll hear some pretty interesting ideas that otherwise wouldn’t have surfaced. But “little” things can make a big difference to a group’s productivity and satisfaction.


5. What’s waking you up at night? This has two benefits: First it shows who is really thinking a lot about issues that need to be fixed. You should spend more time with them. Second, it can make it clear who treats the job as simply a paycheck. Do you really want them around?


6. Do you have the tools and resources you need to do your job in the best possible way? I’m always amazed at how a project can be stalled by something that is widely available elsewhere in the company.


7. How can I help you to be more successful? This is a great bonding question. If you really mean it and the team believes that to be the case; it can rally them. But don’t ask if you won’t deliver on their feedback.



Feedback is a big factor in the impact of the ongoing success of these hallway conversations. The best leaders get back to the individual who gave the ideas — if you can’t do it personally then send an email or make a call to show that you responded to their suggestion or comment.

Introducing the new Apple iCloud

Steve Jobs handled the iCloud announcement himself. iCloud is Apple's new cloud storage solution that handles everything from documents to media syncing.

iCloud will take over the syncing of mail, contacts, and calendars over multiple iOS devices.

Unlike MobileMe, iCloud will be free. 

Steve Jobs introducing the new iCloud icon, on the far right.

iCloud will offer wireless backup of all your phone's settings. This includes contacts, purchased music, apps, and books, camera roll, device settings, and app data.

iCloud offers 5GB of free storage for mail, documents, and backup. Purchased music, apps, and books don't count against the 5GB.

Steve Jobs introduces iTunes in the cloud, a service that lets you have access to all your iTunes music in the cloud on all iOS devices.

You can enable automatic downloads, that will automatically push new music to all your iOS devices once it's purchased.

iTunes Match will pair the songs up with the iTunes library, and upgrade them to 256kbps AAC DRM-free. However, iTunes Match will cost $24.99 a year.

5 insanely cool robots

The SUGV (Small Unmanned Ground Vehicle) is a tactical mobile robot developed by 

iRobot and Boeing that gathers intelligence while humans are a safe distance away.

The 320SUGV at work.

The SeaGlider is a submarine robot that can work underwater for up to 7 months. It can be controlled from an iPad.

The SeaGlider measures temperatures, salinity, and other qualities of the ocean then uses 

a satellite phone to send in the data.

The configurable Warrior is basically a Lego Mindstorm for those with Bill Gates’s or Uncle Sam’s budget.

It can even be used as a plow. How would you like that for the winter in the north?

The PacBot has been around for a while - saving many lives in Iraq. It's thermal camera will provide images in complete darkness, smoke obscured areas and battlefields.

The 80-inch arm extender lets the operator examine potential dangers from a relatively safe distance.

The Negotiator is a smaller robot that can sneak into tight spaces.

Monitoring the progress of the Negotiator