He is the Walt Disney for our age. In that Walt Disney truly turned cinematic arts into an entertainment industry, Steve Jobs has turned technology into a catalyst for invention and human connection. Without a doubt, Steve Jobs has done more than any other person to impact technological change and its advancement.

A man like this only comes around once in a generation.

Steve Jobs resignation letter to Apple sent shock waves through the tech community. And at the same time, it prompted comments from fans and business associates alike. Words like “genius,” “innovator” and “visionary” were used to describe the co-founder of the most valuable and most admired company in the world. And like Walt Disney, Steve Jobs came from meager roots, to not only build an empire but innovate an industry.

The Man In Black
Forty years ago, Steve Jobs looked nothing like the skinny guy in the black turtleneck that people have come to know as Apple’s CEO. He was a college dropout with a thick mop top and an affection for calligraphy. In those days some may have even called him unmotivated: He quit one of his very first gigs – a job designing video games for Atari – to backpack around India. But he was very motivated, and those experiences Jobs would say years later shaped him as a person. “You can’t connect the dots looking forward; you can only connect them looking backwards. So you have to trust that the dots will somehow connect in your future.”

In the early days of Apple, Jobs walked to meetings barefooted, and saw computers as much more than just machines. He was very much a driver of the “think different” mentality. In his Stanford University 2005 commencement speech, Jobs said, “You have to trust in something — your gut, destiny, life, karma, whatever. This approach has never let me down, and it has made all the difference in my life.”

Steve Jobs was born February 24, 1955. He was given up for adoption and grew up in a quiet little Northern California valley town called Cupertino. As a teenager, he tracked down the phone number for William Hewlett, the president of Hewlett-Packard. Jobs simply wanted a few parts for a school project. Mr. Hewlett was taken by the young man’s attitude and gladly sent over the parts, along with an offer for a summer job at HP.

The Genesis of Apple
At HP, Jobs became fast friends with a co-worker, Steve Wozniak. Wozniak impressed Jobs, “He was the only the only person I met who knew more about electronics than me,” Jobs would later say. They would soon form a company together and in the garage of Jobs’ parents home at 2066 Crist Drive in Los Altos, they built the first Apple Computer in 1976. This was the same year Microsoft started making software. By today’s standards, the machine, which sold for $666.66, practically came from the Stone Age: It came with no keyboard or monitor, and customers had to put it together themselves.

The garage where the very first Apple computer was made. 

The following year Jobs and Woz introduced the Apple II at the very first West Coast Computer Faire. The machine which featured a mouse and monitor let users control it by clicking on graphics instead of writing text – the first shot in the computer revolution had been fired.

Introducing the Mac & Saying Goodbye to Steve
“When you first start off trying to solve a problem, the first solutions you come up with are very complex, and most people stop there,”Jobs told Newsweek in 2006. “But if you keep going, and live with the problem and peel more layers of the onion off, you can often times arrive at some very elegant and simple solutions.”

For Steve Jobs, that “elegant solution” was Apple’s groundbreaking Macintosh computer. Launched in early 1984, the Macintosh was a computer that Jobs (a multimillionaire by age 30) wanted for himself.

The Macintosh was introduced to the world via this now-iconic, Orwellian-inspired Super Bowl ad. 

The machine sold well, but Jobs butted heads with other high-ranking executives at the company he built and in 1986 he was shown the door. The event would become a life-changing experience for Jobs. He reflected it on it during his speech to Stanford graduates in 2005. “I’m pretty sure none of this would have happened if I hadn’t been fired from Apple. It was awful-tasting medicine, but I guess the patient needed it. Sometimes life hits you in the head with a brick.”

The NeXT Step
After he was ousted from Apple, Steve Jobs spent the next 10 years doing what he liked to do best, developing incredible technology. In 1988 he launched the NeXT Computer. This was the computer that hosted the world’s first web server software, and was also used to write the first web browser. The NeXT Computer also had the distinction on being the first computer to act as a web server for the Internet. The cube-shaped computer had a quaint 256MB storage capacity and sold for $6,500, in 1988. It was adored by hobbyists but shunned by the average consumer. During this same period, Jobs also bought a struggling computer animation company called Pixar from George Lucas (he still sits on its Board of Directors).

Steve Jobs in 2001, introducing the iPod. 

In 1996, Apple bought NeXT and Steve Jobs was brought back into the Apple fold. He returned to the company he founded, but Apple was struggling in the marketplace and without direction. This was the emerging age of PC gaming, and then Apple computers were considered best used as tools for artists and magazine publishers.

Jobs was back running the company in less than a year, and four years later he was standing before a small audience introducing a device called the iPod. The tiny white music player turned the music world upside down, and marked the start of Apple’s comeback and massive growth. For the next decade, when Steve Jobs took the stage he blew audiences and the tech industry away. In 2003, with iTunes. In 2006, with the MacBook. In 2007, with the iPhone. In 2010, with the iPad, and most recently, in 2011, with the iCloud and Apple’s new space age business complex.

A Dollar & A Dream
Steve Jobs will be remembered for many things: his ability to inspire a religious-like following, his skill as a pitchman, his “one more thing.” He sold people on ideas, his vision for tomorrow, and technology that truly made the future come to life in present day. He also did it on an annual salary of $1.

Money didn’t matter to Steve Jobs, who seemed truly happy when he was at Apple. “Your work is going to fill a large part of your life, and the only way to be truly satisfied is to do what you believe is great work. And the only way to do great work is to love what you do,” he told the Stanford graduates in 2005.

Steve Wozniak and Steve Jobs at work on the very first Apple computer.

Steve Jobs doesn’t give many interviews, but he did sit down with Walter Isaacson for his first (and most likely, only) authorized biography, which is scheduled to be published by Simon & Schuster in November. Even Jobs seems mindful of his legacy considering his health (he was diagnosed and treated for pancreatic cancer in the mid 2000s, and his recent resignation from Apple would indicate his health is, sadly, not improving). Jobs, now 56 and married with four children, had a liver transplant in 2009 when he took a six-month medical leave from Apple. His obituary has been accidentally published by more than one wire service.

Jobs has always been a renegade. According to The Wall Street Journal, he once famously said, “It’s more fun to be a pirate than to join the navy.” And like a pirate, maybe he’s looking for one last port to pillage before he sails into the sunset. We don’t believe treasure is what Steve Jobs is focused on now: Apple has more than $70 billion in cash reserves and has recently overtaken Exxon to become the world’s most valuable company. As Steve Jobs turns toward the sunset, he continues to inspire generations, and we have to believe that’s truly what he always intended. “If you haven’t found it yet, keep looking. Don’t settle. As with all matters of the heart, you’ll know when you find it. And, like any great relationship, it just gets better and better as the years roll on.”

We wish you the best, Steve, and thanks for the inspiration.

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The iPad, just as Apple’s Steve Jobs predicted, has changed the face of computing. Some analysts predict that in 5 to 10 years, almost all desktop and laptop computers will be replaced by tablet devices. In the same way, smartphones have revolutionized cell phones, tablets, and particularly the iPad…and these devices are already revolutionizing computing.

A 3D artist’s rendering of the iPad 3. 

While the tablet business has been brisk for Apple, it hasn’t been as lucrative for some. Hewlitt-Packard recently announced it would leave the computer hardware business entirely, including its tablet business. HP recently sold out its 16GB HP Touchpad for the jaw-dropping, basement price of $99.

Outside of Apple, Amazon is probably the company most aggressive about the tablet business, and Amazon expects to sell 3 to 5 million tablets by 2012. Still, the king of the tablet throne is Apple’s iPad, and rumors are already circulating around the next version of that device. We’ve done some investigation and here’s what the iPad 3 could offer and when you can expect it:

Better Display
iPad 3′s screen resolution and possibly its size will be increased. The iPad 2 has a 9.7-inch screen and 1024 x 768 resolution – the same as the first-generation iPad. A retina display (like the iPhone 4) with a resolution of 2048 x 1536 is rumored to be in the works for the iPad 3.

The iPad has also taken knocks for its glossy screen. Sure, it looks great, but the glare can be a real problem when trying to read a book or play a game. Amazon’s Kindle features a matte-like screen that diffuses light rather than reflecting it; Apple could offer a version of the iPad 3 with anti-glare.

Apple quietly re-introduced an anti-glare option for the 15-inch MacBook Pro. A similar option could be made available for the iPad 3.

Better Camera
The camera on the iPad 2 is less than 1 megapixel. Frankly, it’s appalling that such a cutting-edge device has such an outdated camera. Rumors suggest that the iPad 3 camera resolution will be significantly improved.

New OS
In addition to hardware upgrades, Apple insiders also point to a new or updated iPad operating system. Ideally, this OS would be released just prior to the iPad 3 release, and original iPad and iPad 2 owners would also benefit from the update. iOS 5 is already slated for release this fall.

New Outputs
Currently, the iPad requires an adapter (which must be bought separately) in order to connect the device to your flatscreen or to view pictures on the device you’ve taken with a separate camera. Some analysts have said a next-generation iPad may at least have HDMI out. However Apple insiders have ruled this out, because the addition of another output would increase the cost of hardware, which is something Apple is not fond of doing.

Release Date & New iPad Retailer
Apple’s hardware release pattern is somewhat predictable, at least it was until component manufacturers located in Japan, China and other Asian regions were affected by this past year’s tsunami. But most analysts look to a Spring 2012 iPad 3 release. Here’s why: A newly forged relationship with communications provider Sprint, which is rumored to be getting iPad distribution rights in 2012. Also, Apple has a tendency to release devices well in advance of the holiday season (usually during spring or early summer) to allow consumer demand to build for almost an entire year. In addition, Apple will not want to cannibalize sales of the iPhone 5, which drops in September. Apple will want that device to have all the limelight possible well into the end of this year.

Developing For The Future
As the computer hardware industry changes to embrace tablets, the development community must change, too. Almost all tablets not made by Apple are driven by the Android OS, and apps are the primary way to experience content. Learning app development or the Android OS could help you get your foot in the door of the tablet revolution. It’s a revolution that’s already well underway.

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It’s probably one of the most anticipated films in movie history – at least since the first Terminator sequel went into production. Fans of the Ghostbusters will only have to wait about a year more for their beloved ghost hunters to come out of retirement, as star Dan Aykroyd has officially confirmed: “We will be doing the movie and hopefully with Mr. Murray.”

The original Ghostbusters: Ray Stantz (Dan Aykroyd), Dr. Peter Venkman (Bill Murray) and Egon Spengler (Harold Ramis).

Bill Murray, who starred in the first two films, has vocally expressed concerns about previous proposed scripts and has matched wits with studio heads that seem to not have the best interest of the franchise in mind. The film, which already has a Ghostbusters 3 listing on the Internet Movie Database, will start shooting in Spring 2012, hopefully for a Holiday 2012 release.

Who Ya Gonna Call?
Aykroyd, who was recently interviewed on The Dennis Miller Radio Show, gave some interesting points of view, including some insight on who might star in the film. “The concept (of Ghostbusters) is much bigger than an individual role, and the promise of Ghostbusters 3 is that we get to hand the equipment and the franchise down to new blood.”

Bill Murray talks Ghostbusters 3 on David Letterman.

In the interview, Aykroyd was quick to speak to the possibility that his friend and fellow actor Bill Murray may not be along for the ride. “What we have to remember is that Ghostbusters is bigger than any one component – although Billy was absolutely the lead and contributed to it in a massive way, as did the director and Harold (Ramis), myself, and Sigourney (Weaver). The concept is much larger than any individual role.”

Aykroyd went on to reveal script details, including that his character, Ray Stanz, becomes blind in one eye, and due to a his physical condition, “can’t drive the Cadillac anymore.”

Ghost Story
It’s no surprise that GB3 has taken this long to get made. Film production in general is a political and labor-intensive process. As far as the script goes, in one early version Aykroyd wrote, the Ghostbusters found themselves in Hell. It’s a unique take on the ghost-hunting formula, which even Murray has commented needs a fresher take.

Murray was actually more attracted to a script that had him becoming a zombie or possessed, and needing to be rescued by the Ghostbusters. It’s also been rumored that Sigourney Weaver’s child in the second film (named Oscar) would help take over the reigns as a new Ghostbuster. Everyone from Ashton Kuchter to Jesse Eisenberg has been attached to the role.

Dan Aykroyd has spent quite a bit of time working on a Ghostbuster sequel. Most recently, he helped game developers with a script for the incredibly successful video game Ghostbusters, which also featured the voices of Murray, Aykroyd and Ramis.

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During the Golden Age of movies, Clark Gable was the biggest movie star in the world. In the 1980s, without a doubt, the star of the Golden Age of Video Games was Mario. Is is just coincidence that two charming, mustached leading men helped usher their craft to a new level? Maybe.

Real ladies men: dashing, charismatic and hopping from place to place in search of a girl.  

Most hardcore videogamers agree that the Golden Age of Video Games existed in the 1980s. If you disagree, remember this was an age of emerging technology. Games had just evolved from squares and bleeps. Programmers were actually learning how to make video arcades do amazing things. Mall-based and stand-alone arcades were pilgrimages that required rolls of quarters and entire Friday nights. This was the first generation of video-game consoles, when Mario and his 80s pals dominated arcades and home televisions. Characters like Pac-Man and Q*bert. Don’t remember them? It’s okay; we do:

Centipede (1980)

“You can’t hide! I’m coming to get you!”

Players used a roller-ball controller. The distinctive sound of the game’s centipede sprinting across the screen could be picked out of an arcade full of noise.

Frogger (1981)

“Go Froggy, go, you got to keep hoppin’ til you get to the top!”

The frog that became an arcade icon. The goal of Frogger was simple: guide the frog across a busy street and river. The game even inspired a classic episode of Seinfeld.

Galaga (1981)

History in the making: The shooter that stole a million quarters.

The sequel shooter to the arcade dud Galaxian. Challenging stages and tractor beams make this classic still one of the most popular classic arcade game on console services like Xbox Live.

Tron (1982)

The lightcycles were controlled with a glowing joystick. 

Based on the Disney movie of the same name, this game was like Star Wars, because it was one of the first video games to truly transport you into the world of the film. Playing a random round of lightcycles made gamers feel directly connected with the very pixels they controlled.

Burgertime (1982)

Sure, it looks simple. That’s part of the problem. 

The goal: make hamburgers by climbing a multi-leveled playfield. Gamers would walk over sandwich ingredients, dropping them in order to build a burger and (at the same time) avoid getting destroyed by the dreaded pickle, hot dog or eggs. This game devoured quarters.

Super Mario Bros. (1985)

“He’s on fire!” Boy, was he ever! Mario has sold more video games than anybody. 

Like Gable was the grand marshall of his industry for a time, Mario was the ambassador for his, too – and the Nintendo Entertainment System. Mario also did a short stretch as an arcade hero. This isn’t a full list, of course, but a partial list of stand-outs. We left out Mappy, Donkey Kong, Pole Position and so many more. What video-game developer made your favorite game from the Golden Age of Video Games?

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In a few weeks Apple is expected to release the iPhone 5, but there’s also a cheaper iPhone 4 on the way. Reuters recently reported Apple is producing a lower-end version of the iPhone 4, expected to reach the market in late September. The iPhone 4 is currently only available in 16GB and 32GB versions. The new iPhone 4, which is being manufactured in Asia, could contain an 8GB flash drive.

                        iPhone 4                                                iPhone 5

With a wider, sharper screen, the iPhone 5 will be a smartphone that really amazes.  

Cheaper iPhone 4, Sprint Availability on the Way
News that Apple is producing a cheaper iPhone 4 is exciting iPhone fanatics and developers alike. App development is a huge business, and now even more iPhones will be released. Recently, the Associated Press reported  Sprint would sell the iPhone in September. iPhone hardware is currently only available through the AT&T and Verizon network.

When Does the iPhone 5 Release?
The iPhone 5 is apparently just weeks away from release. Some sources have even said that September 7 would be the release date. The device is rumored to have a better display and wider screen, among other great features.

Could this be the iPhone 5? Sadly no, it’s Photoshopped. But we can dream, can’t we?

One thing is for sure: Steve Jobs resignation hasn’t slowed down tech giant Apple, as insiders say the company has big plans for the next iPhone release. The dual release of a cheaper iPhone 4 and the iPhone 5 would make a lot of business sense.

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The Beatles were many things simultaneously: they were the most famous celebrities of their day…the best songwriters of their age…and, ultimately, the most beloved band of all time. And one more thing: The Beatles were also the most creative single force to ever hit popular music. The band influenced generations, and the group still continues to have a profound impact. The Beatles not only changed the way music was being made, they forever changed music.

The fifth Beatle: Producer George Martin (center) worked on all but one of The Beatles’ albums.

Through ceaseless inventiveness, The Beatles set musical trends that are still being followed. They never rested on their achievements, constantly stretching the boundaries of pop music. There is a chartable creative progression that begins with the first Beatle album and ends with the last. It should also be noted that The Beatles were assisted greatly by studio wizard George Martin, who produced every Beatle album (except Let it Be) and helped the band with their various sonic experiments.

Trying to list The Beatles’ various creative achievements would take forever, but we can zero in on five songs that demonstrate the band’s technical mastery.

I Feel Fine (Beatles ’65, 1964)
How It Changed Music:  The first intentional use of feedback in a pop music recording. 

Filming the video to accompany “I Feel Fine,” Ringo plays exercise bike. On the record, he employs a rhythm that can be traced to Ray Charles’ “What’d I Say.”

In 1964, the idea of musicians actually trying to get their instruments to produce distortion was radically new. And although The Beatles certainly didn’t invent feedback and weren’t the first to incorporate it into their live act (The Who or The Kinks probably have that distinction), The Beatles were the first to release a single that featured feedback.

How It Happened: It was all due to a happy accident in the studio, when John propped his Gibson acoustic/electric against a switched-on amplifier. The guitar erupted with feedback, which stopped Lennon and McCartney in their tracks. The uniqueness of the sound impressed Lennon so much, he instantly asked producer George Martin if they could somehow use feedback in the recording. The producer suggested tacking it onto the front of the song and the rest is Rock ‘n’ Roll history. On the final master, John plucks the A string on his guitar. The note at first stings, then buzzes and finally dissolves into an ear-piercing wail. A million bands may have incorporated feedback into their sound, but The Beatles were the first to put it on record.

Eleanor Rigby (Revolver, 1966)
How It Changed Music:  Rock songs don’t always need to have happy endings – or traditional drums and guitars – to become hits. 

A very real Eleanor Rigby lived and died in Liverpool. Coincidence?

Each song on the album Revolver has a unique, fully formed sound, but none more distinctive than Paul McCartney’s “Eleanor Rigby.” A grim song about alienation (“Ah…look at all the lonely people!”), “Eleanor Rigby” tells the story of a lonely woman (who eventually dies) and a lonely minister (who presides over her burial). The song was a shock to Beatle fans that were used to upbeat love songs from the Fab Four. This was a song with no happy endings. Nonetheless, despite the somber subject matter, the song spent four weeks topping the British pop charts. More than 60 pop artists have covered the song since then.

Revolver marks the point when The Beatles stopped being a live performing act and became a full-time studio band. Aside from the general exhaustion of touring, The Beatles were becoming more ambitious about their music and had already mastered conventional multi-track recording techniques. Individual songs were being crafted with more time and creative techniques. In recording “Eleanor Rigby,” McCartney’s genius was to suggest the use of an eight-piece string section. In fact, none of The Beatles actually play instruments on the recording. Instead, the song is driven by its churning cello, mournful violas and stabbing violins.

How It Happened: There was a real Eleanor Rigby, who worked as a scullery maid in a Liverpool hospital and died in 1939. As teenagers, Lennon and McCartney hung around near a cemetery bearing her tombstone. It’s been suggested that McCartney absorbed the name subconsciously and used it years later when penning the song. By the way, “Father MacKenzie” started out as “Father McCartney,” until Paul feared that people would think he was describing his own father.

Tomorrow Never Knows (Revolver, 1966)
How It Changed Music:  Experimentation is good: Part One.

Backward beats: The Beatles usher in their psychedelic period with “Tomorrow Never Knows.”

The Beatles were still a unified force in 1966, but Revolver demonstrated the individual gifts of each Beatle. Paul scored high marks with “Eleanor Rigby,” while George Harrison contributed one of his best songs (“Taxman”) and drummer Ringo Starr sang lead on the innocent anthem, “Yellow Submarine.” As for John Lennon, he added the album’s closing track – a stunning piece of early psychedelic music called “Tomorrow Never Knows.” The lyrics, inspired by The Tibetan Book of the Dead, were strange enough (“Listen to the color of your dreams”) but the song itself sounded like virtually nothing the band had recorded up to that point.

How It Happened: To give Lennon’s chanting vocal the desired “sound of a guru on a mountaintop,” producer Martin ran the vocal track through a Lesley spinning speaker, a type of speaker that produced an odd, wobbly sound. John’s vocals were also doubled by using an Automatic Double Tracking (ADT) system. Meanwhile, Ringo used a unique drum pattern for his rhythm tracks and his drums and cymbals were recorded and played in reverse, as was Harrison’s sitar. The Beatles also gave the song an added layer of weirdness by adding 16 six-second-long tape loops of various sounds (most of which were played in reverse), which producer Martin interspersed through the song. The resulting final track was an amazing, riveting piece of music that predicted the band’s next stage: psychedelia.

Being for the Benefit of Mr. Kite (Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band, 1967)
How It Changed Music:  Experimentation is good: Part Two.

John Lennon points to the poster that inspired “Being for the Benefit of Mr. Kite”

Things were getting pretty crazy in groovy 1967, and that influence colors the album that many critics regard as not only The Beatles’ best album, but the best Rock album of all time. Sgt. Pepper is loaded throughout with one innovation after another, but “Being for the Benefit of Mr. Kite” capably demonstrates the band’s daring musical experimentation. The song’s lyrics, which tell of an upcoming old-style circus event, were inspired by an antique music-hall poster that Lennon had acquired.

Lennon used direct quotes from this 124-year-old circus poster.

How It Happened: Much of Lennon’s lyric was taken word-for-word from the original handbill. For one musical passage within the song’s middle eight bars, a collection of different pieces of audio was gathered. Each tape contained a different type of carnival music. Producer George Martin, unhappy with their attempts to find one signature carnival sound, had all of the tapes cut into small pieces, which were then thrown into the air and onto the studio floor. The studio engineer then randomly picked up the pieces of tape, which were re-assembled in precisely that order to create a flowing montage of circus sounds.

I Want You (She’s So Heavy) (Abbey Road, 1969)
How It Changed Music:  Simplicity can be a lot deeper than you think.

Even though the foursome would soon part company, The Beatles were still in-step when recording the band’s final masterpiece, Abbey Road.

After the dense, multi-layered psychedelic rumble that The Beatles pioneered during the Pepper era, most of Abbey Road (which was the last Beatle album recorded, although Let it Be would be released after it) was marked by a simpler sound that didn’t seem to rely quite so much on audio “tricks.” But even at their simplest, The Beatles’ music contains multiple levels. And that was certainly the case for “I Want You (She’s So Heavy),” which took a simple blues-type song and stretched it out to nearly eight minutes

How It Happened: Songwriter Lennon answered criticisms of the primitive lyric (“I want you…I want you so bad…I want you…I want you so bad it’s driving me mad”) by saying that it was an urgent love song that required a simple lyric. (Lennon used the example of a drowning man, who doesn’t scream, “Excuse me, but could you please possibly throw me that float and save me?” when “Help! I’m drowning!” is more to the point.) Then there are the song’s special effects, which were tacked onto the building instrumental that dominates the back half of the song. The bizarre sound of an increasing, howling wind (created by Lennon playing a Moog synthesizer) was grafted onto the song, with the white noise becoming louder as the song’s thundering chords repeat over and over.

The end of “I Want You (She’s So Heavy)” is also technically interesting, because there really is no ending, per Lennon’s idea. The instruments keep hitting the main theme over and over (with the wind SFX now up to hurricane force) and then the song just unexpectedly goes silent. No final chord or drumbeat: just pure silence. An amazing and unexpected finish to a song that was more complex than originally judged…and one of the very last Beatle songs to be mixed by the group itself.

Even The Simpsons have paid tribute to The Beatles with this Abbey Road parody.

Creativity on Tap
The Beatles’ music still shines decades later, thanks to the careful craft that went into every Beatle recording. Each member of the band quickly became a master of the audio studio arts. Their early music shows The Beatles’ progression as audio producers who were bent and determined to give the world a new kind of sound.

The Beatles’ legacy lives on. The John Lennon Educational Tour Bus can help teach you how to become a music producer. And thanks in large part to The Beatles, audio production continues to attract creative and musical people of all ages.

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Steve Jobs, the man who has been the guiding force at Apple, driving both the iPhone and iPad launches, as well as the company for the last decade, has resigned his post as Chief Executive Officer at Apple Inc. The announcement was made today.

Steve Jobs, visionary.

Apple’s chief operating officer, Tim Cook (who has been filling in for Jobs since January), will take over as CEO of the company.

Jobs, the company co-founder, and his health has been the focus of much speculation since he took a medical leave two years ago to receive a liver transplant. Jobs was diagnosed with pancreatic cancer. The markets had already closed prior to the announcement, but Apple stock (AAPL) is expected to take a hit in light of the announcement.

The announcement via BusinessWire:

Apple’s Board of Directors today announced that Steve Jobs has resigned as Chief Executive Officer, and the Board has named Tim Cook, previously Apple’s Chief Operating Officer, as the company’s new CEO. Jobs has been elected Chairman of the Board and Cook will join the Board, effective immediately.

“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.”

“The Board has complete confidence that Tim is the right person to be our next CEO,” added Levinson. “Tim’s 13 years of service to Apple have been marked by outstanding performance, and he has demonstrated remarkable talent and sound judgment in everything he does.”

Jobs submitted his resignation to the Board today and strongly recommended that the Board implement its succession plan and name Tim Cook as CEO.

As COO, Cook was previously responsible for all of the company’s worldwide sales and operations, including end-to-end management of Apple’s supply chain, sales activities, and service and support in all markets and countries. He also headed Apple’s Macintosh division and played a key role in the continued development of strategic reseller and supplier relationships, ensuring flexibility in response to an increasingly demanding marketplace.

Steve Jobs sent a personalized letter announcing his resignation to the Apple Board of Directors and the Apple Community. In it, he said he would still serve on Apple’s Board of  Directors.

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As several analysts predicted, Facebook is starting to look a little more like Google+. Today Facebook announced it would release easier privacy controls for its users. The changes will begin happening this Thursday when Facebook starts to give users more control over how they share their content.

Facebook founder Mark Zuckerberg

The changes, which Facebook has apparently been working on since the launch of Google+, were announced today by Facebook’s Chris Cox. The update will contain several new privacy options, including many that Facebook users have been clamoring about for some time. The update will also help reduce clutter on Facebook pages, and will give users a better handle on how photos and posts get added to their Facebook pages and more control over who sees them.

New Privacy Settings
- Facebook users are now able to adjust and change your privacy settings each time you post and share. Facebook is adding a drop-down menu at the bottom of the entry field where users enter a status update, or other post. Post/privacy options include “Friends,” “Public” and “Custom.” This is a lot like Google+’s “Circles” feature, and like Google+, Facebook will also include an option for users to change the privacy setting of an update after it’s been posted.

- Privacy settings are now easier to access. Now there’s a drop-down menu next to the profile you want to change. Before, Facebook privacy settings were buried in a settings page.

Tag, You’re It…And Out
- Tags can now be pre-approved by the tagged user. Tags link a person’s profile to a photo or other post. Facebook now provides an option for users to approve any tag in a photo or post before the content is actually linked to their profile. Users also have the ability to approve any tags added to their photos and posts by others.

- Facebook Places is being phased out. Now you can tag your Facebook friends, and tag any posted content, with a location.

The Face of Social Media Continues to Change
Facebook also announced in an interview that it’s looking to acquire about 20 more companies this year. Facebook bought 13 companies in 2011. Google+ has definitely caused Facebook to sit up and take notice, in many ways forcing the company to update its network when before, even Facebook’s own users couldn’t force such changes. Now, more and more, Internet development is at the forefront of technology and Facebook and Google+ lead the social space.

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When you create a 3D animated character there are several things to keep in mind. 3D modeling and animation is a process that requires you to constantly evaluate what you’re creating. That’s why it’s helpful to group the thousands of visual choices you have available to you according to basic, fundamental principles. One of the most important of these principles is the idea of asymmetry.

In the context of design (particularly in 3D modeling and animation), asymmetry is vitally important in establishing both believability and interest.

Finding Balance
Why is asymmetry so important in 3D creation? Asymmetry helps establish believability. Just take a look at the world around you. For the most part, unless it’s a car, machine or other man-made device, it’s naturally asymmetrical. Asymmetry also helps establish interest because of variations in the object. Take a look at the example below…

The image on the left side is asymmetric, while the image on the right side is symmetric. As you can see, my face isn’t as interesting to look at when it’s the same on both sides.

How does this translate into 3D modeling and animation?  How do we achieve asymmetry in 3D creation program like Maya? Actually, there are some easy ways to accomplish this:

Mirror Model
One common approach to modeling characters is to work on one half and then mirror the geometry to the other side.  This is a smart way to work, as it resembles the rough symmetry of most characters and simultaneously cuts the work in half.  However, this leaves us with a completely symmetrical model when we want something more believable.  It looks manufactured. Avoid this by simply altering certain elements of the object on one side of the model. Do this by scaling or sculpting or using lattice deformers.

Altering little details (like eyebrows or the corner of a mouth) can help make a character asymmetrical.

Animation Asymmetry
Modifying a 3D model can easily add asymmetry, but how do we incorporate asymmetry into animation? One is posing your model with asymmetry. Take a look at the two poses below:

Of these two poses, the model on the right is more dynamic and more believable.

Finally, during the animation process, motion curves representing opposite sides of the body can be offset to provide a sort of temporal asymmetry. This creates a pleasant overlap and flexibility to a character action, and it’s an important step in creating a believable sense of weight.

In summary, asymmetry is a vital step in creating believable characters. When you use asymmetry, you demonstrate to the viewer your thoughtfulness as a animator, modeler and designer.

Geoff Beatty teaches 3D modeling and animation using Maya for Digital Media Academy. He was previously profiled on DMAC. Geoff is one of only a handful of Autodesk-Certified Instructors in Maya, the leading 3D animation software program.

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Headed back to school? Looking for a movie to get you in the mood, or bring you closer together with your new class or roommates? No worries, we’ve rounded up the best “back-to-school” films of all time:

Election (1999)

What’s It About? A student and teacher go head-to-head for control of an Omaha High School.

Why It’s Great: The film stars two great actors – Matthew Broderick plays Jim McAllister, a level-headed high school history teacher while Reese Witherspoon plays Tracy Flick, a human dynamo with ambition to burn – and features some of the funniest high school moments you’ll ever see on screen. Ranked by critics and entertainment publications alike as one of the funniest film based around high school, it’s perfect for back-to-school. The story? Tracy Flick is running unopposed for the high school student election. McAllister, who wants to see Tracy face a challenger (and then some), talks popular varsity football player into running against her. The rest of the film follows Flick and McAllister as they go head-to-head, again and again.

Trivia: Look for the Apples, which foreshadow major events. Matthew Broderick’s role reversal; in Election he plays a teacher while Broderick skipped school as a student on the lam in the 1986 film, Ferris Bueller’s Day Off.

Back to School (1986)

What’s It About? A millionaire goes back to college and ends up teaching the students and teachers a thing or two.

Why It’s Great
Iron Man’s Robert Downy, Jr. stars as a New Waver with a multi-colored “Flock of Seagulls” haircut. But what really makes Back-to-School great: Rodney Dangerfield. Dangerfield plays Thornton Melon, a successful clothing store chain owner. Upon a visit to his son’s university, Melon begins worrying that junior is bombing out, so Thorton decides to enroll. Want to shake up your university? Then watch how it’s done, by a pro.

“Yeah, I took out an English teacher. That didn’t work out at all. I sent her a love letter… She corrected it!” BMOC (Big Millionaire on Campus) Thornton Melon (Rodney Dangerfield) talks with fellow classmates.

Dangerfield turns the entire university system upside-down. He hires NASA scientists to help him with his Astronomy homework, he gets help from author Kurt Vonnegut, Jr. (who makes an actual cameo) with a book report. From renovating his dorm room into a luxury pad to the epic parties he throws, Thornton Melon is a master at work. Dangerfield, who was one of stand-up comedy’s all-time greats, also co-wrote the story for Back to School, which ensures the one-liners never stop.

Trivia: Dangerfield helped mentor young comics, like Sam Kinison who plays Professor Terguson – but up-and-coming Jim Carrey, also was considered for the role. He was ultimately considered too young by casting directors.

National Lampoon’s Animal House (1978)

What’s It About: A college fraternity stirs up trouble at college.

Why It’s Great: It features one of the greatest all-time comedy scripts and director John Landis’ Animal House still slays audiences whenever it plays. It is the ultimate college comedy – just as Caddyshack is the ultimate golf comedy.

John Belushi plays Bluto. Belushi flew between Oregon (where Animal House was shot) and New York during filming, as he was still a key player on Saturday Night Live.

The story? It’s 1962 at Faber University and fraternity rush is in session. But this year, university dean Vernon Wormer wants to shut down the loudest, most obnoxious frat house on campus: Delta house. However, the Deltas won’t go quietly or without a fight, even after the evil dean places the house on “double-secret probation.” John Belushi achieved instant screen immortality as “Bluto” Blutarsky, the loudest and most obnoxious Delta of them all. More classic comic moments than can be inventoried in an entire blog. “This situation requires a really stupid and futile gesture,” says Otter (Tim Matheson). Bluto: “And we’re just the guys to do it.” Boy, are they ever.

Trivia: Harold Ramis (Egon from Ghostbusters), co-wrote the film, and based many of the jokes on his own college experiences. When it debuted, this early National Lampoon-branded feature broke the bank (earning $141 million). It was made for only $2.7 million.

Napoleon Dynamite (2004)

What’s It About: Napoleon Dynamite, what’d you think it was about? Gosh!

Why It’s Great: Long before Glee started making high school misfits feel warm and understood, this film celebrated the King Kong of nerds. Preston (Idaho) High School student Napoleon Dynamite…his name all the funnier because it sounds like it should belong to a double agent out of a James Bond film…oozes nerdiness from every pore.

A nerd for the ages: Napoleon Dynamite has skills. “You know, like nunchuku skills, bow-hunting skills, computer hacking skills. Girls only want boyfriends who have great skills.”

With his perpetually dulled expression, monotone voice and must-have school accessories (Trapper-Keeper notebook, a pants pocket full of cafeteria tater tots and the action figures he dangles from a string off the back of his school bus), Jon Heder was born to play this role. As Napoleon Dynamite progresses, it’s revealed that he’s surrounded (both at home and at high school) by others who are just as goofy, although sometimes in different ways. It’s incredibly quotable (“I’ve caught you a delicious bass,” “Pedro offers you his protection”) and has a unique Rogue’s Gallery of wigged-out characters. And just when you think Napoleon has been out-nerded by his older brother Kip (Aaron Ruell), then his Uncle Rico (Jon Gries) appears and the competition really begins.

Trivia: Napoleon Dynamite showed nerds have box office muscle; this modest $400,000 film earned $46 million.

Grease (1978)

What’s It About: A pair of students who fell in love over the summer come to grips with seeing each other daily in school.

Why It’s Great: Grease is the original high school musical. And must be considered among the best back-to-school movies, because it’s set during one complete school year in 1959, starting with the end of summer vacation and plowing forward until graduation in late spring. Beyond that, Grease remains a blast of pure energy, still fun to watch more than three decades after its massive box office run.

Audiences continue to bond with Grease, the Grease Sing-A-Long is now a yearly standard at many outdoor music festivals.

The story? Danny (John Travolta) and Sandy (Olivia Newton John) fall in love during summer vacation, then find each other attending Rydell High that fall. Will Danny and Sandy stay together? Few expected the screen version of the hit Broadway musical (which ran for nine consecutive years and numerous revivals) to hold up as well as it has, but director Randal Kleiser’s movie perfectly captured the show’s infectious energy and all the cameo appearances from actors and actresses who were actually TV and movie stars during the movie’s time period are a hoot.

Trivia: At least three money-making hit songs came from the catchy soundtrack, including Frankie Valli’s title song.

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