Ashton Kutcher playing Steve Jobs in a Hollywood biopic feels weird. There’s no getting around that. Kutcher has never not looked like a teenaged slacker, so it’s incredibly difficult to imagine him as one of the hardest working and influential men in tech history. Still, he managed to get himself cast in the horribly-titled ‘jOBS’ so he may have more lurking under his pretty boy surface than we thought. Although we’ve seen some spy photos of Kutcher in character, the first official image from the film has been released. Check it out below.

If your first reaction is “Oh, he just looks like Ashton Kutcher!”, gaze upon this photo (the inspiration for the still) of a young Steve Jobs. Prepare to gasp a little:

Yep, the physical resemblance is uncanny. The jury’s still out if he can actually capture the man’s personality and drive, but at least they got one thing right.

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A year ago today, Steve Jobs passed away, only a few weeks after stepping down from his position at Apple. His legacy cannot be overstated or underestimated: no one man has done more to push us into the future than him. How rare is it that the beloved face of a company is also its driving creative force? He was a gamechanger and a tastemaker, a man whose specific vision for what technology can be and should be has defined an entire generation of technological innovation. What he found cool and useful is now what society finds cool and useful.

In the past year, Apple has only grown. It’s stock it at an all-time high. The iPhone 5 is the fastest selling mobile device of all time. Apple continues to soar far above Google and Microsoft in the numbers…but is it the same company? Our own Q Manning has this to say:

“In the year since Steve passed, the mobile situation has lost a bit of its elegance. The war between Samsung and Apple has gotten dirty, and the company he made the biggest in the world has committed a series of missteps in both their product line and their offering. While Apple may continue to be profitable, Steve’s absence is sorely felt by the technology world. He continues to be missed.”

Tim Cook is not Steve Jobs. He may get the job done, but he doesn’t have the insight and drive that transformed Jobs into the 21st century’s first true innovator. Eventually, someone else will come along and take the reins of this mobile world. He or she may work for Apple, but who knows? Maybe the next true innovator will come from the Android camp or even Microsoft. Jobs’ genius propelled Apple to unseen heights, but his true legacy is opening the door to a new and exciting world of mobile tech. His legacy will be felt not just in Apple, but throughout an entire industry.

The next true innovator will be continuing the work started by Steve Jobs.

The post A Year Without Jobs appeared first on Tapsauce.

Apple’s Maps crisis continues! As their new native travel app continues to be the laughingstock of the internet, a new New York Times piece has revealed that while Google is in fact working on a Google Maps app for iOS 6, it won’t be ready until the end of the year at the earliest. In the meantime, early adopters are going to have to suffer with subpar directional service. But could this be part of a Google’s plan? Are they intentionally letting iPhone users suffer without their app just so they can “save the day” with their service? Maybe…

Let’s start off this Wednesday right with…that’s right…statistics! Who is using which smartphone? This TechCrunch chart shows what we’ve suspected all along: younger folks tend to skew iOS and older folks tend to go for Android. It aso looks like RIM’s sole support comes from middle aged folks who have yet to choose a new camp.

Despite selling significantly higher than predicted, the iPhone 5 still didn’t “meet expectations.” Um, what? Anyway, the official reason for the “limited” iPhone 5 sales is that the device’s new, thinner screens are more difficult to produce and are on short supply. So if you couldn’t snag an iPhone 5, blame the fancy new screen.

To commemorate the anniversary of his tragic and early death, Madame Tussauds’ Hong Kong museum has unveiled its wax figure of the legendary Apple genius. Take a look:

The post News Round-Up: MapGate Treks On, Google Laughs Uproariously appeared first on Tapsauce.

Why is it important for an app developer to watch Apple so closely?

We pay attention to Apple because they always seem to be on the forefront of what the industry is going to do. If Apple adopts a new technology, you can expect everyone else to adopt that technology. Specifically, there’s been a lot of talk about NFC (near field communication) technologies. A lot of people believe that we don’t have a standard NFC system yet because Apple hasn’t embraced specific version, leading to a lot competing companies. We watch Apple because whatever they do and whatever tech they embrace will dictate what we’ll be working with.

Does Android have a chance of ever taking this spot and becoming the trendsetter?

Absolutely. The problem is that the system is fragmented across numerous companies. While I don’t see Android itself becoming a trendsetter on its own, I do see a specific Android device or a technology like Google Glass making a splash and dictating what everyone else does. Google has to push the boundaries. There are a lot of people saying that Apple is doing things with the iPhone 5 that Google has been doing for awhile and while that’s true to some extent, there are other areas where Android is failing. Google’s willingness to modify their operating system all the time is something that hurts their phones. With so many Android devices, there is never a clear answer as to whether or not your device will be able to update properly. It’s all fragmented. In order to take the leadership position, two things need to happen: Android needs to think outside the box and Apple needs to drop the ball. Apple will have to not innovate. They may not have innovated enough with iOS 6. We’ll have to see. It may happen with iOS 7 or the iPhone 6. We’ll have to wait and see.

I think we’re starting to see the cracks in the infrastructure already. I don’t think Tim Cook is pushing the company in the direction it needs to go. The profitability is there, but he doesn’t seem to be the genius or innovator that Steve Jobs was. We knew that, but he also doesn’t seem to have the cajones that Jobs had. I think what we saw with the iPod Nano shows that. Tim chose to take a step back and the new Nano looks like a mini-iPhone, whereas the previous version was a tiny device that could be a worn on a watch. Many of us were hoping that was the next step, that the watch would become a phone and we’d have the iPhone Nano and really shake up the industry. But Tim Cook chose to take a step back and go with the solid, stable, safe and proven format. That’s not what Apple should do. Apple needs to innovate. It needs to come up with things that aren’t commonplace. They need to create clean, easy to use devices that will define the future. If Tim Cook continues to play it safe, he’ll only hurt Apple in the long run. They’ll become a Dell or a HP. They’ll become just another manufacturer working to keep the status quo. Steve Jobs would never have done that.

Does Apple throw their power around in any way you don’t like as a developer?

No. Apple’s power has made my job possible. The creation of the iPhone is the reason that there is a Rocksauce Studios. It’s the reason there are a million other app-related companies. It’s the reason Android exists. You can choose to ignore the power and influence of Apple, but you do so with blinders on. Apple embraced the technology and made it possible in the first place. Unless Tim Cook screws it all up.

The post Q & Answers: The Importance of Apple (and How Tim Cook May Botch It All) appeared first on Tapsauce.

Steve Jobs’ sister, Mona Simpson, presented a moving eulogy at her brother’s funeral. Go ahead and read that first, before we move onto the dumb jokes.

Wait…my local Jason’s Deli doesn’t have Wi-fi but train commuters on the east coast (and soon the west) will soon have internet access while they sit in their antiquated transportation? Foolishness! Foolishness, I say! But that’s only a front to hide my jealously. Because I want to ride on a train. A train that has Wi-fi. A future train.

Life is hard. When you want to stream movies or TV shows from the quiet safety of your home, you have to check Netflix and Amazon and Hulu AND iTunes. Ugh. So much work, Too much work, even. Too much work for one man…but not for CanIStream.It, the new service that lets you enter a movie title and watch while the ancient, mystical magic that is the internet pumps steam into some unknown pipes, turning noisy gears and producing a result…that result being where the movie is available to watch, complete with direct links. As streaming becomes more prevalent — and various rights issues keep films from being available everywhere — this could very well become a useful tool.

More after the JUMP…

If you’ve ever wanted to use your iPhone to rap over generic sound loops, you’re in luck. Garage Band has officially arrived on the iPhone. You can also use it to create original music and record audio shows, but it’s all about rapping over generic sound loops.

The latest in the This Is All Your Fault files: Angry Birds developer Rovio has signed on the dotted line with Diamond publishing and will begin pumping out Angry Birds cookbooks, “doodle books” and, hopefully, 400 page novels that let us know exactly what the boomerang bird was thinking when he slammed through that wooden fort and committed swine-icide. These are the things that happen when your game is downloaded nearly half a billion times.

The thing about Twitter is that anyone and everyone can see your Tweets, meaning that if you’re supposed to keep your mouth shut about something in real life, you should probably keep your mouth shut on Twitter. Especially if you’re involved in the NBA strike, because you may very well get a $500,000 fine.

Put down those magnifying glasses and fingerprint kits, boys and girls. The mystery of why the Amazon Cloud Music app vanished from the app store has been solved! Amazon has pulled it themselves because of — you guessed it — licensing agreements.

China’s app usage has exploded in the past year, rising 870%. It’s second only to the United States when it comes to the number of people using apps. This is what happens when you’re the nation with the largest population of mobile phone users and iOS devices take a price drop.

Meanwhile, right across the water, the world’s fastest computer, Japan’s Fujitsu “K,” has gotten even faster. The computer is supposed to monitor the climate and help predict earthquakes, but you just know it’s only a matter of time before it becomes sentient, creates an army and conquers the world.

Because buttons are sooo 20th century, you should take a look at this touchscreen keyboard.

The post Mobile News Round-Up: Steve Jobs’ Eulogy, a Handy Guide to Movie Streaming and Getting Fined for Tweets appeared first on Tapsauce.

The past two days saw every website on the internet pay tribute to the late Steve Jobs. We saw vigils outside Apple stores. We saw sweet, if somewhat embarrassing, commemorative art. We saw the rest of the world — wars overseas, thousands of protesters marching on Wall Street — get temporarily pushed to the back burner while everyone considered the death of one of the most influential men in recent history. One of the best tributes came courtesy of comedian Stephen Colbert, whose obsession with Apple products has been a long-running joke on his show, The Colbert Report. Colbert’s mix of comedy and pathos — including a final statement completely devoid of his trademark snarkiness — is refreshing. There is no need to feel dour…let’s celebrate the man’s accomplishments.

Watch the clip after the jump.

More after the JUMP…

The post Watch: Stephen Colbert’s Tribute to Steve Jobs appeared first on Tapsauce.

This is the end of an era: Steve Jobs has resigned as CEO of Apple. Here’s his letter of resignation:

To the Apple Board of Directors and the Apple Community:

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.

I hereby resign as CEO of Apple. I would like to serve, if the Board sees fit, as Chairman of the Board, director and Apple employee.

As far as my successor goes, I strongly recommend that we execute our succession plan and name Tim Cook as CEO of Apple.

I believe Apple’s brightest and most innovative days are ahead of it. And I look forward to watching and contributing to its success in a new role.

I have made some of the best friends of my life at Apple, and I thank you all for the many years of being able to work alongside you.

Steve

More after the JUMP…

Steve Jobs ran the company that designed the iPod, the iPhone and the iPad. He has influenced how hardware is designed and how software functions. He has helped usher us into the digital era and has changed the way we use technology, share with one another and interact. For lack of a better phrase, he has helped change the world.

Apple COO Tim Cook has officially taken on the CEO title. He has big shoes to fill; for many tech geeks, Steve Jobs wasn’t just the head of a company, he was a demigod, a prophet from the future, always clad in a black turtleneck and wielding seemingly space-age technology. Jobs has battled health issues for years and the obvious conclusion here is that his condition has taken a turn for the worse. Heck, this entire post sounds like an obituary. I, for one, hope he is going to take his hard-earned money, go buy an island and live for a few more decades.

In any case… Thanks, Steve.

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