Lasseter gets star on Hollywood Walk of Fame

Yesterday, Mr. John Lasseter finally got his star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame.

The ceremony took place on Hollywood Boulevard in front of Disney's historic El Capitan theater. Lasseter thanked many people over the course of the ceremony, but only got choked up once, when thanking the late and great Steve Jobs:

There is one last person I want to share this with, and that is my partner Steve Jobs... Without him, Pixar would not exist.

Among those at the ceremony were Owen Wilson, Don Rickles, and members of the Pixar Brain Trust, as well as voice talent-favorite John Ratzenberger. Mr. Ratzenberger insisted, as seriously as possible, that the reason he gets to voice a character in every Pixar film is an event that took place many years ago. Ratzenberger was a tap dancer at a carnival, at which he saved a child Lasseter from a tipped over funnel cake machine. Ratzenberger said, "He looked up at me and said, 'Mister, someday I'm gonna pay you back.'"

The ceremony was followed by a luncheon catered by Food Network's Guy Fieri (an individual whom I happen to find exceedingly annoying), of Diners, Drive-ins, and Dives.

The event was scheduled for next June, but was most likely bumped up to coincide with Cars 2's DVD release in a PR push.

You can now find Lasseter's name immortalized on a star at the heart of L.A. But we all knew, since Luxo Jr. first premiered all those decades ago, that his name would be immortalized not from a plaque in the ground, but from his passion and dedication to storytelling and the art-form of animation.

Congratulations, Mr. Lasseter.

Read more on the ceremony at TheWrap and LATimes.

Photo by Alex J. Berliner/ABImages

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Steve Jobs and His Legacy

Today, the world lost a truly great man.

Steve Jobs, father of Apple Computers, passed away after a long battle with pancreatic cancer.

Although he isn't with us anymore, we can rest assured that he won't soon be forgotten. He instilled in this generation and those past a love for technology. He turned something rigid and data-oriented into something beautiful and human. He made a small bunch of circuits the iPod, and proceeded to the change the world with it. Time and time again he'd shake the foundations of the computing industry with his devotion to simplicity and undying love of innovation.

But, not only did he pioneer the world of technology, but he singlehandedly assured the creation of Pixar Animation Studios at a time when nobody else would believe in them. In a press release from just moments ago, John Lasseter and Ed Catmull say:

Steve Jobs was an extraordinary visionary, our very dear friend and the guiding light of the Pixar family. He saw the potential of what Pixar could be before the rest of us, and beyond what anyone ever imagined. Steve took a chance on us and believed in our crazy dream of making computer animated films; the one thing he always said was to simply 'make it great.' He is why Pixar turned out the way we did and his strength, integrity and love of life has made us all better people. He will forever be a part of Pixar’s DNA. Our hearts go out to his wife Laurene and their children during this incredibly difficult time.

Steve was also heavily involved with Disney in the past decade or so, after all of his Pixar stock awarded him a seat on the Board once Disney acquired Pixar. Bob Iger, CEO of Disney, had this to say:

Steve Jobs was a great friend as well as a trusted advisor. His legacy will extend far beyond the products he created or the businesses he built. It will be the millions of people he inspired, the lives he changed, and the culture he defined. Steve was such an "original," with a thoroughly creative, imaginative mind that defined an era. Despite all he accomplished, it feels like he was just getting started. With his passing the world has lost a rare original, Disney has lost a member of our family, and I have lost a great friend. Our thoughts and prayers are with his wife Laurene and his children during this difficult time.

The world is certainly a little bit brighter thanks to Steve. He was a truly unique individual with a love for the minimal, a passion for technology and moving forward, and a thirst for life he shared with so many during his outstanding life.

Steve, you will be missed, but never forgotten.

Image: Courtesy of Disney/Pixar

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The Apple iPad

Today, Apple announced a "revolutionary and magical" product. Check it out at their website. Pretty cool. While it's not as revolutionary as the iPhone, I wouldn't bet against Mr. Jobs. He seems to know what he's doing.

Plus, if Bob Iger and Lee Unkrich are at the release event, I think it's something I should maybe pay attention to.

The iPad ships in about 60 days, and I can't wait to play around with one.

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Apple News Updates

I'm sure you've heard about this, but Apple has made many announcements in the past week, and mostly on last Tuesday. These include (with links and pictures!):

1. A new, fancy iPod Nano with a tall screen, 9 color options, video support, and a neat shake-to-shuffle functionality.


2. A new installment of the iPod Touch, with a new shape similar to that of the iPhone 3G, as well as other minor changes.


3. And, finally, a 2.1 update for iPhones everywhere, which includes Genius Playlist creation on-the-go, as well as improved signal strength and battery life, as well as numerous other "bug fixes".

The new nano is a great improvement over the last model (which looked like it was run over by a car). The new iPod Touch looks better than its predecessor, and I am very excited about the 2.1 update, who's "bug fixes" are sorely needed. Although the event on Tuesday went great, and the products are a success, as usual, this event wasn't quite as epic as usual, due to a lot of leaks before hand. Oh well, Apple remains the king of media players, and the owner of the best smart phone on the market.

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Pixar Honored by Vanity Fair

The Vanity Fair 100: The New Establishment list was released today. It has many prominent people awarded for their movies, TV shows, governance, and journalism, among other things.

Why am I bringing this list up? Well, Pixar has four people on this list...who are all found in the top 28 positions. Steve Jobs can be found in slot #4 on the list. He earned this slot through his extremely successful computer company Apple, and through his generous contributions to the world's best animation company, Pixar.

But that's not all. Brad Bird, John Lasseter, and Andrew Stanton are tied for #28 on the list! Vanity credits them for being the "greatest rolls in entertainment history" for having "produced nine straight commercial and artistic winners".


I am very glad that Pixar is getting all of the recognition they deserve. Their movies truly are pheonomenal works of entertaining, comedic, action-packed art with fantastic animation.

Source: The Pixar Blog

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The 30 Best iPhone Applications

The App Store is great. It adds so much more functionality, depth, and fun to the already awesome iPhone. One thing that the App Store is without, however, is a “try before you buy” demo-type system. Due to the lack of this, a list of my favorite free and paid apps will be listed here so you won’t need to waste your money or time on bad apps. There is a link after each app description, this link leads directly to the iTunes Store.

My 15 favorite free iPhone apps:

Shazam- A truly great song recognition application. If you hear a song playing that you enjoy, hit the “tag now” button, it takes about 20 seconds, then you get the album art, artist, and album. You are also given a direct link to watch the YouTube video and a link purchase the song in the iTunes Music Store. It works great for me, perhaps my favorite app for the iPhone. Get it.


BubbleWrap- A fun little game where you get to pop bubble wrap. Great sound effects. Get it.


Cookie Bonus Solitaire- Just normal solitaire for the iPhone. Pretty flawless for being free. (Screen shot is that of desktop version, no chat in iPhone platform). Get it.

Cube Runner- A game where you are simply an arrow flying through a 3D world of cubes. You steer around the cubes using the accelerometer. Multiple difficulties. Very fun. Get it.

The Dark Knight: HaHaHa- Add Joker make-up and phrases to your pictures. This app could use some work, but, afterall, it is free. Get it.

iPint- The little “bonus game” on this one is the most fun. Turn your iPhone into a mug, fill it up, and make it seem like you are actually drinking out of it! Really neat app to show off your iPhone. Get it.


PhoneSaber- A lightsaber for your iPhone. Multiple color choices, awesome sound effects, and an excellent use of the accelerometer. One of my favorites. Get it.


Pandora- A great radio for the iPhone. Plays songs based on your favorite artists and styles. Get it.


More Cowbell!- This app is really funny. It is based on the SNL skit with Christopher Walken and Will Ferrell. There is a picture of a cowbell, and then Walken yells, “I need more cowbell!” you touch the cowbell, it makes noise, and when you stop, Walken yells some more. Pretty dumb, yet awesome. Get it.


Remote- Awesome app that allows you to control your iTunes library from your iPhone. Get it.


Google Mobile- Quick searching, as well as other features, all optimized for the iPhone. Get it.


Jott- I used this long before I got an iPhone. Speak into the mic, select a contact, and then that contact receives your voiced message as text. Includes other features as well. Awesome. Get it.


Talking Spanish Phrase Book- What more can I say?... Get it.


Yelp- Uses your location to find businesses near by. Includes reviews, descriptions, etc. Get it.


myLite- A simple tool to turn your iPhone into a flashlight, strobe light, and multi-colored light. Get it.


My 15 favorite paid iPhone apps:
Lumina- $1.99. ‘Simon Says’ for the iPhone. Good UI and sound effects. Very fun and cheap. Buy it.


Crash Bandicoot Nitro Cart Racing- $9.99. A fun cart racing game. It may be a bit pricey, but the fact that it has Crash makes up for that. Buy it.


de Blob- $7.99. A fun game that has a lot of depth. It combines the accelerometer and multi-touch flawlessly. Buy it.


Labyrinth- $6.99. A maze with obstacles. You navigate through it using the accelerometer, very fun, and very smooth game play. Buy it.


Texas Hold’em- $4.99. Just what you’d expect. Texas Hold’em Poker with great graphics and multiple levels. Buy it.


Tic-Tac-Touch: FS5- $1.99. One or two player Tic-Tac-Toe. Easy and fun with multiple difficulties. Buy it.


Touch Tennis: FS5- $1.99. Like a modern version of ‘Pong’ with good sound effects and smooth game play. Buy it.


Quordy- $2.99. A Boggle-type game for the iPhone. Utilizes the accelerometer and the wide touch screen. Has a vast dictionary of words and is very fun. Buy it.


Trism- $4.99. A puzzle game that reminds me of Bejeweled, but is better. Uses the accelerometer and the touch screen. Multiple modes and levels. Buy it.


Super Monkey Ball- $9.99. A bit pricey, but has great graphics, lots of levels, and uses the accelerometer very well. Buy it.


Band- $9.99. Multiple instruments for your iPhone. Buy it.


Sketches- $7.99. Drawing app, add shapes, lines, etc. to existing pictures or a blank canvas. Buy it.


Scrabble- $9.99. Classic Scrabble game made by EA Games. A bit too expensive, though. Buy it.


South Park Imaginationland- $9.99. Help Butters get through Imaginationland! Pretty expensive and simple, but you gotta love South Park! Buy it.


Etch-a-Sketch- $4.99. Drawing app. Use your fingers or knobs, and shake to erase. Buy it.


Now you know what apps are worth your time and money. If I come across any other truly great apps I will write a brief post about it so that you can make sure you have all of the highest of quality apps available.

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An iPhone 3G Smoothie

You may have heard that Apple's had a pretty bad day today. Not only was MobileMe delayed, but there were so many people activating and updating their phones, that many couldn't do just that. Well, Apple's day may have just gotten better, because they can add another feature to the list for the iPhone 3G: It Blends!

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People to Wait On Concrete for One Week For 3G iPhone

How crazy are you about being the first to get the iPhone 3G? Well, whatever you answered, you can't possibly be as crazy as the 10 or so people who are waiting right now outside of the Apple Store on 5th Avenue in New York. The people at the very front of the line are a couple and a young baby. They are hoping to break some ludicrous record about having a baby in a line for a long time, or some nonsense. Here are some pictures from Engadget. Oh, and if you live in New York and want an iPhone 3G, you might wanna take the next week off of work and go ahead and hop in line.

Update: As of right this moment, it is raining in Manhattan. Thus, the couple and their baby have left. Also, closed tents are being set up along the queue. They must really want an iPhone 3G.

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Is Steve Jobs Replaceable?

This is the question that this Forbes article addresses. It talks about how Steve Jobs, obviously, can't remain the CEO of Apple forever. Somebody has to eventually takeover the vast computer company. But who? Back in the 1980s somebody did take Apple from Steve, and that was a disaster. It was Pepsi President John Sculley, who was Jobs' apprentice. Then, in 1985, Sculley kicked Jobs out, took a hold of Apple, and basically flushed it down the toilet. 10 years later, Jobs got control back, and Apple flew back to the top as one of the kings of computing and media players.


Who else could do something so extremely positive for a company? Who else could bring Apple up from the bottom and back to the top so successfully? Well, Forbes isn't sure that Apple will be able to find such a well-rounded and smart leader: "Apple will need much more than a skilled manager. 'The new person will have to fit that culture like a glove, if that person comes in and tries to change the culture, forget it, it's over,' Sweeney says. 'The passion, the creativity ... none of that can change.'"


Even more alarming than the fact that Steve Jobs is most likely not replaceable, is what the "Fake Steve Jobs" mentioned in this piece, about halfway down the page. He said that he'd "be surprised if Jobs was CEO by the end of the year due to health concerns." Sure, Apple says that its just a "common bug", but of course they'd say that, even if it was serious. Steve's appearance was trivial at WWDC, but I don't think that Jobs'll leave just because of that. Only time will tell. Until then, get well soon, Jobsy!

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iPhone 3G Guided Tour Available For Download, Plus AT&T Pricing Announced!

With the launch of the brand new iPhone just days away, Apple has released the guided tour for it. You'll find the link here. You can either view it or download it. You'll find similarities and differences in relation to the original iPhone's guided tour. The main difference is the white background. The main similarity is our friend, the original iPhone guided tour guy. Enjoy. Good luck waiting 11 more days.


And now, the moment you've all been waiting for, AT&T's pricing, plans, and eligibility (this is all taken exactly from the AT&T website):

What will I pay for iPhone 3G?
For specific pricing details please see:
New to AT&T
Current AT&T Customer

What types of plans are available for iPhone 3G?

What are my options for text messaging?

Can I use my iPhone 3G while traveling internationally?
Yes. Outside of the U.S, voice and data usage, including data usage incurred from delivery of Visual Voicemail messages, will be charged at international rates. AT&T offers two discount international data packages that can significantly reduce the cost of using data abroad. See att.com/wirelessinternational for details and international roaming rates.

Where can I buy iPhone 3G?
iPhone 3G is available for purchase at any Apple or AT&T store. Find a store near you.

What is the Enterprise Data plan?
Customers interested in using iPhone to access corporate email, business applications or corporate intranet will activate with an Enterprise Data Plan for iPhone. Learn more at att.com/iphoneforbusiness.

(This is all taken verbatim from the AT&T website)

Well, now ya know. Get ready for your brand new iPhone 3G. Coming July 11.

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