11 Creative Ideas that Steve Jobs Used to Take Apple to the Top

Steve Jobs

14 years ago Apple was on the brink of bankruptcy. Today it is the largest technology company in the world with a market capitalization of 355 billion dollars. How do you achieve such a turnaround? With the revolutionary ideas of Steve Jobs.

Not a long ago, the most innovative creator of our time, Steve Jobs, left us. He died after many years fighting with the diseases he was suffering.

You can read more about that here.

But now let's take a look at the creative and successeful ideas that he used to make "Apple" the number one technology company!

Business Insider gives us unusual point of view on 11 decisions, with which Jobs turned the "Apple" into the famous logo.

1. Partnership with competitors:

Can you imagine a collaboration between Pepsi and Coca-Cola? Such was the initial reaction, after Apple and Microsoft announced a partnership to Macworld Expo in 1997.

After 12 years of financial losses Jobs had to find a quick source of funding for Apple. So he turned to Bill Gates, who invested $ 150 million in "Apple". "The era of rivalry between Apple and Microsoft ended" said Jobs then. "It is necessary to lift the leg again Apple", he said.

2. Attractive products:

As an experienced trader, who knew the importance of aesthetics, Jobs realized that Apple products seem quaint. Therefore a meeting of the company in 1998, he asked: "Do you know where is the company's mistake? The products look terrible. Do not caress the eye." Today Apple is recognized as a company that creates the most beautiful products in the world of technology.

Steve Jobs as young, holding an apple

3. Changing the startup vision development:

Apple started as a company that manufactures computers only. Jobs, however, realized that if the "apple" really wants to succeed, must expand its portfolio. So Apple is directed to new products such as iPod, iPhone, iPad. Jobs in 2007 and changed the company name from "Apple Computer" to "Apple" as a symbol of the new broader vision.

4. Circumvent barriers to new solutions:

Jobs was dissatisfied with the product placement in Apple stores. The solution? Apple Store. Scattered throughout the world shops "Apple" today enjoys great popularity.

5. Tell customers what they want instead of asking:

Jobs did not use focus groups and analysis, and tells customers what they want before they themselves know that they want it. When Apple released iPad, people initially perceive it with derision. Nearly 20 million sales later, it no longer seems ridiculous, said Business Insider.

6. Integration of products:

Besides being innovative, Apple products are integrated. iPod is connected to iTunes. To download applications for iPhone and iPad do you need the App Store. According to Jobs "creativity consists in connecting things".

7. Not hiring a template:

In 1994, Jobs said: "I think part of what made Macintosh great was that people who worked on it were musicians, poets, artists, historians, who also proved to be the best computer scientists in the world."

Apple's motto - "Think different."

8. Encourage others to think differently:

The ad campaign of Apple "Think different" at the end of the 90s of last century has one of the most effective of all time.

9. Bet on simplicity:

Simplicity is a bliss. Apple designer confirms this strategy: "We are trying to make the best possible product easy to use."

10. Sell dreams, not products:

Jobs was able to make people like the product. Customers do not buy Apple products, they buy what it symbolizes.

11. Believe in your inner voice:

In his speech at Stanford University Jobs points out: "Have the courage to follow your heart and intuition. They somehow already know what you really want to be."

These are some really good and useful advices that Steve Jobs taught us.

If you gather all these creative ideas and make them a one whole, you can achieve great success.

Facebook Launches Skype-Powered Video Calling

Facebook has just announced a major new feature - Video Call - that's launching in tandem with Skype!


It’s a feature that’s been rumored for quite a while, and it’s one that Facebook is putting a lot of weight behind. Now, whenever you browse to a friend’s profile, you’ll see a new button nestled between the "Message" and "Poke" buttons that says "Call". Click that, the other user will see a popup asking if they want to accept a call, and you’ll be immediately connected (you’ll need to install a small plugin the first time you use the service).

You’ll also see video calling integrated into Facebook’s Chat product. Really, you can’t miss it — Facebook is launching a new chat sidebar today that by default it takes the entire right side of the screen, and the first time you click on any user you’ll see a prompt asking if you’d like to make your first video call. If you try to initiate a video call and the other user doesn’t respond, you’ll be prompted to send them a video message.


So why is this a big deal? Facebook emphasized the fact that users will not have to create new Skype accounts to make calls, and that this will allow users to call their friends and family with a very minimal amount of setup (the flow for installing the applet only took a few seconds).

Of course, this comes just a week after the launch of Google+, which includes a video chat  feature called "Hangouts". Facebook’s video chat doesn’t support group chats yet, but when asked if Facebook will be rolling out group video calling, Zuckerberg said not to rule anything out. He added that one-to-one calling makes up the vast majority of video calling.

Skype CEO Tony Bates took the stage to make a few comments. One important thing he noted: Skype is talking with Facebook about having some paid products available through the web format.

And there's something very cool - Facebook users are usgin Skype's service anonymously.

We are very interested to try out this amazing new feature!

Sony Vaio C and E Series Get New Looks

Sony announced several new additions to its Vaio C-Series and E-Series laptops, updating them with new designs, colors, and a collection of productivity and entertainment features.


The Sony Vaio C-Series comes in 14- and 15.5-inches screen sizes, and adds neon red and electric blue to the list of colors available. The C-Series laptops come equipped with second-generation Intel Core i3 and i5 processors, with select models getting a big bump in graphics capability thanks to AMD Radeon HD graphics processors. Also added to the list of optional features are Blu-ray optical drives, Intel Core i5 processors, and Intel's Wireless Display technology. New C-Series models also come equipped with backlit keyboard for low-light typing, and an integrated HD webcam.


The Sony Vaio C-Series is available for pre-order now through Sony with a starting price of $730, with nationwide availability coming soon through major retailers.


Also getting a fresh set of new models and features is the Vaio E-Series. Available in 14-, 15.5-, and 17.3-inch form factors, the E-Series comes in several colors, with the 14- and 15.5-inch models available in midnight blue, glacier white, charcoal black, and blush pink. The 17.3-inch will be available in either charcoal black or platinum white. The new designs feature matching lids and palm rests with molded geometric textures and fingerprint-resistant finishes.


Like the Vaio C-Series, the E-Series has several configurations, with an abundance of optional features like wireless display, Blu-ray optical drive, and remote features the integrate with Sony Blu-ray players, Bravia TVs and the PlayStation 3. In addition to Intel second-generation processors, select models of the E-Series come equipped with an AMD E-350 processor with AMD Mobility Radeon HD6130 graphics processor. Both the C- and E-Series laptops feature three dedicated function buttons on the chassis that offer one-touch access to Sony's Web, media, and user assistance tools.

Consumers Boost Economy at Year-End

American consumers gave the economy a boost in the fourth quarter of 2010, as they loosened their purse strings.

Gross domestic product, the broadest measure of the nation's economic activity, grew at an annual rate of 3.2% in the last three months of the year, a significant increase from a 2.6% rise in the previous quarter, the government said Friday.

The faster pace came mainly on the backs of American consumers, who headed back to the shopping malls during the holiday season. Personal consumption, a measure of consumer spending, jumped by 4.4% in the fourth quarter -- the strongest increase in that reading in at least four years.

Spending on so-called durable goods like cars and furniture rose a whopping 21.6%. Spending on nondurable goods like food and clothing was up 5%.

While the U.S. is struggling with a massive trade deficit, it improved slightly in the fourth quarter, lifting the overall GDP number. Exports increased at a rate of 8.5%, while imports decreased by 13.6% -- slightly narrowing the trade gap.

The government calculates GDP as a measure of goods and services produced in the United States. The number is backward looking and is often revised multiple times. This is the first reading for the fourth quarter.

For the year as a whole, real GDP was up 2.9%, a complete turnaround from the 2.6% decrease seen in 2009.