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Last week I had more fun than one person should be allowed to have. At appsworld in San Francisco, I had the privilege of meeting Steve Wozniak, co-founder of Apple.
 
When you think of Apple, it's natural to think first of Steve Jobs and the tremendous task he performed taking Apple, a company near the brink, and completely turning it around to become one of the world's largest companies and most coveted brands. However, if there were no Steve Wozniak, there would have been no Apple. Wozniak is the wizard who designed and built the first highly successful mass-produced personal computer.

In a recent report on mobile payments, the Wall Street Journal said,  “Apple Inc. is laying the groundwork for an expanded mobile-payments service, leveraging its growing base of iPhone and iPad users and the hundreds of millions of credit cards on file through its iTunes stores.” This report does not raise eyebrows, but simply states the inevitable fact. Apple's entry into this market will undoubtedly raise the bar, with major players already fiercely competing to gain market traction over how people pay through mobile devices.

 

Steve Wozniak and Steve Jobs with the Apple II

Some guys have all the luck.

This week I am making preparations to head to San Francisco where I'm speaking at appsworld. I was asked to chair the first day of the Developer World conference sessions. As conference chair, I give a 10 minute introduction at the start of the day to greet attendees and then introduce each speaker.

So, I went out to the appsworld web site and saw the name of the first speaker on the list.

Steve Wozniak.

Recently, AT&T created headlines, raised suspicion, and set tongues wagging with its announcement that they are starting a new Sponsored Data program. This new plan will allow eligible 4G customers to access mobile content and apps without impacting their monthly wireless data plan. In simpler terms this would be like a toll-free service for wireless data where websites that sign up as sponsors will be free for AT&T wireless customers. As a result, no data will be deducted from a surfer’s monthly allotment of data. Data charges will be borne by the sponsoring company.

I've attended dozens of CES (and COMDEX) tradeshows and every time I return, people ask me "what was the big thing this year?" Usually it's something straightforward like larger televisions, 3DTV, Blu-Ray, tablets, or smartphones. But this year, the big thing was "THINGS" itself! The phrase "The Internet of Things" refers to the increasing connectivity and intelligence of ordinary tools and appliances. Thanks to technologies like Bluetooth Low Energy, ubiquitous Wi-Fi, and IPv6, we have reached a tipping point where everyday devices like light bulbs, door locks, and thermostats can be connected to each other and to the Internet.

Lifeproof and Otterbox joined forces last year to form what I would consider one of the most formidable business partnerships in the protective case industry. This year at CES the two companies shared booth space and oh, what a booth it was. They put on quite a show and had what was perhaps the largest and most extravagant booth of any case maker at CES, with lots of demos. Otterbox sponsored NASCAR truck racer, Germán Quiroga, was even on hand to promote the products. Read on for more details on the latest and greatest from these two industry-leading companies...

The iPhone 5s camera is already a wonder, and clearly Apple has plans to make it even better, as indicated by the news this past weekend that Apple had purchased both the SnappyCam app and the one-man company that developed it: SnappyLabs. The app had been quite popular because it allowed users to take a burst of high-quality photos, similar to the burst mode Apple eventually incorporated into the iPhone 5s. Apparently creating this feature was no small feat, and Apple must have been impressed by the achievement of the developer, John Papandriopoulos. Apple's intention is likely to incorporate some of the impressive technology of SnappyCam into the iPhone's Camera app. But Apple also purchases companies with the intention of not only acquiring their technology but also their personnel. And so Papandriopolous will now be contributing his expertise as an employee of Apple.

For me the Pepcom Digital Experience is like the unofficial launch of CES, an informal party where exhibitors give us a preview of what we can expect in the coming days of CES. With the sprawl of wireless charging solutions, audio gear, gaming gear, robotics, cameras, and wearable smart accessories it was a challenge to absorb everything that is on display. Nonetheless, I did my best to check out each and every booth at this condensed version of CES, and the following are some of the highlights of what I came across last night.

As you likely know, a ton of documents pilfered and leaked by Edward Snowden, a former contractor for the US National Security Agency (NSA), have shown that that agency's surveillance has been shockingly widespread, including having access to the phone records of you and me. In recent days, the leaked documents have brought the NSA's snooping even closer to home, with the release of documents that say the agency had the ability in 2008 to take control of an iPhone. They were able to "remotely push/pull files from the device, SMS retrieval, contact list retrieval, voicemail, geolocation, hot mic, camera capture, cell tower location, etc. Command, control, and data exfiltration can occur over SMS messaging or a GPRS data connection. All communications with the implant will be covert and encrypted."

Apple was criticized and ridiculed for launching a low-cost iPhone. Many feared Apple's attempt to attract cost-conscious customers would turn out to be a tactical blunder and probably backfire. There was always a risk of alienating premium and loyal Apple customers. But the Cupertino-based firm was spot on with the launch of the candy-colored iPhone 5c. According to data from Kantar Worldpanel ComTech, nearly half of the customers who bought the iPhone 5c in the months of September and October were users switching from Android phone, especially Samsung and LG.

How does a picture of actor Morgan Freeman wind up featured here on iPhone Life? Well, while he is undoubtedly a respected and immensely gifted performer, the reason you see his face here is because this image was created with only fingertips, talent, an iPad, and an amazing app called Procreate ($5.99). It really is a painting, though the detail rendered is mind-blowing, even when you zoom in on it. As an artist in my own right I can honestly say I've never seen such an amazing portrait, much less one created on an iPad.

It was only last month Apple unveiled the new iMacs and iPhone 5s and 5c, and released its redesigned mobile operating system, iOS 7. But Apple is not through for the year yet. Last week, the company officially announced a special event to take place tomorrow at 10 a.m. Pacific time at the Yerba Buena Center for the Arts in San Francisco. The invitation, adorned with colorful fall leaves, simply says “We still have a lot to cover.” Here's a roundup of the refreshed products Apple is most likely to deliver in time for the holidays.

And of course, check back with us tomorrow at 10 a.m. Pacific time or 1 p.m. Eastern time for live coverage of the event.

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