I currently don’t have many words to share, but there’s a part of me that truly wants to cry.  Steve was a creative inspiration to me.  His attitude and rebellion proved to me that not following the status quo can actually lead to success…that you don’t have to be a mindless robot to make it in this world.  I think he did that for a lot of people.  My generation doesn’t have very many public-figure role models and he was one.

The picture above is Apple’s front page, and I just felt like I should post it.  I want this screenshot to be a part of my site’s archives.  It just seems like it belongs here.  My thoughts and prayers go out to Steve’s family, friends, and the users of his products around the world who he has affected so deeply.  You truly will be missed…

TapTips is something I’ve been wanting to do for quite a while, and now it’s finally time to do it ladies and gentlemen, so grab your iPhones and get ready for the first installment of TapTips!

Are you texts messages boring?  Wanna spice them up a bit?  Wanna use funny little faces, like the ones above, and other cool symbols to help you get your message across to people you’re messaging?  Of course you do!  Plus, it can be a real time-saver sometimes.  Instead of typing out “I love you” to your special schmoopie-woopie-honeybun, just send an Emoji of a smiley blowing a kiss, or one that’s been blinded by your one-and-only-true-everlasting-love!  If this sounds like something you’d like to be able to do, follow the easy instructions below to activate Emoji on your iPhone…  (Oh yeah, by the way, this will generally only work when messaging another iPhone.  Some websites support Emoji, and some other smartphones do too, but the only 100% sure thing is that it will work in iPhone-to-iPhone messaging.  This also works on the iPad, if you have one of those also.)  Here we go!

Step 1

Tap on the Settings app on your main Home screen.

Step 2

Now tap on the General section on the Settings screen.

Step 3

Now you’re in the General section.  Scroll down the page a bit, and tap on Keyboard.

Step 4

Now tap on International Keyboards at the bottom of the screen.

Step 5

Now tap on Add New Keyboard.

Step 6

You’re now on the Add New Keyboard screen.  Scroll down a bit, and then tap on Emoji.

Step 7

After tapping on Emoji in Step 6, your iPhone (or iPad) is going to automatically go back to the Keyboards screen, where you will now see Emoji, along with any other keyboards you have activated (English is activated by default here in the U.S.)

Step 8

Have fun!!  Now, whenever you use your keyboard, there will always be a small globe icon in the bottom left corner of the keyboard, and that’s where all of your nifty new Emoji live!  Just tap on that globe and send smileys to your heart’s content.     Also, take note of the different categories of Emoji that are along the very bottom of the screen.  The category between the globe and the smiley face that looks like a clock:  That’s where your most used Emoji will be, so they’re easy to get to.  One other thing:  Notice the small grey dots just above all those smiley faces?  That shows you what page you’re on inside the category you’ve selected.  Just swipe left or right between pages.

Ok, that’s it, you’re ready to go!  Thanks for reading, I hope I taught you something fun, and check back often, as there will be more TapTips coming soon!

Here are some more examples of Emoji that you will now have available: 

The famous black construction walls protecting the nice, new, shiny Apple Store being built deep within...

A person with whom I interact on Google+ said this earlier this evening:

“The opening of Apple Store in Little Rock won’t feel near as exciting now.”

I don’t totally agree with that statement.  It will be bittersweet, sure, but not less exciting.  This is my response:

“I think it will be just as exciting, but it will be dulled by the sadness people are feeling right now. The fact that we finally have an Apple Store in LR is great, but there will be an air of “what’s next” for sure. I think Apple will do well under Cook, he’s been at the reigns a number of times when Jobs was on leave and he’s done great. Apple will still be the same as long as Jobs still has creative input, which he will as Chairman of the Board and as Director. The truly sad day will be the one when his health problems overcome his vigor and he’s no longer with us.”

What do you think?  Am I off the mark?  Does this make the Grand Opening of the long-awaited Apple Store here in Little Rock seem a little bit less special?

Ok, first of all, I know this is already all over the web, but I’m mainly posting this for my own personal reasons.  For posterity really.  This is a major happening in the world of Apple, a company I truly believe in, and I want to be a part of this.  I really don’t care if anybody reads this at all.  It’s just for me.  I feel a bit sad, and this maybe is my way of dealing with it.  I wan’t even paying attention to the tv, and then I heard those words… “Apple CEO Steve Jobs announced he’s resigning from the company he helped build.”  Wow.  That truly caught me off guard.  I know it’s been coming for a while now, but this just seemed sudden.  I do fear slightly for the company’s future, but I also think Tim Cook is the best man to take the reigns.  I hope Steve is ok and that this is not a precursor to much more sad things down the road…  I hope this is just a personal decision for him, and not a decision dictated by his health.  I wish you all the best Steve.

Steve Job’s resignation letter posted below:

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.

I expect that in the coming days, there are going to be lots of articles concerning Tim Cook’s background and what he’s done at Apple.  I already know a fair amount about Cook, but I’m looking forward to learning a lot more.  I hope to bring my own insight to the situation too.  Doesn’t matter if other people read my insights or not, it will be good for me personally.  I like writing about technology and about my favorite company, so it will be an enjoyable experience.  I think the Apple community wants to know about Cook too.  They need to know, because I’m sure some people think Apple will disappear.  Not bloody likely, my friend.  They will continue to be a great company.  Steve will still be a big part of Apple, and I’m super glad to hear that.  I anticipate that his vision will continue to shine through.  I look forward to that future..

As some of you may know, Apple and Adobe have been trading licks concerning Flash not being available on Apple’s mobile devices.  The back-and-forth has gotten a bit childish and the press has only reported one-liners and here-say mostly.  For the average consumer, and even the tech enthusiast, it’s seemed like a blur of jabs and right-hooks that haven’t really told us anything useful.  Steve Jobs has now decided to try to clear things up with a public letter.  Even if you’re not a fan of Apple products, it’s a good read, and it’s also nice to see him trying to cool the boiling waters around this subject.  Enjoy!

http://www.apple.com/hotnews/thoughts-on-flash/