Florida Agenda

ALEX VAUGHN

Photo: Steve Jobs February 24, 1955 – October 5, 2011

In the wake of the passing of Steve Jobs, and the iPhone 4S wave storming the world of gadgets last week, an interesting tribute came across the wire. The concept suggests that there are three apples that changed the world. It is a great theory and a perfect way to honor one man’s ability to change our world.

First up: Adam and Eve. (Not Adam and Steve. Sorry. I am aware it’s a hate speech, but it is still one of the most amusing tirades against the community I have ever heard.)
“And unto Adam he said, Because thou hast hearkened unto the voice of thy wife, and hast eaten of the tree, of which I commanded thee, saying, Thou shall not eat of it: cursed is the ground for thy sake; in sorrow shalt thou eat of it all the days of thy life;” Genesis 3:17, King James Version. Adam’s apple was the first to change humankind with an act defining ourselves separate to God. “For dust thou art, and unto dust shalt thou return” follows verse 19.

Depending on how far you want to take this, the message is extremely apt to the community on many levels. First, you have the idea of having your own mind and desires, and not conforming to the law of the land. Adam went against his maker and against how things were “supposed” to be.

Furthermore, it is an example of giving into temptation, of succumbing to a desire that you shouldn’t. In a community driven often times by desire over consequence, it is highly relevant.

Finally, many would argue the desired effect of having a protruding Adam’s apple. I won’t go into that however!
The 15th century brought us the second influential apple that changed the world and mankind. Sir Isaac Newton sat under a tree and God, the universe, fate, or whatever you believe in decided an apple should fall. Fall it did upon his head immediately allowing Newton to discover the law of gravity.

Sir Isaac Newton’s apple changed the world of science as well as mathematics by stating that “every object in the universe attracts every other object with a force directed along the line of centers for the two objects …”

Well in terms of gravity, it affects everyone no matter your orientation. However, if you think like Newton did, you will see that not only did he concieve the law of gravity but also he encouraged humankind to imagine, to dream and to accept there was much of the word that we don’t understand.

In and out of the community, we have so much “information” that we believe we know everything, that Google will provide us answers to what we don’t know within a second. However in a community that dreams of rights and of equality, there are, fortunately, many who still do feel like Newton. They realize that dreaming big and using our imaginations will change the world.

Finally, of course, there is Apple. More relevantly, there was Steve Jobs. Without question, Jobs’ Apple has changed the worlds’ pace in terms of innovation, computers and consumer electronics.

I personally have not warmed to Apple products on the whole. Though I have had
an iBook, I now have a Windows PC, a Blackberry (which I wouldn’t part with for love nor money) and would probably get a different tablet. I have always seen the Apple world as slightly cult-like with all their Apple care and rules!
When Steve Jobs passed away, a friend of mine messaged me from London to let me know the sad news. Because he has Apple products, he believed there was no other way I could know. I responded by saying, “Yes, it was sad to lose an innovator.”

He replied, “Well probably not for you as you aren’t an Apple lover.”

My response was quick and true. “I may not love the products, but I still have an iPod.” It was at this point I realized that though I didn’t subscribe to the whole Apple world, I couldn’t escape it. I have had an iPod for years and I need it. I hardly listen to CD’s and, since I travel so much, I have all the music I want in a tiny little box.

The gay community is often early adopters of technology and have embraced all Apple products. In my office alone, we have Apple Macs, iPhones a plenty and a couple of iPads.

The iPhone in particular with apps such as Gr

indr have helped to revolutionize the gay community in terms of technology and social networking.

In our publications, which are dedicated to the gay community, we have embraced QR codes, apps and multiple other forms of technology that have to be compatible with iPhones above Blackberry’s. This alone shows how Steve Jobs’ Apple has changed the community, if not the entire world.

In previous editorials, I have said communication through text, email, phone, messaging has come at the price of face-to-face communication. I still believe that, but it is one hell of a tribute that many of those communications are carried out on one man’s vision. If you think about it, the chances are you have at least one iProduct in your household.

It begs the question: a rebel, a visionary and an innovator have used an apple to change the path of humanity. What’s your Apple?

Alex Vaughn is the Editor-in-Chief of the Florida Agenda. He can be reached at editor@FloridaAgenda.com

By James Michaels

Apple’s new CEO Tim Cook might not only be the most powerful man at Apple but also one of the most powerful gay men in American and a technology leader in Silicon Valley.

Last week, Steve Jobs, co-founder of Apple Computers, resigned sighting health reasons. It had been widely known that Jobs has been in ill-health for a number of years including fighting pancreatic cancer. Jobs cited an inability to meet his current expectations as CEO, but asked to remain within the company as chairman.

No one was actually surprised by Jobs’ stepping down, but neither were they surprised by him naming Chief Operating Officer Tim Cook to Chief Executive Officer Cook, 50, who has remained private about his sexual orientation, was outed earlier this year by Gawker when it named him “the most powerful gay man in Silicon Valley.” In the Gawker profile of Cook from earlier this year, they said that Apple management would support Cook even if he publicly acknowledged his sexuality, but did have “concerns about whether his coming out would impact of the Apple brand.”

Although Cook has never publicly commented on his sexuality, Out Magazine named him its most powerful gay or lesbian person of 2011. In its profile of Cook, Out Magazine wrote: “Although Tim Cook has chosen to be discreet about his sexuality, just know that Apple’s heir apparent is gay sends a compelling message of the opportunity to thrive in the workplace. That’s a big deal.” They listed Cook as number one in their Power 50 index.

Cook grew up in Robertsdale, Alabama, near Mobile. His father was a shipyard worker, while his mother was a homemaker. Cook graduated from high school at Robertsdale High School, earned a B.S. degree in industrial engineering from Auburn University in 1982, and his M.B.A. from Duke University’s Fuqua School of Business in 1988.

Cook spent six months at Compaq as Vice President for Corporate Materials before he was hired by Steve Jobs to join Apple in 1998. He initially served as Senior Vice President for Worldwide Operations.

Cook is credited with pulling Apple out of manufacturing by closing factories and warehouses around the world. This helped the company reduce inventory levels and streamline its supply chain, dramatically increasing margins. In January 2007, Cook was promoted to COO.

Cook served as Apple CEO for two months in 2004, when Jobs was recovering from pancreatic cancer surgery. In 2009, Cook again served as Apple CEO for several months while Jobs took a leave of absence for a liver transplant.

In January 2011, Apple’s Board of Directors approved a third medical leave of absence requested by Jobs. During that time, Cook was responsible for most of Apple’s day-to-day operations while Jobs made most major decisions. Following the resignation of Jobs, Cook was made CEO of Apple Inc. on August 24, 2011.

While Jobs was known for his showman’s flair, Cook is known for improving profit margins and for being strong with supply chain management.

Cook is credited with rapidly fixing Apple’s “notorious manufacturing inefficiencies” and solved the inventory problems that dogged the company’s ability to supply enough of popular products like the PowerBook while spending too much to warehouse models that weren’t selling.

AppleInsider described Cook as a workaholic who survives on a diet of “an endless series of energy bars,” Cook is said to pride himself “on being first into the office and the last one out,” and expects a similar level of commitment from others.

“Unlike Jobs,” said AppleInsider, “Cook is not seen to be a product visionary nor a ‘compelling public speaker,’ tasks Apple’s management team has delegated to design chief Jonathan Ive and marketing chief Phil Schiller, respectively. Like Jobs however, Cook hasn’t been shy about thawing sharp critiques at competitors’ products, recently describing various vendor’s tablet products as being ‘big, heavy, expensive,’ ‘bizarre,’ or simply ‘vapor’.”