He turned Apple from a garage startup to the most valued company in the world, and convinced everyone that technology could be desirable. It changed technology forever.

As well as founding Pixar, Steve provided Apple with the vision behind their game-changing products. The iMac made computers beautiful, the iPhone proved Apple could do anything, and the iPad was the culmination of his genius.

This 1987 concept video shows how long Apple wanted to make a touchscreen device with Facetime and Siri the artificial intelligence behind the iPhone 4S. It was only released to the world one day before his death. He finally saw his greatest dream realised.

Perhaps his greatest magic trick was learning to sell thin air. The iTunes store was the first time digital products became an acceptable thing to buy — mainstream consumers were literally handing Apple money for an invisible product.

Today, the Apple site marks a memorial to their founder: “Apple has lost a visionary and creative genius, and the world has lost an amazing human being,” it says. “Steve leaves behind a company that only he could have built, and his spirit will forever be the foundation of Apple. ”

He left a lesson for all of us during his parting words to Stanford University graduates in a 2005 speech:

Remembering that I’ll be dead soon is the most important tool I’ve ever encountered to help me make the big choices in life. Because almost everything — all external expectations, all pride, all fear of embarrassment or failure – these things just fall away in the face of death, leaving only what is truly important.

Remembering that you are going to die is the best way I know to avoid the trap of thinking you have something to lose. You are already naked. There is no reason not to follow your heart.

He finished with the immortal words, “Stay foolish.”

The article by Dotted Music contributor Tom Davenport was originally published on Ultimate Guitar.

Facebook, the largest social network; Google, the best search engine; and Apple, the best technology for tablets, phones, and music players. All three are learning from each other, and, whether they like to admit it or not, are in direct competition with each other. Facebook and Google have battled to become the Internet” as we know it for some time. And, under the radar, Google has come out with the Chromebook, while both Facebook and Google have launched successful application platforms to compete with Apple. So, what is next for these companies?

For Apple there are some interesting routes available. The company already has an advantage in having the means to offer web browsing. This is something Facebook does not have at all, while Google has had moderate success with the Chromebook and the Google phone. Still, these companies are nowhere near Apple in terms of users and design. This is why Google is trying to make computers that have the sole functionality of the Internet. This means that all of your apps, programs, files, etc are online. Apple better pay attention to this unless they want to be uprooted, especially with Steve Jobs’ recent resignation. Google and Facebook have a way integrating everything into one, and if Apple is not careful it could find the future passing them by.

Apple

So what can Apple do? For Apple at this point one thing, and one thing only makes sense, and that it to offer a search engine. In case I lost you here, just bear with me. With recent firing of Yahoo‘s CEO, I had a spark of an idea. Firstly, why did Yahoo fail? I think due to the fact that their website looks like a news site other than a search engine. Secondly, how could someone turn Yahoo around? I instantly thought of Apple. Yahoo is worth around $15-20 billion. Apple is sitting on third quarter profits of $7.31 billion and stocks are selling around $399 per share. This is a great time to expand the company’s capacities by revamping Yahoo. Of course Apple would drastically change Yahoo, probably by renaming the company’s famous search engine, but we’ll leave that task to the marketing experts.

The really interesting thing is thinking about what Apple could do with a great search engine. Applying Apple’s finishing touch to what Yahoo already has in place could be an amazing thing for the Internet, not to mention the millions of Apple users turning away from Google. What a thought, right? Applications could be infused with your search home page. Your Apple ID could be an Apple email address, and everything would be done in Apple style; which is what all of us Mac heads love.

As far-fetched as this idea may sound, it is something that could viably happen in the future. It may never involve acquisition of another search engine, but, as long as the competition is present, we can assume Apple, Google, and Facebook will be fighting for tech domination. If Google continues to push Chromebooks and Google phones while trying to take a bite out of Apple, then don’t be surprised if Apple fires shots back. I can’t wait to see the future and what the big three have to offer; it will be quite a ride.

This article was written by Thomas Rudy. Thomas is an Apple product enthusiast, music lover, and freelance web designer. He currently works with www.inetzeal.com, providing White Hat SEO link building services.

With all this drab but-not-quite-tragic news filling up the industry press releases, what can we really write about? Ironically some think that Apple, who helped revitalize the industry only a few years ago, is now hurting it.

The days of the iPod are slowly disappearing into the past. You may have noticed it when Apple failed to make any iPod the centerpiece in September 2009 during their Apple Day (note: in their Apple Day of 2010 the buzz re-focused somewhat on revamped iPods). The buzz about Apple these days involves a different sort of device, focusing almost exclusively on the iPhone and the iPad. Apple is the trendsetting company for many of younger urban professionals that tend to spend more on entertainment. With an increased focus on multi-purpose devices instead of solely iPods, Apple has helped direct the attention of the trendsetting masses from music to a broader media focus.

But is this Apple’s fault? A look at the census data reveals a wider pattern of media usage that has shifted away from music. Take a look at the table attached to the article.

Source: 2010 Statistical Abstract, US Census Bureau

As you can see, we are listening to less and less music per year, while at the same time mobile media consumption has soared. (for the full data set from the US Census bureau, check out this) Apple’s iPad and iPhone are only indicators of a shift that has happened in American media consumption, not the trendsetter behind it.

The outlook for the music industry looks similar to the chart; money spent on music parallels time spent listening to it, and while these statistics project increased revenues in 2010, they also weren’t predicting the recession that still grips the United States. So the outlook then for the music industry is similar to that of the overall economy: slow and measured, but looking to stabilize within the next two years. You can tell your friends to cut it with the gloom and doom stories and look to the bright side, because the music industry is looking to be in good position for the years ahead.

Pop stars Chris Martin of Coldplay and Lady Gaga have both endorsed the new network, promising to play an active role in Ping’s new social community. Ping members will be able to view music other friends purchase and will receive special playlists based on what users are listening to, similar to the Genius application. Looking to attend a Katy Perry concert in the near future with your friends? Ping will show upcoming concerts and allow users to purchase tickets to shows.

Ping

However, just like every good thing on the internet, there are already major drawbacks. Spammers have hit Ping like a firestorm, setting up fake artist pages and plastering the network with advertisements for “free iPhones” if you complete a survey. It’s a bit embarrassing for Apple, as they originally had zero spam filtering for the service.

Apple will find starting Ping up difficult if it does not allow connectivity between the other major social networks such as Twitter, Last.fm, Facebook, and Myspace. Having a “walled” social network that’s not connected to other services will turn users away out of inconvenience.

PCMag.com’s Michael Muchmore has a great in depth article that delves deep into Ping and helps users with a quick start guide to getting around the social network. From an initial look at the network, Apple is going to need bigger hook to keep its one million users active and away from Facebook.

Slash's Arcade Rocker app

The newest game is worth playing at despite anything though (especially at the $.99 price tag). Slash’s Arcade Rocker allows the guitar legend’s die hard fans to play along with three pre-loaded songs from Slash’s solo début album – By The Sword, Watch This and Doctor Alibi – as well as any Slash song in their music library (and not only Slash, just as in the regular AR you can play thousands of songs if they are in your iPod music library).

In addition to the music/rhythm game, the Slash Arcade Rocker app provides access to the latest news, blog, tour dates and other exclusive content from Slash’s official website, which was as well developed and is hosted by Ultimate-Guitar.com as part of its partnership with the guitarist.

“The Arcade Rocker iPhone app is one of the coolest apps I’ve seen yet,” said Slash. “I’m having a blast with it!”

The mobile version of Slash Arcade Rocker is available for iPhone/iPod touch/iPad users from the iTunes Store for $0.99 (a limited time offer). A free online version is available at slash.arcaderocker.com.

Don’t be greedy for a buck :) Share your thoughts in the comments if you buy the app!

So here we go, Slayer just entered the “app age” with the launch of Slayer: Pinball Rocks, a new pinball game app developed in conjunction with American Recordings/Columbia Records, Sony Music Entertainment and Gameprom.

Slayer: Pinball Rocks

“As a life-size pinball player, this looks so awesome,” said Slayer’s Kerry King. “It looks really fun and entertaining, with a shot of evil, and it could definitely keep me up all night with a few shots for myself…”

Slayer: Pinball Rocks should appeal to both long-time and new Slayer fans, as well as any pinball enthusiast, by giving gamers multi-ball play and tap-along mini-game, as well as cool visual elements like spinning razor blades, guitars, amps, concert lights, and a skull that eats your ball and spits it out through its eyeball. As you might have guessed, this is all accompanied by music courtesy of Slayer.

Slayer: Pinball Rocks is available worldwide for $2.99 from the App Store. The game includes original voiceovers from Slayer members as well as songs from Slayer’s latest American Recordings release, World Painted Blood.

This app has been developed by Gameprom, a company famous for its series of Pinball games for iPhone and iPad.

See a video of Slayer: Pinball Rocks below:

Have you tried this out? Thoughts?

In the Linkin Park 8-Bit Rebellion! app players embark on an adventure taking them through six districts in the game, each featuring the distinctive style of a band member. The master goal is to retrieve the band’s stolen music track – Blackbirds, an unreleased Linkin Park song made exclusively for the game. The song is unlocked upon completion of all missions inside the game (I’ve heard it doesn’t take that long to do it, which is logical).

Production on the game began more than a year ago, with the band (vocalists Mike Shinoda and Chester Bennington, drummer Rob Bourdon, guitarist Brad Delson, DJ Joe Hahn and bassist Dave “Phoenix” Farrell) working with Artificial Life, Inc. on various aspect of the game, such as storylines, gameplay, character design and music. Mike Shinoda designed the band members’ avatars and edited every line of dialogue.

The iPad app renders the adventure with HD graphics, and a user interface that has been redesigned to utilize the iPad’s larger screen.

Among the game’s highlights are original and 8-bit remixes of Linkin Park tracks including “New Divide,” “One Step Closer,” “In The End,” “Crawling,” “QWERTY,” “Hands Held High,” “Faint,” and “No More Sorrow.

Linkin Park 8-Bit Rebellion! game screenshot

Additional game features, according to the press release:

• Personalization of players’ avatars and apartments provide a unique community experience
• Non-player characters (NPCs) inhabit the world, adding drama to the gaming experience
• Shopping for virtual items with coins awarded by winning fights and completing missions
• Earning trophies for adding friends to the rebellion
• A news feed to stay up-to-date with Linkin Park
• Facebook and Twitter integration connecting millions of social network users worldwide

But the main feature of the app is probably that it’s not a rhythm based game!

For more details about Linkin Park 8-Bit Rebellion! visit this website. And check out the trailer below:

On a side note, don’t forget to enter our latest giveaway for a chance to win 1,2,3’s colored Confetti 7″ vinyl for simply “liking” the Dotted Music Facebook page!

Now, this links to the internet fairly simply. It starts with the computer link. You load your mobile musical device, or MMD, with whatever music you enjoy, through your computer. This is either done through a specific media player, or just through copy and pasting folder to folder. The internet comes in to play here through the availability of music through it. Before the internet, there was no reliable method by which to load yours MMDs, so there was no real need for them, and this is a fairly worrying fact.

Photo credit: weheartit.com

You’ve been able to buy CDs for a long time. Admittedly, not as long as vinyl or tape, but it’s a good trade off. Since the development of technology reached the point that CDs could be ripped onto your PC, MMDs have been under development to design, create and make profit from. However, they were nowhere near as popular before broadband internet and free, fast, illegal mp3 downloads became common. Being able to listen to a track on the move made particular tracks much more desirable. Something that you’ve heard on the radio is something that you might go out and buy, but it’s less likely that you’ll buy it if it’s something that you won’t listen to often. Being able to listen to it in the back and forth between point A and point B has convinced people that, instead of merely wanting it, they need that track to be available.

There’s also a certain danger when it comes to listening to music on the move. After all, your ears are already under complete distraction, so you can’t hear what’s coming behind you. You are so consumed with your chosen distraction that you’ve lost interest in the safety. This is exactly the same as the moral implications when it comes to track downloading. You’re so absorbed in the smaller picture that you don’t even know that there’s a bigger one to overshadow it.

The money is obviously made with the sales of MMDs, but with iPods in particular, there are other avenues. With an iPod comes a copy of the media player iTunes. This is a clear advertisement of Apple software, even on a Microsoft operating system. In addition, iTunes software brings several other types of software with it, all of which has paid money to Apple in order to have the advertisement. Having their software installed, alongside iTunes, onto as many computers as possible has no viable downside when people are proven to use the product.

Without a doubt, the internet has pushed the advertising and development of MMDs, as well as offering them additional financial possibilities. You can never really doubt how useful these little things are in travel, but it’s also fairly clear that the distraction that they offer have downsides too. Most people might swear by them without a question, but in reality it’s yet another accessory that the internet has made essential.

Tom Colohue is a fiction writer and music instructor from Blackpool, England. Though his main works are in the realms of fantasy, he also writes modern fiction for multiple websites, as well as theoretical and practical music lessons for magazines.

Read also: The Effects Of The Internet: Contract Giveaways, The Effects Of The Internet: “Making It”, The Effects Of The Internet: Music Distribution

By the way, just as with our Arcade Rocker game, you (precious Dotted Music readers) hear about this project first.

What is UGT?

Ultimate Guitar Tabs is an easy and convenient application for viewing guitar and bass tablature and chords. What differs it from similar apps in the App Store is that this is the only mobile application giving you an unlimited and licensed access to the world’s largest database of tabs from Ultimate-Guitar.com. Everything is legal. And it’s relatively cheap, you can buy the app for just $1.99.

Here are the main features to get some of you hooked, hopefully:

• Simple Search. Find Tabs quickly by entering artist name or song title.
• Advanced Search tool. You can search for Tabs by specifying Tab type (guitar Tabs, chords, bass Tabs), part of the song (intro, solo, chorus), difficulty level, tuning, and rating.
• Favorites. Add any Tab to your favorites to make them available for offline browsing.
• Tab Packs. Collections of pre-selected Tabs that are preloaded into the application. Tab Packs are based on skills level (Easy, Medium, Advanced), music genres (Rock, Metal, Punk), and special occasions (Love songs, Xmas songs). Tab Packs are frequently updated.
• Top 100 Tabs list for each Tab type (Guitar, Bass, Chords or overall).
• Auto-scroll feature. View Tablature in the text viewer using the handy Auto-Scroll functionality – The App will scroll Tabs for you!
• Portrait and Landscape modes are available. You can scale Tabs too.

Here Come The Screenshots!

Share your thoughts! Found any bugs, glitches, or just have an idea on how to improve the app? Please let me know via the contact form or in the comments below.

You’ve heard it right, Arcade Rocker is a music/rhythm game in the spirit of Guitar Hero, Rock Band, Jam Legend, and even Tap Tap Revenge. How are we (disclosure: Ultimate Guitar USA, LLC) going to revolutionize the music gaming industry with such a banal idea, you ask? Well, I told you only the very basics of the concept.

Arcade Rocker

Arcade Rocker is a game that lets you rock out with any (ok, not literally any) song in your personal music collection. Let an excerpt from our press release bluntly speak for me:

No longer are you limited to only playing the tiny selection of recordings that other music/rhythm game companies choose for you. Arcade Rocker puts you in charge of what recordings you jam with; directly on your PC or Mac you can choose and play music from your personal collection using the free Arcade Rocker Player.

This means that you are not offered to stream, download or upload anything (like in other games in this genre). The website already has game play data (note charts) for other 14,000 popular songs (with more being added each month), and all you have to do is to pick your favorite music, find the desired songs on the Arcade Rocker website, and play them in the built-in player/game. As you can see, the potential is huge.

The charts have been generated automatically, so some of them are not synched up with music the way we would like them too, and we know about this. The generation algorithms are being improved, and what is even cooler – soon we’ll announce the Arcade Rocker Editor, built to provide an easy way to customize the existing game play files and create your own (from any recording).

The website is free, and don’t require you to have a game console (you play with a keyboard).

Arcade Rocker iPhone

This is the spiciest part… Simultaneously with the web version, we have released Arcade Rocker for iPhone / iPod Touch, available as a free application (iTunes link), with Play Packs required in order to play any songs, and a $4.99 version (iTunes link) without any limitations.

Here are few screenshots to spice up your interest (more Arcade Rocker related reports coming soon):

Have you tried either web or iPhone version? Let me know your thoughts, any feedback is appreciated.