Apple co-founder and former CEO Steve Jobs
A look at gadget happenings, as Steve Jobs’ biography is out today, Microsoft’s YouTube channel gets hacked and Google amends price plans for the Chromebook for schools and businesses.
Steve Jobs biography out today
Walter Isaacson’s authorised biography of Steve Jobs is out today, just less than a month after the death of the Apple co-founder and former CEO.
The biography, which was sanctioned while Jobs was terminally ill, was originally going to be released in late November, but the date was pushed forward after Jobs died on 5 October.
The book is made up of exclusive interviews from Jobs and his family, colleagues and competitors, conducted over three years.
Isaacson also spoke on CBS’ 60 Minutes about the book, where he discusses how Jobs dealt with having pancreatic cancer, how he discovered he was adopted and his thoughts on tech rivals.
Microsoft YouTube channel hacked
Microsoft’s official YouTube channel was hacked this weekend, which saw all of its videos removed from the site.
GeekWire reports that after removing Microsoft’s videos, the hacker posted requests for sponsorship on Microsoft’s YouTube channel.
Microsoft said it has since regained control of the channel and is working to restore the original content. The company will also work with YouTube to help protect the channel in future.
Google offers alternative Chromebook pricing for schools and businesses
Google is giving schools and businesses a new option in which to pay for Chromebooks, giving one year of access to the web-based admin management console, phone support and hardware warranty coverage.
According to Google, the Chromebook has a three-year subscription model, but feedback from customers said an annual pricing model would be more useful, especially when working to yearly budget cycles.
Google will now let schools purchase a Chromebook for US$449 for the Wi-Fi model and US$519 for the 3G model, which includes a year’s subscription to support and management services. They then can pay US$5 a month a year after purchase to keep these services for an extra two years.
For businesses, the Wi-Fi Chromebook will cost US$599 and the 3G model will cost US$639. They can pay US$13 per month to access Chromebook management and support a year after purchase.
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