Steve Jobs: iPod, iMac, iPhone, iPad

Steve Jobs is dead.  

This very sentence sends a ripple effect of shock and gloom throughout the world.  With this sentence, the world seems to have grown dimmer as the world mourn the snuffing out of a brilliant light.

With his passing, Apple Inc co-founder and former CEO Steve Jobs joined the the league of the GREAT who had left an indelible mark in the world, not just by what they have achieved, but also their philosophy and legacy of wisdom.

Many people are wondering what's going to happen to Apple now that "the brain" is gone. Always the man of vision, Steve Jobs assured us:

I mean, some people say, ‘Oh, God, if [Jobs] got run over by a bus, Apple would be in trouble.’ And, you know, I think it wouldn’t be a party, but there are really capable people at Apple. My job is to make the whole executive team good enough to be successors, so that’s what I try to do.

So much has been said about this man who brought us the iPod, iMac, iPhone and iPad - some are good, some are bad, but most are amazing!   

Steve Jobs himself once said, "I want to put a ding in the universe."

And that he did beautifully, elegantly and effectively.

All I can say is: for a man with such humble beginnings, you have been a true inspiration.  And for all that you have given the world, our children and the generations to come, "Thank you" doesn't seem enough!  You have truly made a 'ding in the universe'.    But given your wisdom, vision and foresight, I wouldn't be surprise if YOU surprise us with "just one more thing" from the heavens above.  You will be greatly missed, Mr. Jobs.

Rest In Peace.

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Steve Jobs on naming Apple:

I was actually a fruitarian at that point in time.  I ate only fruit.  Now I'm a garbage can like everyone else.  And we were about three months late in filing a fictitious business name so I threatened to call the company Apple Computer unless someone suggested a more interesting name by five o'clock that day.  Hoping to stimulate creativity.  And it stuck.  And that's why we're called Apple.

This is extracted from Steve Job's public address to the Stanford University's graduating class of 2005 - a rare public speech by him - read more about it HERE.

The amazing revolution of the Apple computer.

The first Apple prototype

that became the stylish iMac

and then the incredibly light Macbook Air

Revolutionary iPad

1955 - 2011

A gift box of goodies

Make Christmas this year unique for children. Instead of gifting them with toys, gift them with experiences instead. UniqGift is a package of fun,laughter and wholesome entertainment for one to gift kids this Christmas.

I received a gift box the other day from a thoughtful friend. It was a uniQgift box. Literally, it was a box filled with 15 goodies for you to choose from!

What is it? You ask. What are the goodies? Well, we have trial classes from Little Art Bug, baking workshops from Genius R Us, dance lessons from Jody Marshall Dance, music classes from kindermusik and School of Music Clef, and sports activities from Socatots Singapore, Sky Gym and Om Shiva Yoga Centre.

That’s just to name a few. For a parent, “The Growing Years” gift box is a godsend as it presents me with 15 different experiences from a multitude of discipline to try with the children!

Be Inspired by The Growing Years

If your child is creative, you can opt for a selection of art, drawing, painting, clay pottery, cooking or baking classes. For those who are musically inclined, you may be interested in the music and dance classes. And moms with active kids will thank you for the variety of sport activities like gym, dance, football, tennis or yoga classes. How about a makeover for your child?

If you are worried about the quality of the services offered by the various suppliers, you can put them to rest. uniQgift partners with reputable establishments like Creative Culinaire, Jody Marshall Dance, The LPN Art School, JWT Kids Gym, and Willow Stream Spa Tennis Facility Swissotel to ensure quality services.

“The Growing Years” gift box is reasonably priced at S$58. The activities are available for 1 to 2 kids and sometimes you even have the option to do an activity with your child.

Like A Child In A Candy Store

What to choose? Which activity should we do?

It was rather like being a child in a candy store. I couldn’t make up my mind as I thumbed through the 15 delightful choices. Should we go to the LPN Art School where my child gets to work on an art project (1 hr)? Or should I let her try her hand at tennis? You have a choice of 2 Tiny Tots tennis programme sessions (1 hr per session) for 3 to 5 year olds, or two Junior programme sessions (1.5 hr per session) for 5 to 9 year olds.

She likes to bake, so maybe we should book Creative Culinaire. You have a choice of either a parent-and-child workshop or a family workshop (2 to 3 hours). Hmm, it’ll be fun for the entire family and she’ll learn hands-on how to bake a pizza and make a lollipop.

Finally, my daughter and I decided on the Jody Marshall Dance certificate, which offers her 4 dance lessons with a choice of dance style (45 mins per lesson). My 4 year old chose Beginner Tap dance over jazz and ballet.

As Easy As Pie

Claiming the certificate is in the words of my precocious pre-schooler, “easy as pie”. All you have to do is simply call the service provider, inform them that you are a uniQgift certificate holder and make a booking. All that’s left is to show up on the day of the booking at the venue stipulated and present your certificate to them. Easy as pie.

Hannah at Jody Marshall Dance was very helpful when we turned up for our trial class at Suntec City. She helped us with the registration, and settled my child in her beginner Tap class before assuring me that she’ll look out for her while I do my shopping. That’s 45-minutes of me-time! Yippee!

Ask for a uniQgift

Finally, a gift box that is practical, sensible, and functional. It comes in a beautiful baby blue packaging and is suitable for all occasions, be it birthdays, appreciation gestures, anniversaries or special occasions.

uniQgift boxes offer a wide selection of boxes that include themes such as culinary, wellbeing, multi-themes, and activities. Each themed booklet comes with pre-selected choices of activities or experiences for you to choose from. For example, under the activities theme, you can choose the following gift boxes: The Growing Years, Sport & Adventure or Lesson & Workshop.

Purchasing a uniQgift is easy. Once you are in the website, choose the gift box you wish to purchase, add them to your shopping cart, state your quantity and press cart. It will direct you to the checkout page. Once you are satisfied with your purchases, click “Check Out”. It will direct you to the billing page where you are asked for your billing and shipping details.

uniQgift is available online and also at Harris Bookstore at Great World City. Prices for each box range from as little as $38 to over $200.

The next time someone asks me what I want, I’m asking for a uniQgift.

For more information, please visit www.uniqgift.com, email: info@uniqgift.com or call hotline +65-6221 6643.

This article first appeared in theAsianparent.com in 2010