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If I Were Steve Jobs and Had Six Weeks to Live February 21, 2011 One of the sad rumors to break last week was that Steve Jobs may have six weeks to live. I've had several people close to me die of cancer. One stepmother was given a few months, but she actually lived more than a year and did a number of amazing things. Another stepmother died two days after the initial diagnosis, and my uncle died ugly in three months.

Who Are This Year's Free Software Heroes? February 10, 2011 Part of what makes the free and open source software community so awe-inspiring is that countering all the negative forces on software freedom each and every day are countless positive forces, contributing, enabling and chipping away at the FUD. It is just such people who are ideal candidates for the 13th annual Free Software Awards, of course.

AOL Hands Content Scepter to Arianna February 07, 2011 On midnight Monday, AOL announced it will buy The Huffington Post for $315 million -- $300 million in cash and $15 million in AOL stock. The price is about 10 times the Post's revenue of $31 million. The cofounder and public face of The Huffington Post, Arianna Huffington, will become president and editor-in-chief of the Huffington Post Media Group, which will handle all Huffington Post and AOL content.

Steve Jobs' Most Valuable Lesson for Apple January 24, 2011 After Steve Jobs was fired years ago, Apple nearly failed -- until he came back to lead what has become the most successful company of the last decade. Ironically, it's likely that Steve Jobs' own practices in fixing Apple back then could be the best guidance for ensuring Apple's continued success.

Scientists Crack Genetic Code for Rare Cancer That Beset Steve Jobs January 20, 2011 Johns Hopkins University scientists have deciphered the genetic code for a rare type of pancreatic cancer -- neuroendocrine or islet cell tumor -- that Apple CEO Steve Jobs told the world he'd been diagnosed with back in 2004. The discovery explains many of the cancer's troubling, highly variable properties and suggests new treatment approaches.

Apple Investors' Warring Hopes and Fears January 20, 2011 In response to Apple CEO Steve Jobs' January 17 announcement that he was taking another medical leave of absence and "hoped" to return to the company he loves, former partner and Apple cofounder Steve Wozniak said he was scared and surprised. Markets, analysts, Apple fans and Apple fanatics are frightened too, as Apple COO Tim Cook once again steps in to tackle the daily grind.

Filling Steve Jobs' Shoes: Medical Leave Renews Worries January 17, 2011 Apple CEO Steve Jobs has once again taken medical leave from the company, driving down its share prices in European markets. Financial markets in the U.S. are closed in observation of Martin Luther King day, and Apple's stock prices might take a bigger hit when U.S. markets reopen Tuesday, said Brian Marshall, an analyst at Gleacher & Company.

Winners, Losers, Heroes and Villains of 2010 December 20, 2010 Another year is about over, and many of us are now given time to spend with our friends and families thinking back on the year that was and ahead to the year that will be. We have been and are defined by the choices we make, and often we can learn from the mistakes of others as well as their successes.

Yahoo's Unkindest Cuts December 18, 2010 For a long time now, Yahoo has suffered a bit of an identity problem. What does it want to be? King of search is Google's thing, and Facebook owns the social network scene, so what is Yahoo's identity, besides being a really big email provider? This week, Yahoo apparently started looking toward a new role model: The Grinch.

Person of the Year: Zuckerberg Put a Human Face on Technology December 15, 2010 Mark Zuckerberg, the 26-year-old CEO of Facebook, is Time magazine's Person of the Year. Few technology leaders before him have been given the title. "You" got the honor in 2006 -- "you" as in YouTube generation. Another Harvard dropout -- Microsoft founder Bill Gates -- got it in 2005, but he was one of a group of "Good Samaritans" recognized for their philanthropy.

Paul Allen to Refile Sweeping Patent Suits With Specifics Spelled Out December 13, 2010 A federal judge on Friday dismissed a patent lawsuit Interval Licensing -- Microsoft cofounder Paul Allen's company -- filed last August in Seattle against 11 firms, including Apple and Google. Interval claims the defendants violated four patents owned by Paul Allen's company Interval Research on technologies it developed before it folded in 2000.

Obama's Visit With Steve Jobs: Here's What I Hope He Learned October 25, 2010 Regardless of which party holds office in the U.S., my true hope is for its success, because I have this twisted view that if we have successful president, we'll have a better quality of life. Unfortunately, both of the U.S. parties seem to be competing as to which can screw up the country more effectively and, at the moment, the Democrats are winning, largely because they control government.

For Apple, a Week of Hot Air and Market Share October 23, 2010 Apple held its big Back to the Mac event this week, showing previews of software and hardware to come. On the hardware side, it has a new, aluminum body MacBook Air. Weighs less than three pounds and boasts up to 30 hours of standby time, five to seven hours of actual use. It comes in two sizes: 13.3 inches and 11.6, which teeters right on the brink of netbook territory.

Leading a Tech Business Does Not a Great Politician Make October 22, 2010 Since the latter days of the 20th Century, business and political leaders have moved between each others' fields with increasing ease. Vice President Dick Cheney was one; Treasury Secretary Henry Paulson is another. Right now, two former leaders of high-tech companies are running for office: former HP CEO Carly Fiorina and former eBay CEO Meg Whitman.

Windows 7's First Birthday, Microsoft's Midlife Crisis October 20, 2010 Windows 7 is the fastest-selling operating system in Microsoft's -- or any vendor's -- history. Microsoft's financials and balance sheet over the last several quarters are pure gold. The question must be asked, then, if Microsoft's financials are so rosy and its core Windows and Office products are in the black and thriving, then why are some industry observers writing the company's epitaph?

Microsoft Faces Life After Ozzie October 19, 2010 Ray Ozzie is out as chief software architect at Microsoft, opening a big void through which analysts are tossing innumerable opinions regarding what the departure means for the company. Ozzie's role was frequently seen as being Bill Gates' successor as the company's visionary technologist, a foil to CEO Steve Ballmer's purely business-minded approach.

The Drivers Steering Motorola's Comeback October 14, 2010 Motorola has been struggling for years to recapture its greatness. Suddenly, it seems to be on the right track, thanks to working with Google's Android operating system and Verizon Wireless. There are so many issues to consider, but the main question today is what are Motorola's plans for the next few years, and what are the chances it could be on the verge of a longer-term recovery?

Can Apotheker Mix Up a Cure for What Ails HP? October 01, 2010 HP announced on Thursday that it has appointed former SAP CEO Leo Apotheker its new president and CEO. The company also named Ray Lane, managing partner at venture capitalists Kleiner Perkins Caufield & Byers, as a new member of its board of directors and named him non-executive chairperson. Both appointments are effective November 1.

Visions of Autonomous Search Dance in Schmidt's Head September 30, 2010 Google CEO Eric Schmidt sees mobile devices augmenting our human existence in the future. Speaking at the TechCrunch Disrupt event this week, he outlined a vision in which mobile phones will autonomously conduct searches for us, and we'll never be lonely or bored because we'll always be able to get in touch with friends or access content or entertainment online.

How Dan Hesse Is Reviving Sprint September 30, 2010 I first met Dan Hesse, the CEO of Sprint, back in the mid 1990s and have since followed both his and Sprint's journey. Let me tell you the backstory of the battle Hesse is fighting to bring Sprint back to life. I will also share a few thoughts about where it is today in its recovery, and what we can expect going forward.