We’re logging off for the weekend with these in mind:

Facebook Files for $5 billion IPO

In news that’s been circulating about the web as fast as mouse buttons can click,  Facebook has filed for a a $5 billion IPO. While it’s still unknown on which stock exchange Facebook will trade, it’s safe to assume that the platform’s ticker symbol will be simply  ”FB.”  At the moment, Facebook will have to field questions and scrutiny from regulators and court investors before trading begins.

While the initial paperwork does not reveal how much of the company’s shares are going to be sold (or cost), what is known is that CEO Mark Zuckerberg holds the most amount of shares at 28%, and that as of December 31st, Facebook internally determined each share to be worth $29.73 a pop.

In other related news, it seems that advertising made up 85% of Facebook’s revenue at a solid $3.2 billion, and that Zynga makes up 12% of Facebook’s revenue. Because the 197 pg document that Facebook filed with the Securities Exchange Commission was hefty reading, Facebook so kindly demonstrated in a series of graphics where the money goes, and how the money’s made. Techcrunch has kindly summed up the IPO timeline of events in one convenient location if you want to read further.

Pinterest Drives More Referral Traffic than +, Youtube, and LinkedIn
Social sharing platform Pinterest continues to rise in referral traffic and users, as noted by Shareaholic. As of the end of January, Pinterest  rose from 2.5% referral traffic rate to 3.6%, outpacing names like YouTube, LinkedIn, and Reddit. While Facebook, Twitter, and Google’s reign are not surprising, it should be noted that StumbleUpon is now number two, signifying its rise and potential. One of our interns, Katie, looks into the hidden possibilities of StumbleUpon in her blog post.

Tumblr Hires Journos to Write About… Tumblr 
In a rather bizarre mobius strip of narcissim, blogging platform Tumblr has hired two journalists to write exclusively about…  Tumblr. Rationalizing that the almost 44 million tumblogs qualify as a city of its own, Chris Mohney and Jessica Bennett will write exclusively about Tumblr and its content from the steely, analytic eye of journalism (instead of just blogging about it). All articles and postings will  be found on the Tumblr staff blog.

Susan G. Komen’s Very Weary Week
Breast cancer organization Susan G. Komen has had a very busy week, putting out the flames on their various social media channels and navigating a PR nightmare. The initial firestorm started when the foundation announced that they planned on withdrawing the funds and grants from health care provider Planned Parenthood, which prompted an outcry and much scrutiny about its donation policies across the internet.

In addition to 22 Democratic senators calling out the foundation for withdrawing its financial support, hackers took to the web to express their dismay, alongside other netizens of the web. Children’s author Judy Blume even took to the internet to issue a scolding as well. On the brightside, the spotlight was able to help Planned Parenthood raise over $1 million in donations, with several generous donations coming from donors such as Mayor  Michael Bloomberg.

The foundation has been putting out social media and public relations fires all week and weathering a PR storm (hint, not very well), from changing its privacy settings on its Facebook page, denying accusations of deleting unsavory or negative comments on their Facebook status, their blog shutting down, and SVP Karen Handel callously tweeting,  “cry me a river”  (which was then very quickly deleted).

As of today, the embattled and wary foundation has announced that they regret their initial decision, and has issued a statement stating that they no longer wish to withdraw financial support.

Twitter Rolls Out Expanded Brand Pages and Analytics
Twitter’s been busy with expanding on its brand pages program to a few more choice advertisers, and shedding more light on its own set of analytics. While both these features could only be beneficial to the program and its growth, both in userbase and reach, we’re still waiting for tangible results – Twitter’s been promising the launch of its analytics since the end of 2010.

Farmville Post Breaks Guinness World Record
In a quiet sigh that went around the world, Facebook broke a Guinness World Record – not because of its IPO – but because of a Farmville status with over 1,001,600 comments. We don’t have much to add to this but wanted to quote the following interaction with the user in question regarding her motives:

Hodgson says she took up FrontierVille after her daughter started playing on her Facebook account. She wanted to set the record to show the strength of the FrontierVille community, with which she had become deeply involved.

“I began to play myself, and then got involved in helping with the game’s community groups as an administrator,” she told Guinness. “My friend Nattie Murphy saw the previous record and suggested I try to break it — it sounded like a great idea for our group to show what we are capable of when we work together”

Everyone go weep.

Did we miss a bit o’buzz? Let us know here and join in on the conversation! 

While the rest of the world waits for smartphones to support RFID, which would make it more cost effective for others to implement this technology, there’s no excuse for you to not start think about implementing RFID into your business. There are a lot of benefits that come from using RFID technology: from creatively engaging with new and existing customers, understanding and meeting your customers’ habits and needs, and overall creating a unique service and experience. Many companies are missing out on a special opportunity, while a select few are using it as a chance to create an effective offline and online customer and branding experience. It’s an investment like with anything new, with a bit of risk, but a successful implementation of RFID could pay off in the short and long run.

Here are a few brands that have used the technology to bridge the gap between offline and online activities and marketing:

Vail Resort’s Epic Mix

By having a RFID tag in your ski pass or lift ticket, you’re able to track your ski stats, share accomplishments, and connect with others seamlessly. With the introduction of Epic Mix Photo this season, resort photographers now have the ability to post photos while you’re on the slopes directly to your Facebook account. For casual and serious skiers, Epic Mix offers a ton of value by tracking each person’s ski adventure and gets friends involved with updates to Facebook and Twitter.

The Ushuaia Beach Hotel

By setting up RFID readers (Facebook pillars) throughout the hotel, visitors are able to share their whereabouts and activities on Facebook by swiping their RFID installed wristband. This features a camera that allows you to take and share photos, check-in through Facebook Places, and posts updates to your wall. Events such as the Facebook F8 Conference have done similar work using RFID enabled passes.

Coca-Cola and Google Wallet   

Google has invested heavily in this technology, blazing a trail to bring payments to mobile using NFC (Near Field Communication), a form of RFID. If you haven’t looked into Google Wallet yet, you can watch this video to learn more. This technology does more than just replace a credit card with your smartphone (nobody wants an exploding wallet). It allows you to redeem Google Offers, special savings both online and offline, and also store reward cards so you don’t have to lug those around anymore. It’s quick, convenient, and safe.

In the end, the possibilities for RFID use are endless. When researching RFID and how it’s been steadily implemented and utilized more and more, you’ll find some pretty amazing examples out there. I’m interested to hear what you think about RFID and when you think it will catch on.

Have you seen any examples of RFID being linked with social media? Please feel free to share below!

Happy Friday! We’ve been clutching our coffee mugs close to us for warmth and fighting off the winter blues with cute videos of baby sloths , daydreams of the other kind of sopa and lots of caffeine.

When not enthralled by a rather mesmerizing zebra dance or bemoaning the fate of the future at the mass protest of Wikipedia’s blackout by procrastinating teenagers, we’ve been keeping abuzz of the following stories. We’re logging off for the weekend with these  in mind:

SOPA / PIPA Co-Sponsors Jumps Ship
They can take our lives, but they cannot take away our freedom … to look at cat videos. The internet mobilized together in a last ditch attempt to urge Congress and the House of Representatives to stop anti-piracy bills SOPA and PIPA from passing, resulting in co-sponsors and legislators dropping support like flies well before the day was over.

75,000 websites and countless individuals gathered together in the largest online protest in history by gathering in the streets or gathering signatures, calling up their local representatives and overwhelming Senate’s website, and blocking off their own sites. Craigslist and Reddit shut down for the day as did Wikipedia (though the Wiki mobile version and apps did still work), leaving a short blurb about SOPA and calls to action, and Google compromised by censoring its logo and running an extensive ad campaign across various sites that urged people to sign a petition that collected 4.5 million signatures. Twitter also reported 2.4 million SOPA-related tweets between midnight and 4pm EST of January 18th, and Mozilla reported that 30 million people in the US saw its Anti-SOPA message and 1.8 million visited its info page, generating 360,000 emails to Congress .

While it seems that we’re now free to browse and share on the web at our own leisure, we are far from the clear as both SOPA and PIPA have yet to be voted on. Although the number of SOPA opponents in Congress is now 122, the number of supporters for PIPA in Senate still outnumber opposers, which means PIPA can still pass. Voting on PIPA was originally scheduled to take place on January 24th, but Senate Majority Leader Reid has stated that voting on PIPA has been delayed for the time being. If you haven’t done so, you can write to your elected officials and let them know your opposition here.

MegaUpload Gets Shut Down 
File uploading and sharing site Megaupload has been shut down by the FBI in a rather surprising show of force. The site’s been through a rather rapid chain of events, but with the site effectively shut down, countless users are unable to access and withdraw their files – some of which are original copyrighted material of their own (much akin to copyright infringement). As the founder and CEOs of MegaUpload were arrested and denied bail in New Zealand,  pictures of valuables and items being seized spread across the internet, and internet vigilante group Anonymous decided to launch a counterattack in form of a DDoS (which is punishable by up to 10 years in prison) attack by tricking users into clicking a fake MegaUpload URL.

60 Companies to Unveil Open Graph Apps
Sixty companies have unveiled their open graph applications that will be housed along the right hand side of your Facebook Timeline. The brands run the gamut from food and wine, travel, entertainment, and charity, alongside other categories. Most of the applications were already in existence, but have since been tinkered and upgraded to fit Facebook’s Timeline and will also add actions such as “spot” “love” and “want” to Facebook’s repertoire. You can see the list of brands at the link – we’ve already spotted a few of our favs!

Foursquare adds Restaurant Menus
Foursquare has rolled out a new feature in addition to its Explore section  (which factors check-ins from you and your network to deliver personalized results and recommendations), which now brings all the menus and prices of all the possible venues you could possibly check into. Foursquare announced through its blog that it had teamed up with startup SinglePlatform to share over 13,000,000 menus from 25,000 restaurants across the U.S – prices included! Nifty if you’re in a jam and need to revise dinner plans on the fly, but a nightmare for the indecisive.

Did we miss a bit o’buzz? Let us know here and join in on the conversation! 

Apparently I was a good girl this year because Santa brought me a very nice present – a Kindle Fire! The hot new e-reader from Amazon is the latest in readers that also double as tablets. While it can easily be compared to the iPad, I prefer this little gadget because of its size and shape. It’s more fun reading young adult novels on the Fire than the iPad and I think most avid readers would agree with me on that one. While you can probably do a lot more on your iPad than your Kindle, let me just say that as a book community manager, the Kindle Fire is absolutely 100% the best device for me.

Why is this the best device for a book blog or community manager? Beyond the whole e-reading aspect, here are the apps that make this my recommended device:

HootSuite app – I often find myself creating Twitter and Facebook content when I’m in the middle of reading a book. Now with the Kindle Fire, I can schedule updates via HootSuite as I’m reading books and check up teen readers’ feeds to confirm what I know.

IndieBound Reader – My New Year’s resolution is to support small businesses as much as possible, which is hard to do when you buy all your e-books from an online site like Amazon. But never fear, the IndieBound Reader app – courtesy of Android- is here!

With this app, you can download e-books from Google Books from participating independent bookstores. While they may not have as many deals as Amazon or as wide a selection, you’re still supporting locally owned bookstores and giving back to the community.

Downloading this app and other Android apps is easy. Just follow these instructions to unlock your Kindle Fire. To get the IndieBound Reader app, open up “Silk” on your Fire and go to this page, click download, and finish the installation instructions from the link above and you’re done!

GetGlue and GoodReads – Use GetGlue to check into the books you’re reading, and GoodReads to keep track of your progress. I use both for different reasons, but if there’s one thing I know, readers LOVE displaying their reading progress. Both these apps are good for keeping up with friends and community members on their reading status while slyly showing off your own.

Tumblr – More and more book blogs and publishers are extending their reach via Tumblr. From what I’ve seen, most book-minded people use it for graphics or reviews and less as actual blogs, but that doesn’t make it any less fun or entertaining.

Box.net – We here at Affinitive just recently moved our files over to Box.net and I was thrilled to learn that there’s a Box app for the Kindle. Now I have no excuse to get my work done. Use it to upload and store your files, images, and whatever else you need. I like using it to store photos or documents that I later upload to my Tumblr.

StumbleUpon – I love discovering new book blogs or communities and sometimes the best way to do that is to just surf the web. There’s no better tool for mindless web surfing than Stumble Upon. Using the keyword settings, now I can aimlessly explore and browse books, blogs and publishers’ websites inbetween reading sessions.

That’s it for me, but I’d love to hear what apps you’re downloading to your Fires. Share in the comments!

Facebook to Host Ads in Newsfeeds
Those semi-discrete “Sponsored Story” ads on the right of your screen are about to get more facetime. As of January, Facebook will start featuring “Sponsored Story” ads directly in newsfeeds, aiming to increase visibility, especially for mobile users, although mobile advertising won’t be rolling out until March. Not only will these ads feature directly on one’s newsfeed, Sponsored Stories will be the same size as other updates and posts. In the meantime, you can read the “Facebook Wants You to Know How it Makes Money” disclaimer on the top of your user page. Other changes that are quietly being tested and rolled out: Suggested Events, which pulls in data from previous check-ins, your friends’ events, and pages you’ve liked to suggest you get out there more.

You Can No Has Cheezburger: Go Daddy and SOPA
Cheezburger CEO Ben Huh (of the I Can Has Cheezburger, FAIL blog fame) has thrown down the gauntlet at Go Daddy, the web’s largest hosting and domain registration provider for its support of SOPA. The CEO  tweeted challenging Go Daddy to recant its support of the controversial bill, or the Cheezburger franchise would be moving its 1,000 domains elsewhere. While Go Daddy has not issued any statements, Huh followed up with another tweet directing people to ask Google to pressure GD, which is a third-party registrar.  You can check out the complete list of companies who support SOPA here.

UPDATE: Go Daddy has since announced that it has withdrawn support of SOPA, with CEO Warren Adelman issuing a public statement reading:

“Fighting online piracy is of the utmost importance, which is why Go Daddy has been working to help craft revisions to this legislation – but we can clearly do better. It’s very important that all Internet stakeholders work together on this. Getting it right is worth the wait. Go Daddy will support it when and if the Internet community supports it.”

Facebook is #1 Search Term (Again)
Much to the dismay of Google + , it appears that “Facebook” and its variations remain the number one search term in the U.S. for the third year in a row, accounting for 3.1 percent of all searches, which is a 46 percent increase from 2010. This is not the be all end all list of all lists however, as Google and Yahoo released their own “most searched” lists.

Pinterest Piques Interest with 11 Million Weekly Visitors and a 4000% Traffic Increase
Social sharing platform Pinterest is booming. The image dominated, invite-only site started in March 2010 and has since been rapidly growing. Traffic has increased 40x in six months, accounting for 11 million visits within a week (ending December 17th). Further user demographics reveal a 58% female userbase and 59% userbase between the ages of 25-44. As Pinterest is solidly invite-only, if you want to scope out the platform for 2012, you had best request an invite, or finagle one from a friend.

Twitter, Journalism, and Social Change
The International Journal of Communication has released a report analyzing the flow of information and communication as seen in earlier uprisings in Egypt and Tunisia this year. In both Egypt and Tunisia, 70% of the accounts tweeting news were linked to individuals, as opposed to 30% of organizations, despite the larger number of followers and higher frequency of tweets. Individual bloggers, journalists, and activists were responsible for generating 43% of tweets regarding Egypt and 44% in Tunisia, as opposed to the 7% generated by media outlets. To download and analyze the full content of the report, you can check it out here.

Digg Digs into Facebook’s Open Graph
Like other news outlets, social sharing platform Digg has tapped into Facebook’s open graph to make the sharing of links instantaneous and seamless. In addition to the integration, Digg will launch a newsbar that sits atop its pages that allow users to turn off Facebook sharing or individually monitor the stories they want to publish on their Facebook newsfeeds. If you’re still a bit unsure of how to navigate the Facebook’s Timeline, you had better read up on this.

Memorable Tweets of 2011
From social change to social faux pas, Twitter usually manages to snag the moment just as it happens. Just 21 tweets can’t quite sum up 2011, but they certainly are very memorable as we took a look back on some PR slipups, major news events, and deaths. Notably missing from the list are reaction Tweets about the death of Kim Jong Il, so we’re adding this list to the blurb.

Did we miss a bit o’buzz? Let us know and join in on the conversation here!

Client Name

Solution Type — Digital Promotion

Objective — Promote the release of Chrysler’s 2012 Jeep Call-of-Duty edition Wrangler through an immersive, social-driven consumer promotion within Facebook around Activision’s much-anticipated release of Call of Duty Modern Warfare 3.

Activation — Jeep Ops, an immersive Facebook sweepstakes game, asked fans of Jeep to play the game, mimicking the in-game Call of Duty story to earn entries into the contest by completing Missions in order to win the first-off-the-line 2012 Jeep Wrangler COD version.

Results
•       453,842 Visits | 940,964 Page views
•       51,569 Total submissions | 46,592 Playing the game
•       2,435,164 total ballot entries

Campaigns/Initiatives

Engage users by creating a Call-of-Duty themed virtual scavenger hunt on Facebook that highlights both the capabilities of the new Wrangler Call-of-Duty MW3 Edition and the game locations.  Users earn “ballots” for participation, solving clues, and referring friends that result in additional chances to win.

Services Provided

•       Social Media Sweepstakes
•       Social Media Monitoring
•       Technical execution of Facebook Application

Notes
This effort was a highly technical one, executed under a tight timeline. Affinitive, as a Facebook Preferred Developer Consultant (PDC), leveraged its extensive expertise with Facebook Platform among a collaborative team of several other creative and media agencies, including Sapient Nitro.

How it Works

Once a user has "Liked" the Jeep Facebook page, they are directed to a Call-of-Duty-esque commander module where they receive instructions on the game.

Next, users were led through four different "missions", where they were given clues about a specific location they that they must solve—by any means necessary—to locate various parts of the vehicle.

Completed missions earn achievement badges and bonus ballots for the sweepstakes to win the first-off-the-line 2012 Jeep Wrangler Call of Duty: MW3 Edition. The farher along users advance through the four stages of training, the greater the number of ballots earned.

Ballots will be tallied after midnight on December 31, 2011 and the winner will be drawn at random for the new Jeep Wrangler, Call of Duty: MW3 edition.

Evernote

Bob says, “You never know when inspiration will hit, so Evernote has become my way of instantly capturing and organizing info – be it ideas, photos, web clippings, or fodder for blog posts. I jump from device to device throughout the day, so whether I wake up in the middle of the night or sit in a conference, I jot down my idea or record a voice memo- Evernote syncs the data so I can easily access it later.”

Chipotle 

Margot says, “The Chipotle app. Seriously, it combines two of my favorite things: iPhone apps and burritos. Plus, users of the app get to skip the lines!”

Kickmap Lite

Sloan says, “Wake up in a strange part of the city or need to hightail it somewhere? The subway map tells you where the nearest subway stop is, which ones are express or local, and where your train stop – or doesnt.”

Google Maps

Warren, who heads our West Coast office, says “I have a near obsession with the traffic layer on Google Maps. Sorry world, but sitting in traffic is for suckers!”

 NetNewsWire

Sloan says, “This awesome interface pulls in RSS feeds from Google reader – something that gets me through my commute when I don’t have a book.”

Fun-Putt Mini Golf

Warren says, “Fun-Putt Mini Golf helps pass time on an underground commute when there’s no service.”

ChartBeat

Rob says, “Real time traffic alerts for our sites at my fingertips, so I know immediately if we’re getting a spike in traffic or if our sites are down.”

Radian6

Patrick says, “I can access data and analytics on-the-go, as well as update content and respond to customers right from the app. I’m anxiously awaiting the Android version.”

Twitter

Andrew says, “On days when I actually have a few moments to take a walk, or days when the local deli’s selections seem uninspiring to my grumbling stomach, I take to Twitter to check out my local food trucks list to see which roaming restaurant-on-wheels is in my neighborhood. While there are many apps that are devoted to finding food trucks near you, they tend to cull their info from Twitter, so why not just go right to the source?”

TripIt

Bob says, “The worst part of traveling carrying around a folder full of printouts for flight info, rental car and hotel reservations, and maps. TripIt simply forwards all of my confirmation emails and automatically organizes everything into an easy-to-use, mobile-based itinerary that I can share with colleagues, friends, and family.”

Yelp Mobile

Erica says, “Love my Yelp app. Not only is it good for finding new places to go, it’s a good way to look up places nearby to keep the party going while you’re out and about.”

Words with Friends

Andrew says, “Words with Friends is my second favorite thing about my lunch break.  It keeps the brain engaged while distracting from the day at hand, and if your opponent is especially verbally dexterous, it can even inspire you by reminding you of a word you haven’t used recently. (Dexterous – 20 points minimum!)”

The marathon is this Sunday, November 6th. It has been a long and often painful road getting here and my anxiety at the thought of running 26.2 miles is currently mounting, but I wanted to take time out to give you some tips on how to support or track your favorite runner on race day!

The Official Mobile Spectator App
Available in the iPhone and Android marketplace for $2.99, the official mobile spectator app – powered by MapMyRun and MyCityWay - allows you to track up to 10 runners simultaneously on race day and shows you nearby points of interest along the race course including restaurants, landmarks, and more. You can also watch live streaming of the men’s and women’s pro races, as well as NBC4 New York’s live coverage.

RunKeeper Live
If you want to keep closer tabs on your runner, RunKeeper Elite broadcasts activity in real-time GPS through their application for iPhone and Android. The program also delivers stats like elevation and speed, so you can make sure your runner is on pace and know when they might need a little extra support to get over those challenging hills.

ASICS Support Your Marathoner
Sponsored by ASICS, Support Your Marathoner encourages marathon supporters to record videos, upload images, and share messages with their runners that are displayed on giant screens during the race (triggered by RFID tags the runners receive prior to their race and affix to their shoe).

Spotify Streaming
If your runner is planning to listen to music during the race (which is discouraged by NYRR, but I am probably going to do this), encourage them to use Spotify and connect it with Facebook. You’ll be able to listen to the same song at the same time as your runner so you can share that special moment as they cross the finish line while you’re both listening to “Chariots of Fire”.

The Old Fashioned Cheering Squad
If you’re close enough to be there in person, make sure you review the marathon course and coordinate with your runner exactly where you’ll be. Go in groups so your cheers can be heard loud and clear. Check the marathon spectator guide before you go and take a look at the ‘secret spots’ to have the best chance of connecting with your runner.

Make A Donation
Crowdrise is helping support thousands of runners in their efforts to raise funds for non-profits. Every donation to a runner’s cause contributes to the overall goal of raising $1 million per mile. Make a donation to your runner’s cause and show your support through charitable contribution.  I’m using the Crowdrise platform along with my teammates to raise money for Camp Interactive.

Over 40,000 people will attempt the NYC marathon this year, make sure your runner feels like one in a million!

About Camp Interactive
CI is a Bronx-based nonprofit that inspires inner-city kids to step back into nature and forward into technology. They execute their goals using a two pronged program. First, CI takes students on outward-bound style adventure trips to open their minds and enhance leadership abilities. The students are outfitted with cameras, journals, and video equipment, and they are encouraged to record their experience. Upon returning to NYC, the students create a video, edit their photos, write stories, and build a website using their experience to fuel the content. This process gives students real-world applicable technology skills and the courage and leadership to use them.

We’re incredibly saddened by Steve Job’s passing. We don’t want to think about what the Internet, Digital Age, and technology would be right now if not for his innovative genius. Instead, we’d like to take the time to remember Mr. Jobs for all the wonderful gifts he bestowed on us and the world through his brilliance and ingenuity.

IPOD PHOTO (2004)

“It was clunky, somewhat pointless, and expensive (+$400.)  But it was the first ‘big’ gift I gave my wife, she loved it, and now I’m married to her.  Thanks Apple!” – Patrick

MAVIS BEACON TEACHES TYPING (1987)

“You don’t get to a wicked fast transcription speed of 140 WPM by just lounging about punching the keyboard with two fingers when talking smack on the Internet. My proper form and uncanny knowledge of key placement is all thanks to a very special lady named Mavis Beacon, who taught me typing.” – Christina

APPLE IIe (1983)

“For me, it was the Apple IIe – while I cut my teeth as an 8 year-old writing BASIC code on my RadioShack TRS-80 Color Computer (when I was a kid, you had to make your own games!), I would often go to my local public library and pay $5/hr to use their Apple IIe that allowed me to… save my code on floppy disks!” – Bob

IPOD TOUCH (2007)

“I was waiting for someone to come up with a touchscreen, wifi-enabled, large capacity, portable player that’s as sleek and cheep as my 64GB iTouch. It helped me in my apartment searches and was a gateway drug that led me into getting a smart phone. I’ve had it for almost two years now and it hasn’t failed me yet.” – Sloan

MACINTOSH GAMES

Prince of Persia (1989)

Oregon Trail Deluxe (1992)

Myst (1993)

“My lifelong love of video gaming began so tenderly when I got my first Macintosh. Thanks to CD ROM games and Steve, I was able to drink potions and fight with swords in Prince of Persia, die of dysentery along the Oregon Trail and cultivate a Nancy Drew-like obsession with another world in Myst.” - Margot

1st GENERATION iPod (2001)

“I bought a first generation iPod and used my newfound musical freedom to spend hours at the gym, losing over 100 pounds in the process.  That said, Steve Jobs also gave us Feist. So no one is perfect.” – Andrew

iTunes (2001)

“iTunes revolutionized not only the way people organize and buy their music but it revolutionized the industry model for digital downloads as the first legitimate recognized independent source for downloading music. The success of iTunes downloads continues to be a benchmark of the music industry and digital albums/downloads now have their own places on the Billboard Music charts.” – Erica

While our favorite gifts hold personal significance for us, they still don’t encompass Steve Jobs’ vision and what he came to embody – beyond Apple even. Warren, who heads our West Coast office, summed it best:

“I’d say the biggest gift from Steve isn’t so much a product but a philosophy on product design and development.  There are so many products out there that are weakened by making compromises, adding features and not focusing on what’s good for the consumer.  He proved that this customer-centric philosophy can be massively profitable.  Hopefully, something that other brands can slowly adopt so that technology makes our lives easier, not harder.” – Warren