1 00:00:04,240 --> 00:00:07,240 Speaker 1: Welcome to tech Stuff, a production of I Heart Radios. 2 00:00:07,320 --> 00:00:13,760 Speaker 1: How Stuff Works. Hey there, and welcome to tech Stuff. 3 00:00:13,800 --> 00:00:17,400 Speaker 1: I'm your host, Jonathan Strickland. I'm an executive producer with 4 00:00:17,560 --> 00:00:20,360 Speaker 1: I Heart Radio and I love all things tech. And 5 00:00:20,400 --> 00:00:23,200 Speaker 1: it is Friday. That means it is time for another 6 00:00:23,280 --> 00:00:28,680 Speaker 1: classic episode. And this episode published on January second, two 7 00:00:28,720 --> 00:00:34,760 Speaker 1: thousand thirteen. It is also Chris Palette's final episode as 8 00:00:34,800 --> 00:00:38,599 Speaker 1: a co host of tech Stuff. Chris and I created 9 00:00:38,600 --> 00:00:40,800 Speaker 1: tech Stuff back in two thousand and eight, and in 10 00:00:40,880 --> 00:00:45,159 Speaker 1: two thousand thirteen he decided to step away from the 11 00:00:45,200 --> 00:00:51,120 Speaker 1: show to focus on other things, and he definitely put 12 00:00:51,360 --> 00:00:54,720 Speaker 1: his imprint on tech Stuff. Tech Stuff would not be 13 00:00:54,920 --> 00:00:57,920 Speaker 1: the show it is without Chris Palette. This was the 14 00:00:58,040 --> 00:01:02,360 Speaker 1: topic he decided he wanted to cover as his final episode. 15 00:01:02,600 --> 00:01:07,280 Speaker 1: The wonderful wizard named was Steve Wasniak. I hope you 16 00:01:07,280 --> 00:01:12,400 Speaker 1: guys enjoy the curtain sweeps down, the spotlight goes out 17 00:01:12,440 --> 00:01:16,240 Speaker 1: on our beloved Chris Palette. It is his final tech 18 00:01:16,319 --> 00:01:19,200 Speaker 1: Stuff episode. This is not a joke. We may eventually 19 00:01:19,200 --> 00:01:20,840 Speaker 1: be able to get him back on as a guest, 20 00:01:21,240 --> 00:01:23,920 Speaker 1: but he's this is his his final episode as a 21 00:01:24,240 --> 00:01:27,039 Speaker 1: host of tech Stuff. And uh, and he got to 22 00:01:27,160 --> 00:01:31,320 Speaker 1: choose whatever topic he wanted. Unfortunately, almost all of them 23 00:01:31,319 --> 00:01:35,120 Speaker 1: were ones we had already covered. Well. Actually, it surprised 24 00:01:35,160 --> 00:01:38,720 Speaker 1: me that we didn't have a podcast on the person 25 00:01:38,760 --> 00:01:41,920 Speaker 1: that we wanted to talk about today. Yeah. We we've 26 00:01:41,920 --> 00:01:45,959 Speaker 1: mentioned him in several podcasts. Yeah, but yeah, we definitely 27 00:01:46,000 --> 00:01:48,760 Speaker 1: one of text more colorful characters, right, and that, of 28 00:01:48,800 --> 00:01:52,320 Speaker 1: course is the wonderful wizard named was was, yes, Steve 29 00:01:53,640 --> 00:01:59,040 Speaker 1: Stephen Gary Wazniak. Yeah, um, one of the co founders 30 00:01:59,040 --> 00:02:02,520 Speaker 1: of Apple. And he was born in on August eleventh, 31 00:02:02,560 --> 00:02:07,120 Speaker 1: nine and uh. He came from a family that was 32 00:02:07,200 --> 00:02:11,520 Speaker 1: technologically inclined. His dad was an engineer at a little 33 00:02:11,520 --> 00:02:14,440 Speaker 1: company called lockeed Martin. I feel like I've heard of that. 34 00:02:15,320 --> 00:02:19,000 Speaker 1: Yeah and uh and yeah he um. As a as 35 00:02:19,040 --> 00:02:23,640 Speaker 1: a kid, he became very interested in engineering and electronics. 36 00:02:24,680 --> 00:02:27,119 Speaker 1: Did you did you hear about what his favorite book 37 00:02:27,160 --> 00:02:30,600 Speaker 1: series was that kind of inspired him? Actually it was 38 00:02:30,639 --> 00:02:33,480 Speaker 1: the I looked at a lot of interviews. He's actually 39 00:02:34,200 --> 00:02:36,440 Speaker 1: if you've never seen an interview with Wozniak, he's a 40 00:02:36,520 --> 00:02:41,520 Speaker 1: very animated individual, well spoken, very passionate about what he does. 41 00:02:41,919 --> 00:02:46,320 Speaker 1: It's clearly he truly enjoys technology like there's no irony there. 42 00:02:46,360 --> 00:02:50,280 Speaker 1: He just loves it. And though he doesn't necessarily love 43 00:02:50,360 --> 00:02:53,280 Speaker 1: all the things that we do with technology or the 44 00:02:53,320 --> 00:02:56,480 Speaker 1: way that companies handle technology, he's not He actually is 45 00:02:56,480 --> 00:02:58,760 Speaker 1: not so not in such a big fan of big companies. 46 00:02:59,400 --> 00:03:01,639 Speaker 1: But we'll get an to that. But no, as a kid, 47 00:03:01,919 --> 00:03:06,880 Speaker 1: his favorite book series was the Tom Swift series. So 48 00:03:07,200 --> 00:03:09,079 Speaker 1: Tom Swift, if you don't know, he's a young man 49 00:03:09,080 --> 00:03:11,640 Speaker 1: who is a kind of an engineer who could build 50 00:03:11,680 --> 00:03:14,200 Speaker 1: just about anything in his own company. He would fight 51 00:03:14,360 --> 00:03:17,480 Speaker 1: evil and and solve mysteries and things of that nature. 52 00:03:17,720 --> 00:03:21,160 Speaker 1: And in fact, just as a tangent, Tom Swift plays 53 00:03:21,200 --> 00:03:23,840 Speaker 1: a role in a in a totally different technology has 54 00:03:23,880 --> 00:03:27,120 Speaker 1: nothing to do with Wozniak. Do you do you happen 55 00:03:27,160 --> 00:03:31,440 Speaker 1: to know what Tom Swift? It's actually his. Tom Swift's 56 00:03:31,520 --> 00:03:36,240 Speaker 1: name is lent in a way to this technology. Really. Yeah, 57 00:03:36,360 --> 00:03:41,920 Speaker 1: it's Taser. Oh right, Taser stands Taser's technically an acronym. 58 00:03:41,960 --> 00:03:46,200 Speaker 1: It stands for Thomas A. Swift's electric rifle. You know, 59 00:03:46,280 --> 00:03:48,320 Speaker 1: I think we mentioned that a long time ago when 60 00:03:48,320 --> 00:03:51,160 Speaker 1: we talked about the Taser. Yeah, I think so. But yeah, 61 00:03:51,240 --> 00:03:54,680 Speaker 1: he in an interview. He credited the Tom Swift books 62 00:03:54,720 --> 00:03:59,800 Speaker 1: as igniting his imagination at the idea of creating things 63 00:04:00,080 --> 00:04:03,240 Speaker 1: electronics and being able to have kind of, you know, 64 00:04:03,400 --> 00:04:07,280 Speaker 1: the equivalent of these adventures, and having a dad who 65 00:04:07,280 --> 00:04:11,440 Speaker 1: was an engineer at Lockeed Martin didn't hurt because it 66 00:04:11,520 --> 00:04:14,840 Speaker 1: turned out he had a really good person to go 67 00:04:14,960 --> 00:04:18,560 Speaker 1: to when those science fairs came up in elementary school. 68 00:04:19,000 --> 00:04:23,360 Speaker 1: Well yeah, yeah, and uh it certainly wouldn't have hurt 69 00:04:23,480 --> 00:04:28,160 Speaker 1: his interest in technology to have a family that understood 70 00:04:28,160 --> 00:04:31,360 Speaker 1: and supported those interests too. They go, oh, you know, hey, 71 00:04:31,400 --> 00:04:34,039 Speaker 1: this is something I like too, so you know, yeah, 72 00:04:35,120 --> 00:04:39,599 Speaker 1: we should uh stop clowning around, he said foolishly. I 73 00:04:39,640 --> 00:04:42,799 Speaker 1: was a a Tom Swift e nice, he's a he's 74 00:04:42,839 --> 00:04:46,640 Speaker 1: a Yeah, he had a He credited his dad and 75 00:04:47,160 --> 00:04:51,160 Speaker 1: some of his teachers in elementary school as really inspiring him. Essentially, 76 00:04:51,240 --> 00:04:53,560 Speaker 1: he said that, uh, you know, when he started to 77 00:04:53,600 --> 00:04:57,520 Speaker 1: excel at science, Uh, the teachers responded, and that just 78 00:04:57,720 --> 00:05:01,200 Speaker 1: drove him to make even more accomplishments in that area. 79 00:05:01,320 --> 00:05:04,000 Speaker 1: So by the time he was in sixth grade, he 80 00:05:04,040 --> 00:05:09,039 Speaker 1: actually built a fairly primitive but a working computer that 81 00:05:09,080 --> 00:05:12,039 Speaker 1: could play Tic tac toe and you know, we all 82 00:05:12,040 --> 00:05:15,120 Speaker 1: know from the documentary War Games that it's just a 83 00:05:15,240 --> 00:05:17,800 Speaker 1: short hop, skip and a jump from Tic tac toe 84 00:05:17,839 --> 00:05:22,119 Speaker 1: to thermonuclear war. Of course, you know, shall we play 85 00:05:22,160 --> 00:05:26,599 Speaker 1: a game? Thanks Whopper? Hey nice you remembered the name 86 00:05:26,600 --> 00:05:31,239 Speaker 1: and everything. Yeah, I've I've watched that documentary several times. 87 00:05:32,440 --> 00:05:34,680 Speaker 1: So the old cup modems where you actually had to 88 00:05:34,920 --> 00:05:39,680 Speaker 1: put the phone and I'm sure actually it's probably remembers 89 00:05:39,680 --> 00:05:42,280 Speaker 1: those days. Oh yeah, we'll get into that a little 90 00:05:42,279 --> 00:05:44,440 Speaker 1: bit too. Well. I was has also got a bit 91 00:05:44,440 --> 00:05:47,200 Speaker 1: of a mischievous streak in him. Um a bit, yeah, 92 00:05:47,200 --> 00:05:49,479 Speaker 1: a bit of a mischievous streak. That was a bit 93 00:05:49,560 --> 00:05:52,560 Speaker 1: of an understatement. Yeah, well to it well. In sixth 94 00:05:52,560 --> 00:05:56,599 Speaker 1: grade he also got his ham radio license, So obviously 95 00:05:56,720 --> 00:05:59,719 Speaker 1: he was very much interested in electronics and technology and 96 00:05:59,720 --> 00:06:03,000 Speaker 1: can indication all of these things would play a very 97 00:06:03,080 --> 00:06:06,440 Speaker 1: large role in his choices further down the line. And 98 00:06:07,520 --> 00:06:10,719 Speaker 1: according to laws, he said, he never took any courses 99 00:06:11,000 --> 00:06:14,640 Speaker 1: on building electronics or computers. He just learned how to 100 00:06:14,680 --> 00:06:16,360 Speaker 1: do that all on his own, at least at least 101 00:06:16,400 --> 00:06:19,440 Speaker 1: in the elementary in high school years. Once you get 102 00:06:19,480 --> 00:06:23,279 Speaker 1: to college, he actually was pursuing originally Uh. When he 103 00:06:23,480 --> 00:06:25,880 Speaker 1: when he first enrolled, he was pursuing a degree in 104 00:06:26,160 --> 00:06:30,120 Speaker 1: electrical engineering and computer science at the University of California 105 00:06:30,120 --> 00:06:33,520 Speaker 1: at Berkeley. Yeah, and that's that's sort of a lesson 106 00:06:33,560 --> 00:06:36,360 Speaker 1: for all of us. You know. Um, sometimes programming and 107 00:06:36,600 --> 00:06:39,359 Speaker 1: fiddling with electronics and those kinds of things can seem 108 00:06:39,360 --> 00:06:42,040 Speaker 1: really daunting, and it feels like, you know, you start 109 00:06:42,080 --> 00:06:44,240 Speaker 1: dabbling in and it feels like you need a degree 110 00:06:44,240 --> 00:06:47,960 Speaker 1: in computer science or electrical engineering to do these things. 111 00:06:48,000 --> 00:06:50,320 Speaker 1: You don't. You just have to have an interest and 112 00:06:50,760 --> 00:06:54,080 Speaker 1: get the right right place to start. And it also 113 00:06:54,160 --> 00:06:58,640 Speaker 1: helps to uh surround yourself within other fellow enthusiasts. Yeah, 114 00:06:58,720 --> 00:07:03,440 Speaker 1: and it didn't hurt that was is categorically a genius 115 00:07:03,480 --> 00:07:06,880 Speaker 1: in certain arenas, so that gave him a leg up 116 00:07:06,920 --> 00:07:09,800 Speaker 1: as well. But tales details. Yeah, Well, while in while 117 00:07:09,840 --> 00:07:12,840 Speaker 1: in the both in high school and in college, he 118 00:07:12,880 --> 00:07:15,920 Speaker 1: began to associate with other people who are really interested 119 00:07:15,960 --> 00:07:19,560 Speaker 1: in electronics and technology. Uh and uh he was part 120 00:07:19,640 --> 00:07:22,520 Speaker 1: of a homebrew computer club. Yes, that would be v 121 00:07:22,800 --> 00:07:26,720 Speaker 1: homebrew computer club. Yeah. Back back in the mid seventies, 122 00:07:27,120 --> 00:07:31,840 Speaker 1: um was was at the University of California at Berkeley. 123 00:07:31,960 --> 00:07:37,000 Speaker 1: Um and uh, he was he was interested in attending this, uh, 124 00:07:37,080 --> 00:07:40,480 Speaker 1: this nearby computer club, the Homebrew Computer Club, and uh 125 00:07:40,520 --> 00:07:43,760 Speaker 1: there were actually quite a few people of note who 126 00:07:43,800 --> 00:07:46,560 Speaker 1: are part of this UM. But they were interested in 127 00:07:47,080 --> 00:07:49,360 Speaker 1: before you get into the details of that kind of thing, 128 00:07:49,760 --> 00:07:51,840 Speaker 1: this group was really kind of interested in what you 129 00:07:51,880 --> 00:07:55,280 Speaker 1: could do with computers because, uh, in the mid nineties seventies, 130 00:07:55,280 --> 00:07:58,400 Speaker 1: we weren't talking about uh, machines like the Apple too, 131 00:07:58,520 --> 00:08:00,800 Speaker 1: where you had a monitor toing on top of a 132 00:08:00,840 --> 00:08:03,920 Speaker 1: computer with a keyboard and you would program stuff. I mean, 133 00:08:03,920 --> 00:08:06,440 Speaker 1: we were uh, they were interested in in the large 134 00:08:06,440 --> 00:08:08,920 Speaker 1: part and things like the Altaire, which had no monitor. 135 00:08:09,480 --> 00:08:12,520 Speaker 1: You you would read, um, the the output of this 136 00:08:12,600 --> 00:08:15,160 Speaker 1: device by the blinking lights or you know, in German 137 00:08:15,240 --> 00:08:19,640 Speaker 1: dust princing light, as many a many many jokes have gone. 138 00:08:19,680 --> 00:08:22,480 Speaker 1: But really, I mean, it wasn't It wasn't something that 139 00:08:22,560 --> 00:08:25,280 Speaker 1: the average person would probably be likely in picking up, 140 00:08:25,320 --> 00:08:28,560 Speaker 1: simply because there was kind of a barrier of entry. 141 00:08:28,600 --> 00:08:31,240 Speaker 1: It was hard to understand for people who were sort 142 00:08:31,280 --> 00:08:34,360 Speaker 1: of passingly interested in it. And we talked about the 143 00:08:34,400 --> 00:08:37,679 Speaker 1: IBM s and the machines that corporate customers would use 144 00:08:37,679 --> 00:08:41,400 Speaker 1: where you had punch cards and and you know, printing 145 00:08:41,480 --> 00:08:45,080 Speaker 1: and large storage devices and things like that. Well, yeah, 146 00:08:45,080 --> 00:08:48,040 Speaker 1: I mean those were far more easy in some ways 147 00:08:48,040 --> 00:08:52,280 Speaker 1: to understand because there were more ways to interact with 148 00:08:52,320 --> 00:08:56,600 Speaker 1: those machines, but they were also hugely expensive and took 149 00:08:56,640 --> 00:08:58,480 Speaker 1: up a lot more space than something like the Altair. 150 00:08:58,600 --> 00:09:01,200 Speaker 1: This is the kind of divice ice that got people thinking, 151 00:09:01,600 --> 00:09:03,360 Speaker 1: you know, I could have a computer in my house. 152 00:09:03,520 --> 00:09:06,000 Speaker 1: I could do things with a computer. I could program 153 00:09:06,120 --> 00:09:08,040 Speaker 1: this thing this, this could be fun. What could I 154 00:09:08,080 --> 00:09:10,079 Speaker 1: do with this? And that's really what this group was 155 00:09:10,120 --> 00:09:13,160 Speaker 1: all about. And there were other people, uh interested in 156 00:09:13,200 --> 00:09:17,080 Speaker 1: this as well, like a guy named Jobs, and I 157 00:09:17,160 --> 00:09:21,320 Speaker 1: believe a couple of guys named Alan and Gates to 158 00:09:22,080 --> 00:09:24,520 Speaker 1: show up in the logs, and there were there were 159 00:09:24,520 --> 00:09:28,120 Speaker 1: other people who interacted with all of those guys that 160 00:09:28,120 --> 00:09:31,200 Speaker 1: that floated in and out of that culture out there 161 00:09:31,200 --> 00:09:34,400 Speaker 1: in California around that time. Yeah, this is this is 162 00:09:34,480 --> 00:09:37,880 Speaker 1: the birth of the personal computer age. And we're talking 163 00:09:37,920 --> 00:09:41,920 Speaker 1: about the the very early days and uh and you know, 164 00:09:41,960 --> 00:09:44,160 Speaker 1: of course Bosniak plays a very large role in that, 165 00:09:44,200 --> 00:09:48,720 Speaker 1: but also uh he had other interests in in finding 166 00:09:48,720 --> 00:09:52,920 Speaker 1: out how stuff works, which you know we can appreciate, um, 167 00:09:53,120 --> 00:09:57,040 Speaker 1: like the phone system. He was, he was known to 168 00:09:57,400 --> 00:10:00,640 Speaker 1: engage in a little phone freaking now and then. We 169 00:10:00,640 --> 00:10:03,280 Speaker 1: actually have talked about phone freaking in the past. Essentially, 170 00:10:03,360 --> 00:10:06,800 Speaker 1: what phone freaking was was finding out how the telephone 171 00:10:06,800 --> 00:10:11,760 Speaker 1: system worked and then exploiting that knowledge by being able 172 00:10:11,800 --> 00:10:13,840 Speaker 1: to UH to create things that would allow you to 173 00:10:13,880 --> 00:10:19,199 Speaker 1: make free phone calls. Um. Usually it would involve recreating 174 00:10:19,240 --> 00:10:23,360 Speaker 1: a certain kind of tone that the phone would then 175 00:10:23,720 --> 00:10:26,719 Speaker 1: um not recognize the fact that you were dialing. It 176 00:10:26,760 --> 00:10:29,679 Speaker 1: wouldn't register that, so it act as if the line 177 00:10:29,720 --> 00:10:32,680 Speaker 1: had not been engaged, whereas you could actually make the 178 00:10:32,720 --> 00:10:36,880 Speaker 1: call for free. So UM, there are a lot of 179 00:10:36,880 --> 00:10:39,280 Speaker 1: different kits that you could do this with. There, of course, 180 00:10:39,360 --> 00:10:44,960 Speaker 1: was the famous UH whistle, Yes, UH, the the Captain 181 00:10:45,000 --> 00:10:48,320 Speaker 1: crunch whistle, or you could whistle into a phone and 182 00:10:48,720 --> 00:10:51,680 Speaker 1: with this particular toy whistle that came in the Cereal 183 00:10:52,240 --> 00:10:56,040 Speaker 1: and UH it would recreate the exact pitch you needed 184 00:10:56,080 --> 00:10:59,040 Speaker 1: in order to UH to hack the phone system. That 185 00:10:59,160 --> 00:11:02,520 Speaker 1: changed before too long and they had to start creating 186 00:11:02,640 --> 00:11:06,640 Speaker 1: electronic devices that could generate Normally it would be two 187 00:11:06,679 --> 00:11:10,520 Speaker 1: tones together to be able to UH to actually hack 188 00:11:10,600 --> 00:11:15,080 Speaker 1: into a phone system. Yeah. Well, um, if if you 189 00:11:15,120 --> 00:11:18,520 Speaker 1: haven't done any research into into phone freaking or listen 190 00:11:18,559 --> 00:11:21,840 Speaker 1: to the podcast from Man that was a long time. UM. 191 00:11:22,760 --> 00:11:25,400 Speaker 1: Basically that the deal was that they had the system 192 00:11:25,400 --> 00:11:29,000 Speaker 1: in place so that the phone company could do maintenance 193 00:11:29,040 --> 00:11:31,880 Speaker 1: work and the phone technicians out in the field could 194 00:11:31,960 --> 00:11:35,640 Speaker 1: use these certain codes. UM. In the case of one 195 00:11:35,679 --> 00:11:38,320 Speaker 1: of them, it was a high E played three times 196 00:11:38,760 --> 00:11:41,160 Speaker 1: and that would unlock the system. It was a very 197 00:11:41,200 --> 00:11:44,440 Speaker 1: analog system at that point. And uh, you know they 198 00:11:44,520 --> 00:11:48,640 Speaker 1: the phone company actually published information on this in their 199 00:11:48,679 --> 00:11:52,720 Speaker 1: Bell Technical Journal, which was available at your local library, 200 00:11:52,960 --> 00:11:55,600 Speaker 1: and certain people figured this out and any whistle. This 201 00:11:55,640 --> 00:11:59,200 Speaker 1: is famous because a famous phone freaker named Captain Crunch 202 00:12:00,200 --> 00:12:03,080 Speaker 1: named that because he realized that the toy whistle that 203 00:12:03,120 --> 00:12:05,440 Speaker 1: you found in a box of cereal, I'll let you 204 00:12:05,440 --> 00:12:11,160 Speaker 1: guess which brand, Um, yes, exactly. How How did you know? Um? 205 00:12:11,240 --> 00:12:14,000 Speaker 1: You could you could play exactly that note. That's all 206 00:12:14,040 --> 00:12:15,400 Speaker 1: you needed. You all you had. All you had to 207 00:12:15,400 --> 00:12:19,360 Speaker 1: do was know that the code and have that whistle. UM. 208 00:12:19,440 --> 00:12:21,520 Speaker 1: And of course Bell went nuts trying to get the 209 00:12:21,559 --> 00:12:25,000 Speaker 1: technical that copy of the technical Journal back off the shelf. 210 00:12:25,920 --> 00:12:30,200 Speaker 1: That this was a mistake to let that information get 211 00:12:30,240 --> 00:12:33,600 Speaker 1: outside the door of Bell. Yeah, that was not not 212 00:12:33,760 --> 00:12:37,160 Speaker 1: a great move. We published this, you're not supposed to 213 00:12:37,400 --> 00:12:40,440 Speaker 1: want to read about it. Yeah, but people who were 214 00:12:40,520 --> 00:12:43,880 Speaker 1: interested in electronics, I mean, clearly something as complex as 215 00:12:43,920 --> 00:12:47,960 Speaker 1: the telephone uh system would be fascinating to them, and 216 00:12:48,000 --> 00:12:51,840 Speaker 1: that included people like wasn't it Yes? Absolutely? And uh 217 00:12:51,880 --> 00:12:55,600 Speaker 1: it's it's famous that he and Steve Jobs were actually 218 00:12:55,600 --> 00:13:00,520 Speaker 1: building phone freaking systems for other people, um and and 219 00:13:00,600 --> 00:13:05,600 Speaker 1: trying to sell them, which they did on a small scale, 220 00:13:06,080 --> 00:13:09,280 Speaker 1: and that which kind of set the ground for for 221 00:13:09,440 --> 00:13:12,640 Speaker 1: their future endeavors together. They He actually did withdraw from 222 00:13:12,679 --> 00:13:16,880 Speaker 1: the University of California before completing his degree and began 223 00:13:16,920 --> 00:13:21,280 Speaker 1: to work for Hewlett Packard and was an an engineer there. 224 00:13:21,320 --> 00:13:28,360 Speaker 1: He actually worked specifically on designing calculators. Meanwhile, Jobs kind 225 00:13:28,360 --> 00:13:30,680 Speaker 1: of came up with this idea. Now, but when you 226 00:13:30,679 --> 00:13:35,040 Speaker 1: talk about Jobs in Wosniac, they had very different roles 227 00:13:35,640 --> 00:13:39,680 Speaker 1: when in those early days of Apple, right, Steve Jobs 228 00:13:39,800 --> 00:13:42,600 Speaker 1: was an idea guy, he was a business guy, and 229 00:13:42,640 --> 00:13:46,480 Speaker 1: he was a marketing guy most more than anything else. 230 00:13:46,800 --> 00:13:50,119 Speaker 1: He was a marketing genius. Yeah. I've been reading Isaacson's 231 00:13:50,120 --> 00:13:52,640 Speaker 1: biography of Steve Jobs, and I'm still not quite done 232 00:13:52,640 --> 00:13:55,559 Speaker 1: with it yet, but I have passed through the early 233 00:13:55,640 --> 00:13:58,880 Speaker 1: stages of Apple. There and apparently when they were working 234 00:13:58,920 --> 00:14:03,600 Speaker 1: on the Apple one, which was a very basic computer. UM. 235 00:14:03,760 --> 00:14:05,439 Speaker 1: As a matter of fact, you had the the very 236 00:14:05,480 --> 00:14:10,320 Speaker 1: early machines weren't really machines. They were a set of boards, 237 00:14:10,480 --> 00:14:13,720 Speaker 1: basically motherboards and pieces that you would assemble into a 238 00:14:13,760 --> 00:14:17,439 Speaker 1: case and use it as a computer UM, which sold 239 00:14:17,520 --> 00:14:20,960 Speaker 1: for as Jonathan likes to point out, the sum of 240 00:14:21,000 --> 00:14:25,600 Speaker 1: six sixty six dollars and sixty six cents. Wozniak likes 241 00:14:25,640 --> 00:14:30,480 Speaker 1: repeating digits. Yeah. Apparently, well, according to them, it had 242 00:14:30,560 --> 00:14:34,600 Speaker 1: nothing to do with the symbolic nature of this in uh, 243 00:14:34,600 --> 00:14:38,880 Speaker 1: in religion, it was more THEO there was no but 244 00:14:38,960 --> 00:14:44,040 Speaker 1: it's hard to imagine that it it's an Apple computer. Yes. 245 00:14:46,320 --> 00:14:49,080 Speaker 1: Of course they also say that Apple was chosen for 246 00:14:49,120 --> 00:14:53,600 Speaker 1: other reasons than the Yeah. That's funny because because Wozniak 247 00:14:53,800 --> 00:14:56,000 Speaker 1: said that he had just guessed at some point that 248 00:14:56,040 --> 00:14:58,640 Speaker 1: the reason why Steve Jobs wanted to call the company 249 00:14:58,680 --> 00:15:00,800 Speaker 1: Apple was that Steve Jobs had worked for a while 250 00:15:00,800 --> 00:15:04,040 Speaker 1: in an orchard in either Washington or Oregon, and that 251 00:15:04,040 --> 00:15:07,440 Speaker 1: that perhaps gave him the idea which may or may 252 00:15:07,440 --> 00:15:09,200 Speaker 1: not be the case, because he said the thing about 253 00:15:09,280 --> 00:15:11,080 Speaker 1: Jobs was that he would come up with ideas but 254 00:15:11,160 --> 00:15:15,440 Speaker 1: not necessarily explain to you how he came up with him. Yeah, yeah, 255 00:15:15,640 --> 00:15:17,640 Speaker 1: that's true. We also should point out that there was 256 00:15:17,720 --> 00:15:21,280 Speaker 1: this time in jobs life where he was expanding his 257 00:15:21,320 --> 00:15:25,920 Speaker 1: consciousness a little bit. Yes, yes, Um, Jobs attended read 258 00:15:26,040 --> 00:15:30,080 Speaker 1: college up in Oregon and did not finish there, but 259 00:15:31,040 --> 00:15:34,360 Speaker 1: was was very interested in a number of things, including, uh, 260 00:15:34,640 --> 00:15:37,880 Speaker 1: expanding one's horizons to the use of chemical substances. Yes, 261 00:15:38,000 --> 00:15:41,360 Speaker 1: that's very very diplomatic way of putting it. That's not 262 00:15:42,240 --> 00:15:44,320 Speaker 1: I don't get the sense that that was is interested 263 00:15:44,360 --> 00:15:47,120 Speaker 1: in that. I think he likes to expand his consciousness 264 00:15:47,160 --> 00:15:50,800 Speaker 1: through technological means, which again shows that difference. Jobs was 265 00:15:50,880 --> 00:15:53,720 Speaker 1: this marketer and Wozniak was the engineer. He was the 266 00:15:53,720 --> 00:15:57,760 Speaker 1: guy who was really designing the technology. Yeah, well that 267 00:15:57,880 --> 00:16:00,840 Speaker 1: was That was actually exactly My point is according to 268 00:16:00,880 --> 00:16:04,840 Speaker 1: the isaacs and story, Um was wanted to give away 269 00:16:05,000 --> 00:16:08,120 Speaker 1: the design for the original boards for the Apple One, 270 00:16:08,360 --> 00:16:10,840 Speaker 1: and Jobs said no, no, no, we could sell this thing. 271 00:16:10,880 --> 00:16:14,120 Speaker 1: We can make a company, And that intrigue was just 272 00:16:14,360 --> 00:16:17,880 Speaker 1: enough to go, Okay, yeah, let's give it a try. Yeah, 273 00:16:17,920 --> 00:16:22,120 Speaker 1: because before at at the Homebrew Computer Club, Wasniak would 274 00:16:22,320 --> 00:16:25,720 Speaker 1: distribute designs that he would come up with for for 275 00:16:26,040 --> 00:16:29,520 Speaker 1: computer kids. He would design them on paper and then 276 00:16:29,520 --> 00:16:31,960 Speaker 1: he would just distribute copies of it to the other members. 277 00:16:32,440 --> 00:16:34,680 Speaker 1: And jobs was getting to the point where he's like, 278 00:16:35,000 --> 00:16:38,360 Speaker 1: you know, if we didn't give these away for free, 279 00:16:38,920 --> 00:16:43,520 Speaker 1: I bet people would pay for them. And so yeah, 280 00:16:43,560 --> 00:16:47,160 Speaker 1: he he convinced Wozniak to go in with him on 281 00:16:47,600 --> 00:16:51,640 Speaker 1: a venture together, and this was the idea of Apple. Yeah, 282 00:16:51,680 --> 00:16:55,000 Speaker 1: and it wasn't It wasn't easy, Um, you know, Wasosniac 283 00:16:55,200 --> 00:16:58,640 Speaker 1: was a little reticent to leave HP. I mean, you 284 00:16:58,680 --> 00:17:00,600 Speaker 1: think about it if you were if your buddy is 285 00:17:00,640 --> 00:17:04,080 Speaker 1: telling you, hey, let's go start a company. Meanwhile you're 286 00:17:04,160 --> 00:17:07,359 Speaker 1: in with a very strong technology company and you're you know, 287 00:17:07,400 --> 00:17:10,920 Speaker 1: you've got a good job, it's secure, and it's like, well, 288 00:17:10,960 --> 00:17:12,719 Speaker 1: they're on on the one hand, you got the allure 289 00:17:12,840 --> 00:17:15,720 Speaker 1: of of you know, this opportunity to do something really cool, 290 00:17:16,440 --> 00:17:18,320 Speaker 1: but hey, you know, there's not a lot of security, 291 00:17:18,320 --> 00:17:20,280 Speaker 1: and it's starting your own company can be a challenge, 292 00:17:20,280 --> 00:17:21,760 Speaker 1: and it can be a lot of work, and it 293 00:17:21,760 --> 00:17:25,400 Speaker 1: can be scary. Yeah, And a first guarantee, right at first. 294 00:17:25,480 --> 00:17:28,639 Speaker 1: He did continue to work with HP, didn't quit immediately. 295 00:17:28,960 --> 00:17:32,600 Speaker 1: And in fact, one of the stories about founding Apple 296 00:17:32,760 --> 00:17:34,600 Speaker 1: is that they had to in order to raise the 297 00:17:34,640 --> 00:17:38,720 Speaker 1: capital they needed, which was not that much by today's standards. 298 00:17:38,760 --> 00:17:41,160 Speaker 1: I mean, even if you were to convert into today's dollars, 299 00:17:41,240 --> 00:17:43,399 Speaker 1: they it was a fairly low investment. In fact, that 300 00:17:43,440 --> 00:17:45,120 Speaker 1: was one of the things that Steve Jobs was able 301 00:17:45,160 --> 00:17:48,480 Speaker 1: to to use to convince Bosnia to try. It was 302 00:17:48,520 --> 00:17:52,480 Speaker 1: because the investment was not going to be prohibitively large, 303 00:17:52,840 --> 00:17:55,400 Speaker 1: but it's still required that they raised some capital, and 304 00:17:55,600 --> 00:17:57,960 Speaker 1: they did it by selling off stuff that they owned, 305 00:17:58,040 --> 00:18:03,040 Speaker 1: and Wozniak sold off his beloved scientific calculator, Yes, which 306 00:18:03,080 --> 00:18:06,280 Speaker 1: at the time was a pretty hot piece of technology. Yeah, 307 00:18:06,320 --> 00:18:09,879 Speaker 1: for around something something to the tune of around five 308 00:18:10,280 --> 00:18:12,080 Speaker 1: dollars at the time, which you know in the seventies. 309 00:18:12,119 --> 00:18:14,760 Speaker 1: That's that's it's still a good chunk of change, right, 310 00:18:14,920 --> 00:18:18,520 Speaker 1: It's it was even more so back then. And uh, 311 00:18:18,600 --> 00:18:21,000 Speaker 1: the interesting thing to me was that when I read 312 00:18:21,040 --> 00:18:25,080 Speaker 1: an interview, a more recent interview, wasn't he act really 313 00:18:25,119 --> 00:18:28,359 Speaker 1: downplayed that? He said, he said, uh, well, here's the 314 00:18:28,400 --> 00:18:31,199 Speaker 1: thing I'm still technically working for HP, and because I 315 00:18:31,240 --> 00:18:34,560 Speaker 1: worked for HP, I could buy the next new calculator 316 00:18:34,640 --> 00:18:37,200 Speaker 1: before it came out and at a lower price than 317 00:18:37,280 --> 00:18:40,560 Speaker 1: I did the older calculator. So uh so I thought, 318 00:18:40,560 --> 00:18:44,000 Speaker 1: even at this company that I'm working on with jobs 319 00:18:44,520 --> 00:18:47,919 Speaker 1: goes belly up, I still, um, I still have the 320 00:18:47,960 --> 00:18:50,440 Speaker 1: protection of working for this other company, and I can 321 00:18:50,480 --> 00:18:54,959 Speaker 1: get my calculator back. Yeah, that's um, which is an 322 00:18:55,000 --> 00:18:56,920 Speaker 1: important part of context that I think a lot of 323 00:18:56,920 --> 00:19:01,200 Speaker 1: people miss. Um. But yeah, the the Apple one did 324 00:19:01,240 --> 00:19:04,239 Speaker 1: reasonably well within those circles, and they started working on 325 00:19:04,240 --> 00:19:08,359 Speaker 1: the Apple too. Um. Jobs play, I mean, jobs played 326 00:19:08,680 --> 00:19:11,199 Speaker 1: a good part in the getting it into stores, But 327 00:19:11,240 --> 00:19:13,680 Speaker 1: Wazniak had a lot to do with the back end 328 00:19:13,760 --> 00:19:20,080 Speaker 1: of that machine, especially the the Basic language implement implementation. 329 00:19:20,280 --> 00:19:23,280 Speaker 1: There you go. He was unfamiliar with Basic at first, 330 00:19:23,359 --> 00:19:26,600 Speaker 1: and uh, just kind of funny. It's funny, it's hard, 331 00:19:26,680 --> 00:19:29,360 Speaker 1: but not with Basic. It's also funny that he got 332 00:19:29,400 --> 00:19:33,119 Speaker 1: really uh he started to really say the basic version 333 00:19:33,359 --> 00:19:37,199 Speaker 1: that HP uses, which is not the same as the 334 00:19:37,240 --> 00:19:43,360 Speaker 1: Basic language that that Bill Gates was working on. So um, 335 00:19:43,400 --> 00:19:45,560 Speaker 1: it was he was coming at it from a different 336 00:19:45,800 --> 00:19:48,159 Speaker 1: approach because he was you know, I think at the 337 00:19:48,160 --> 00:19:50,080 Speaker 1: time he was actually working under the assumption that was 338 00:19:50,160 --> 00:19:52,600 Speaker 1: essentially the same thing, but turned out it was two 339 00:19:52,680 --> 00:19:59,280 Speaker 1: different versions of basic to two pretty significant different versions. Also, 340 00:19:59,320 --> 00:20:01,840 Speaker 1: I should point out, so so they founded Apple in 341 00:20:01,920 --> 00:20:04,719 Speaker 1: nineteen seventy six, and it wasn't it was just nineteen 342 00:20:04,760 --> 00:20:07,800 Speaker 1: seventy seven when Apple two came out, so that that 343 00:20:08,040 --> 00:20:11,080 Speaker 1: first Apple, we should really point out, it was more 344 00:20:11,160 --> 00:20:14,320 Speaker 1: like a almost like a run of prototypes. It would 345 00:20:14,320 --> 00:20:18,320 Speaker 1: they only made a small, a relatively small number of 346 00:20:18,359 --> 00:20:20,920 Speaker 1: these because, for one thing, they didn't know how big 347 00:20:20,960 --> 00:20:23,120 Speaker 1: the demand was going to be. They knew that their 348 00:20:23,280 --> 00:20:27,200 Speaker 1: fellow computer enthusiasts would enjoy this kind of thing because 349 00:20:27,600 --> 00:20:30,520 Speaker 1: they also shared the vision that computers would one day 350 00:20:30,560 --> 00:20:33,919 Speaker 1: be an integral part of our lives. But at the time, 351 00:20:34,440 --> 00:20:40,080 Speaker 1: the average person, like the average consumer, didn't necessarily have 352 00:20:40,280 --> 00:20:43,000 Speaker 1: any desire or need for a computer, or at least 353 00:20:43,000 --> 00:20:45,879 Speaker 1: they didn't think they did. And uh, and so it 354 00:20:45,960 --> 00:20:48,840 Speaker 1: was it was definitely not a sure thing when they 355 00:20:48,840 --> 00:20:52,200 Speaker 1: were first getting started. But nineteen seventy seven, Apple two 356 00:20:52,240 --> 00:20:55,920 Speaker 1: comes out, and I think, uh, I think you could 357 00:20:56,080 --> 00:21:00,760 Speaker 1: describe its success as being meteoric. Oh yeah, yeah, Well, Um. 358 00:21:00,840 --> 00:21:04,639 Speaker 1: That's one of the reasons that Wozniak says that he 359 00:21:04,720 --> 00:21:08,560 Speaker 1: worked so hard on the basic HUM structure for the 360 00:21:09,359 --> 00:21:14,200 Speaker 1: two microprocessor was was simply that he realized that basic 361 00:21:14,320 --> 00:21:17,840 Speaker 1: was going to be a big help to people who 362 00:21:17,920 --> 00:21:20,560 Speaker 1: were going to adopt these and he wanted people to 363 00:21:20,800 --> 00:21:25,080 Speaker 1: understand that computers could play a significant role in their 364 00:21:25,119 --> 00:21:27,520 Speaker 1: personal lives. And so he said, you know this is 365 00:21:28,000 --> 00:21:31,680 Speaker 1: you know, I basically hunkered down to do this because 366 00:21:31,720 --> 00:21:34,159 Speaker 1: I knew this was going to be important. And that's 367 00:21:34,200 --> 00:21:36,760 Speaker 1: that's something that you see when you look at that 368 00:21:36,840 --> 00:21:41,840 Speaker 1: Steve Wozniak's career is that he obviously he's willing to 369 00:21:42,000 --> 00:21:46,160 Speaker 1: put his his back into it and really work on 370 00:21:46,240 --> 00:21:50,200 Speaker 1: something that he is very passionate about like this, Um 371 00:21:50,680 --> 00:21:52,520 Speaker 1: the very other you know, there are other things too. 372 00:21:52,560 --> 00:21:56,639 Speaker 1: He talks about having to write the disc operating software 373 00:21:57,280 --> 00:21:59,879 Speaker 1: for the the earlier machines, and he didn't this was 374 00:22:00,040 --> 00:22:03,399 Speaker 1: not something that he was familiar with. Yeah, he had 375 00:22:03,440 --> 00:22:06,440 Speaker 1: never really used magnetic storage like that, but he made 376 00:22:06,440 --> 00:22:09,639 Speaker 1: it work because he knew it was important. Um. Not 377 00:22:09,800 --> 00:22:13,040 Speaker 1: that not downe to discount other people all over the 378 00:22:13,040 --> 00:22:15,199 Speaker 1: world who do this every day. But I'm saying you know, 379 00:22:15,440 --> 00:22:18,760 Speaker 1: as we're looking at Steve Wozniak, this is uh technology 380 00:22:18,800 --> 00:22:22,600 Speaker 1: is is clearly part of his DNA, and it's it 381 00:22:22,920 --> 00:22:25,399 Speaker 1: he he needs to to make it work. One of 382 00:22:25,400 --> 00:22:26,639 Speaker 1: the things that I read about him too in the 383 00:22:26,680 --> 00:22:31,920 Speaker 1: Isaacs and um biography of Jobs was that uh um, 384 00:22:31,960 --> 00:22:37,360 Speaker 1: apparently he was just really good at finding innovative solutions 385 00:22:37,640 --> 00:22:40,080 Speaker 1: to the challenges that that came up while they were 386 00:22:40,119 --> 00:22:45,240 Speaker 1: creating the actual machines. His engineering expertise, it's more than 387 00:22:45,280 --> 00:22:48,560 Speaker 1: just It's sort of like a virtuoso and a musical instrument. 388 00:22:48,880 --> 00:22:51,800 Speaker 1: You have people who can play the instrument, but there 389 00:22:51,800 --> 00:22:53,879 Speaker 1: are very few people that can that can pick it 390 00:22:54,000 --> 00:22:57,639 Speaker 1: up and do something really brilliant with it that you 391 00:22:57,640 --> 00:23:00,400 Speaker 1: wouldn't expect to do because they don't teach that. It's 392 00:23:00,440 --> 00:23:03,560 Speaker 1: just the thing that you sort of innately have. Yeah, 393 00:23:03,600 --> 00:23:08,000 Speaker 1: and apparently he is. He just got that um ability 394 00:23:08,080 --> 00:23:10,399 Speaker 1: to to look at a technology and know how it 395 00:23:10,440 --> 00:23:12,119 Speaker 1: works and go, well, you know what, I know, this 396 00:23:12,240 --> 00:23:14,879 Speaker 1: isn't work in this way just for kicks, Let's plug 397 00:23:14,920 --> 00:23:16,560 Speaker 1: this in this way and see if that works. Yeah. 398 00:23:16,680 --> 00:23:19,800 Speaker 1: He he had a real interesting attitude too. He said that, 399 00:23:19,880 --> 00:23:23,480 Speaker 1: you know, in general, in a broad stroke. He said, 400 00:23:23,720 --> 00:23:26,240 Speaker 1: if he could build a machine that had two hundred 401 00:23:26,280 --> 00:23:28,480 Speaker 1: chips in it, he would then look at that design 402 00:23:28,480 --> 00:23:30,360 Speaker 1: and say, how can I build a machine that does 403 00:23:30,400 --> 00:23:32,639 Speaker 1: the exact same thing this thing does, but with a 404 00:23:32,720 --> 00:23:34,920 Speaker 1: hundred fifty chips? And he would do it. And then 405 00:23:34,920 --> 00:23:37,160 Speaker 1: after that he'd say, okay, well, how can I build 406 00:23:37,200 --> 00:23:39,480 Speaker 1: a machine that does all the things this machine does, 407 00:23:39,520 --> 00:23:42,959 Speaker 1: but only with a hundred chips and just continuously refine 408 00:23:43,119 --> 00:23:45,920 Speaker 1: that design so that it was more and more elegant 409 00:23:46,320 --> 00:23:49,280 Speaker 1: and more efficient in each iteration. That was sort of 410 00:23:49,359 --> 00:23:53,160 Speaker 1: his thought process, which is, you know, that's a good thing. Well, 411 00:23:53,160 --> 00:23:55,920 Speaker 1: it's funny you should mention that because there there is 412 00:23:55,960 --> 00:23:59,920 Speaker 1: another story that jobs in Wosniak were working to get 413 00:24:00,000 --> 00:24:03,800 Speaker 1: there at Atari to develop a game machine. Now I 414 00:24:03,800 --> 00:24:06,440 Speaker 1: don't think Wosniak was that, if my memory serves, It's 415 00:24:06,440 --> 00:24:08,480 Speaker 1: been a few days since I've read that, Uh if 416 00:24:08,480 --> 00:24:13,399 Speaker 1: Memory Serves Wasnac wasn't actually working for Atari. Um Jobs 417 00:24:13,480 --> 00:24:16,760 Speaker 1: actually kind of convinced him to work on this project, 418 00:24:17,160 --> 00:24:19,360 Speaker 1: but they they were supposed to. They were trying to 419 00:24:19,560 --> 00:24:22,320 Speaker 1: create this machine and the challenge was it's like, hey, 420 00:24:22,400 --> 00:24:25,760 Speaker 1: you know, if you can do this with uh fewer 421 00:24:25,840 --> 00:24:27,679 Speaker 1: chips in this time period, we'll go ahead and go 422 00:24:27,760 --> 00:24:31,920 Speaker 1: with this idea. So Jobs knew that Wosniak had the 423 00:24:31,920 --> 00:24:34,600 Speaker 1: the expertise to make it work, and he did that. 424 00:24:34,680 --> 00:24:38,080 Speaker 1: The point of doing this was to save money because 425 00:24:38,119 --> 00:24:44,040 Speaker 1: these chips were not cheap UM, so the fewer components 426 00:24:44,080 --> 00:24:46,960 Speaker 1: that you could use on the circuit board, the more 427 00:24:47,000 --> 00:24:48,560 Speaker 1: money you could save. And doing that and make the 428 00:24:48,600 --> 00:24:52,119 Speaker 1: project more cost efficient in the end, and uh, thanks 429 00:24:52,160 --> 00:24:55,200 Speaker 1: to was they actually made it work. Of course. Uh, 430 00:24:55,240 --> 00:24:58,200 Speaker 1: they're known for Breakout The two of them both worked 431 00:24:58,200 --> 00:25:03,040 Speaker 1: on Breakout UM, which is a classic Autari game. UM. 432 00:25:03,080 --> 00:25:06,399 Speaker 1: But yeah, I mean that that paid off both on 433 00:25:06,520 --> 00:25:09,159 Speaker 1: that project and their work they did for Apple because 434 00:25:09,200 --> 00:25:12,119 Speaker 1: they would continually revise the design to make it, to 435 00:25:12,160 --> 00:25:14,560 Speaker 1: make it more cost efficient and make it more effective. 436 00:25:14,560 --> 00:25:16,320 Speaker 1: Because what was is one of those people that believes 437 00:25:16,359 --> 00:25:23,119 Speaker 1: that UM technology should be accessible to people. Um. I 438 00:25:23,200 --> 00:25:26,640 Speaker 1: was gonna say, well, you might say, well, hey, Apple 439 00:25:26,720 --> 00:25:29,000 Speaker 1: is known for having high priced computers. What are you 440 00:25:29,040 --> 00:25:32,560 Speaker 1: talking to? High price computers and closed systems. Yes, two 441 00:25:32,600 --> 00:25:36,920 Speaker 1: things that you would imagine would be antithetical to that philosophy. 442 00:25:37,040 --> 00:25:41,959 Speaker 1: Well that's true, and uh, but I would argue that, Um, 443 00:25:42,040 --> 00:25:44,239 Speaker 1: we need to take a look at the exit of 444 00:25:44,480 --> 00:25:48,080 Speaker 1: Wozniak from Apple because, um, a lot of that did 445 00:25:48,080 --> 00:25:50,199 Speaker 1: not surround the Apple to the Apple two was a 446 00:25:50,280 --> 00:25:52,560 Speaker 1: very affordable machine, which is why it ended up in 447 00:25:52,600 --> 00:25:55,000 Speaker 1: a lot of people's homes, in a lot of schools. Yeah, 448 00:25:55,040 --> 00:25:56,639 Speaker 1: So in order to get there, we need to we 449 00:25:56,680 --> 00:25:59,960 Speaker 1: need to to get back to like about nineteen eighties 450 00:26:00,000 --> 00:26:02,919 Speaker 1: when Apple went public, and that was of course a 451 00:26:02,960 --> 00:26:05,720 Speaker 1: big event. Chris and I will have more to say 452 00:26:05,720 --> 00:26:08,200 Speaker 1: about the laws in just a moment, but first let's 453 00:26:08,200 --> 00:26:19,040 Speaker 1: take a quick break. One was a huge year for 454 00:26:19,119 --> 00:26:24,679 Speaker 1: Wazniak in both triumph and tragedy. Uhe he returned to 455 00:26:25,480 --> 00:26:28,679 Speaker 1: UC Berkeley to finish out his degree in electrical engineering 456 00:26:28,680 --> 00:26:32,480 Speaker 1: and computer science under an assumed name. I would also 457 00:26:32,560 --> 00:26:37,000 Speaker 1: guess that he probably cruised through a lot of that. Probably, Yeah, 458 00:26:37,119 --> 00:26:39,840 Speaker 1: the fact that the fact that there may have been 459 00:26:40,400 --> 00:26:44,639 Speaker 1: courses that were referring to his own work might have 460 00:26:44,960 --> 00:26:48,200 Speaker 1: might have done that. But also that year, he um, 461 00:26:48,760 --> 00:26:50,639 Speaker 1: he was the act a man who has a lot 462 00:26:50,680 --> 00:26:55,119 Speaker 1: of different interests in one of those was piloting airplanes, 463 00:26:55,520 --> 00:26:57,800 Speaker 1: and he owned his own private airplane. At this point, 464 00:26:57,800 --> 00:27:01,119 Speaker 1: because Apple very quickly was a huge success. You know, 465 00:27:01,160 --> 00:27:04,119 Speaker 1: I launched in nineteen seventy six, and by one he 466 00:27:04,119 --> 00:27:06,439 Speaker 1: had enough to have his own private plane. And he 467 00:27:06,520 --> 00:27:09,720 Speaker 1: was piloting his private plane and crashed while trying to 468 00:27:09,760 --> 00:27:13,199 Speaker 1: take off at the Santa Cruz SkyPark And it was 469 00:27:13,800 --> 00:27:17,800 Speaker 1: pretty serious crash and he was very badly hurt in that. 470 00:27:18,560 --> 00:27:22,760 Speaker 1: In that accident, I suffered from amnesia for quite some time. Yeah, yeah, 471 00:27:22,760 --> 00:27:25,119 Speaker 1: I had a lot of different injuries, memory loss. It 472 00:27:25,160 --> 00:27:28,240 Speaker 1: took about two years of rehabilitation for him to get 473 00:27:28,240 --> 00:27:33,200 Speaker 1: back to how he was before the accident. But around 474 00:27:33,200 --> 00:27:36,720 Speaker 1: that time, the Apple two was really starting to become 475 00:27:36,840 --> 00:27:41,359 Speaker 1: a true success story, like a huge success story in 476 00:27:41,440 --> 00:27:46,199 Speaker 1: personal computing. And uh and by three, so this is 477 00:27:46,240 --> 00:27:48,520 Speaker 1: just a couple of years after Apple has gone public. 478 00:27:48,520 --> 00:27:51,320 Speaker 1: Three years after Apple's gone public, it was valued the 479 00:27:51,359 --> 00:27:54,639 Speaker 1: company was valued at nine hundred and eighty five million 480 00:27:54,760 --> 00:27:58,080 Speaker 1: dollars if you looked at its stock, if you were 481 00:27:58,119 --> 00:27:59,840 Speaker 1: to value the company by how much stock was out 482 00:27:59,840 --> 00:28:02,959 Speaker 1: there and the price that stock was trading at, so 483 00:28:03,080 --> 00:28:06,399 Speaker 1: just under a billion dollars. And again the company is 484 00:28:06,440 --> 00:28:10,440 Speaker 1: not even ten years old yet. So you know, Wazniak's 485 00:28:10,480 --> 00:28:12,880 Speaker 1: work was really starting to pay off for the company 486 00:28:12,920 --> 00:28:16,680 Speaker 1: and for Wozniak at the time. Yep. He also uh 487 00:28:16,760 --> 00:28:18,800 Speaker 1: in addition to this, while he was going through his 488 00:28:18,840 --> 00:28:22,240 Speaker 1: recovery period, got involved in another one of his passions, 489 00:28:22,240 --> 00:28:29,880 Speaker 1: which is music. Hosted the now infamous US festivals in California, 490 00:28:30,119 --> 00:28:34,600 Speaker 1: UM which were both were which were known for being huge, 491 00:28:34,920 --> 00:28:38,080 Speaker 1: I mean very very large events. Think of um things 492 00:28:38,160 --> 00:28:42,600 Speaker 1: like um Um, you know Lollapalooza now or Lilith Fair. 493 00:28:42,640 --> 00:28:45,600 Speaker 1: I mean kinds of events like that where they're I know, 494 00:28:45,640 --> 00:28:48,680 Speaker 1: I am, but but I don't go to large outdoor 495 00:28:48,720 --> 00:28:53,720 Speaker 1: events like that or the festive Well. Yeah, but they 496 00:28:53,720 --> 00:28:58,080 Speaker 1: did have a diverse line of different kinds of Yes, 497 00:28:58,120 --> 00:29:01,000 Speaker 1: actually they were. They were sort of incompetent Asian into 498 00:29:01,080 --> 00:29:03,840 Speaker 1: some degree because Coachella had then had been out for 499 00:29:04,000 --> 00:29:09,080 Speaker 1: many years, more than a decade out in California. UM, 500 00:29:09,120 --> 00:29:12,200 Speaker 1: but they it was sort of a blend of technology 501 00:29:12,240 --> 00:29:14,400 Speaker 1: and music, which makes me think more of south By 502 00:29:14,400 --> 00:29:18,280 Speaker 1: Southwest now than than that. But at that time that's 503 00:29:18,320 --> 00:29:20,560 Speaker 1: not the kind of events that we're going on. There 504 00:29:20,600 --> 00:29:25,320 Speaker 1: were more I think inspired from the many years earlier 505 00:29:25,360 --> 00:29:27,720 Speaker 1: Woodstock and events like that, where it was just the 506 00:29:28,040 --> 00:29:33,000 Speaker 1: large outdoor music festivals, but they were also known for extravagance. Um. 507 00:29:33,080 --> 00:29:36,240 Speaker 1: You know, there were some artists like uh van Halen 508 00:29:36,240 --> 00:29:39,200 Speaker 1: and David Bowie who were taking home more than a 509 00:29:39,280 --> 00:29:43,040 Speaker 1: million dollars in early eighty two and eighty three, the 510 00:29:43,040 --> 00:29:46,960 Speaker 1: early eighties, I mean, um and, which were tremendous sums 511 00:29:46,960 --> 00:29:51,000 Speaker 1: of money at that point. Um and and it's I 512 00:29:51,000 --> 00:29:53,120 Speaker 1: think regarded by a lot of people now the US 513 00:29:53,160 --> 00:29:55,800 Speaker 1: festivals sort of a a sort of a punch line 514 00:29:55,800 --> 00:29:58,640 Speaker 1: to a joke, although I'm not sure what the setup 515 00:29:58,680 --> 00:30:02,160 Speaker 1: would be uh um, but I don't know that it 516 00:30:02,200 --> 00:30:05,280 Speaker 1: was completely unsuccessful. I just think that, uh, it was 517 00:30:05,320 --> 00:30:08,680 Speaker 1: sort of a tribute to was his generosity and the 518 00:30:08,720 --> 00:30:12,600 Speaker 1: fact that he paid people really uh, you know, generous 519 00:30:12,600 --> 00:30:14,840 Speaker 1: sums of money. But I think he was just having 520 00:30:14,880 --> 00:30:16,880 Speaker 1: a good time with a lot of people. Yeah. He 521 00:30:16,920 --> 00:30:21,840 Speaker 1: also took this time to start getting into philanthropy. He 522 00:30:21,920 --> 00:30:26,320 Speaker 1: began to really invest, specifically in the education system near 523 00:30:26,480 --> 00:30:30,560 Speaker 1: his own home. He began to uh to help UH 524 00:30:30,760 --> 00:30:33,960 Speaker 1: schools get computers and training on how to use the computers. 525 00:30:34,320 --> 00:30:38,680 Speaker 1: He was very enthusiastic at fostering education, which is no 526 00:30:38,760 --> 00:30:41,480 Speaker 1: surprise considering, you know, his father had helped him, and 527 00:30:41,760 --> 00:30:44,520 Speaker 1: he does credit his you know, several teachers went in 528 00:30:44,560 --> 00:30:48,000 Speaker 1: his elementary school days as really being the inspiration for 529 00:30:48,080 --> 00:30:51,400 Speaker 1: him to pursue his interests. So it's not a big 530 00:30:51,400 --> 00:30:53,920 Speaker 1: surprise that he wanted to to kind of pay it 531 00:30:53,960 --> 00:30:57,320 Speaker 1: forward and and do that on himself. So he began 532 00:30:57,360 --> 00:31:01,240 Speaker 1: to do that and Uh. In fact, his his contributions 533 00:31:01,280 --> 00:31:06,840 Speaker 1: to technology and philanthropy led up to him receiving the award, 534 00:31:06,920 --> 00:31:11,200 Speaker 1: the the National Medal of Technology in He was awarded 535 00:31:11,200 --> 00:31:13,680 Speaker 1: that by the United States President, who at the time 536 00:31:13,760 --> 00:31:17,320 Speaker 1: was Ronald Reagan and received that and it's the highest 537 00:31:17,400 --> 00:31:21,880 Speaker 1: honor bestowed on America's inventors and innovators. Yes, the award 538 00:31:21,880 --> 00:31:25,520 Speaker 1: has come up several times over the course of tech stuff. UM. 539 00:31:25,560 --> 00:31:27,360 Speaker 1: You know, probably was it one of the people we 540 00:31:27,400 --> 00:31:30,840 Speaker 1: would actually have heard of. Um they were losing. Jobs 541 00:31:30,840 --> 00:31:34,440 Speaker 1: were sort of rock stars in the early eighties because 542 00:31:34,520 --> 00:31:38,480 Speaker 1: of the the the prominence of the Apple two. UM. 543 00:31:39,080 --> 00:31:41,800 Speaker 1: And you know, there were there were cover stories on magazines, 544 00:31:41,880 --> 00:31:47,480 Speaker 1: business magazines, UH and UH and news magazines about these guys. 545 00:31:47,800 --> 00:31:49,560 Speaker 1: They were they were sort of well known. Of course, 546 00:31:49,640 --> 00:31:53,080 Speaker 1: Jobs is a little bit more outspoken. He's known as 547 00:31:53,120 --> 00:31:56,720 Speaker 1: the UM you know, more of the the marketing face 548 00:31:56,920 --> 00:32:01,000 Speaker 1: of the company, especially UM recently, but even back then 549 00:32:01,080 --> 00:32:03,680 Speaker 1: in the in the early days of the company. UM 550 00:32:04,280 --> 00:32:07,160 Speaker 1: as technology went on at Apple, though, as things started 551 00:32:07,160 --> 00:32:11,239 Speaker 1: to change and they started focusing on, uh, diversifying the 552 00:32:11,280 --> 00:32:17,000 Speaker 1: lines UM was, you know, was sort of not as 553 00:32:17,040 --> 00:32:21,240 Speaker 1: integral to the the creation of machines like the Apple three, 554 00:32:21,560 --> 00:32:23,800 Speaker 1: the Lisa, and the Macintosh like he had been with 555 00:32:23,840 --> 00:32:26,280 Speaker 1: the Apple too. And I think that was partially due 556 00:32:26,600 --> 00:32:29,480 Speaker 1: of course, to the to the accident and the need 557 00:32:29,560 --> 00:32:32,960 Speaker 1: for his recovery. Just he just wasn't as um as 558 00:32:33,560 --> 00:32:38,040 Speaker 1: UM available during that time as he would have done otherwise. Yeah, 559 00:32:38,120 --> 00:32:43,040 Speaker 1: and then UM and by Ve big changes were happening 560 00:32:43,040 --> 00:32:46,760 Speaker 1: at Apple. Uh. The biggest was that Steve Jobs left 561 00:32:46,800 --> 00:32:52,239 Speaker 1: the company and that depending on how you define it, 562 00:32:52,520 --> 00:32:56,760 Speaker 1: he was either fired because he was having some really 563 00:32:57,000 --> 00:33:01,840 Speaker 1: nasty conflicts with the with Apple's board of directors, or 564 00:33:01,880 --> 00:33:03,920 Speaker 1: he was just marginalized to the point where he just 565 00:33:04,040 --> 00:33:07,040 Speaker 1: stopped showing up to work. UM. But really, I mean 566 00:33:07,480 --> 00:33:12,080 Speaker 1: essentially they kept giving him a d a smaller role 567 00:33:13,040 --> 00:33:16,800 Speaker 1: over time and distancing him Steve Jobs, that is, away 568 00:33:16,880 --> 00:33:20,320 Speaker 1: from the main operations of Apple, and so Steve Jobs 569 00:33:20,360 --> 00:33:24,720 Speaker 1: left in five Niac stuck around with Apple for a 570 00:33:24,720 --> 00:33:28,840 Speaker 1: couple more years. He would not leave the company until Yes, 571 00:33:28,880 --> 00:33:31,440 Speaker 1: and to some degree he still holds a consulting role 572 00:33:31,480 --> 00:33:36,800 Speaker 1: with the company today. His and he left the company, 573 00:33:36,840 --> 00:33:40,959 Speaker 1: but Apple still I guess it's safe to say they 574 00:33:41,080 --> 00:33:45,960 Speaker 1: never completely severed their relationship, although he doesn't go into 575 00:33:46,040 --> 00:33:49,800 Speaker 1: work there like he used to. Um. And he's and 576 00:33:49,800 --> 00:33:53,400 Speaker 1: you wouldn't necessarily call him an Apple evangelist either. I 577 00:33:53,400 --> 00:33:58,280 Speaker 1: mean he says in frequent interviews he will say or 578 00:33:58,360 --> 00:34:01,600 Speaker 1: frequently interviews I should say, he will say he loves Apple. 579 00:34:01,920 --> 00:34:04,440 Speaker 1: But at the same time, he is not shy to 580 00:34:04,560 --> 00:34:07,760 Speaker 1: criticize Apple for things that he views as as uh 581 00:34:09,000 --> 00:34:13,319 Speaker 1: as a as as failures or as mistakes. He is 582 00:34:14,160 --> 00:34:17,440 Speaker 1: very He's known for being very honest and very upfront 583 00:34:17,880 --> 00:34:20,719 Speaker 1: and just uh, you know, giving his opinion. He's a 584 00:34:20,719 --> 00:34:23,200 Speaker 1: straight shooter when it comes to that, and not in 585 00:34:23,320 --> 00:34:30,359 Speaker 1: necessarily a mean way, but very matter of fact. Um yeah, 586 00:34:30,560 --> 00:34:33,359 Speaker 1: actually uh. When he started to work on some other 587 00:34:33,360 --> 00:34:36,000 Speaker 1: projects that one of the first was cl nine. This 588 00:34:36,160 --> 00:34:39,880 Speaker 1: is a company that was known for creating the first 589 00:34:40,040 --> 00:34:44,120 Speaker 1: programmable universal remote YEP. And so this again shows that 590 00:34:44,280 --> 00:34:48,000 Speaker 1: wozniak interest in electronics was still very, very high. He 591 00:34:48,120 --> 00:34:50,640 Speaker 1: just I think wosnia X one of those guys who 592 00:34:50,680 --> 00:34:54,400 Speaker 1: really likes to find a new challenge, and you know, 593 00:34:54,440 --> 00:34:57,879 Speaker 1: once he's done that, once he's managed to to accomplish 594 00:34:57,960 --> 00:35:00,640 Speaker 1: whatever that challenges, then he ready to move on to 595 00:35:00,719 --> 00:35:05,200 Speaker 1: the next one. In fact, again from listening to him talk, 596 00:35:05,360 --> 00:35:07,440 Speaker 1: I would say that that's just one of those things 597 00:35:07,480 --> 00:35:11,440 Speaker 1: he really values, is the idea of innovation, research and development, 598 00:35:11,920 --> 00:35:18,040 Speaker 1: building new stuff and not just making constant improvements over 599 00:35:18,719 --> 00:35:20,880 Speaker 1: older technology. In fact, that might have been one of 600 00:35:20,880 --> 00:35:23,200 Speaker 1: the reasons why he left Apple, was that he was 601 00:35:23,239 --> 00:35:26,400 Speaker 1: starting to see Apple turned into this company that was 602 00:35:26,480 --> 00:35:33,439 Speaker 1: more interested in releasing incremental updates to its technology rather 603 00:35:33,480 --> 00:35:37,160 Speaker 1: than truly innovating and building something that's really cool. And 604 00:35:37,160 --> 00:35:39,200 Speaker 1: in fact, that's a that's a criticism that he has 605 00:35:39,320 --> 00:35:43,240 Speaker 1: leveled recently at Apple over the last few years, saying 606 00:35:43,280 --> 00:35:48,440 Speaker 1: that Apple seems to be content to release new versions 607 00:35:48,560 --> 00:35:51,880 Speaker 1: of truly innovative and amazing products. You know, he loves 608 00:35:51,920 --> 00:35:53,920 Speaker 1: things like the iPad and the iPhone and all that. 609 00:35:54,000 --> 00:35:57,160 Speaker 1: He thinks those are great, But why he doesn't think 610 00:35:57,239 --> 00:36:00,279 Speaker 1: is great is that Apple seems to be content to 611 00:36:00,400 --> 00:36:03,759 Speaker 1: just give updates to those products rather than try and 612 00:36:03,880 --> 00:36:08,560 Speaker 1: create something wholly new. Now that may not be completely fair. 613 00:36:08,600 --> 00:36:12,279 Speaker 1: There may be some things developing an Apple about which 614 00:36:12,320 --> 00:36:15,640 Speaker 1: we know nothing that could blow our minds any day now, 615 00:36:16,239 --> 00:36:18,839 Speaker 1: like the Apple TV that we keep on hoping will 616 00:36:18,920 --> 00:36:22,840 Speaker 1: come out. But you know that that the perception that 617 00:36:22,880 --> 00:36:27,359 Speaker 1: Wozniak has is that, uh, Apple's not currently really in 618 00:36:27,400 --> 00:36:30,760 Speaker 1: that innovative space. In fact, recently he said that Microsoft 619 00:36:30,880 --> 00:36:33,560 Speaker 1: was showing more of that sort of innovative approach. Doesn't 620 00:36:33,600 --> 00:36:35,799 Speaker 1: necessarily mean it's going to be a success for Microsoft, 621 00:36:35,840 --> 00:36:38,719 Speaker 1: but he was saying that you know, Windows eight, Windows Phone, Ate, 622 00:36:38,760 --> 00:36:41,560 Speaker 1: the surface tablet, all of that was kind of pointing 623 00:36:41,680 --> 00:36:44,040 Speaker 1: there was such a radical departure from the stuff that 624 00:36:44,080 --> 00:36:46,239 Speaker 1: Microsoft had been doing that it was a much more 625 00:36:46,280 --> 00:36:51,280 Speaker 1: innovative approach than what Apple was currently doing. Right well, um, 626 00:36:51,320 --> 00:36:53,600 Speaker 1: you know he uh he ended up butting heads with 627 00:36:53,680 --> 00:36:56,400 Speaker 1: c L nine with Apple. Um. He was trying to 628 00:36:56,440 --> 00:37:02,080 Speaker 1: contract the design firm Frog Design, uh to get the 629 00:37:02,440 --> 00:37:06,400 Speaker 1: product designed for him, and Apple had brought Frog Design 630 00:37:06,800 --> 00:37:09,880 Speaker 1: to California with the idea that they were going to 631 00:37:09,960 --> 00:37:13,880 Speaker 1: be their designers, their product designers, and Apple said no, 632 00:37:15,120 --> 00:37:16,919 Speaker 1: you cannot do that. That was part of their their 633 00:37:17,040 --> 00:37:21,000 Speaker 1: U their UM contract with them. UM. But yeah, he 634 00:37:21,400 --> 00:37:24,200 Speaker 1: very much, uh you know, had an idea because he 635 00:37:24,239 --> 00:37:27,200 Speaker 1: knew that these guys were innovators in the way things 636 00:37:27,239 --> 00:37:30,120 Speaker 1: looked and felt. UM. So it doesn't surprise me much 637 00:37:30,160 --> 00:37:33,920 Speaker 1: that that was likes um the kinds of products that 638 00:37:33,960 --> 00:37:37,080 Speaker 1: Apple comes out with. But uh, you know, they had 639 00:37:37,080 --> 00:37:40,520 Speaker 1: a similar design sense. But Apple did not appreciate that 640 00:37:40,640 --> 00:37:44,640 Speaker 1: at the time. UM. Oh and uh, we didn't mention, 641 00:37:45,080 --> 00:37:50,280 Speaker 1: but well, it's probably looking at the timeline here, UM 642 00:37:50,680 --> 00:37:52,920 Speaker 1: probably should mention some of the other things that he 643 00:37:53,480 --> 00:37:55,600 Speaker 1: got into over the years. Of course, he's been a 644 00:37:56,440 --> 00:38:00,680 Speaker 1: speaker UM for many, many years now, including dating back 645 00:38:00,719 --> 00:38:05,200 Speaker 1: to that that time he was sort of a coveted 646 00:38:05,239 --> 00:38:10,440 Speaker 1: personality for m keynotes and different kinds of addresses. Uh 647 00:38:10,520 --> 00:38:13,279 Speaker 1: and uh. He started several companies. See all nine was 648 00:38:13,320 --> 00:38:15,680 Speaker 1: just one of them. Wheels of Zeus was one of 649 00:38:15,680 --> 00:38:19,440 Speaker 1: my favorites. Yes, the acronym Wheels of Zeus is laws 650 00:38:20,440 --> 00:38:23,919 Speaker 1: in in two thousand one, and that was back uh 651 00:38:23,960 --> 00:38:26,880 Speaker 1: in the early days of trying to come up with 652 00:38:27,040 --> 00:38:30,200 Speaker 1: uses for GPS. Yeah. The idea being that if you 653 00:38:30,200 --> 00:38:33,799 Speaker 1: can have a wireless GPS UH network, then you would 654 00:38:33,800 --> 00:38:38,040 Speaker 1: be able to locate stuff. Really, that was one of 655 00:38:38,080 --> 00:38:40,120 Speaker 1: his ideas. He said he wanted to help people be 656 00:38:40,200 --> 00:38:44,880 Speaker 1: able to locate things. Yes, all right, that was you 657 00:38:44,960 --> 00:38:48,640 Speaker 1: know so, yeah, and was or as in Wheels of Zeus, 658 00:38:48,640 --> 00:38:52,319 Speaker 1: not Wazniac, but Wheels of Zeus lasted for about five 659 00:38:52,400 --> 00:38:55,400 Speaker 1: years that it closed up in two thousand six. Ye 660 00:38:55,920 --> 00:39:03,200 Speaker 1: also and uh he in uh going back a bit. No, No, 661 00:39:03,239 --> 00:39:05,200 Speaker 1: it's fine. I just wanted to mention, you know, being 662 00:39:05,200 --> 00:39:08,600 Speaker 1: a co founder of the Electronic Frontier Foundation. I mean 663 00:39:08,640 --> 00:39:11,839 Speaker 1: this is huge. The Electronic Frontier Foundation or e f F, 664 00:39:12,120 --> 00:39:15,239 Speaker 1: is an organization that advocates for openness and freedom on 665 00:39:15,320 --> 00:39:18,439 Speaker 1: the internet in the computer world. They are also known 666 00:39:18,560 --> 00:39:23,360 Speaker 1: for doing things like helping provide legal assistance to hackers 667 00:39:23,400 --> 00:39:28,040 Speaker 1: that are being pursued by by government officials or or 668 00:39:28,080 --> 00:39:31,319 Speaker 1: you know, by law enforcement. They're known for helping out 669 00:39:32,520 --> 00:39:36,120 Speaker 1: folks who might otherwise be seen as troublemakers. Um, but 670 00:39:36,239 --> 00:39:41,919 Speaker 1: it's really all about promoting the freedom of information and 671 00:39:42,000 --> 00:39:46,319 Speaker 1: the trying to keep as as much of the uh 672 00:39:46,960 --> 00:39:53,200 Speaker 1: the manipulation or or or um, the just just trying 673 00:39:53,200 --> 00:39:57,040 Speaker 1: to keep the government out of controlling technology in all 674 00:39:57,080 --> 00:39:59,960 Speaker 1: its forms. Mainly it tends over the last several year, 675 00:40:00,080 --> 00:40:02,160 Speaker 1: it tends to mostly be about the Internet, but it's 676 00:40:02,680 --> 00:40:05,960 Speaker 1: it goes beyond that. Yeah. Yeah, and then they are 677 00:40:06,080 --> 00:40:11,080 Speaker 1: very interested in uh, you know, privacy issues issues. Uh, 678 00:40:11,640 --> 00:40:14,279 Speaker 1: not to uh, not to protect what you might call 679 00:40:14,360 --> 00:40:19,160 Speaker 1: black hat hackers, um, but more to give people the 680 00:40:19,160 --> 00:40:24,919 Speaker 1: opportunity to uh control their technology lives a little bit 681 00:40:24,960 --> 00:40:27,879 Speaker 1: more openly and and do more with it rather than 682 00:40:27,920 --> 00:40:31,839 Speaker 1: having that spoken for for them. Yeah. Wozniak has has 683 00:40:31,920 --> 00:40:37,440 Speaker 1: really come across as someone who who wants the individual 684 00:40:37,600 --> 00:40:40,200 Speaker 1: to have as much control and say in that sort 685 00:40:40,200 --> 00:40:44,600 Speaker 1: of thing, and less of that should go to things 686 00:40:44,600 --> 00:40:48,719 Speaker 1: like corporations and governments. So uh, you know this, it's 687 00:40:48,800 --> 00:40:52,040 Speaker 1: obvious why he would want to co found that organization 688 00:40:52,080 --> 00:40:54,600 Speaker 1: like BFF. And in two thousand he was inducted into 689 00:40:54,640 --> 00:40:57,800 Speaker 1: the Inventor's Hall of Fame and also receive the Hinz 690 00:40:57,800 --> 00:41:00,959 Speaker 1: Award for Technology, the Economy and employe. Yes, I wanted 691 00:41:01,000 --> 00:41:03,600 Speaker 1: to mention the Hines Award, So I'm glad you did that. 692 00:41:03,800 --> 00:41:08,160 Speaker 1: And it's not the Hines Stefenschmertz Award. Curse you bury 693 00:41:08,239 --> 00:41:12,160 Speaker 1: the Platypaus We've got a little bit further to go 694 00:41:12,320 --> 00:41:15,560 Speaker 1: with Chris Polette's final episode as a co host of 695 00:41:15,640 --> 00:41:18,440 Speaker 1: Tech Stuff. But before we get to that sad moment, 696 00:41:18,560 --> 00:41:29,200 Speaker 1: let's take another quick break. This is a period, um 697 00:41:29,320 --> 00:41:32,479 Speaker 1: the early two thousand's where we kind of didn't hear 698 00:41:32,520 --> 00:41:34,879 Speaker 1: a lot from him. I mean, he's not the kind 699 00:41:34,880 --> 00:41:37,800 Speaker 1: of person that that, um, you read about in the 700 00:41:37,880 --> 00:41:42,960 Speaker 1: society pages so much. Although until the late two thousands, well, 701 00:41:43,000 --> 00:41:45,640 Speaker 1: you know, making appearances on shows like Kathy Griffin in 702 00:41:45,680 --> 00:41:47,720 Speaker 1: My Life on the d List. Yeah, he was dating 703 00:41:47,719 --> 00:41:50,640 Speaker 1: her at the time. Yes, yes, Um. He's also been 704 00:41:50,719 --> 00:41:55,080 Speaker 1: on The Big Bang Theory and of course Dancing with 705 00:41:55,160 --> 00:41:59,839 Speaker 1: the Stars cutting a rug on a segue, yes, yes 706 00:42:00,080 --> 00:42:04,640 Speaker 1: he uh he showed. I watched some of that, and 707 00:42:04,680 --> 00:42:07,239 Speaker 1: I have to admit he showed a tremendous sense of 708 00:42:07,320 --> 00:42:11,759 Speaker 1: humor about being on that show. Um. And uh he's 709 00:42:12,360 --> 00:42:17,320 Speaker 1: as a dancer, he is a really incredible programmer. Nice. 710 00:42:17,840 --> 00:42:21,319 Speaker 1: Um an excellent compliment and uh, I am neither. So 711 00:42:21,440 --> 00:42:23,600 Speaker 1: I really can't talk, but I will. I will say 712 00:42:23,600 --> 00:42:27,120 Speaker 1: that that, but I think he would probably agree. Um 713 00:42:27,200 --> 00:42:30,560 Speaker 1: yeah he um, uh, yeah, he seemed to really kind 714 00:42:30,560 --> 00:42:34,160 Speaker 1: of have fun with his own you know, public persona, 715 00:42:34,400 --> 00:42:38,000 Speaker 1: although he's not you know, he's not like a celebrity 716 00:42:38,040 --> 00:42:41,400 Speaker 1: in the sense of jumping out and trying to attract attention. 717 00:42:41,440 --> 00:42:43,759 Speaker 1: That doesn't seem to really be his his style. He's 718 00:42:43,800 --> 00:42:47,640 Speaker 1: even been known, like on on launch days for Apple 719 00:42:47,680 --> 00:42:50,439 Speaker 1: products to go and wait in line at an Apple store. 720 00:42:50,680 --> 00:42:55,360 Speaker 1: There was one story where, uh he I remember it 721 00:42:55,400 --> 00:42:57,760 Speaker 1: was one of the early iPhones, I want to say, 722 00:42:58,040 --> 00:43:01,400 Speaker 1: where he was walking to the Apple store to go 723 00:43:01,440 --> 00:43:04,000 Speaker 1: get in line, and then he got ushered into the 724 00:43:04,040 --> 00:43:07,560 Speaker 1: front of the line, and he actually felt badly about 725 00:43:07,600 --> 00:43:10,200 Speaker 1: it because he was like, you know, he didn't feel 726 00:43:10,200 --> 00:43:12,520 Speaker 1: that he should necessarily be treated any differently than any 727 00:43:12,520 --> 00:43:16,279 Speaker 1: other customer. Um. And but a lot of people who 728 00:43:16,280 --> 00:43:18,399 Speaker 1: were in line are like, dude, that's woznia. He could 729 00:43:18,440 --> 00:43:22,880 Speaker 1: totally go in It's okay, Yeah I would. I would 730 00:43:22,880 --> 00:43:25,960 Speaker 1: imagine that that he has enough of a following where 731 00:43:26,239 --> 00:43:28,239 Speaker 1: you know, there there would be a certain amount of 732 00:43:28,239 --> 00:43:32,799 Speaker 1: tolerance among the other shoppers that day. Um. He's also known, 733 00:43:32,920 --> 00:43:38,879 Speaker 1: of course, over over time to be a rather uh 734 00:43:39,080 --> 00:43:43,120 Speaker 1: playful prankster of sorts. He's famed, of course for many 735 00:43:43,160 --> 00:43:47,160 Speaker 1: different stunts with two dollar bills. Um. I have actually 736 00:43:47,960 --> 00:43:51,240 Speaker 1: tried to pass two dollar bills, which are completely legal, 737 00:43:51,680 --> 00:43:54,160 Speaker 1: and they have people confused by them because you don't 738 00:43:54,200 --> 00:43:56,600 Speaker 1: see them all the time, which of course lends itself 739 00:43:56,680 --> 00:43:59,640 Speaker 1: to was a sort of sense of humor. Now you 740 00:43:59,640 --> 00:44:02,799 Speaker 1: can buy, as he will point out, complete sheets of 741 00:44:02,920 --> 00:44:05,200 Speaker 1: one dollar, two dollar, and five dollar bills from the 742 00:44:05,239 --> 00:44:07,560 Speaker 1: Bureau of Engraving and Printing. You can get a sheet 743 00:44:07,640 --> 00:44:11,920 Speaker 1: of an uncut sheet of bills. They're completely legal, they 744 00:44:11,920 --> 00:44:15,000 Speaker 1: just haven't been cut apart. In fact, they're perforated. So 745 00:44:15,080 --> 00:44:18,680 Speaker 1: he has been known to buy sheets of these, you know, 746 00:44:19,160 --> 00:44:22,839 Speaker 1: separate them and have them laminated into a pad, and 747 00:44:22,880 --> 00:44:25,680 Speaker 1: go in and buy stuff and peel off a series 748 00:44:25,680 --> 00:44:28,960 Speaker 1: of two dollar bills, which are of course are numbered sequentially. 749 00:44:29,400 --> 00:44:32,440 Speaker 1: It's very weird. Two dollar bills are weird to begin with, 750 00:44:33,360 --> 00:44:35,600 Speaker 1: and then you add that it looks like this guy 751 00:44:35,680 --> 00:44:38,279 Speaker 1: just peeled off money and handed it to me, am 752 00:44:38,280 --> 00:44:41,840 Speaker 1: I supposed to take it. Apparently he's been to Vegas 753 00:44:42,080 --> 00:44:46,160 Speaker 1: and tried to stunt and had security people come and 754 00:44:46,840 --> 00:44:51,760 Speaker 1: uh talked to him about exactly what's going I've encountered 755 00:44:51,840 --> 00:44:55,359 Speaker 1: Vegas security. I know exactly what you're talking about. And 756 00:44:55,440 --> 00:44:59,600 Speaker 1: of course if it were me, I would be sweating 757 00:45:00,160 --> 00:45:04,640 Speaker 1: like about it. He keeps doing. Really, I didn't know 758 00:45:04,760 --> 00:45:08,680 Speaker 1: that that the government doesn't, you know, make these perforated 759 00:45:08,680 --> 00:45:13,120 Speaker 1: bills available. Really, I bought these from some guy. What 760 00:45:13,120 --> 00:45:15,160 Speaker 1: what's great is that I wouldn't have had the nerve. 761 00:45:15,239 --> 00:45:17,240 Speaker 1: I should also point out that while two dollar bills 762 00:45:17,280 --> 00:45:20,480 Speaker 1: are unusual here in the United States, in other places 763 00:45:20,520 --> 00:45:26,520 Speaker 1: there are two dollar coins. So for our friends in Canadia, yes, 764 00:45:26,560 --> 00:45:30,120 Speaker 1: and our friends in Canadia, your twnis are very adorable, 765 00:45:30,320 --> 00:45:34,000 Speaker 1: like I actually do like tunis. I like Looney's and tunis. Yes, 766 00:45:34,040 --> 00:45:36,520 Speaker 1: I agree. If you would like to send me Looney's 767 00:45:36,520 --> 00:45:39,200 Speaker 1: and twnis, do so at the house Stuff Works address, 768 00:45:39,239 --> 00:45:43,919 Speaker 1: Carroll Jonathan Strickland. Kids, go check your parents. No, never mind, 769 00:45:45,160 --> 00:45:48,359 Speaker 1: um but uh but but yeah, what you were talking 770 00:45:48,400 --> 00:45:53,000 Speaker 1: about about innovation and openness and technology. He has recently, 771 00:45:53,120 --> 00:45:57,160 Speaker 1: as of the time we're recording this, in late Ben 772 00:45:57,360 --> 00:46:01,600 Speaker 1: photographed in front of the large uh different versions of 773 00:46:01,680 --> 00:46:05,759 Speaker 1: Google androids. We have Android people, and people go, it's 774 00:46:05,800 --> 00:46:09,800 Speaker 1: the Apple co founder in front of the Android androids. Well, yeah, 775 00:46:09,840 --> 00:46:13,960 Speaker 1: because he tries pretty much everything. Yeah, he's just a 776 00:46:14,000 --> 00:46:17,040 Speaker 1: computer omnivore. He actually says that he will, you know, 777 00:46:17,120 --> 00:46:19,880 Speaker 1: he loves he loves technology, and he loves Gadgy doesn't 778 00:46:19,960 --> 00:46:22,360 Speaker 1: doesn't necessarily love what corporations are doing or what governments 779 00:46:22,360 --> 00:46:26,960 Speaker 1: are doing, but he loves the technology. And he specifically, 780 00:46:27,719 --> 00:46:29,880 Speaker 1: I had an hour and a half of sleep last night, folks, 781 00:46:29,880 --> 00:46:33,800 Speaker 1: I would and watch the Hobbit anyway. So he specifically 782 00:46:34,840 --> 00:46:39,319 Speaker 1: really likes uh platforms that are are that allow you 783 00:46:39,360 --> 00:46:43,280 Speaker 1: to do lots of stuff right, So the Android platform 784 00:46:43,600 --> 00:46:46,000 Speaker 1: gives a lot of flexibility to users. It's something that 785 00:46:46,040 --> 00:46:49,680 Speaker 1: can be overwhelming to someone who's not necessarily an enthusiast, 786 00:46:49,960 --> 00:46:52,840 Speaker 1: but for someone who really likes hacking and getting their 787 00:46:52,920 --> 00:46:57,839 Speaker 1: their hands dirty with technology, the Android platform is very 788 00:46:57,880 --> 00:47:01,400 Speaker 1: attractive because it's you can make a lot of changes yourself, 789 00:47:01,520 --> 00:47:06,160 Speaker 1: you know, and and Google facilitates that. Depending on which 790 00:47:06,440 --> 00:47:09,800 Speaker 1: handset manufacturer and which carrier you're with, it may or 791 00:47:09,840 --> 00:47:13,440 Speaker 1: may not be very easy to do. But he also 792 00:47:13,520 --> 00:47:16,720 Speaker 1: says he likes to try everything because he doesn't want 793 00:47:16,760 --> 00:47:22,960 Speaker 1: to form a a prejudice against any particular platform without 794 00:47:23,000 --> 00:47:26,080 Speaker 1: giving it a real fair shot. And so he goes 795 00:47:26,120 --> 00:47:28,080 Speaker 1: out when a new phone comes out, he'll go out 796 00:47:28,080 --> 00:47:31,439 Speaker 1: and buy it. So often like, I've seen pictures of 797 00:47:31,640 --> 00:47:34,719 Speaker 1: what Wozniak was carrying on a given day, and it's 798 00:47:34,800 --> 00:47:38,640 Speaker 1: usually something like five or six smartphones and then maybe 799 00:47:38,680 --> 00:47:42,840 Speaker 1: a tablet and then maybe two computers. It's like, you figure, 800 00:47:42,880 --> 00:47:46,879 Speaker 1: it's got to be around fifty pounds of technology at least. Yeah. 801 00:47:47,000 --> 00:47:50,600 Speaker 1: It It kind of reminds me of the nineties version 802 00:47:50,640 --> 00:47:54,480 Speaker 1: of Dilbert where he used to have the gadget utility belt. Um, 803 00:47:54,760 --> 00:47:58,200 Speaker 1: you actually knew some people like that? Um yeah, yeah, 804 00:47:58,400 --> 00:48:00,720 Speaker 1: I used to try and do that them. My pants 805 00:48:00,760 --> 00:48:03,600 Speaker 1: kept falling down, dude, looking like a fool with the 806 00:48:03,680 --> 00:48:07,000 Speaker 1: pants on the ground. I was, in fact. Yeah. So 807 00:48:07,600 --> 00:48:12,120 Speaker 1: currently he's working at a food Fusion Io or Fusion 808 00:48:12,160 --> 00:48:18,200 Speaker 1: EO Fusion HEO was Fusion dash Io as a chief 809 00:48:18,239 --> 00:48:21,360 Speaker 1: scientist and that's the company is a data storage and 810 00:48:21,480 --> 00:48:25,640 Speaker 1: server company. So he's he's currently that's you know, his 811 00:48:25,719 --> 00:48:28,279 Speaker 1: technical job title at the moment. But he does do 812 00:48:28,320 --> 00:48:31,680 Speaker 1: a lot of speaking events and you know, you'll still 813 00:48:31,719 --> 00:48:35,600 Speaker 1: see him at things like a TED conferences and other 814 00:48:35,680 --> 00:48:38,760 Speaker 1: big events where you know, they need to have someone 815 00:48:38,840 --> 00:48:41,759 Speaker 1: there who who really knows the ins and outs of technology, 816 00:48:41,760 --> 00:48:47,600 Speaker 1: who is truly an advocate for technology, for the consumer 817 00:48:48,160 --> 00:48:51,520 Speaker 1: and who just you know, he's just very passionate and 818 00:48:51,719 --> 00:48:55,279 Speaker 1: loves to share that with other people. That's it's a 819 00:48:55,360 --> 00:48:57,960 Speaker 1: great couple of qualities to have, Like, there are a 820 00:48:58,000 --> 00:48:59,799 Speaker 1: lot of people who are really passionate about what they do, 821 00:49:00,160 --> 00:49:04,600 Speaker 1: but they don't necessarily communicate that or share that with people. 822 00:49:04,640 --> 00:49:06,959 Speaker 1: But wasn't he acts he's like, you know, you would 823 00:49:06,960 --> 00:49:09,799 Speaker 1: have to tie him down for him not to to 824 00:49:09,800 --> 00:49:13,640 Speaker 1: to be a brilliant over his love of tech. Yeah, 825 00:49:13,719 --> 00:49:17,440 Speaker 1: it's uh, from from just about all accounts I've read 826 00:49:17,640 --> 00:49:20,480 Speaker 1: about about Steve Wozniak, He's he's not the kind of 827 00:49:20,520 --> 00:49:25,960 Speaker 1: person who who hides his emotions very well. He's, uh, 828 00:49:26,000 --> 00:49:28,680 Speaker 1: he's excited about a lot of stuff, and when he is, 829 00:49:29,200 --> 00:49:33,040 Speaker 1: he you know, he shares that with you. Um, I 830 00:49:33,360 --> 00:49:36,359 Speaker 1: should say that he doesn't hide his his excitement for 831 00:49:36,440 --> 00:49:41,000 Speaker 1: technology very well because he's, uh, he's really gregarious when 832 00:49:41,000 --> 00:49:43,080 Speaker 1: it comes to that. He may not be necessarily outspoken 833 00:49:43,080 --> 00:49:46,480 Speaker 1: about his personal life as much or or want to 834 00:49:46,560 --> 00:49:49,560 Speaker 1: jump into the spotlight. But if you ran into him 835 00:49:49,560 --> 00:49:52,319 Speaker 1: and he had fifteen minutes to talk about some kind 836 00:49:52,320 --> 00:49:54,960 Speaker 1: of technology with you, I don't think it would be 837 00:49:55,200 --> 00:49:57,799 Speaker 1: much of a stretch. Based on Again, I've never met him, 838 00:49:57,840 --> 00:50:00,319 Speaker 1: but uh, if he wanted to stry a cup of 839 00:50:00,320 --> 00:50:03,279 Speaker 1: conversation with him about virtually any kind of technology, I 840 00:50:03,320 --> 00:50:06,120 Speaker 1: don't think he would turn you down, or if he did, 841 00:50:06,120 --> 00:50:09,319 Speaker 1: he would do it politely. Well, it seems like just 842 00:50:09,400 --> 00:50:11,320 Speaker 1: a just a great guy. He does he does. I 843 00:50:11,320 --> 00:50:13,279 Speaker 1: would be very interested to talk with him, except I 844 00:50:13,280 --> 00:50:15,680 Speaker 1: would be intimidated that he had discovered that I'm a 845 00:50:15,840 --> 00:50:18,879 Speaker 1: complete idiot within like two minutes of chatting with me. Well, 846 00:50:18,920 --> 00:50:20,879 Speaker 1: I mean, it doesn't take the rest of us that long. 847 00:50:21,520 --> 00:50:23,799 Speaker 1: You know. Maybe I'm hoping that he would just have 848 00:50:23,880 --> 00:50:28,440 Speaker 1: a lot of optimism. And that wraps up this classic 849 00:50:28,560 --> 00:50:32,000 Speaker 1: episode of text Stuff once again. I want to thank 850 00:50:32,080 --> 00:50:34,359 Speaker 1: Chris Polette for the amazing work he did. I mean, 851 00:50:34,760 --> 00:50:37,880 Speaker 1: you know, we're six years past, almost seven years past 852 00:50:37,960 --> 00:50:42,279 Speaker 1: when this happened, and uh, he's still very much a 853 00:50:42,320 --> 00:50:46,280 Speaker 1: part of tech Stuff's culture. The puns, I would argue, 854 00:50:46,600 --> 00:50:50,240 Speaker 1: are Chris Polette's contribution to this show. I love puns, 855 00:50:50,680 --> 00:50:52,560 Speaker 1: but I wasn't really known for making them in the 856 00:50:52,640 --> 00:50:56,560 Speaker 1: show quite like Chris was. I hope you guys enjoyed it. 857 00:50:56,600 --> 00:50:59,960 Speaker 1: If you have any suggestions for future episodes, of tech Stuff. 858 00:51:00,280 --> 00:51:03,000 Speaker 1: Please reach out and let me know The email addresses 859 00:51:03,040 --> 00:51:05,520 Speaker 1: tech stuff at how stuff works dot com, where you 860 00:51:05,520 --> 00:51:07,399 Speaker 1: can drop a line on Facebook or Twitter. The handle 861 00:51:07,440 --> 00:51:09,960 Speaker 1: of both of those is tech Stuff hs W. Go 862 00:51:10,120 --> 00:51:13,600 Speaker 1: to our website that's tech stuff podcast dot com. You 863 00:51:13,640 --> 00:51:16,600 Speaker 1: will find a link to the archive of every episode 864 00:51:16,640 --> 00:51:19,440 Speaker 1: we've ever published. You will also find a link to 865 00:51:19,440 --> 00:51:21,880 Speaker 1: our online store, where every purchase you make goes to 866 00:51:21,880 --> 00:51:24,680 Speaker 1: out the show and we greatly appreciate it, and I'll 867 00:51:24,680 --> 00:51:31,960 Speaker 1: talk to you again really soon. Text Stuff is a 868 00:51:31,960 --> 00:51:34,719 Speaker 1: production of I Heart Radio's How Stuff Works. For more 869 00:51:34,800 --> 00:51:38,160 Speaker 1: podcasts from my heart Radio, visit the i heart Radio app, 870 00:51:38,320 --> 00:51:41,480 Speaker 1: Apple Podcasts, or wherever you listen to your favorite shows.