SOFTWARE

Global mourning and remembrance of Apple's co-founder and long-time CEO continues days after Steve Jobs died at the age of 56, and most have been quick to highlight the genius, innovation and complexity -- if not difficulty -- that Jobs thrust upon the world. A detailed book about his life that Jobs co-operated with is due out in two weeks, and already it has climbed to number one at both Amazon's and Barnes & Noble's online stores through pre-sales.

The Microsoft Corp. has finalized its acquisition of communications company Skype. The European Union approved the plan this week, and Microsoft is hoping there will be no more delays in the process.

Google+ is the new, slightly mysterious cool kid in the social-media world. But to be successful over the long haul, it must avoid the privacy backlash Facebook has endured.

We all know the shape - a small white rectangle with rounded corners, a screen, and a circular control. The first iPod debuted in November of 2001 and put all other portable music players to shame. It didn't try to be like the other guys, with their dubious interfaces and The Matrix-y black exteriors; instead, the iPod was its own kind of cool - obnoxiously so - with a minimalist white exterior and unapologetically Mac-centric interface design. In a way, the iPod was a representation of Apple...