UPDATED 09:11 EDT / DECEMBER 23 2011

Jobs Well Done! A Grammy, Statue and a Million Dollar Signature

Steven Paul “Steve” Jobs succumbed to pancreatic cancer last October. He was 56. But his genius will stay with humanity until time ceases to exist.  Apple has become one of the most revolutionary technology firms of our time thanks to his vision. Barely three months after his passing Jobs continues to receive recognition from every corner of the planet.  As the year comes to a close, the world pays tribute to Jobs in a number of  ways, from a bronze statue to a Grammy.

Jobs Wins a Grammy

Lady Gaga may have defeated him as this year’s Associated Press’ Entertainer of the Year by only three votes, but Jobs’ legacy will be remembered at the most prestigious award-giving body in the music industry.  As 2012 opens, the visionary will be given a “Trustess Award” by The Grammys.

The Recording Academy recognizes how Jobs revolutionized music by spearheading the creation of the iPod and iTunes. In a statement, The Grammys’ organization said:

“As former CEO and co-founder of Apple, Steve Jobs helped create products and technology that transformed the way we consume music, TV, movies, and books,” the Recording Academy said in a statement.”

“A creative visionary, Jobs’ innovations such as the iPod and its counterpart, the online iTunes store, revolutionized the industry and how music was distributed and purchased.”

Gone are the days when gold or platinum record awards are given to those who have sold X number of CD’s or ruled X number of hours of radio airtime. To make it to the Billboard charts today, artists need to be number one on iTunes with most number of digital record buys or downloads; a testament of how Apple has altered the course of the music industry.

Budapest Honors Steve Jobs

The almost larger-than-life bronze statue of Steve Jobs is standing high and mighty at the Graphisoft Park at the capital city of Hungary.  CNN posted a photo of the 6-foot, 5-inches tall sculpture of the legendary tech innovator.

While doing some finishing touches on what could be the most epic of all his creations at the Leonardo Gold foundry in southern Budapest, sculptor Erno Toth talks about how the late Apple founder inspired him:

“Jobs said that the hand is very important in a presentation and the hand is the intermediary energy between man and computer.  I liked his personality, and at the same time his temperament and movements were inspiring.”

The software firm Graphisoft commissioned the creation of this statue as gratification to Jobs, and Apple’s support to them during the communist era in Budapest.

His Resignation, His Death—Worldwide Web Sensation

It is a no brainer that Steve Jobs’ resignation would be included in the most talked about topic across social networking sites like Facebook and Twitter.  The news of his death was the 5th most “statused” in 2011, according to Facebook Memology. Even the perpetrator of the world’s largest social hub, Mark Zuckerberg mourned as he wrote:

“Steve, thank you for being a mentor and a friend. Thanks for showing that what you build can change the world. I will miss you.”

The word “iSad” became a worldwide trending topic for days, as humankind bids farewell to Jobs using the devices he and his creative team invented. Countless people became all the more interested in Jobs, with inspiring odes sprinkling Twitter in the weeks after his death.

Jobs Isn’t the “Person of the Year,” Tech Pundits Revolt

I was one of those who felt a bit of disappointment when news broke that Steve Jobs wasn’t named TIME Magazine’s “Person of the Year.” Jobs was never honored with this celebrated title during his lifetime, and eludes him still in death. It was a controversial call, and the Washington Post has their own take on why he was not picked, or even in the list of options. The article also recalls how Jobs felt ridiculed after expecting to grace the cover of TIME in 1982 as “Person of the Year,” and saw a “Machine of the Year” instead. A sour relationship sprung from then on.

Jon Friedman is one of the many experts who disagree with TIME’s decision. He noted how Jobs contributions shaped our society, with innovations and inventions in the fields of telecommunications, computers, movies, music and gadgets. He expressed great dismay, saying,

“Jobs would appear to be a popular choice. It’s hard to quibble with his importance. Amazingly, he has never won the award by himself and this is the last time that Time could give him the designation.”

Other Jobs-Related Recognitions

Jobs was also nominated for “Media Person of The Year” by New York Times, along with the controversial and proverbial personalities of 2011. The founding contract of Apple Inc. with his signature in it is currently being auctioned for $1.6 million. In January of 2012, another book is hitting your shelves: “The Zen of Steve Jobs” by Caleb Melby of Forbes. This manuscript promises to be the most extensively researched narration of Jobs’ life.

Jobs, in life and in death, is, and was a consistent newsmaker and an icon.


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