Dennis Ritchie: Forgotten Tech Legend

By Josh Highland in Josh's Rambling

This year we lost two great tech founders, Steve Jobs and Dennis Ritchie.

Steve Jobs death was plastered all over the news and media, and it should be. Steve Jobs was a great visionary who changed the world. I’m typing this on my MacBook Pro with my iPhone sitting right next to me. I love Apple.

Dennie Ritchie was also a great man of technology. He was less public than Jobs, but in my opinion more influential than Steve Jobs. Dennis Ritchie created the programming language C, which is foundational to almost all modern programming languages, including Objective-C, the language that all iPhone apps are written in. Ritchie is also the father of Unix, the operating system that powers most of the internet, and all Mac computers. Macs are known for their stability. That stability comes from it’s operating system, a modified version of Unix. Without Ritchie, Apple wouldn’t exist. Despite how influential Dennie Ritchie was, I didn’t see a single news story on his death.

I respect both of these men and honor the things they created. Without them my life would be much different. In a perfect world the people behind the scenes, like Dennis Ritchie, would get true attention and notoriety they truly deserve.

 

Why I’m pre-ordering the iPhone 4S

By Josh Highland in iPhone, Josh's Rambling, Tech

Am I ordering the new iPhone 4S? As my tattoo says, “oh hellz yeah!”

I’m excited about the iPhone 4S and I’m going to pre-order it. I’ve heard a lot of people complain about the 4s, about how “It’s nothing new”, and “It’s basically the same as the iPhone 4”.

Here are the things that make the iPhone 4S different from the iPhone 4

  • 2x the data speed
  • 2x the CPU (A5 processor)
  • 7x the graphics speed
  • 8mp camera
  • 5 element lens
  • Larger camera CMOS
  • 1080p HD video with image stabilization
  • Longer batter life
  • Bluetooth 4.0
  • Supports GSM & CDMA (Use it on ANY carrier)
  • Siri voice control
  • Improved antennas

So yeah I guess besides those things, the iPhone 4s is just like the iPhone 4…

I love my iPhone, ive loved them all. I’ve owned every generation produced. With each release, the iPhone gets better, and becomes a larger part of my life. I use my phone a lot. It’s a mobile computer thats always with me. As an app developer, I can basically do anything I want with it.

When I ask people who are disapointed in the 4s, what they were hoping to see, the most common responce I get it, “I wanted it to be shaped different.” Shaped different! What? OK, I agree it would be cool to have a different sized iPhone, or a slightly different shape, but if I had to choose between better speed and an updated look, I’m going to pick the improved speed 10 times out of 10… I actally USE my phone.

I think more people would have been excited about the iPhone 4s if it looked noticabley different from an iPhone 4. I really think that most people care more about the status of the iPhone and the look of it rather then the utility and freedom it provides. If the iPhone 4S had a different style back, like metal instead of glass, I feel that more people would be impressed with it. There is nothing stylish about owning an iPhone 4S. The 4S update is about the “S”, speed.

Personally, I like to think that the 4S means “For Steve Jobs”. The world has lost a great visionary. Without him we wouldnt be arguing about iPhones. RIP.