Steve Jobs, Apple's iconic co-founder, died Wednesday at age 56 after a long battle with pancreatic cancer. Widely credited with transforming the way people use computers, listen to music, and communicate, Jobs's influence and vision shaped each of Apple's popular devices. Jobs, a college dropout inspired by the spirit of the 60s, founded Apple in a garage with Steve Wozniak in 1976. In a statement on its website, Apple wrote, "Steve’s brilliance, passion and energy were the source of countless innovations that enrich and improve all of our lives."

UK authorities have arrested a 19-year-old under suspicion for his potential connection to the hacking group LulzSec. The group has claimed to have pulled off attacks on PBS, Sony and the Senate.

The group has a mischievous persona. It has set up a hotline for people to call in and suggest sites that should be attacked. The recorded voice that answers claims, in an exaggerated French accent, that "Pierre Dubois and Franvois Deluxe" are not available because they’re out hacking websites. Yesterday, they announced that they're teaming up with Anonymous, another hacking group with a deeper political bent.

In what is becoming an annual tradition, news of a targeted cyber-attack from China has once again made headlines.  Commenting on the attacks targeting the Google email accounts high-level US government officials, Secretary of State Hillary voiced her concern over what could have been a serious breach of security.  Compounded by the recent news of yet another attack against the user name and password information of tens of thousands of visitors to a Sony website, we wonder: what is the current state of cyber security to our nation's most vital intelligence assets? 

One of the oldest written languages in the world is in danger of being forgotten. People in China send text messages more than any other population in the world, and many experts believe that this could lead to its people forgetting how to write Chinese characters. The phenomenon has been called, tibiwangzi: literally (take pen, forget character).

If you had told me, 13 years ago, that Apple would one day be deemed more valuable than Microsoft, I would have laughed and laughed and laughed. I wanted it to happen, mind you, but knew it would only come about in some science fiction world where the better product was actually rewarded by consumers and the markets worked as perfect dowsing rods for business acumen. I would have chuckled ruefully, and gone home through a Microsoft-dominated world to talk to my aging Mac Powerbook 520.

Today, at 4 p.m., the unthinkable happened: Apple Inc. finished the day worth more (in the eyes of those buying its stock) than its once-chief rival, Microsoft Corporation. As the markets closed, Apple's stock price put the company at $222 billion, just over Microsoft's $219 billion.

This ex-geek says: Booyah.

Rumors have been swirling for weeks about a new Apple product that's scheduled to be unveiled next week. The legions of Apple rumor-mongers suspect the company is about to launch a new tablet device, which Apple fans hope will have the kind of game-changing impact of the iPhone. We try and separate fact from fiction and look at how useful such a device might be.

Today Microsoft launches Windows 7, the latest and much-anticipated version of its popular Windows operating system. Microsoft hopes to build buzz for the new release by offering it on the same day that the software giant also makes its first foray into the retail side of business. Microsoft, taking a page from Apple's playbook, is planning to open their own stores all over the country. Killing Microsoft's buzz is the news that Apple profits skyrocketed 47 percent in the last quarter on the success of iPhone and Mac sales. The Takeaway's tech contributor and Wired magazine writer Cliff Kuang says Apple's big week was a big blow for Microsoft but that this could be Microsoft's big year. We also go live to Paul Atkinson of public radio station KJZZ in Arizona, who is on the scene of a Microsoft Windows launch party in Scottsdale, Ariz.

(Banners in the Scottsdale mall promoting the Microsoft Store. [Photo: Paul Atkinson])