Even as technology has played a significant role in bringing people closer to each other, for Apple co-founder Steve Wozniak, it is bothersome that the same technology is taking away citizens' privacy.
“Technology is taking away our privacy. Everything I do is accumulated by Google, Amazon, etc, and that's bothersome. But Apple doesn't do that,” Wozniak, also nicknamed ‘The Woz,’ said at a global event on Saturday, 24 February.
Wozniak also spoke about what prompted him to co-found Apple with Steve Jobs and how the Silicon Valley grew over the years.
“One thing I've found in my life is that it doesn't matter what you know as long as you want to do things,” he said, adding, “If you want to start a company, you should not just have an idea on a piece of paper. You should have a working model, a business plan.”
He told the gathering that he got a job with HP to design their product without an engineering degree. They interviewed and hired him on the spot.
He also highlighted that education in India is merely seen as an academic education, where “they only want to brush through book theories, earn a fat paycheck and buy themselves a Mercedes.”
“Growing up, there were no books describing what a computer was. I didn't think there were jobs in computers, I just wanted to know how to make these things," The Woz said.
“I knew Steve Jobs for five years before Apple. He didn't know anything about the insides of a computer, he wasn't an engineer but he knew how to look at products. Steve wanted to live a zero money life, he was more of a true hippie," he added.
According to The Woz, Jobs was good in learning everything about the company and he was good in engineering. The innovator also heaped praise on Jobs and Elon Musk, saying that both the innovators were very good salesmen.
"Favourite entrepreneur? Hmmmm... Elon Musk. He has the vision; he has a large family and he had to build a large car. Tesla. Supercharger stations is a great idea," he said.
On future of jobs, Wozniak said that there would be social displacement but the next generation would have a different type of jobs.
Other than remembering his days with Jobs at Apple and praising Musk, the Apple co-founder was highly critical of the US President, Donald Trump, stating that he “cannot stand” him.
"I can never stand Donald Trump. The way he treats people is very negative. I may like his policies, but from now on, I will make sure I never attend any event where members of his family are present.”
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