Patented Jobs

Ol' Steve Jobs he dead and gone
Left his work to carry on.
                                     -- late 21st Century folk/blues song

Of course, there is no folk song celebrating Steve Jobs. Yet. But, like steel-driving John Henry and hard-riding Paul Revere, Jobs status as computer and consumer electronics designer and head of Apple has soared to the mythological state of our folk heroes of yore.

The S. Dillon Ripley Center at the Smithsonian is hosting an exhibit focusing on Jobs and his patents for Apple favorites such as the Mac, iPod, iPhone, and iPad.

Interestingly, the larger-than-life photos of Jobs and replicas of dozens of his patents are displayed as if they are images on a giant Apple iPhone. The patents range from 1983 to 2011.

Also on display are several Apple products including a 1984 Macintosh computer and a 2003 iPod.

Jobs' enthusiasts claim that it was his ability to offer quality products which incorporated beautiful design which made him such a cult favorite. In his own words on display, Jobs in 2011once said: "It's technology married with the humanity that yields that which makes our heart sings."

Tales, Tidbits, and Tips
The Jobs' patent exhibit here runs until July 8. You can read more about Jobs by checking out the Nov. 29, 2011 The Prices Do DC post about Jobs biographer Walter Isaacson's talk at Politics and Prose. If you live in or are visiting the DC area later this summer, you can take in Mike Daisey's one-man play The Agony and the Ecstasy of Steve Jobs which will be performed at the Wooly Mammoth Theater from July 17 to August 15.