Technology News Gallery: August 29, 2011

Our weekly collection of images from IT stories around the world includes a look at Steve Jobs bidding farewell to Apple, the ill-fated HP TouchPad, Photobucket catching a smart phone thief and more …

Apple’s Steve Jobs bids adieu

Apple Inc. CEO Steve Jobs stepped down last week, giving no reason for his resignation from the company he co-founded in 1976. However, it is known that the 56-year-old has been battling cancer in recent years and even took an indefinite leave of absence last January to focus on his health. In a letter to Apple employees, Jobs wrote, “I believe Apple’s brightest and most innovative days are ahead of it.” Jobs will continue to play a role with Apple, having been elected chairman to the company’s board. Apple chief operating officer Tim Cook will assume the role of CEO.

HP TouchPad gets shelved

Hewlett-Packard Co.’s TouchPad met its demise last week when the Palo Alto, Calif.-based company announced it would kill off its WebOS platform and stop producing PCs, tablets and smart phones. The company has been fighting an uphill battle in a competitive tablet market where Apple’s iPad reigns supreme.

Caught red-handed by Photobucket

Photobucket, a mobile app that automatically uploads mobile pictures to a photo-sharing Web site, got a helping hand in solving a crime. That’s what smart phone thief Korey Heess, 26, found out much to his dismay. After snapping a self-portrait in a mirror using a stolen smart phone, the picture was automatically posted on Photobucket’s site where the device owner recognized him holding her phone.

Let the Tweet Hunt begin!

Already tired of Twitter in its basic form? Tweet Hunt for iPhone and iPad injects an element of entertainment to your social media experience. The novelty app is an old-fashioned aim-and-shoot-at-birds game where the user operates a slingshot by dragging a finger across the screen. The social media part is when a bird is dramatically shot down to the sound of an actual tweet from a real Twitter user.

Get a grip on your tablet

The joy of owning an iPad is not limited to the hardware and apps. There is also the variety of accessories that go along with it. This one, the iTab Grip, offers the usual protective tablet case but with a value add: a rotating hub with a ring grip attached to the back with which to hold the tablet in a position most comfortable for you.

Who said Lego was just a toy?

Microsoft Kinect’s sensor technology has many uses. It’s been applied to 3D printing on solids such as sculptural foam and chocolate. But for those Lego lovers out there, this one takes the cake. It’s a 3D printing machine built entirely—well, except for the carving drill—out of Lego by Arthur Sacek. The milling machine takes a computer rendering of an object and sets about carving a piece of floral foam.