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March 2003, Week 4

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John Burke <[log in to unmask]>
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Wed, 26 Mar 2003 07:57:54 -0800
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This, for your amusement, from Geek Trivia at TechRepublic.com,

HOME IS WHERE THE WOZ IS

Apple Computer cofounder and Silicon Valley pioneer Steve "Woz" Wozniak is
counted among the most influential--and perhaps eccentric--leaders of the PC
revolution. Woz's accomplishments range from his obvious contributions to
the Apple I, Apple II, Lisa, and Macintosh personal
computers to programming the fondly remembered and highly successful video
game, Breakout.

Of course, his early years weren't as accomplished, or above board. Wozniak
and Apple partner Steve Jobs first went into business together during their
time at the University of California at Berkeley by designing and selling
so-called "blue boxes," devices that let users make free long distance phone
calls.

It should come as no surprise, then, that Steve Wozniak contributed some of
the original funding for the Electronic Frontier Foundation (EFF), a
computer First Amendment advocacy group that has made headlines for
providing legal counsel to computer hackers.

Wozniak's charitable interests hardly end with the EFF. During the 1980s, he
underwrote the US music festivals in San Bernardino, CA; he also put in
extended duty as teacher and technology adviser with his local school
district. Still, perhaps nothing better demonstrates Woz's whimsical and
boisterous nature than the fact that he maintains two multimillion-dollar
mansions: the one he lives in and the one he keeps for parties.

Ironically, it's Woz's work, rather than play, that recently forced him to
switch residences. A common technological quirk prevents Wozniak from
undertaking his latest development efforts from his "lived-in" mansion.

WHAT COINCIDENCE FORCED STEVE WOZNIAK TO SWITCH MANSIONS?

Can't wait? Well, you don't have to.
We asked what coincidence forced Apple Computer pioneer Steve "Woz" Wozniak
to move out of his Silicon Valley mansion and into the spare
multimillion-dollar home he previously maintained for parties.

Wozniak's latest endeavor is a wireless electronics startup called Wheels of
Zeus (a play on his nickname), but his home sits in a GSM wireless coverage
black spot, forcing Wozniak to move into his other house a few miles away.

Woz used the ironically named Blackberry Hill residence to throw lavish
parties. During the Super Bowl, Wozniak was known to place a large-screen TV
in virtually every room. Otherwise, the Blackberry Hill mansion sat empty
for months at a time—a state of affairs that will change this spring. Woz is
having the GSM-friendly residence extensively rewired and refurbished to
serve as his full-time home.

Still, one wonders if Blackberry Hill could ever replace Wozniak's current
mansion, an eccentric fun house that some compare to the legendary
Winchester Mystery House. The home, designed to appeal to Wozniak's six
children (five of whom have since left home), includes a mock indoor castle,
replica volcano, LED-coated walls, and an artificial cave in the backyard.

Alas, Woz will have to make do with the Blackberry Hill house's elaborate
waterfall-enhanced, indoor-outdoor saltwater pool, fully stocked basement
video arcade, a three-car garage capable of accommodating his Hummers, and a
palatial view of the Valley. And, if he's bored, Woz could always throw
another party.

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