Written by PETA
The late Steve Jobs may have been known for his signature black turtleneck, but it is for his green diet that he probably will be most fondly remembered by people who care about animals. The Apple cofounder, who died yesterday, was a vegetarian and a longtime health advocate who reportedly once handed out containers of carrot juice at Halloween.
We remember Jobs for so many innovative ideas, including Apple's iPhoto facial recognition software, which recognizes the faces of cats in addition to those of humans, reflecting the importance of companion animals in our homes and hearts. PETA also recently recognized Jobs for what he didn't do: He refused to sell a gruesome app on Apple's app store called iSealClub—which involved, as the name suggests, bashing cartoon seals over the head with clubs.
Let's also not forget that Jobs' Pixar film studio created heartwarming and thought-provoking movies about unlikely animal heroes, such as A Bug's Life and Finding Nemo, and he ended Disney's 10-year agreement with McDonald's to promote its films with movie-themed toys in Happy Meals after the entertainment giant merged with Pixar. As the vegetarian sharks in Finding Nemo said, "Fish are friends, not food." Finding Nemo's fish-friendly theme earned Pixar an award from PETA, as did Jobs' other accomplishments that helped change animals' lives for the better. And if his movies or his lifestyle inspired even one person to become a vegetarian, he no doubt saved hundreds of animals' lives, and for that we thank him.
We invite you to post a message on the True Friends Memorial we have created to honor Steve Jobs.
We've never understood why any child needs to poke around inside an amphibian, but holy "Jumping Frogs of Calaveras County": iTunes now offers a virtual frog dissection iPad app! In honor of this sophisticated and humane alternative to dissection, PETA is presenting its creator, Emantras Interactive Technologies, with a Mark Twain Ethical Science Award.
Every year, millions of frogs, cats, pigs, and other animals suffer and are killed for dissection even though modern non-animal teaching methods such as interactive computer programs are educationally superior, more economical, and safer (do you really want your kid handling formaldehyde?). Now, thanks to Emantras' new app—which can be downloaded on iTunes for $4.99—students who are lucky enough to own iPads can use touch-enabled virtual dissection tools to explore and manipulate a frog's organs in 3D.
PETA's Mark Twain Ethical Science Award recognizes its namesake's staunch opposition to the abuse of animals in experiments. Hailed as America's first animal advocate, Twain said of animal experimentation, "The pains which it inflicts upon unconsenting animals is the basis of my enmity towards it, and it is to me sufficient justification of the enmity without looking further."
Teaching students anatomy without harming animals? We think Mark Twain would approve. And thanks to the award, media outlets are abuzz about this new leap toward keeping classrooms cruelty-free. So how about channeling your inner Twain and taking action to cut out dissection? While you're doing that, I'm going to light up my corn-cob pipe and while away the afternoon dreaming about how much iWant an iPad.
Written by Amy Skylark Elizabeth
Sure, Apple banned our Be Nice to Bunnies app after catching a glimpse of sexy Stephanie Pratt in the buff, but PETA doesn't hold it against Steve Jobs. In fact, we think that Jobs and the rest of the Apple crew are pretty great after learning that the App Store said "no way" to an app called iSealClub—a game in which users wield a metal-tipped club and earn points by bashing seals to death.
We'll stand side-by-side with Apple in declaring that it's "objectionable" to make light of the bloody slaughter of tens of thousands of baby seals in Canada, and we're sending Apple CEO Steve Jobs a thank-you note along with some yummy vegan chocolate seals as a token of our appreciation.
People all over the world—including President Obama, Russian Prime Minister Vladimir Putin, the entire European Union (EU), and so many others—have condemned the seal hunt, and the market for dead animals' skins has tanked. It sounds like Canadian seal killers would be better off playing iPhone games than spending their time bludgeoning baby animals. In fact, I can direct them to a list of apps that could teach them a thing or two about compassion.
Written by Jennifer O'Connor
Many of us have trouble envisioning a world without iPods, iPhones, and other iAwesome ways to connect with each other and listen to tunes, but Apple has really outdone itself this time. The new iPhoto face-recognition software that comes in the new iLife package for Mac computers is designed to make tagging photos in your library much quicker. You tell it who a person is, and it automatically goes and finds other pictures of that person and tags them with his or her name. Pretty incredible as is, right? But here's the coolest part—it also works for cats!
Now, you and I know that every cat is a unique and special individual, but who knew that the folks at Apple were cat people, too? We're so pleased at Apple's acknowledgment that cats are members of the family that we're sending Apple a certificate of recognition today.
You can show your love for Apple, too, by posting a comment below.
Written by Christine Doré
If you have a general question for PETA and would like a response, please e-mail Info@peta.org. If you need to report cruelty to an animal, please click here. If you are reporting an animal in imminent danger and know where to find the animal and if the abuse is taking place right now, please call your local police department. If the police are unresponsive, please call PETA immediately at 757-622-7382 and press 2.
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