Apple staff celebrate life of Steve Jobs

Technology giant Apple’s famous penchant for secrecy remained intact yesterday as the company’s shops were closed and employees were tight-lipped about a private memorial service to celebrate the life of company co-founder Steve Jobs.

The service, announced to Apple employees in an e-mail by CEO Tim Cook, took place at company headquarters in Cupertino, California. It was also being webcast to employees worldwide.

Apple planned to keep its shops closed for several hours so employees could watch the service. At shops across northern California, white curtains were draped across the windows to block the view from outside. Near the Apple campus before services started at 10am local time, police directed traffic and employees streamed towards the company’s outdoor amphitheatre.

Media handlers kept reporters from getting too close to the scene and tried to prevent them from speaking with staff.

Music drifted across the campus from the service, and employees leaving the area said Coldplay and singer Norah Jones had performed live.

Jobs died on 5 October, aged 56, after a battle with pancreatic cancer.