“Steve Jobs took center stage at an Apple Inc. product event on Wednesday, marking the first public appearance by the chief executive since returning from medical leave after receiving a liver transplant earlier this year,” Jessica Hodgson reports for The Wall Street Journal.

“Mr. Jobs, who appeared thin and spoke with a scratchy voice, was greeted with loud applause by the crowd,” Hodgson reports. “He told the audience he had received the liver of a young victim of a car accident, and urged the crowd to become organ donors. ‘I wouldn’t be here without such generosity,’ Mr. Jobs said.”

Hodgson reports, “He also thanked the senior Apple executive team for running the company ‘very ably during a very difficult time.’”

Apple CEO Steve Jobs returns to the stage:

Direct link to video here.

Full article here.

MacDailyNews Take: Maybe his voice was scratchy from screaming all night at those responsible for him not having new iPod touches with built-in video cameras to unveil today?

We await the throat cancer articles with bated breath. Get to work Connie, you vulture. Since all he needs is a photo, you ought to call up Roger Kay for his diagnosis; video and audio should be an embarrassment of riches for him.