• Found iPhone Prototype sold for $5,000 USD
    75 replies, posted
[QUOTE] [IMG]http://images.macrumors.com/article/2010/04/19/210634-6a0120a6490f2b970c0120a6a9acf4970c-640wi_500.jpg[/IMG] Gizmodo describes the circumstances surrounding how the next generation iPhone was lost and even names the Apple employee that lost the device. Gray Powell an Apple Software Engineer is said to have left the pre-release iPhone at Gourmet Haus Staudt, a bar in Redwood City on March 18th. Gizmodo's source was said to be sitting next to Powell and picked up the prototype iPhone after it was left on his bar stool. The person who ended up with the iPhone asked around, but nobody claimed it. He thought about that young guy sitting next to him, so he and his friend stayed there for some time, waiting. Powell never came back. The lost iPhone reportedly booted up and "seemed like a normal iPhone". It wasn't until the following morning that it had been remote wiped by Apple. The Associated Press reveals that Gawker (Gizmodo's parent company) paid $5000 to obtain the device.[/QUOTE] Source: [url]http://www.macrumors.com/2010/04/19/circumstances-surrounding-lost-next-gen-iphone-detailed/[/url] from Gizmodo: [url]http://gizmodo.com/5520438/how-apple-lost-the-next-iphone[/url] [QUOTE]The Gourmet Haus Staudt. A nice place to enjoy good German ales. And if you are an Apple Software Engineer named Gray Powell and you get one too many beers, it's also a nice place to lose the next-generation iPhone. The 27-year-old Powell—a North Carolina State University 2006 graduate and talented amateur photographer—is an Apple Software Engineer working on the iPhone Baseband Software, the little program that enables the iPhone to make calls. On the night of March 18, he was enjoying the fine imported ales at Gourmet Haus Staudt, a nice German beer garden in Redwood City, California. He was happy. The place was great. The beer was excellent. "I underestimated how good German beer is," he typed into the next-generation iPhone he was testing on the field, cleverly disguised as an iPhone 3GS. It was his last Facebook update from the secret iPhone. It was the last time he ever saw the iPhone, right before he abandoned it on bar stool, leaving to go home. Knowing how ferocious and ruthless Apple is about product leaks, those beers may have turned out to be the bitterest of his life. (Almost) Impenetrable Security Until now, Apple's legendary security has always worked perfectly. Perhaps there was a blurry factory photo here, or some last-minute information strategically whispered to some friendly media there. But when it comes to the big stuff, everything is airtight. At their Cupertino campus, any gadget or computer that is worth protecting is behind armored doors, with security locks with codes that change every few minutes. Prototypes are bolted to desks. Hidden in these labs, hardware, software and industrial-design elves toil separately on the same devices, without really having the complete picture of the final product. And hidden in every corner, the Apple secret police, a team of people with a single mission: To make sure nobody speaks. And if there's a leak, hunt down the traitor, and escort him out of the building. Using lockdowns and other fear tactics, these men in black are the last line of defense against any sneaky eyes. The Gran Jefe Steve trusts them to avoid Apple's worst nightmare: The leak of a strategic product that could cost them millions of dollars in free marketing promotion. One that would make them lose control of the product news cycle. But the fact is that there's no perfect security. Not when humans are involved. Humans that can lose things. You know, like the next generation iPhone. Lost and Found Apple security's mighty walls fell on the midnight of Thursday, March 18. At that time, Powell was at Gourmet Haus Staudt, just 20 miles from the company's Infinite Loop headquarters, having his fun. Around him, other groups of people were sharing the jolly atmosphere, and plenty of the golden liquid. The person who eventually ended up with the lost iPhone was sitting next to Powell. He was drinking with a friend too. He noticed Powell on the stool next to him but didn't think twice about him at the time. Not until Powell had already left the bar, and a random really drunk guy—who'd been sitting on the other side of Powell—returned from the bathroom to his own stool. The Random Really Drunk Guy pointed at the iPhone sitting on the stool, the precious prototype left by the young Apple engineer. "Hey man, is that your iPhone?" asked Random Really Drunk Guy. "Hmmm, what?" replied the person who ended up with the iPhone. "No, no, it isn't mine." "Ooooh, I guess it's your friend's then," referring to a friend who at the time was in the bathroom. "Here, take it," said the Random Really Drunk Guy, handing it to him. "You don't want to lose it." After that, the Random Really Drunk Guy also left the bar. The person who ended up with the iPhone asked around, but nobody claimed it. He thought about that young guy sitting next to him, so he and his friend stayed there for some time, waiting. Powell never came back. During that time, he played with it. It seemed like a normal iPhone. "I thought it was just an iPhone 3GS," he told me in a telephone interview. "It just looked like one. I tried the camera, but it crashed three times." The iPhone didn't seem to have any special features, just two bar codes stuck on its back: 8800601pex1 and N90_DVT_GE4X_0493. Next to the volume keys there was another sticker: iPhone SWE-L200221. Apart from that, just six pages of applications. One of them was Facebook. And there, on the Facebook screen, was the Apple engineer, Gray Powell. Thinking about returning the phone the next day, he left. When he woke up after the hazy night, the phone was dead. Bricked remotely, through MobileMe, the service Apple provides to track and wipe out lost iPhones. It was only then that he realized that there was something strange that iPhone. The exterior didn't feel right and there was a camera on the front. After tinkering with it, he managed to open the fake 3GS. There it was, a shiny thing, completely different from everything that came before. He reached for a phone and called a lot of Apple numbers and tried to find someone who was at least willing to transfer his call to the right person, but no luck. No one took him seriously and all he got for his troubles was a ticket number. He thought that eventually the ticket would move up high enough and that he would receive a call back, but his phone never rang. What should he be expected to do then? Walk into an Apple store and give the shiny, new device to a 20-year-old who might just end up selling it on eBay? The Aftermath Weeks later, Gizmodo got it. It was the real thing. Once we saw it inside and out, there was no doubt about it. We learnt about this story, but we didn't know for sure it was Powell's phone until today, when we contacted him via his phone.[/QUOTE] trafficking of "stolen good"s (IMO), I smell a lawsuit.
Finders keepers, losers weepers
I can't see Apple winning this one, at least not against the people who found it. Maybe against Gawker.
[QUOTE=Makol;21457442]trafficking of "[b]stolen good[/b]"s, I smell a lawsuit. Source: [url]http://www.macrumors.com/2010/04/19/circumstances-surrounding-lost-next-gen-iphone-detailed/[/url][/QUOTE] [img]http://images2.wikia.nocookie.net/__cb20060706052210/oblivion/images/c/c4/ImperialWatch.jpg[/img] Did someone say STOLEN GOODS?????????
Nobody claimed it, it's not stolen. It's theirs.
Aww, he could have gotten a lot more for it. That's what happens when you take the first offer.
[QUOTE=scout1;21457511]Nobody claimed it, it's not stolen. It's theirs.[/QUOTE] true, but the guy wasn't there. when they found out it was a prototype it should have been returned to Apple.
Halt Lawbreaker! Edit: Wait, can the person be arrested for buying it?
More sauce: [url]http://gizmodo.com/5520155/gal-1//gallery/1[/url] [img]http://cache-04.gawkerassets.com/assets/images/4/2010/04/500x_iphone9.jpg[/img] [img]http://cache-02.gawkerassets.com/assets/images/4/2010/04/500x_iphone1.jpg[/img]
[QUOTE=Oratrix;21457575]Halt Lawbreaker! Edit: Wait, can the person be arrested for buying it?[/QUOTE] If it can be proven he knew it was not owned by the party which sold it, yes. And might I add, that is extremely difficult to prove.
[QUOTE=deadoon;21457634]If it can be proven he knew it was not owned by the party which sold it, yes. And might I add, that is extremely difficult to prove.[/QUOTE] they do know who owned it. well, know they do. idk if they did before.
[QUOTE=Cheesedragon;21457487][img]http://images2.wikia.nocookie.net/__cb20060706052210/oblivion/images/c/c4/ImperialWatch.jpg[/img] Did someone say STOLEN GOODS?????????[/QUOTE] *resist arrest
broke my auto-merge
[QUOTE=Makol;21457683]they do know who owned it. [B]well, know they do. idk if they did before.[/B][/QUOTE] This is why it is so difficult to prove.
[QUOTE=deadoon;21457710]This is why it is so difficult to prove.[/QUOTE] oh they did know! look at Gizmodo's article. just noticed it.
The guy that lost the phone is dead in the next week I'm betting.
The software engineer is still alive at this moment. I will be scouting for updates though.
Fuck Apple, if they pull any shit against Gizmodo, I will fucking lose it.
Remote Wipe? Does that give anyone else eerie feelings?
Nobody questions the freedom that the user has considering how Apple can remote wipe your phone?
[QUOTE=CPPNOOB;21460173]Nobody questions the freedom that the user has considering how Apple can remote wipe your phone?[/QUOTE] Or maybe the prototype phones given to employees have special software installed.
[QUOTE=CPPNOOB;21460173]Nobody questions the freedom that the user has considering how Apple can remote wipe your phone?[/QUOTE] It is a remote kill switch, you know sort of like windows 7 betas and several other non consumer software distributions? Heck valve may have them on their in house tests. You know, to prevent another Russian beta or e3 leek.
[QUOTE=nVidia;21457605]More sauce: [url]http://gizmodo.com/5520155/gal-1//gallery/1[/url] [img]http://cache-04.gawkerassets.com/assets/images/4/2010/04/500x_iphone9.jpg[/img] [img]http://cache-02.gawkerassets.com/assets/images/4/2010/04/500x_iphone1.jpg[/img][/QUOTE] So is this the iPhone 4g with the camera on the front I've been hearing ppl bitch about recently?
Isn't it illegal to sell someone's stuff that you stole anyway?
[QUOTE=Gummylamb;21460501]Isn't it illegal to sell someone's stuff that you stole anyway?[/QUOTE] He didn't steal it if you completely read it, it was handed off while drunk, disabled after a bit of tinkering and then weeks later sold to gizmondo after it was bricked remotely.
[QUOTE=Sheepy!;21460160]Remote Wipe? Does that give anyone else eerie feelings?[/QUOTE] all iPhones are able to be wiped by Apple if they're lost or stolen. [editline]09:52PM[/editline] [QUOTE=deadoon;21460518]He didn't steal it if you completely read it, it was handed off while drunk, disabled after a bit of tinkering and then weeks later sold to gizmondo after it was bricked remotely.[/QUOTE] but the thing is, it should have never left the bar. go to MacRumors, they figured out the whole lawsuit thing.
This seems like it could possibly be a (really really good) publicity stunt by Apple. "Oh goodness me I hope I don't leave my new prototype phone at the pub for some techie to find and post about on Gizmodo" :smug:
I feel sorry for the engineer who left the phone there. Apple probably put him through hell.
I'll buy this if it's equipped with an OLED screen.
In yo face Mr Jobs......
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