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Apple Loses Another 4th-Gen iPhone

Posted by CmdrTaco on from the ok-now-its-funny dept.

An anonymous reader noted that Apple appears to have lost another of its 4th generation iPhones. This doesn't seem like the most efficient distribution mechanism, Steve. Wonder if the SWAT team will get called in.

76 of 466 comments (clear)

  1. Part deux by Dan+East · · Score: 3, Informative

    Looks exactly like the phone Gizmodo got their hands on, except this one has a SIM slot on the right. I tend to believe these are the real deal.

    --
    Better known as 318230.
    1. Re:Part deux by elrous0 · · Score: 4, Funny

      Not funny. Do you realize how long my father carried a watch up his ass when *he* was in Vietnam?

      --
      SJW: Someone who has run out of real oppression, and has to fake it.
    2. Re:Part deux by Bombcar · · Score: 4, Funny

      Andre... you've lost another submarine?

      --
      Fellowship 9/11
    3. Re:Part deux by kiwimate · · Score: 4, Insightful

      even assuming foul play, pickpocketing != robbery.

      robbery implies threats of violence.

      So if someone breaks into your house while you're away on vacation, you can't say that you've been robbed?!?!?!?

      This is one of those areas where /. readers love to pontificate on the precise meaning of words and totally lose sight of what the intent might be.

      So, if someone breaks into your house, they can:

      * take pictures of every page of your diary;
      * write down your social security number and any passwords they might find;
      * take a copy of your spare set of car keys;
      * format your hard drive;
      * ...after they've copied all the files, including your final draft of the book you're writing for O'Reilly.

      But in the world of /., nothing tangible has been taken from you, so it's not theft or stealing. (It's not even copyright infringement, in the cases posited above.) Neat, huh?

    4. Re:Part deux by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 4, Insightful

      yes, and the word you're searching for is trespassing

      don't let your shallow language knowledge hinder you on your way to dig.

    5. Re:Part deux by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 4, Insightful

      ally lose sight of what the intent might be.

      So, if someone breaks into your house, they can:

      * take pictures of every page of your diary;
      * write down your social security number and any passwords they might find;
      * take a copy of your spare set of car keys;
      * format your hard drive;
      * ...after they've copied all the files, including your final draft of the book you're writing for O'Reilly.

      But in the world of /., nothing tangible has been taken from you, so it's not theft or stealing. (It's not even copyright infringement, in the cases posited above.) Neat, huh?

      Yeah, and if I see someone fail to stop on the red lights, I can't call it hit-and-run! And have you even tried to call jaywalking embezzlement? People behave as if words had some kind of agreed-upon meanings!

    6. Re:Part deux by toooskies · · Score: 5, Insightful

      It's breaking and entering, identity theft, and unauthorized access to a computer. Those crimes probably involve a longer amount of jail time, combined, than simple robbery.

    7. Re:Part deux by Altus · · Score: 4, Funny

      Ive always preferred 'burgled'

      --

      "In America, first you get the sugar, then you get the power, then you get the women..." -H. Simpson

    8. Re:Part deux by lymond01 · · Score: 3, Informative

      Summary of differences between Burglary, Robbery, Theft, Larceny...

      To summarize:

      Robbery: Stealing something from a person with the threat or application of force
      Burglary: breaking into a structure with the intent of committing a crime
      Larceny: like burglary, only you didn't break in, you walked in. "Along with motor vehicle theft, larcenies can include purse snatching, shoplifting, theft of any bicycle, fraud, embezzlement, identity theft, forgery, con games, etc"

      So...in the attempt of burglarizing someone's house while they sleep, you might wake them up and force them to tell you where the safe is. You're now a burglar and a robber. I suppose "robbing" a bank with a gun while it's open, while certainly robbery, may also be considered larceny since banks are public buildings.

    9. Re:Part deux by toadlife · · Score: 2, Insightful

      I tend to beleive these are some cheap knockoffs made in Asia.

      Them being knock offs would mean that Apple filed a false police report.

      --
      I don't always use unix-like operating systems; but when I do, I prefer FreeBSD.
  2. Wow. by somersault · · Score: 2, Interesting

    After all the fuss with the last one.. you'd really have to be a complete and utter moron to do this. Did Gray ever get fired for loss of the first phone?

    --
    which is totally what she said
    1. Re:Wow. by elrous0 · · Score: 5, Funny

      No communication is allowed in or out at Apple's re-affirmation camp.

      --
      SJW: Someone who has run out of real oppression, and has to fake it.
    2. Re:Wow. by natehoy · · Score: 3, Funny

      No, he's been relocated to Cancun in punishment for instigating such a successful publicity campaign.

      --
      "This post contains words, known to the State of California to cause thought. Wash brain thoroughly after reading."
    3. Re:Wow. by virgilp · · Score: 2, Funny

      I think I read somewhere that Apple decided that they won't fire him, instead as a punishment he would be relocated to Apple's office in Vietnam.

    4. Re:Wow. by Dog-Cow · · Score: 4, Funny

      Of course not. He lost his phone.

    5. Re:Wow. by HermMunster · · Score: 2, Insightful

      This is going to be an unpopular question, but is Steve a Scientologist, heh?

      --
      You can lead a man with reason but you can't make him think.
  3. Just a thought by sheph · · Score: 4, Insightful

    Couldn't be intentional to drum up interest?

    --
    I don't believe in karma, I just call it like I see it.
    1. Re:Just a thought by Pojut · · Score: 4, Interesting

      I think at this point, it would have to be...years of successfully controlling leaks, and then a prototype for the same product line gets leaked TWICE within weeks of each other? Yeah...I could believe the first one to be an honest mistake, but there is no way this one wasn't planned. /tinfoil hat

      --
      Living With a Nerd
    2. Re:Just a thought by sctprog · · Score: 2, Insightful

      You could be right.. but that doesn't really seem to be Apple's way..

      More likely there's an employee in the right place wanting to make a little extra cash.. at least til

    3. Re:Just a thought by crossmr · · Score: 4, Funny

      speaking of which, what is this i-phone thing anyway?

    4. Re:Just a thought by Aeros · · Score: 5, Funny

      Isnt this just Apples new way of selling iphones for $4000-$5000 a pop?

    5. Re:Just a thought by natehoy · · Score: 5, Insightful

      The early prototype for what eventually became the Palm Pre, Blackberry Bold, and Nokia Symbian phones.

      Some people still buy them out of nostalgia for the good old days when you weren't bothered with having to tether, were protected from the confusion of too much choice in applications, didn't have to deal with the hassle of replacing batteries, could concentrate on doing only one thing at a time and your phone supported this by not multitasking, and when "(whatever memory is installed in the phone) is enough for everybody".

      Ah, memories.

      --
      "This post contains words, known to the State of California to cause thought. Wash brain thoroughly after reading."
    6. Re:Just a thought by Dracker · · Score: 4, Insightful

      Probably not, for two good reasons.

      -Apple has taken legal action against the journalist at Gizmodo reporting on the previous prototype. This would not have happened if the leak was intentional.

      -Apple is not stupid. They know about the Osborne Effect - that releasing too much hype and information on new products causes immediate losses as people who would have bought the current product sit and wait for the new product's release instead.

    7. Re:Just a thought by mapkinase · · Score: 2, Funny

      This reminds me of a Russian joke:

      - Your honor, the victim accidentally tripped and fell on my knife seven times.

      --
      I do not believe in karma. "Funny"=-6. Do good and forbid evil. Yours, Oft-Offtopic Flamebaiting Troll.
    8. Re:Just a thought by cowscows · · Score: 5, Insightful

      Or maybe with Apple currently being more successful that it's ever been, and the iphone being a hugely popular device right now, the temptation to learn or share privileged information is just well beyond anything that Apple has seen before?

      Apple would have zero problems getting more "legitimate" news coverage if they wanted it. They're always so careful with the aesthetics of their marketing, why would they want to leak grainy photos and poorly lit videos by random people when they could easily get crisp clean front page covers of a dozen different magazines/website? I guess they could be trying some sort of "underground" marketing strategy, but that doesn't make sense for a company where image is very important.

      --

      One time I threw a brick at a duck.

    9. Re:Just a thought by Bing+Tsher+E · · Score: 2, Insightful

      Apple would have zero problems getting more "legitimate" news coverage if they wanted it.

      It's pretty well established that they've saturated the 'legitimate' news coverage recently. We all groan now at yet-another-Apple-stunt. How far will they reach? Only their marketing staff knows for certain.

    10. Re:Just a thought by DrgnDancer · · Score: 3, Insightful

      you weren't bothered with having to tether

      iPhones can be tethered without Jail Breaking now. Have been able to for some time.

      were protected from the confusion of too much choice in applications

      Yeah, because the 50,000 or so on the App Store last I checked is a terribly small number and indicates a horrible lack of choice ::Eyeroll::

      didn't have to deal with the hassle of replacing batteries

      I'd grant you that this is a valid point, except it's never been a problem for me. The device lasts all day with heavy use. At the end of the day I can charge it. Under some unusual circumstances I guess I can see this one, but day to day it's hardly a major issue.

      could concentrate on doing only one thing at a time and your phone supported this by not multitasking

      The operating systems multitasks. It just doesn't run multiple custom apps at one. Given it's CPU and RAM footprint, and the size of the screen, not to mention the excellent message passing libraries, this isn't much of a hardship.

      and when "(whatever memory is installed in the phone) is enough for everybody".

      Again a valid point, but not one that really seems to affect me. I've never needed it to have more than 8GB of storage, and the new ones have twice that (or 4 times that if you pay for it).

      All the legitimate problems with the iPhone (tied to AT&T, crappy networks in numerous major cities, underpowered (until the 3GS) for it's OS, crappy camera, etc) and you just gotta spout the same (often incorrect, rarely serious) spurious, stupid complaints.

      --
      I don't need a million points of light, just two points of multi-mode fiber and a 10 Gig-E router.
    11. Re:Just a thought by gotpoetry · · Score: 5, Insightful

      You make valid counter points, but people often adjust thier behavior to the capibilities of a device.

      "Doesn't have multitasking" - I won't listen to Pandora while I read email.

      "No replaceable battery" - I won't use it on the plane to watch that movie, that way I can make sure to call a cab when I land.

      "It can be tethered now" - I have AT&T and they don't allow tethering, but the AT&T 3G network is so crappy I won't even bother.

    12. Re:Just a thought by toooskies · · Score: 2, Insightful

      I think they're related, just not in the way you think they are. A person reads the first story of the lost phone, and realizes that pre-release iPhones are worth a ton of money. Say this person works on the iPhone assembly line for pennies a day. All of a sudden, they figure out they can pocket one little device they work on all day and sell it to any old web site they want and make $4000-- enough money to be worth going to jail for theft over, if that's more than your annual income. Especially if they can argue to pay back the actual cost of the item, roughly $300 worth of parts.

    13. Re:Just a thought by Lumpy · · Score: 4, Interesting

      "Doesn't have multitasking" - I won't listen to Pandora while I read email.

      Sorry but most smartphones did not do this either. A very VERY small number of people want this. and many that did have it on a WM5 phone hated it as the phone would crawl because of having apps in the background running consuming processing power. My older Nokia smartphones also suffered from multitasking apps. nothing like getting the battery sucked dry and the phone taking 12 seconds to answer a call because of some damn app in the background using up the system resources.

      "No replaceable battery" - I won't use it on the plane to watch that movie, that way I can make sure to call a cab when I land.

      I have never met a person that carries around spare phone batteries. Plus anyone that even had a Palm Treo had the same problem. not easy to replace battery on smartphones has been a theme. Ever try to replace the battery in a Blackjack? the battery door self-welded shut every time you put it back on.

      "It can be tethered now" - I have AT&T and they don't allow tethering, but the AT&T 3G network is so crappy I won't even bother.

      It always was able to tether if you got away from a sociopath carrier. Unlock it to go to t-mobile and you can add a tethering app or more recently use the built in function.

      I have been a smartphone user for over a decade. I have used them all. and I currently have an iPhone because the apps that work with my workflow are on it, I don't have to reboot it weekly, and being a phone is first priority to it. I have never had a call I could not answer because the damned phone was busy... Unlike Windows Mobile phones. or have a phone freak on certain callers... like my Nokia E62 did.

      there are some "neat-o" things I would like to do. Like have the phone report my GPS location every 15 seconds to my server at home. It would be cool to have the house see that I am on my way home and turn the heater on the hot-tub on when I am within a 15 minute distance, or make other decisions when it senses I am on a return path. but I can live without that, or simply grab the phone, fire up the crestron app and press the button myself.

      I also still have not found a single Apple-hater that does not change their mind when I actually show them what I do with my phone that they CANT do with theirs. (lack of "app for that"(tm)(r) on their platform mostly)

      Recently the biggest was sitting at a bar, talking to a client, filling out and sending them an invoice and then processing a credit card payment over the phone right there after they got the invoice. A colleague freaked and instead of doing his typical, frothing at the mouth apple-hate, started asking serious questions about it more.

      --
      Do not look at laser with remaining good eye.
    14. Re:Just a thought by MobileTatsu-NJG · · Score: 3, Insightful

      You make valid counter points, but people often adjust thier behavior to the capibilities of a device.

      True. But they also sometimes find that reality doesn't live up to theory. I thought copy/paste would be a huge hindrance. I've had it for a while now and used it like... twice. Flash? Thought I wanted it yet don't miss it. There's adjustment and then there's it just not being the bfd that everybody thought it would be. I would think Linux users who are happily away from Windows would understand this.

      --

      "I like to lick butts!" by MobileTatsu-NJG (#32700246) (Score:5, Informative)

    15. Re:Just a thought by gotpoetry · · Score: 2, Insightful

      No one is hating on Apple. At least I am not. I own a Nexus One, but I appreciate the iPhone for what it is. I just like the implementation of Android better. I've had a Smartphone since my 2002 Windows XDA, talk about a limited piece of crap...

      Most people who own one, love their iPhones. All but two people I know who have them are very happy and those two mostly complain about things that are the fault of AT&T - dropped calls, poor 3G at times, not being able to tether, some MMS thing. Some of these things could be resolved by now, who knows.

      My point is that, for most people, if your device does not have a feature, or does not perform a feature well, then most people work around it. They do not dwell on it. They even sometimes convince themselves that that feature is pointless.

      They end up listening to the iPhone media player mostly because they do not like Pandora shutting down when you switch to another app.

      They don't take their netbook on the trip to the campground because they can't tether it to their phone. They also are scared shitless of jail-breaking their super cool iPhone, so that is totally out for them.

      They think things like Android's Locale isn't that great, because a process that runs in the background changing your settings such as ringer, wallpaper background and Wi-Fi depending on where you are physically located will drain your battery. "Oh, that will crash the phone and drain the battery, so what." They dismiss it.

      It is human nature. It is just a way that people justify to themselves why they are perfectly happy with what they have.

      For proof, reread your comment. You are doing the exact thing I am talking about.

  4. LOL WUT!? by the_one_wesp · · Score: 2, Funny

    Why would anyone, after the last guys house having been searched and property seized, post more pictures of them having taken apart a, from Apple's perspective, STOLEN iPhone?

    1. Re:LOL WUT!? by zarzu · · Score: 5, Insightful

      because steve will have a hard time convincing obama to go to round two with vietnam?

  5. punctuation by Threni · · Score: 5, Funny

    > This doesn't seem like the most efficient distribution mechanism Steve

    I always had my doubts about the efficiency of Steve as a distribution mechanism.

  6. Lost? You keep using that word. by Rogerborg · · Score: 4, Funny

    I do not think it means what you think it means.

    Apple hardware is being found, in the same way you can find a wallet, if the owner doesn't notice your hand in their pocket.

    --
    If you were blocking sigs, you wouldn't have to read this.
    1. Re:Lost? You keep using that word. by kannibal_klown · · Score: 4, Interesting

      It's hard to do considering these phone are pseudo camouflaged, from my understanding at first glance it looks like an ordinary iPhone.

      It would be like "Finding" a wallet in someone's pocket with something specific inside (like a 2-dollar bill or a Discover credit card). Sure if you check enough wallets I'm sure you'll find them but it would be noticed fairly quickly.

      I imagine the big options are:

      - Intentional leaks by Apple. The most likely in me eyes since it's now twice.

      - *Very* careless employees, perhaps bragging that they have the new 4g (perhaps while intoxicated). Then leaving them behind, or not noticing that the phone disappeared 2 minutes after they bragged about it.

      - An inside job, or some otherwise corporate espionage thing. I don't see what they would gain here other than seeing what Apple's internals look like a few weeks early, which wouldn't help them rush a product to market ahead of Apple.

      - Some other sort of coordinated effort with geeks trying to find out which Apple employee might have the phone. Find out where the phones are developed, determine which employees work in fields with access to the iPhones, chat up those 1-2 dozen employees until you find one with the phone.

    2. Re:Lost? You keep using that word. by dintech · · Score: 5, Funny

      ZOMG! There's no way I would buy this phone considering how easy it is to lose. They really need to work on that. /joke

    3. Re:Lost? You keep using that word. by C0vardeAn0nim0 · · Score: 2, Insightful

      - An inside job, or some otherwise corporate espionage thing. I don't see what they would gain here other than seeing what Apple's internals look like a few weeks early, which wouldn't help them rush a product to market ahead of Apple.

      if it was corporate espionage, it'd be locked in a lab somewhere, being dissected by an electron microscope, not on a vietnamese blog.

      --
      What ? Me, worry ?
    4. Re:Lost? You keep using that word. by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 2, Insightful

      if it was corporate espionage, it'd be locked in a lab somewhere, being dissected by an electron microscope, not on a vietnamese blog.

      Get real. Almost all of Apple's product are using standard off the shelf components. How do you think strip down site are able to list costs to build so quickly?

    5. Re:Lost? You keep using that word. by jeff4747 · · Score: 2, Interesting

      You are assuming that both events arise from the same source.

      What it appears to me is:
      1) First leak - careless, drunk employee. The timing on that incident is all wrong for a marketing campaign. Too far from the release date, too close to other releases and kills their current iPhone sales for way too long.

      2) Second leak - employee who thought he or she could make a quick $4k, but will now be in deep trouble because the guy who bought it didn't keep his mouth shut.

      Could it be intentional? Probably not. The way they're doing it is way to ham-fisted for an intentional leak.

    6. Re:Lost? You keep using that word. by tlhIngan · · Score: 2, Insightful

      - An inside job, or some otherwise corporate espionage thing. I don't see what they would gain here other than seeing what Apple's internals look like a few weeks early, which wouldn't help them rush a product to market ahead of Apple.

      I would think that corporate espionage people would not rely on random websites on opening and distributing pictures about the internals

      Not corporate espionage by competitors, but by journalists.

      Face it - Gizmodo pretty much scooped up a pile of money off their iPhone 4G reveal - 2 million+ hits on that article alone, plus all the milking (Giz ran daily "iPhone 4G Saga" summary articles for a few weeks afterwards to milk more hits). It happened with ThinkSecret paying people to violate their NDAs on purpose to get the scoop on rumors. It happened with Gizmodo getting a whole pile of hits from everywhere and coverage in other media outlets.

      Exclusives sell. Giz had an excluslve peek at the new iPhone, and you can be sure they made off like bandits because of it. The site making a pile off advertising, and practically the big guys at Giz getting far more name recognition.

      Competitors to Apple like Nokia, RIM, HTC, etc. Not a chance to scoop Apple by seeing what's going to be released in a few months. But corporate espionage to scoop advertising bucks and site hits for money, that's gold.

      The whole SWAT thing is different - journalist shield laws do not cover illegal (or potentially illegal) actions done by journalists - i.e., you can't use them as a get-out-of-jail-free card. They only protect a journalist who is keeping their source anonymous for whatever reason, not keeping the journalist from getting away with anything from a speeding ticket to murder.

    7. Re:Lost? You keep using that word. by geekoid · · Score: 3, Informative

      Let see.
      Person find phone on bar. the owner no where around.
      Trie to contact the owner. No luck
      Calls Apple, Apple insists it isn't theirs.
      Sells it to Gizmnodo.
      Gizmodo contacts Apple, Apple says it isn't theirs.
      Gizmodo takes it apart.
      Apple now says it is theirs.
      Gizmodo gives it to them
      Gizmodo gets raided by the police.

      Yeah, it's like finding a wallet, trying to find it's owner then when people say ti isn't there you decided to keep the money. Then you get thrown in jail.

      The only people at fault for anything is Apple.

      --
      The Kruger Dunning explains most post on /. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dunning%E2%80%93Kruger_effect
    8. Re:Lost? You keep using that word. by Duradin · · Score: 2, Insightful

      Yeah, 'cause all corporations have perfect and instant total information awareness throughout all levels of employees and branches of their offices so it's totally like dealing directly with a person who lost a wallet (assuming you are asking the right person in the first place).

    9. Re:Lost? You keep using that word. by Rakishi · · Score: 2, Informative

      Except the ipad cpu which was manufactured by apple and is claimed to also be in the new iphone.

    10. Re:Lost? You keep using that word. by SoupIsGoodFood_42 · · Score: 2, Insightful

      Lets be realistic here. If you're smart enough to know that you're looking at a prototype iPhone, you're smart enough to know that ringing Apple's consumer phone line is not going to get you anywhere and that you should at least call the bar. Of course, you may also be smart enough to only call Apple anyway, so that it looks as if you tried to return the phone, even if you never intended to.

  7. Re:They need to stop arresting the FINDERS by Darth+Sdlavrot · · Score: 5, Insightful

    What ever happened to finders keepers??

    If Apple is gonna keep losing their 4G iPhones, I seriously think law enforcement needs to stop helping them. Apple is careless and that's the price they pay.

    Kindergarden playground rules don't apply in the Real World. IANAL, but I do know that from a legal standpoint I can "store" my property anywhere I want and it doesn't cease being mine just because you can pick it up and carry it off.

    Oh look, I found your Porsche parked on the street. I'll just take it home with me. Finders keepers. I don't think so.

  8. lessons from the past by kylant · · Score: 4, Insightful
    The iPhone-liberators have certainly learnt from the past:
    Instead of exposing themselves to corporate controlled police action again they decided to export the phone to a free country before publishing their victory.

    Wait, there is something seriously wrong about this...

  9. Re:Uh by netsavior · · Score: 2, Insightful

    Asshat racism of the parent aside, with a CNC machine and an existing iPhone, you could make a fake pretty easily.

  10. First time... by Theoboley · · Score: 2, Funny

    shame on Gray .... Second time, Shame on Apple...

    --
    Stupidity only gets you so far, then you've gotta try
  11. Isn't there an app for that situation? by Errol+backfiring · · Score: 2, Funny

    Like one that yells "Hey, don't leave me!" every two minutes.

    --
    Nae king! Nae laird! Nae yurrupiean pressedent! We willna be fooled again!
  12. Great by elrous0 · · Score: 5, Funny

    Well, looks like our boys are going back to Vietnam.

    --
    SJW: Someone who has run out of real oppression, and has to fake it.
    1. Re:Great by dintech · · Score: 3, Funny

      ...and if you want to invade there's an app for that.

  13. Not wow. Marketing. by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 3, Insightful

    Easy and cheap - "look, we got to the front page of /. again, practically for free".

  14. Please stop the apple spam by noonc · · Score: 3, Insightful

    I personally can't stand it anymore, I wish people would just stop reporting such thing when it's obviously going to benefit their guerilla marketing strategy. Then again, do whatever you want. I'll try to find a way to get rid of the Apple category in my browser on here for good... G5 and that was the end.

  15. Lost your phone? by Chrisq · · Score: 5, Funny

    Lost your phone? We've got an app for that .... wait damn it's in flash.

  16. Re:They need to stop arresting the FINDERS by bytethese · · Score: 2, Informative

    Actually, not true.

    IANAL either, but have you ever heard of abandonment doctrine? For example, police cannot go through your trash (in the US) if it's on your property, but when you put it out to be collected, it's on public property (sidewalk) and is considered abandoned. So you can't just store any old property anywhere you wish. Cars? That's another story, I'm referring more to small personal possessions.

    Similarly this could apply to things you leave about, however, ethics dictate that a person reasonably try to contact the original owner of such property (I would and have) to return said item. If owner not found nor seeking their property to be returned, enjoy the item.

  17. With apologies to Mr. Wilde ... by slashsloth · · Score: 2, Funny

    To lose one 4G iPhone, Mr. Jobs, may be regarded as a misfortune. To lose two looks like carelessness.

    --
    The ducks in the bathroom are not mine. [http://www.27bslash6.com]
  18. When does Gizmodo guy get his computers back? by tekrat · · Score: 2, Insightful

    And a full apology from the Storm Troopers?

    At this point, it's pretty clear that NOTHING WAS STOLEN, clearly, Apple is intentionally "losing" these phones to continue to generate buzz. So unless Jason Chen was part of the viral marketing campaign (if so, I hope he's being paid real well to have his door kicked in), I think the California Police Department of Overreaction owes this guy some crow-eating.

    Apple is the guilty party, and you can't be in possetion of stolen property if it was intentionally "lost" by the rightful owner. That's called a "free sample". And if the Police State we live in can't tell the difference anymore, then companies shouldn't be allowed to viral market.

    --
    If telephones are outlawed, then only outlaws will have telephones.
  19. Re:They need to stop arresting the FINDERS by nomadic · · Score: 5, Informative

    No, but park it in my parking space, don't remove it after I have you served with a notice to either do so or that I will go to court and get title of it, and guess what - I *can* go to court and get title transferred.

    Uhhhh...what?? What law is this? IAAL and I've never heard of this legal maneuver.

  20. Fake screen? by marciot · · Score: 2, Interesting

    Why does this phone appear to have a fake, non-functional screen? Looks like one of those cardboard computers you see in furniture stores.

    1. Re:Fake screen? by Panaflex · · Score: 3, Informative

      It's working.. look at the battery bar graph on the bottom - it flips between 2% and other values @ 0:55.

      --
      I said no... but I missed and it came out yes.
  21. Is this some kind of half assed viral marketing? by Liambp · · Score: 2, Insightful

    I doubt it myself but it is generating quite a bit of interweb buzz around the new phone.

    I think it is an appropriate time to misquote Oscar Wilde:
    "To lose one phone, Mr. Jobs, may be regarded as a misfortune. To lose both looks like carelessness."

  22. Time for a conspiracy theory! by mdm-adph · · Score: 4, Interesting

    The last one happened right in time for the release of the HTC Incredible -- I wonder if this "leak" has anything to do with yesterday's story about Android sales overtaking the iPhone...

    --
    It is by my will alone my thoughts acquire motion; it is by the juice of the coffee bean that the thoughts acquire speed
  23. Deception by Dan+East · · Score: 2, Interesting

    Now that I've thought about this more, if Apple were really, REALLY, clever, they would plant fakes - perhaps prototypes, or even specially created units - just to lead everyone off track. The planting of a second unit exactly matching the first would only reinforce the illusion.

    So these are either the real units, or they are a strategic deception by Apple.

    --
    Better known as 318230.
    1. Re:Deception by gyrogeerloose · · Score: 2, Interesting

      Yeah, probably a good point. Apple's Elk Grove facility appears to have become mostly a warehousing/distribution operation.

      Apropos to nothing, I made a delivery there once back when I was driving an 18-wheeler. One of the best-run receiving operations I ever encountered--a bit more paperwork than usual but I was in and out in less than 45 minutes. To a truck driver who's paid by the mile and makes nothing while he's waiting to be unloaded, that's like money in the bank.

      --
      This ain't rocket surgery.
  24. Ambassador... by Hasai · · Score: 4, Funny

    “...are you saying that you've lost another nuclear submarine?”

    ];)

    --

    Regards;

    Hasai

  25. Screen resolution this time I hope. by ad454 · · Score: 2, Interesting

    The last time, despite having it in their hands, Gizmodo was not able to get the specific resolution of the iPhone 4G prototype display. As an iPhone developer, it would be nice to have a heads up about the new resolution, so we can modify our current and future apps to support it.

    My wish would be to have it match the iPad's XGA (1024x768) resolution, so that it can run iPad apps, but I doubt it in the iPhone's form factor. The 960x640 resolution suggested would also be unlikely, since there aren't really any off-the-shelf LCD's with that native resolution. My bet would be something like 800x480, like the HTC HD2 phone, since there are already existing LCD's that support it.

  26. Re:They need to stop arresting the FINDERS by tomhudson · · Score: 2, Informative

    if it's been abandoned/unclaimed for 30 days or more, it usually takes a couple of weeks. Not "... a long time". Look up "abandoned vehicle lien sale"

  27. I wonder if Taco is still bitter... by Duradin · · Score: 4, Informative

    I wonder if Taco is still bitter about how "Less space than a Nomad. No wireless. Lame." turned out for him.

    My vote is that yes, yes he is.

    Apple doesn't get to call out SWAT. The Cops use SWAT for everything these days. Apple wouldn't need SWAT anyways as they have their Black Turtleneck Ninja Corps.

  28. Re:They need to stop arresting the FINDERS by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 2, Funny

    Slashlaw

  29. Re:They need to stop arresting the FINDERS by nate_in_ME · · Score: 2, Informative
    In some cases, yes, it would... (Courtesy of http://www.mainelegislature.org/legis/bills/bills_123rd/chappdfs/PUBLIC150.pdf)

    State that if the owner of the vehicle or lienholder has not properly retrieved it and paid all reasonable charges for its towing, storage and repair within 7 days from the publication, ownership of the vehicle passes to the owner of the premises where the vehicle is located

  30. Re:They need to stop arresting the FINDERS by SydShamino · · Score: 2, Informative

    Legal at least in California, thanks to 30 seconds on Google:

    http://in.answers.yahoo.com/question/index?qid=20060720210018AAWfCCp

    http://www.dmv.ca.gov/vr/liensale.htm

    --
    It doesn't hurt to be nice.
  31. Why is this modded funny? by bledri · · Score: 2, Informative

    ...and if you want to invade there's an app for that.

    There really is an app for that.

    --
    Some privacy policy Slashdot.
  32. Pesky laws ... by Udo+Schmitz · · Score: 2, Insightful

    Let see. Person find phone on bar. the owner no where around. Trie to contact the owner. No luck Calls Apple, Apple insists it isn't theirs.

    And this is the point where you have to give it to the police. Crazy californians, I know. Surely nowhere else are such crazy laws in place.

    Or are there ...?

  33. I hate defending Apple but... by mjwx · · Score: 2, Informative

    Person find phone on bar. the owner no where around.
    Trie to contact the owner. No luck
    Calls Apple, Apple insists it isn't theirs.
    Sells it to Gizmnodo.

    Step 2 is where it started to go wrong, step 4 is where it actually gets illegal. I think the whole thing was an organised leak but lets assume I accept your assertion at face value...

    Step two should have been:
    "Dropped it off at police station."

    In Australia, our laws require this. If no one claims it within a reasonable amount of time the object is yours to keep if you want it. Realistically this should be your first reaction, if not your second as you could easily get in trouble for attempting to find the owner (you get accused of stealing it, maybe even stalking). Whatever you do, you do not sell the object as it's not yours to sell as it trading in stolen goods regardless of whether you found it or stole it.

    --
    Calling someone a "hater" only means you can not rationally rebut their argument.