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[Sarye]

Phones are tested and trialed in the wild. Wouldn't get any real data (radio strength though whatever material etc) if they were confined in a lab somewhere.

I can attest to this. I have friends working for phone companies and they test unreleased phones all the time in the wild.

 

[Liu Kang Baking A Pie]

This was just a controlled leak, as described in the link

When you do a controlled leak, you leak rumors, ideas, features, and things to get people hyped. You don't leak the product itself.

When has there ever been a controlled leak that was just the full unfinished product handed out with a fake story that makes the leaking company look irresponsible and retarded?

 

[Yoboman]

And here I was about to get an Iphone, Guess I'll be waiting. Hopefully not too long right?

 

[LCfiner]

And here I was about to get an Iphone, Guess I'll be waiting. Hopefully not too long right?

June or July.

 

[Yoboman]

Gonna have to struggle with my broken Blackberry for awhile then

 

[C.Dark.DN]

When has there ever been a controlled leak that was just the full unfinished product handed out with a fake story that makes the leaking company look irresponsible and retarded?

apple this month. so smart phone fans of all type will debate this for daya.

 

[Brofist]

And here I was about to get an Iphone, Guess I'll be waiting. Hopefully not too long right?

Even without this leak it's no secret a new iPhone would be coming out this summer.

 

[fireside]

apple this month

Apple ran out of things to revolutionize, so they're going with media leaks now.

 

[LCfiner]

Apple ran out of things to revolutionize, so they're going with media leaks now.

best response yet :lol

 

[WickedAngel]

I was somewhat amused as Jason Chen stated that no kind of theft was involved. Finding something that doesn't belong to you and keeping it is a form of theft in many places.

 

[McBacon]

I have to thank Gizmodo for all the laughs I've had at their fucking horrible coverage. The Gray Powell story reads like an obituary.

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.

It was his last Facebook update from the secret iPhone. It was the last time he ever saw the iPhone

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.

He sounded tired and broken. The only real mistake would be to fire Gray in the name of Apple's legendary impenetrable security, breached by the power of German beer and one single human error.

I have to assume its all written ironically, because its so hilarious.

 

[Davidion]

I was somewhat amused as Jason Chen stated that no kind of theft was involved. Finding something that doesn't belong to you and keeping it is a form of theft in many places.

:lol I don't understand how they're justifying this shit, it's bullshit either way.

 

[wave dial]

The person who found it tried several times to return it, but Apple wouldn't respond--just gave him customer service tickets.

 

[AstroLad]

The person who found it tried several times to return it, but Apple wouldn't respond--just gave him customer service tickets.

This. Even if it wasn't a controlled leak like all signs indicate, Apple's own poor customer service did them in here.

Ironic much?

 

[giga]

The person who found it tried several times to return it, but Apple wouldn't respond--just gave him customer service tickets.

Yeah, Giz claims that he contacted Apple Support of all places. Why didn’t he go to the original owner who they just eviscerated last night? Or you know, the police?

Golly, I can’t find the owner, might as well sell it to a tabloid huh?

It’s a pile of bull.

 

[Keylime]

This. Even if it wasn't a controlled leak like all signs indicate, Apple's own poor customer service did them in here.

Ironic much?

Apple is easily rated the highest in customer service for computers for what it's worth.

...but to pretend that calling some 1-800 number and telling them that you found some secret prototype iPhone and expect any kind of reasonable help is kind of crazy considering no one knew that one existed.

 

[mj1108]

Apple ran out of things to revolutionize, so they're going with media leaks now.

I'm waiting for them to refer to this as "Magical".

EDIT: Also, the editors at Gizmodo are a bunch of douchebags for outing the guy. They could have done the right thing and kept his name under wraps, but I guess the amount of traffic they got from the original story clouded their judgement and they thought they'd get greedy and try to capitalize on it.

 

[SuperPac]

The person who found it tried several times to return it, but Apple wouldn't respond--just gave him customer service tickets.

Sure, calling Apple's support line seems like the only thing one can do. I mean if I found a prototype Nintendo 3DS at a bar, I'd call 1-800-255-3700 immediately and that'd be the only method of contact I'd ever try. *eyeroll* I doubt customer service would even know what to do with such a call.

Emailing sjobs@apple.com or trying the PR phone numbers that are readily available on apple.com would've gotten a better, faster response.

 

[WickedAngel]

The person who found it tried several times to return it, but Apple wouldn't respond--just gave him customer service tickets.

So...he sold it?

 

[mj1108]

Emailing sjobs@apple.com or trying the PR phone numbers that are readily available on apple.com would've gotten a better, faster response.

I'm sure the response would be EPIC.

Dear Steve,

Missing something?

mj1108
Sent from my iPad.

 

[wave dial]

If the customer service was competant, they would know what to do with it. They weren't very good, so they didn't give him the attention the situation warrented.

 

[AstroLad]

So...he sold it?

At that point it became his property. Let's say I find your DS on the street, and I call your number several times and never get any response. Maybe you're too busy dealing with complaints about dead pixels and flash incompatibility--how should I know? And why should I care?

Am I now obligated to call your boss, your company's CEO, etc. etc. etc.? Nope. Possession is 9/10ths of the law for a reason.

 

[numble]

If the customer service was competant, they would know what to do with it. They weren't very good, so they didn't give him the attention the situation warrented.

This is silly. Try calling Apple customer service and tell them you found a lost iPhone. They are not going to just give you a support ticket and call it a day. You don't have to believe everything Gizmodo says. Notice how they left out the part about paying the guy some money or a bidding war with Engadget, though you can get that information elsewhere.

 

[mj1108]

If the customer service was competant, they would know what to do with it. They weren't very good, so they didn't give him the attention the situation warrented.

Yeah because people call up their customer service number everyday saying "I have this prototype to send back to you. How can I get it to you?"....

 

[WickedAngel]

At that point it became his property. Let's say I find your DS on the street, and I call your number several times and never get any response. Am I now obligated to call your boss, your company's CEO, etc. etc. etc.? Nope. Possession is 9/10ths of the law for a reason.

I'd like to see what you're reading that would suggest the quoted statement was true.

 

[Interfectum]

The person who found it tried several times to return it, but Apple wouldn't respond--just gave him customer service tickets.

:lol

What a bullshit excuse.

 

[Davidion]

Dude should have rolled up to the nearest Genius bar and announce out loud into the crowd that he's found Apple's new prototype iphone. Story would have been much more entertaining then.

 

[wave dial]

This is silly. Try calling Apple customer service and tell them you found a lost iPhone. They are not going to just give you a support ticket and call it a day

Sooo... they would actually try to get the phone back in my case?

 

[Keylime]

If the customer service was competant, they would know what to do with it. They weren't very good, so they didn't give him the attention the situation warrented.

What are you talking about?

*ring*

"Hello, I found this secret Apple Prototype iPhone at a bar."

"Sir, we dont' know what you're talking about"

"I have this iPhone prototype, it's real!"

"Sir, no one here knows what you're talking about. We have no record of a missing phone."

"Ask Steve Jobs! Ask him! It's real damnit, and I have it!"

"We're sorry sir, you've reached your lifetime limit on prank phone calls."​

I can't even begin to think how any customer service person could ever do something about this.

Unless they were explicitly told by someone at Apple to be on the lookout for a missing iPhone prototype, there is zero percent chance they would ever listen to someone about the issue. Assuming the guy tried to return the phone immediately after losing it, there is pretty much no way anyone in Apple customer service could have known about it.

Dude probably half-assedly tried to return it, and decided to sell it instead.

 

[Interfectum]

At that point it became his property. Let's say I find your DS on the street, and I call your number several times and never get any response. Maybe you're too busy dealing with complaints about dead pixels and flash incompatibility--how should I know? And why should I care?

Am I now obligated to call your boss, your company's CEO, etc. etc. etc.? Nope. Possession is 9/10ths of the law for a reason.

Dude you left your car keys in the bar... I tried calling you. Oh well, sorry but since you didn't get back to me quick enough I ended up selling your car. Sorry brah.

 

[SuperPac]

If the customer service was competant, they would know what to do with it. They weren't very good, so they didn't give him the attention the situation warrented.

"Hi. I think I have a prototype iPhone. I don't know what to do with it."

"OK sir. Uhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh... OK, have you tried turning it on and of--What?"

If the guy lived in the bay area he could've shown up at 1 Infinite Loop and I'm sure they would've done something. There's "tried" to give it back and tried to give it back.

I'd like to see the initial communication between the guy that found the phone and Gizmodo/Engadget. That has to be entertaining.

 

[Interfectum]

If the customer service was competant, they would know what to do with it. They weren't very good, so they didn't give him the attention the situation warrented.

Whatever dude. This is one of the most significant leaks in gadget history... no customer service department is prepared to field a phone call such as this. They probably will be soon though.

 

[SuperPac]

Dude you left your car keys in the bar... I tried calling you. Oh well, sorry but since you didn't get back to me quick enough I ended up selling your car. Sorry brah.

More like "I called Honda. They gave me a ticket number but never called me back. So I sold your car. Sorry brah."

 

[gcubed]

i find it funny that people are still trying to defend this

 

[AstroLad]

Dude you left your car keys in the bar... I tried calling you. Oh well, sorry but since you didn't get back to me quick enough I ended up selling your car. Sorry brah.

More like, I found your DS, you didn't return my calls, so I sold it for the best price I could get for it (since I already have a couple DSes).

 

[fireside]

At that point it became his property. Let's say I find your DS on the street, and I call your number several times and never get any response. Maybe you're too busy dealing with complaints about dead pixels and flash incompatibility--how should I know? And why should I care?

Am I now obligated to call your boss, your company's CEO, etc. etc. etc.? Nope. Possession is 9/10ths of the law for a reason.

No, it'd be like if you find my DS on the street, it has my name and email address on it, but you decide to call Nintendo.

Besides, even if he couldn't get in contact with Apple, he is legally bound to hand it over to the police. Then they take care of it. Only if no one claims it does it become the finder's—after 90 days.

 

[Interfectum]

More like, I found your DS, you didn't return my calls, so I sold it for the best price I could get for it (since I already have a couple DSes).

No, like superpac said:

"Hey brah, I found your DS... I tried calling Nintendo, they opened a ticket but never got back to me. So I sold it."

 

[WickedAngel]

More like, I found your DS, you didn't return my calls, so I sold it for the best price I could get for it (since I already have a couple DSes).

No.

No, it'd be like if you find my DS on the street, it has my name and email address on it, but you decide to call Nintendo.

Besides, even if he couldn't get in contact with Apple, he is legally bound to hand it over to the police. Then they take care of it. Only if no one claims it does it become the finder's—after 90 days.

Yes.

 

[gcubed]

No, it'd be like if you find my DS on the street, it has my name and email address on it, but you decide to call Nintendo.

Besides, even if he couldn't get in contact with Apple, he is legally bound to hand it over to the police. Then they take care of it. Only if no one claims it does it become the finder's—after 90 days.

there really is 0 question of legality if the details that have come out are true... i dont understand why its still being debated

 

[Interfectum]

there really is 0 question of legality if the details that have come out are true... i dont understand why its still being debated

Because, as usual, AstroLad has no idea what he's talking about?

 

[wave dial]

No, like superpac said:

"Hey brah, I found your DS... I tried calling Nintendo, they opened a ticket but never got back to me. So I sold it."

It's not really the engineer's phone. Prototypes belong to the company--the finder tried to contact the correct entity.

 

[AstroLad]

No, it'd be like if you find my DS on the street, it has my name and email address on it, but you decide to call Nintendo.

Interesting . . . I thought Apple claimed this was Apple's property, which would make it perfectly appropriate to contact Apple.

I know it might be frustrating to some -- and it won't stop Apple -- but Gizmodo covered all their bases here.

 

[Ninja Scooter]

I suggest some of you read up on the groundbreaking case of Finders V Keepers.

If not here's a little summary for you: losers weepers.

 

[giga]

Guys…it’s AstroLad.

 

[numble]

I always get these e-mails around finals at my law school about people who left their laptops in the library and getting it "stolen." I should let security know that they're not actually stolen.

 

[Interfectum]

It's not really the engineer's phone. Prototypes belong to the company--the finder tried to contact the correct entity.

Except you forget the fact that you can't legally sell stolen or lost goods until you give the owner enough time to get back to you.

Protip: It's longer than a month.

 

[wave dial]

I always get these e-mails around finals at my law school about people who left their laptops in the library and getting it "stolen." I should let security know that they're not actually stolen.

Apple didn't actually announce that it was "stolen" until weeks after it was gone.

 

[gcubed]

Except you forget the fact that you can't legally sell stolen or lost goods until you give the owner enough time to get back to you.

Protip: It's longer than a month.

details are inconsequential

 

[WickedAngel]

Guys…it’s AstroLad.

Yea...I see where the reputation came from.

 

[SuperPac]

Interesting . . . I thought Apple claimed this was Apple's property, which would make it perfectly appropriate to contact Apple.

I know it might be frustrating to some -- and it won't stop Apple -- but Gizmodo covered all their bases here.

I dunno if calling their customer service line is the same as contacting the company. IMO, it's not trying very hard. I wonder how long it was before the finder started contacting gadget blogs.