Microsoft Dipping Into To Google Profits, Apple Busts Iphone Leak Guy

[NegativeSpace]

Heard this on The Loop along with all kinds of other fun stuff. I guess Google has entered into an agreement with Microsoft to pay royalties due to patent infringement by way of Android. I also heard that the guy who did the iphone leak had his door kicked in by some task force. That's pretty bogus. There were lots of comments about the warrant that the task force had, but also comments about the laws which protect journalists from persecution due to reporting of certain kinds of information.

They took all of the guys computers, digital cameras, his ipad, ipods, pretty much anything that uses digital technologies. I think the guy should have been arrested and taken to court if anything. I'm pretty sure that kicking a guys door in for finding an item which was lost by an irresponsible drunk Apple employee is pretty much unconstitutional.

Honestly, I would rather be arrested for something I know I had the right to do than to have my door kicked in and all of my electronics stolen by Windows hating, Apple-payroll-being-on, meat head henchmen.

Hey Apple, you shouldn't have let some kid carry around a top secret prototype product, especially to a bar after hours. You shouldn't have remained silent after you found out that one of your biggest products of all time was leaked. You should have released official photos and press kits immediately. Don't be mad at some guy who found something cool in a bar and sold it to an electronics news service, because that's what people do. Basically, Apple, you suck and I'm going to install Linux on my ipod now. F |_| ( K you, Apple.

Edited April 29, 2010 by NegativeSpace

[Seshan]

The law that protects journalists is there to project them from having there equipment being seized to reveal sources, not to protect thieves and criminals, Gizmodo bought a stolen iPhone, Yes it was lost, but the guy that found it had no right to sell it, and did not deal with it properly.

It wasn't a "kid" carrying around the iPhone, and I personally believe Gizmodo deserves anything that happens to them. They released the guys name that lost the phone, and pretty much just ruined his career and life.

Why should Apple release press kits when this may not even be the final version of the phone, it was a prototype.

[Netshroud]

Gizmodo deserves what they get. This is a nice summary of what they did wrong: http://www.businessinsider.com/the-officia...one-case-2010-4

[Zimmer]

Well I think there are several factors for the 4G iPhone

1 It was designed to look like a 3G model (so they could have, however unlikely mistook it)

2 They may have tried to find who's it was

3 They found an iPhone 4G they didn't necessarily steal it

As for 1 it kinda falls apart once they realize it was a 4G (and they did realize it).

But it is Apple, I have no empathy for them.

[joeypesci]

I hate GestApple so I'm biased (oddly typing this on an iTouch which was a mistake purchase. I hate it) But people seem to miss the point. If you lost your mob and knew who found it and knew they sold it to a paper. If you then went to the fuzz to ask them to raid the paper they'd laugh a you. But because GestApple put pressure on the task force they raided the journo's house. This is wrong plan and simple. If anyone did wrong we could point the finger at Gizmodo, they are the ones that wrote the cheque so surely it should be their office that is raided. No? Why not? Well because their office is in New York and GestApple and the task force are base in Califonia. So I assume the task force has no rights in New York.

I hop Chen sues and wins. I hated GestApple before I hate them as a company even more now. The only reason they have a problem with this is because it will hurt 3gs sales of their over priced and over hyped phone.

Steve Jobs is a cock. I wonder if he'll send his task force to come give me a kicking now :)

[digip]

Gizmodo hasn't done anything more wrong than apple, and not broken any law until otherwise said so in a court of law. Any other assertion by them or other news outlets is otherwise speculation until said parties go to court and the case is heard and tried. Until then, its all he said she said bullshit.

With respect to the kid who sold the phone, as far as I am concerned he did nothing wrong either, but thats not for me to decide, its the court who will decide. The Apple employee who left the phone is the real pisser and who if they ever find out that did it should be the one who gets the most trouble for what happened. You dont bring a prototype product out of the "development" lab if it snot meant to be seen in public. Strike #1 for the apple employee and Apple. #2, Gizmodo is a news agency, and under law have certain rights, one of which is to not have to disclose the person who gave them the phone unless otherwise oredered in a court of law. I assume the identity was released for 1 of two reasons. 1, someone else knew and talked about it, leaking his identity, or 2, they were ordered by the courts. Otherwise, they had an obligation to protect the kids identity until after the court hearing decides the fate of those involved. #3, Apple could have handled this better and had they done it strictly in court, the whole mess wouldnt be such a big deal in the press. It is both a double edged sword, one where apple gets press for its product, and 2, apple look like big brother, evil corporation enemy #1 who feel they can push everyone around no matter who they are.

Both apple and giz come out with mroe abuzz about them, but at the same time, both get tarnished on peoples opinions of what should or shouldnt have happened in respect to the situation. Some people side with Giz, some Apple, some think both are at fault, but until it goes to court and has a trial, nothing in print is of any worth until the final word is out. Case example, OJ Simpson. We all think he did it, but the law set him free regardless. Until there is a verdict, all parties are innocent until proven guilty.

[joeypesci]

Although GestApple are guilty for being arseholes anyway :) or maybe that's just cause I hate them :)

[VaKo]

Apple make great products, really well thought out and designed for the end user rather than the geek. The iPhone 4G is probally one of the nicest designs for a phone I've ever seen, I'd buy an iPad if I had the cash to waste on one simply because its the first coffee table tablet I've seen that really works for me (although the JooJoo Pad looks nice from a hacker POV, it doesn't have an IPS panel or the same market penetration), and Mac Pro's + Cinema displays are some of the best desktop PC's on the market.

However, Steve Jobs is a pious cunt, and for that reason the iPod touch I have will probally be my only Apple purchase.

[joeypesci]

Apple make great products, really well thought out and designed for the end user rather than the geek. The iPhone 4G is probally one of the nicest designs for a phone I've ever seen, I'd buy an iPad if I had the cash to waste on one simply because its the first coffee table tablet I've seen that really works for me (although the JooJoo Pad looks nice from a hacker POV, it doesn't have an IPS panel or the same market penetration), and Mac Pro's + Cinema displays are some of the best desktop PC's on the market.

However, Steve Jobs is a pious cunt, and for that reason the iPod touch I have will probally be my only Apple purchase.

Have to agree on the Steve Jobs front :)

I liked the film "Pirates of Silicon Valley". Steve Jobs comes across as a right cunt in it, especially when he dumps his girlfriend when he knows she's having his kid (which he only, a few years back, finally took responsibility for).

And Steve Wozniak said when he watched it, not everything was accurate but the personalities were. He said that's how Steve Jobs and Billy Boy Gates were.

However not sure I can agree on the design side. This isn't directed at you but what annoys me with Apple lovers is they seem to follow the crowd like sheep. They'll say the iPod is great, just because the latest star says so. They all bigged up the curved back of the phone. Yet now the new version seems to be ditching it, they're saying how amazing the new design is and how crap the curved back was/is. Yet it's nothing new, I think that square design is a bit like my E71.

I hate the fact with my iTouch I can't connect it up to the PC and drag and drop. It doesn't do multi-tasking and neither does the iPad. The only use for the iTouch now is bog breaks. I sit and watch the iPlayer on it. But even that's an issue. If a static image appears in the show, the Touch locks up. Then I'll sometimes listen to the radio on it and want to surf the net at the same time. Then realise I can't cause it can't do the simplest task of fucking multi-tasking. It also annoyed me when they made a big thing about it being able to copy and paste. It should of been able to do that on release. And all the fanboys/girls said it was amazing when it could. Forgetting other smart phones have been able to do it for years.

Anyway. I could rant on but sure you're getting bored now :)

[barry99705]

Well I think there are several factors for the 4G iPhone

1 It was designed to look like a 3G model (so they could have, however unlikely mistook it)

2 They may have tried to find who's it was

3 They found an iPhone 4G they didn't necessarily steal it

As for 1 it kinda falls apart once they realize it was a 4G (and they did realize it).

But it is Apple, I have no empathy for them.

No one will pay $5000 for a 3g iPhone, they knew what it was. Under CA state law you have to return found property if you have an idea of who it belongs to. Selling said property without making an attempt to return is makes it selling stolen property. They(Gizmodo) probably would have been alright if they just returned it to Apple, but instead, they took it apart and posted a shit ton of pics to the internet.

As for the "Apple task force" bullshit, it was the LA county sheriff's department.

If they(Gizmodo) gets away with this crap, I'm becoming a reporter/blogger. That way I can purchase myself a stolen Ferrari and write a story about it.

[joeypesci]

From what I was aware they contacted Apple. Apple denied all knowledge of it (I think it's because they contacted the helpline), so the guy selling it could get away with claiming he tried to contact the owners but they weren't interested.

Again, I have no sympathy for Apple. They've cocked up with this one with the bad press it will give them. And from what I was aware it was a local task force that is related to computer crime.

[h3%5kr3w]

Hell, I dunno about any of you but my original idea was that it was a hype leak gone arhy.

Maybe Apple just wanted someONE to find it. Someone who would post pix online, say it was cool, and then it breeze over, not an actual company's workers find a guy selling it that had any real credibility.

[Seshan]

Hell, I dunno about any of you but my original idea was that it was a hype leak gone arhy.

Maybe Apple just wanted someONE to find it. Someone who would post pix online, say it was cool, and then it breeze over, not an actual company's workers find a guy selling it that had any real credibility.

Your talking about Apple right? The same company that made people chain down iPad's and have the in a room with no windows, and no cameras where allowed near them? Apple isn't a company to leak stuff. It's actually bad for them, the more hype around a product launch the better, if people already know what it is there will be less hype.

[digip]

This is the actual kid who found the iPhone: http://www.foxnews.com/scitech/2010/04/30/...phone-revealed/