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Apr 12, 2001
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While Apple's lost iPhone 4 that surfaced on Gizmodo back in 2010 made the biggest headlines, a similar situation reportedly played out ahead of the iPhone 4S launch last year, with an Apple employee having apparently lost a prototype of the device at a San Francisco bar more than two months before it was publicly introduced.

Apple responded relatively quickly to the loss of the prototype iPhone, and early reports claimed that the company had worked with San Francisco police to track the device to a home in the Bernal Heights neighborhood of San Francisco. They were, however, unsuccessful in locating the iPhone. Controversy erupted when the San Francisco police initially denied that they had participated in any such investigation, leading to suggestions that Apple investigators had impersonated police officers in their search.

The San Francisco Police Department did finally admit that it had assisted Apple with a search of the home in question, but the home's owner, Sergio Calderón, threatened to file a lawsuit over the incident. He claimed that the Apple security officers who searched his home had given the impression that they were police officers, thus making their search of his home an illegal breach of his rights. The last significant update in the case came in early December, when CNET interviewed Calderón's lawyer, who indicated that settlement negotiations with Apple had ended and that a lawsuit would be filed in the following weeks.

Nearly four months later and with no lawsuit having been filed, Network World has now followed up with the lawyer, David Monroe, to find out the status of the situation. Tellingly, Monroe repeatedly asserted that he had "no comment" on any of Network World's questions, all but confirming that he and his client did in fact reach a settlement with Apple. Unsurprisingly, that settlement would have included a nondisclosure agreement preventing Monroe or Calderón from commenting on the situation.
Having heard nothing more in the subsequent four months, I called Monroe yesterday and asked if he could update me on the status of that lawsuit.

"I have no comment about that," he replied.

I asked if there had been a settlement between Apple and his client, Sergio Calderone.

"I have no comment about that."

I mentioned the bit about him saying in December that a lawsuit was then imminent - within a few weeks -- and asked what had changed since then.

"I have no comment about that."

I was about to try a fourth round but by then we were both chuckling over the futility of the exercise.
Apple has refused to comment publicly on the situation all along, and did not respond to an inquiry from Network World regarding an update. Curiously, Apple's head of global security, John Theriault, left the company in November of last year, with sources indicating that his departure was indeed linked to the circumstances surrounding the lost iPhone 4S. Theriault now works as an independent management consultant in San Francisco.

For its part, the San Francisco Police Department conducted an internal investigation into its handling of the case, but it is unclear what the outcome of that investigation was.

Article Link: Apple Apparently Reached Settlement over Search for Lost Prototype iPhone 4S
 
Secrecy requires diligence! Just hide it inside one of those giant Android slabs with the big battery space. Like that old iPod case that was a hollowed-out Walkman. And direct all field agents to lay off the sauce.
 
The article contains a lot of words just to say, "no one knows or will comment on anything new regarding the entire situation."
 
Having heard nothing more in the subsequent four months, I called Monroe yesterday and asked if he could update me on the status of that lawsuit.

"I have no comment about that," he replied.

I asked if there had been a settlement between Apple and his client, Sergio Calderone.

"I have no comment about that."

I mentioned the bit about him saying in December that a lawsuit was then imminent - within a few weeks -- and asked what had changed since then.

"I have no comment about that."

Sounds like one riveting conversation :cool:
 
Better question is what happened to the drunk employee who lost a prototype!
 
The biggest question remains unsolved:

Did the police and / or Apple investigators get to try the shrimp quiche?? I hear it's the bar in question's speciality.
 
I don't want to sound like the moral police, but why don't these people that find phones actually help find the owners? I'm sure these prototypes have Apple inscribed all on them and that it's not supposed to be used outside of Apple's headquarters.

I wish I found a lost iPhone prototype. I'd try to find the Apple engineer or email Tim Cook letting them know I have it and will await instructions to deliver it back to them. All I'd ask for is a quick tour of the Apple campus and maybe some lunch or Tim's autograph on my iPad.

PS. I agree that the way Apple acted was wrong too.
 
The article contains a lot of words just to say, "no one knows or will comment on anything new regarding the entire situation."

Actually, it does the opposite. It points out a juxtaposition between the plaintiff's counsel being quite vocal about the matter before meetings were held between Apple's legal team and the plaintiff, and afterward when the same individual suddenly went tight-lipped.

That probably indicates the matter was settled outside of court, and the plaintiff and his lawyer signed what amounts to a gag order on discussing it.

In any case, Apple impersonating police officers (or, more likely, hiring PIs who impersonated police officers), if that is indeed what happened, is some shady business that they probably don't want to get out very far. It's interesting the correlation in time frame of the incident and Apple's head of security "retiring".
 
I don't want to sound like the moral police, but why don't these people that find phones actually help find the owners? I'm sure these prototypes have Apple inscribed all on them and that it's not supposed to be used outside of Apple's headquarters.

I wish I found a lost iPhone prototype. I'd try to find the Apple engineer or email Tim Cook letting them know I have it and will await instructions to deliver it back to them. All I'd ask for is a quick tour of the Apple campus and maybe some lunch or Tim's autograph on my iPad.

PS. I agree that the way Apple acted was wrong too.

There were reports at the time that the guy who found the iPhone 4 called Apple up about it and they denied it was anything to do with them. If we asked him about it now I am sure his response would be no comment.
 
I always love the fact that no one here cares that Apple actually invaded a person's home illegally and deceptively. Yes, this is front page news. Another case of fanboys ignoring, accepting or making excuses for anything that Apple does wrong.

Tony
 
I always love the fact that no one here cares that Apple actually invaded a person's home illegally and deceptively. Yes, this is front page news. Another case of fanboys ignoring, accepting or making excuses for anything that Apple does wrong.

Tony

I have no comment about that.
 
Perhaps he had no comment because he didn't want to admit that it was all a fraud.

If you go back and look at the whole thing there are way way too many holes. From the security cameras that conveniently deleted everything to the Linked In profile that was as unprofessional as it comes and was conveniently deleted just after some blog would have had time to search the name (come on, we know anyone tipped off to this story would have done that right off). There was no proof on either side what was said to this Mr Calderon in regards to who was what. For all we know they never said anything suggesting that the other men were also cops, or any of the whole "let us in or we'll have you and your family and everyone you never talked to deported" nonsense that he claimed.

The police can and will, if asked, go to a private home as an escort to allow the private citizen to ask about missing items if they believe that doing so will prevent a fight etc. We don't even know that it was a prototype. Maybe it was just the guys personal phone. As for the whole working at Apple thing even the kids that work at their stores have business cards. It would be easy to trump one up after getting one at the local store.

It was all suspect to the max. This guy might have been in on it or perhaps he was duped by Mr Calderon. It could be that yes there were talks where Apple pointed out that there was no proof of anything Mr Calderon said and if they took it to court it would be dismissed within 5 minutes. And Mr Moore is being quiet and not saying anything because he doesn't want to look like an idiot. And it's this blog that is trying to make it sound like he's all "wink, wink we know what no comment really means". It wouldn't be the first time a blog exaggerated to get page hits
 
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