Circumstances Surrounding Lost Next Gen iPhone Detailed

[CrAkD]

anyone think its funny how far away engadget is staying from this whole thing? Other then the initial pics and linking to gizmodo for the thorough look at this thing they havent so much as even mentioned this whole fiasco. they probably know apple is gonna hit and hit hard and dont want to get hit with shrapnel

 

[Sam Yikin]

Lookie:

http://gizmodo.com/5520479/a-letter-apple-wants-its-secret-iphone-back

It seems Apple has officially asked for their "device" back....

If this doesn't seal the authenticity of it being an Apple device........

That letter was ridiculously casual- Mr. Apple lawyer might as well have been asking Mr. Lam if he wanted to meet up for lunch sometime.
Something tells me Apple would address this MUCH more seriously if they were actually concerned about this huge leak, suggesting that this is a fake (unlikely) or that they were in on this all along.

 

[o9p0]

you people are too green

Apple has proven time and time again, to be nearly as good as the government in managing information and disinformation with expert planning.

This guy will not lose his job. If it was an accident, it was not professional misconduct. Not a fireable offense. And regardless of whether it was accidental, the event will become a part of Apple's PR/marketing strategy.

Like for instance, if it is an Apple product, then the choice whether to acknowledge it by requesting the return of their hardware is something they would weigh.

So don't be surprised if they do get it back, or don't. Or if "another" prototype design finds its way "out" of the tent somehow. Or if the launch gets pushed back several months to let the speculation fester.

Apple is so far ahead of the competition, and has so many other tricks and features up its sleeve they can afford to manipulate or act on market conditions at will.

 

[orangeillini14]

I call fake on the letter; if this is an initial legal attach by Apple written by their General Counsel, it is the poorest letter I've ever seen from a General Counsel of a major corporation. I guarantee that the letter would not end with "Please let me know where to pick up the unit."

...not to mention the address information in the bottom right, and the apple logo in the top right have some sketchy lookin' "photoshopped" halos around them...

 

[marksman]

Brian Lam is such a d-bag.

I told him what I thought but he is such a loser he is claiming he is on vacation.

i never realized there were so many attorneys on this site.....

It doesn't take a lawyer to no what stealing and theft is.

You know how ignorance is no excuse? That is because you are supposed to know what is right and wrong.

 

[CoolSpot]

Giz is a joke now. Nothing more than a gossip site. First they publish all of Tiger Woods text messages with that porn star etc etc, now they drop this guys name like it's no biggy. They have no class over there, but it is 2010 and everyone hides behind their computers, soooo what can you do

Gizmodo was able to acquire a prototype iphone way before anyone else even knew it existed. Don't get butthurt over it.

 

[cmaier]

That letter was ridiculously casual- Mr. Apple lawyer might as well have been asking Mr. Lam if he wanted to meet up for lunch sometime.
Something tells me Apple would address this MUCH more seriously if they were actually concerned about this huge leak, suggesting that this is a fake (unlikely) or that they were in on this all along.

This is exactly how I would draft the letter. I bet it's real.

 

[louis Fashion]

der die das

Prost! Gute Bier!

Gutes Bier. Right?

 

[trrosen]

Giz Sucks

Giz is a joke now. Nothing more than a gossip site. First they publish all of Tiger Woods text messages with that porn star etc etc, now they drop this guys name like it's no biggy. They have no class over there, but it is 2010 and everyone hides behind their computers, soooo what can you do

I actually got into it with Lam via email about the fact that Giz allows its writers to control the comments. Its sort of pointless to have comments if anyone that disagrees with the writer of the article can/will be demoted to oblivion.

I still read Jalopnik but I'm reconsidering that the way there whoring this story on there even though its completely off topic for the site.

I also got pissed when they did a story saying Apple had accepted a porn app into the store and then when Apple pulled the app the did a story on how Apple rejected a photo viewer.

 

[Smacky]

Yeah well when the CEO answers correspondence with one word replies and short sentences ("no", "not to worry"), what else do you expect from the staff?

 

[coleridge78]

I think that if they test the iPhone in this way, then they would have had to test the iPad as well. And there have been no reports of in-the-wild iPad testing before the launch in January.

It is different, though. While the iPad does cell, it isn't the primary reason for the existence of the device. So minor or sporadic issues are truly "minor" not "... but it's affecting the only reason people are buying this thing so now it's MAJOR". And it will be used under much more limited conditions (not least in that you'll generally be more or less stationary with it, and you won't be waving it around so much while using it).

 

[Cuju]

Gizmodo was able to acquire a prototype iphone way before anyone else even knew it existed. Don't get butthurt over it.

The iPhone part is cool, exposing a guy, def not. No butthurting over here. Just expressing my opinion on the the situation.

 

[mAc-warrior]

The original iPhone was tested for over ten weeks before sales launch, by 200 people:

http://mobilitytoday.com/news/007758/iPhone_testing_public

See above. The production field test units often had a case to hide the identity. For example, the originals were made to look like iPods. This one supposedly had a custom case designed to make it look like a 3GS.

His resume says he is an iPhone baseband test engineer. Who better to test the phone?

Fair. But wait, there is a huge difference!! You say that it was tested for ten weeks prior to sales launch? If I remember correctly, the original iPhone was launched publicly at MWSF in 2007, but not publicly available until late June 2007. That time period is much longer than 10 weeks. It's obvious then that the general public would have known of the design of the iPhone already during this ten week period where 200 people tested it. It just was not publicly available to be purchased. So they really had nothing to hide, hardware wise.

The original iPhone, as far as I know, was NOT tested in the wild prior to the original release at MWSF. That is the time-period that corresponds to the present, in terms of the next-generation iPhone. NOT the period between initial launch and sales launch, which you're referring to.

As to the guy testing it being a baseband engineer... Sure, he does make an ideal candidate to test the phone. But you don't need to be a baseband engineer to figure out if the thing is getting bad reception.

--mAc

 

[mojoxp]

Not that often, really.

The more immediate issue is that this isn't a trade secret case. A trade secret must be secret. The design and internals of the phone are protectable trade secrets as long as Apple keeps the units out of public places. Once they start testing in public, you can't claim the visuals as trade secrets. Documents, schematics, and the like can be, if reasonable measures to protect them are taken or if someone intentionally breached the limits of secrecy to get the information.

Do you think this is why Gizmodo didn't post details of the chips inside the phone? Only what was easily viewable from a quick removal of the screws on the bottom?

 

[MacPhilosopher]

Yeap. And in about four years, we'll have the iPad we wanted from the start as well.

Truest comment of the day.

 

[mAc-warrior]

It is different, though. While the iPad does cell, it isn't the primary reason for the existence of the device. So minor or sporadic issues are truly "minor" not "... but it's affecting the only reason people are buying this thing so now it's MAJOR". And it will be used under much more limited conditions (not least in that you'll generally be more or less stationary with it, and you won't be waving it around so much while using it).

I suppose I'll agree to disagree then. I do agree that the primary purpose of the iPad is not voice communication. But, many people will undoubtedly use the iPad in a moving car, on the bus, etc. They would still want to test the 3G cellular in the thing, if they test these things in the wild before they are released. I do think that if the iPad got terrible 3G reception that it would be a MAJOR issue...

--mAc

 

[jb007clone]

Why Today?

No one has asked this question yet? Why did Giz come forward with it today? Why not as soon as they got it (Chen says that they have had it for around a week). Why not next week? Why today of all days?

Also, how did this person get access to it on February 20th?!

http://twitpic.com/14ge1m

And how was Engadget the first to break the story -- April 17th -- Especially when it seems that Gizmodo is the one that had direct contact with everybody?

http://www.engadget.com/2010/04/17/iphone-4g-is-this-it/

 

[ladeer]

...not to mention the address information in the bottom right, and the apple logo in the top right have some sketchy lookin' "photoshopped" halos around them...

er... no. if YOU tried to write a letter or YOU tried to wage a "legal battle" yes YOU would have written it a lot differently because you have no legal training.

this is exactly how such letter shall be written. i am not a lawyer but i specialized in business law in b-school.

 

[WetPantsClub]

This Gary guy... Why aren't people who know him chiming in? I would think a guy who works for apple would probably have a lot of associates that would hang out on various apple forums maybe some of them coming to his defense or at least confirming his existence.

Just a thought...

 

[coleridge78]

Fair. But wait, there is a huge difference!! You say that it was tested for ten weeks prior to sales launch? If I remember correctly, the original iPhone was launched publicly at MWSF in 2007, but not publicly available until late June 2007. That time period is much longer than 10 weeks. It's obvious then that the general public would have known of the design of the iPhone already during this ten week period where 200 people tested it. It just was not publicly available to be purchased. So they really had nothing to hide, hardware wise.

The original iPhone, as far as I know, was NOT tested in the wild prior to the original release at MWSF. That is the time-period that corresponds to the present, in terms of the next-generation iPhone. NOT the period between initial launch and sales launch, which you're referring to.

You're right about that timeline. But you're extrapolating incorrectly. What matters is that the phone was tested in the wild for at least ten weeks before sales launch, and we are currently less than 8 weeks (most likely) from the sales launch of the 4G. The very early announcement of the original iPhone isn't the relevant detail.

Given that iterations are secret but nothing approaching the secret that was the original iPhone or the iPad, it also wouldn't be surprising for them to have been in the wild even longer than 10 weeks (why not, if you have the luxury of it).

 

[marksman]

No one has asked the this question yet? Why did Giz come forward with it today? Why not as soon as they got it (Chen says that they have had it for around a week). Why not next week? Why today of all days?

Also, how did this person get access to it on February 20th?!!!!

http://twitpic.com/14ge1m

And how was Engadget the first to break the story -- April 17th -- Especially when it seems that Gizmodo is the one that had direct contact with everybody?

http://www.engadget.com/2010/04/17/iphone-4g-is-this-it/

My best guess is the tool who stole it shopped it around to various sites and provided pics/information to them. He may have even went to Engadget first, but Engadget not being a Criminal Organization run by potato heads probably just said, no thanks we will pass we are not big on paying for stolen property. They might have even suggested returning the device to apple directly.

 

[orangeillini14]

er... no. if YOU tried to write a letter or YOU tried to wage a "legal battle" yes YOU would have written it a lot differently because you have no legal training.

this is exactly how such letter shall be written. i am not a lawyer but i specialized in business law in b-school.

(didn't really mention anything about how the letter was written, lol)

 

[coleridge78]

I suppose I'll agree to disagree then. I do agree that the primary purpose of the iPad is not voice communication. But, many people will undoubtedly use the iPad in a moving car, on the bus, etc. They would still want to test the 3G cellular in the thing, if they test these things in the wild before they are released. I do think that if the iPad got terrible 3G reception that it would be a MAJOR issue...

If it was "terrible", yeah. Agreed. But they can defend against "terrible" in the lab. They can't defend against "not that bad, but bad enough to annoy a lot of people once ten million have bought it" in the lab.

 

[3goldens]

The guy is a theif plain and simple. gis should be ashamed of themselves and if their notmtaken up on corporate espionage I'll be surprised. I think it possible this guybdid not loose the ozone, theybknew he had it and picked his pocked.

This pos guys is going tomb hounded ny the press for the rest of his life now thanks tom their big mouths. That s one good reason he probably wont get fired.. Steve jobs has more class than that i should think.

That letter is definitely real and they should give it back to them.

One more thing like it or not were all responsible for what happens here because we are the ones driving this car of curiosity driving up traffic in a normally rather inconsequential site and making them lots of money to continue to do this. . It always about the money!

 

[jb007clone]

My best guess is the tool who stole it shopped it around to various sites and provided pics/information to them. He may have even went to Engadget first, but Engadget not being a Criminal Organization run by potato heads probably just said, no thanks we will pass we are not big on paying for stolen property. They might have even suggested returning the device to apple directly.

Sounds logical, but that still doesn't explain why Giz sat on it for a week. I'm sure they could've disassembled, filmed it and posted it up the very day they got it if they wanted to.