This is one hell of an elaborate PR stunt. Who knew "Brian Lam" and "Jason Chen" were even stage names all this time. Next, you're gonna tell me they're not even Asian.
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Details of Lost Next-Generation iPhone Saga Revealed in Search Warrant Affidavit
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"PRICELESS"??? Really? IT IS A PHONE!! not the holy grail!
I am not saying that they should trust such things like prototypes and such to kids, but he is an apple engineer. do you have any idea how smart and mature he probably is just to have a job that requires him to handle prototypes outside the office on a daily basis?? apple doesn't just go out and hire kids from a local college and say 'here is a prototype iphone...I want you to test it for us. now, don't lose it!'
mistakes happen, but gizmodo really screwed the pooch on this one. they shoulda' just taken pics and sent it back to apple. no harm done.
but, you are taking this way too far calling this thing "priceless". it has a price...probably $221?who knows.
It says in the long essay search warrant paper, that Sewel or some Apple security guy said the phone didn't have a value as it was so. important. He said it was priceless or something among those lines.
But if Apple considers the prototype to be priceless, it shouldn't go into a bar where the engineer will get intoxicated.
Call them deferred sales, then. It's hard to quantify, but there are certainly folks who were in the market for a cell phone who will now wait to buy one in the future. This decreases current demand and deflates the potential revenue from current inventory.
Of course, certain people will also start saving, and certain others will take this as a cue to wait a little longer on the Nexus One...
Sales of the current iPhone have likely dropped as a result of widespread media confirmation of the forthcoming model. Sure, all of us know that Apple releases a new iPhone every summer, but Joe Public doesn't know that - until CNN puts pictures of it on their site after Gizmodo takes it upon themselves to do Apple's PR for them.
Why do you think there's such a short window between announcement of a new iPhone and its availability? To avoid this very situation: millions of dollars in lost sales while people wait for the new model to be sold.
Lost sales now while people wait for the new phone. Ordinarily they wouldn't know the details ahead of time but because of the leak they do.
EDIT: Doh', too slow.
Wow, this phone story gets even more and more elaborate as it goes on! I think that it is better than the phone itself!
What i thought was most amusing was that Hogan and his friend tried to cover up evidence by hiding his desktop and all the other evidence in their nearby church. Add to the fact that his friend then went off the grid into hiding, If that isn't an admission of guilt, I don't know what is.
Yeah, free advertisements like "Apple orders police to kick in the guys doors" (and that would be one of the more harmless ones) is surely worth millions.
And what if it cost other phone retailers sales? That has nothing to do with Apple. They can sue Gizmodo as well if they feel hurt.
I agree with you 100% Now that I know the entire story, gizmodo/Chen/Brain guy are at way more fault than I previously though. But I still stand behind my words, and I agree with your statement.
Because you know he was intoxicated right? From the what I read in the affidavit, he was not drunk. Especially considering he was driving.
I would *like* to think that those prototype phones aren't the engineers' or testers' primary, personal cell phones. But alas, I'd also *like* to think that oil companies don't drill in the ocean without a worse case scenario plan, but clearly I was wrong on that too...
If you think it was a big mistake to trust a 27 year old, you probably don't want to know the average age of Apple's engineers... In computer science, most of the people innovating are in their twenties and thirties.
Anyone know if Gray Powell still works at Apple? If he does, he clearly didn't do anything wrong bringing the prototype into a public place.
Except they did have a worst-case scenario plan and a failsafe mechanism. Contingency plans usually aren't made for the case when the last line of defense fails.
But alas, I'd also *like* to think that oil companies don't drill in the ocean without a worse case scenario plan, but clearly I was wrong on that too...
Except they did have a worst-case scenario plan and a failsafe mechanism. Contingency plans usually aren't made for the case when the last line of defense fails.
Gizmodo, Gizzed without thinking
I think the documents warrant is valid. Gizomodo really messed up on this. They ruined the surprise. But Apple might have to thank them later for all this publicity.
I think the documents warrant is valid. Gizomodo really messed up on this. They ruined the surprise. But Apple might have to thank them later for all this publicity.
neither. It was self preservation. Based on the affidavit, the roommate was worried she would get implicated since Hogan used her computer to send out the emails and maybe store photos. She was worried that Apple would trace it back to her.
arn
Indeed, he's the biggest jerk, actually a criminal.
A normally-adjusted member of society would simply give the phone to the bartender, "Hey, the guy who was just here forgot this." Powell called the bar the next day; he would have picked it up and that would have been the end of the story.
I think you missed the point. People considering buying other manufacturer's handsets on comparison to the current gen iphone might also be likely to hold off to see what this new offering will be. It isn't only the current gen iphone sales that will take a hit (or be deferred as was pointed out above).
Um, how else do you test a phone? Just use it to send an SMS from home once and a while? No, real world. Use it on more than the one cell tower near your house...
arn