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Finder of Lost Next-Generation iPhone Identified
- Thread starter sravana
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Um...me. For one, and I've done this before, if I were to find a dropped or forgotten phone I would have given it to the bartender and said I found it...someone dropped it. I've found 3 different cell-phones at places. People drop things.
Oh, and one time I found a perfect Dell laptop in the middle of the street at like 3am in the morning. It booted and there wasn't a scratch on it. I turned it into the police. Hey, it's not mine. I'm not trying to be Mr. Morality here or anything, but it's just one of those things. I also had my 13 year old son I'm trying to instill SOME values into.
Yeah, I've been ridiculed by some people I know for turning it in. "Man, I woulda kept it...that's so stupid, turning it in. Free computer dude." Well, that's not me I guess.
Did you misread my post?
I'd have returned it too.
I'd have also posted a picture on MacRumors. Or sold it to Gizmodo.
Me too.
So you assume that I am dishonest because it is Apple's fault that the phone was lost? I do NOT condone what the idiot who found it did, let's get that straight; my point is that Apple is not just the victim here. They were STUPID and careless.
Agreed. There is some spectulation that someone did try to get it back to Apple - to no avail.
Again you are assuming I am dishonest which I am not. I have a conscience, I have a daughter and I always try to do the right thing whether people are watching or not.
Redmond isn't the competition to watch out for these days in the smart phone business... Mountain View is.
The moral point that everybody is choosing to ignore is this:
The guy found a phone at a bar that looked just like a regular 3G iPhone. And he took it home.
He didn't do it because he thought it was a fancy prototype. He didn't do it because he was excited. He did it, so his story goes, when he thought it was just a run of the mill phone.
He did it when he knew, like any of us, the guy that lost it could very well come back to the bar looking for it. Hell, the guy could have come back that night.
When he took it, he was straight up stealing somebody's phone that they'd misplaced. No special circumstances involved.
The guy found a phone at a bar that looked just like a regular 3G iPhone. And he took it home.
He didn't do it because he thought it was a fancy prototype. He didn't do it because he was excited. He did it, so his story goes, when he thought it was just a run of the mill phone.
He did it when he knew, like any of us, the guy that lost it could very well come back to the bar looking for it. Hell, the guy could have come back that night.
When he took it, he was straight up stealing somebody's phone that they'd misplaced. No special circumstances involved.
Nice justification. "Hey, I turn this in, it just disappears. Not gonna do that! I think I'll keep it, look it over for a while. You know..to help. Hey, could give the bartender my phone number and have him give it to whoever calls looking for it....nah".
Yes, when I find a phone or device that I can't identify, I always think of Gizmodo or Engadget to give it to. Wouldn't ever think about turning it into the police...get a receipt for it to where I can follow up on it. Nah...
But he didn't.
You're probably right. We still don't know everything yet...but I think it will all come down to just poor judgement on everyone's part. Also, it may be the guy was "talked into" taking the money by his goofball friends...the "3rd party" friends that actually contacted Gizmodo. I'm just speculating, but it probably just came down to "DUDE, they want to pay you 5 G's for it man! Take it!".
Probably not. Because Apple probably would have given you $$ or swag in exchange for signing an NDA, while simultaneously informing you of the Uniform Trade Secret Act.
"But your Honor Gizmodo told me it would be okay! I only accepted the $5,000 because I thought this was the best thing I could do!"
Okay so that's not a direct quote but that's basically what he's saying!
LMFAO how can anyone feel sorry for this moron. Gimme a break.
Okay so that's not a direct quote but that's basically what he's saying!
LMFAO how can anyone feel sorry for this moron. Gimme a break.
Posting a picture is stupid?
If you returned the phone, and posted a bunch of photos of it on MacRumors, you wouldn't have broken any laws.
We are not the dense one's here.
The dense one's are those who think that crime is OK.
It is people like you that have let the world get in to the mess it is in, no morals or honesty.
It is typical to try to blame someone else.
Losing the phone was not a deliberate act, it was a mistake.
Taking it, not returning it to the owner and then selling it was a DELIBERATE act.
There is a very big difference in how these two individuals acted.
Normally if I found something I'd report it to the police (certainly not "the bartender", unless I know him well). They'd tell me to hold onto it and, after 4 weeks, I'd get to keep it if no-one claimed it. At least that's how it works in England.
But I might make an exception for Apple, since they like to think they lead by example, and when Jobs was the age of this young man he was making money stealing 'phone service. His activities also reached the technical press.
But I might make an exception for Apple, since they like to think they lead by example, and when Jobs was the age of this young man he was making money stealing 'phone service. His activities also reached the technical press.
Yes. I agree. Plus, he had the engineer's name from the Facebook app. Instead of trying to contact him or even calling Apple tech support himself, he did nothing. It's hard to make a case for a "good faith effort" to return the phone when he didn't leave it at the bar, call the bar, contact Gray Powell, contact the police, leave it at an Apple store with a manager, or call Apple tech support himself. I'm curious if the friend even called Apple tech support.
ruining a persons life through legal troubles (by FINDING their prototype, not deliberately stealing it) is enough reason to say apple is in the wrong!!!!! the guy was in the wrong as well, but two wrongs dont make a right.
shame on apple, they dont care about peoples well being really, they care about not losing money, making more money... buussiiineeesssss as usual.
apple messed up by letting one loose in the wild, letting their engineer take it out in public.
If I was this person, I (and MANNNY OTHERS) would have done the same thing...
gizmodo = bonafide purchaser? not exactly... but definitely shouldn't suffer criminal punishment either...
edit: this should be only a civil case, not a criminal one. and because of that, i say, screw you apple. It makes me sad b/c i love their products so much, but makes me really reluctant to buy another one (i dont want to help out their business after this fiasco)
I was trying to tie it into their older promo material, and I thought if it wasn't Redmond it wouldn't be as easily gotten. And now I see I had two ideas crossed and made a nonsensical sentence. Whoops.
NOW we're talking!
everyone on here should just agree now that if any of us ever find a cool apple prototype, we'll post pictures on macrumors first.
and then give it back to apple.
but post photos here first, for all your macrumors friends!
now let's all promise....
A criminal if I have ever seen one.
Just another normal person who found a strange phone, but lets hang him just for kicks. Right fanboys.
Are you serious? Do you really believe that phone design isn't known by most people in the world ? Strange phone my.........
This "kid" knew damn good and well it was something special.
It said iPhone on the back.
No, it's all our fault for buying Apple products and keeping them in business.
P.S. Keep up the slander/libel. You're only building your own mountain of evidence.
Are you a total mad man?
Yes they lost the phone, but that is NOT a crime!!
Taking it, and then selling it IS a crime!!!
God forbid you lose your wallet, it would please me no end if the person who found it never returned it to you, after all you lost it. If they abused your credit card, spent your cash and sold your drivers license that would all be OK as far as you are concerned because the fault in all this is down you you, after all you lost the wallet. The person who found it clearly did not commit a crime by spending all your money, no problem at all.
Just because you would've done it too doesn't make it a good thing to do. It just means you're just as ignorant about the law.
Well, you're probably right. He probably did just find it...but we don't know yet. Hence the INVESTIGATION. Right? No lives have been ruined yet. Everyone's lawyered up and the'll get to the bottom of the whole silly mess. Or are you one that thinks that this shouldn't even be investigated?
Ignorance to the criminality of an act does not change the definition of the offense.
No, it is up the finder to make adequate attempts to return the property. This guy clearly did not do this. A crime committed by a 21 year old is as much a crime as if it were committed by a 50 year old. 21 is old enough not to be an idiot.
Okay, imagine that you lost a wallet in the bar and I "found" it and then sold your personal information for money. No one should be blamed except you, right? Do I understand you correctly?
It isn't 'just a friggin phone'. It represents trade secrets that are worth millions. And Apple could lose money through lost sales of the current generation models and by competitors getting early access to Apple's design. It is indeed bad, all because someone decided not to follow the law.
"Just another normal person who found a strange phone, but lets hang him just for kicks."
sure, for kicks... or maybe for selling something that didn't belong to him, as directly supported by california law.
but kicks are good too.
sure, for kicks... or maybe for selling something that didn't belong to him, as directly supported by california law.
but kicks are good too.