Got a tip for us?
Let us know
Become a MacRumors Supporter for $50/year with no ads, ability to filter front page stories, and private forums.
Police Seize Gizmodo Editor's Computers and Other Property Related to Lost Next-Generation iPhone
- Thread starter G4R2
- Start date
- Sort by reaction score
Firing the employee would essentially admit to people that it wasn't just a prototype in an odd case but the upcoming iPhone. Also, Gizmodo made his name public- now there's some public sympathy for the guy.
And you expect Apple to test the phone in a faraday cage? You have to test a device like a cell phone outside of your own building eventually...
Committing a possible crime in a city that has a special task force specific to the crime involved is a bad idea? The SWAT team was just itching for someone to screw up.
How is this Apple's fault? Chen had stolen property. At least know what you're talking about...
All big firms do have a clause to report to police any missing company owned laptops, phone etc. Not necessarily stolen, even missing one. I have a company laptop , and I do have to report to local authority if I lost it somewhere.
Apparently under the same rock as you, running around with your "Trade Secrets" in plain view is gross negligence.
Actually any ADULT with a lick of common sense wouldn't of lost a prototype of the phone like that. Mistakes happen yes? But this is just plain stupidity. For some reason you think it's apples fault and it is not. If it was me i damn sure wouldn't of put myself in a situtation like this.
This was a perfectly reasonable response, given that the aforementioned prototype phone had industry secrets, like teleportation, shrink ray, levitation, brain scanners, the password to the nation's nukes, and--
Oh what? No? It was just the same exact goddamn phone as the last three models?
Oh what? No? It was just the same exact goddamn phone as the last three models?
Personally I think there is much more to this story. IMO, the Apple Engineer was "set up" in some manner. The amount for the phone was prearranged. Only my opinion, no proof. Just seems to be getting very big very quickly. Apple and the police know some things we are not even close to.
Inventory Listing
I'm assuming Apple knows exactly what is and isn't missing.
On the assumption that they aren't missing any other future prototypes this would be seen as fairly vindictive.
On the assumption they are missing something and that's why they ordered the search- what are they missing??
Or is this just procedure to see if the guy has stolen anything else?
I'm assuming Apple knows exactly what is and isn't missing.
On the assumption that they aren't missing any other future prototypes this would be seen as fairly vindictive.
On the assumption they are missing something and that's why they ordered the search- what are they missing??
Or is this just procedure to see if the guy has stolen anything else?
That may be true, but was the property stolen?
Did the one finding the phone take steps to return it to the owner? That is the real question. And even if the phone is deemed stolen, now they're issuing a search warrant for what?
If those phone was not stolen, the referenced laws apply.
In this case, Gawker wins. No doubt.
Here are my sources.
1.
2.
The theft of that phone has to be one of the better documented thefts on record now.
It'll be up to the DA.
Prototype device, trade secrets. But seriously, it was stolen. Felony was committed.
I don't think this in any way harmed America.
I don't think it hurt Apple much either
. Like honestly, who did it hurt? HTC already had most of these features. People who "wait to buy a new iphone" will still buy a new iphone.And stop feeling sorry for that Engineer. He messed up. Big time. Rule #1: Don't drink and use a top secret prototype iPhone.
Somehow methinks us popcorn-munchers aren't getting the full nuanced story.
If you get what you KNOW beyond any doubt is a major industry prototype about to spawn billions of dollars in revenue, and the company/owner says "nope, not ours", you don't just respond with a chipper "oh, ok" and publish the details expecting nothing ill to come of it.
I think it all hinges on the value of the item stolen.
You "lose" a $1 million phone, then ya, I think the police would get pretty involved.
The value of the lost iPhone is far more than $5000. And there is some debate surrounding the circumstances of the loss.
arn
Except that the items seized were not stolen.
Except legally, they are considered such under the California penal code.
Calling Applecare when the employee had a public Facebook (hidden info, but you can send a message to him without being his friend, Gizmodo shows this in their own screenshot) is not a reasonable step to attempt return and establish legal abandonment.
Trade secrets are invaluable. I remember when someone (an employee) of the oil company i worked for sold trade secrets to another company, pretty much the same thing happened. He was prosecuted and lord knows what else. No one heard much about it (or him) after that.