'Test Model' iPad Stolen During Robbery and Kidnapping at Cupertino Home [Updated]

[MacRumors]

An iPad "test model" was one of the stolen items during a robbery and kidnapping at a Cupertino home earlier this month, reports the San Jose Mercury News. It's unclear whether the test device was for a previous iPad model or a future one.

The robbers took the device, along with electronics, prescription drugs and cash valued at $7,500, from a Cupertino home during an incident in which a 20-year-old man was kidnapped and robbed after answering a woman's online advertisement.

The Santa Clara County District Attorney's Office has arrested the two suspected robbers, who took the items and forced the victim into their car before driving three-quarters of a mile and releasing him. The victim contacted the sheriff's department five days later and the case is still being investigated. The test iPad has not yet been found.

Apple has had test devices stolen in the past, with the most famous example being the test iPhone 4 that was lost in a Bay Area bar before being found by someone and sold to a reporter for $5,000. The reporter then posted images and a breakdown of the new device before returning it to Apple. After that, the reporter's house was raided by authorities and his computers and other property were seized.

Update: According to iMore, the stolen iPad was an "outdated model or test device", not a prototype of an unreleased device.

Article Link: 'Test Model' iPad Stolen During Robbery and Kidnapping at Cupertino Home [Updated]

 

[VelfarreClubber]

The robbers took the device, along with electronics, prescription drugs and cash valued at $7,500, from a Cupertino home during an incident in which a 20-year-old man was kidnapped and robbed after answering a woman's online advertisement.

All he wanted was some booty!

 

[ugcop]

This should be easy to find. Look for a prostitute carrying an iPad Pro with a MacBook motherboard and running a full operating system.

 

[Prof.]

Clearly the stolen iPad is a bigger story than a kidnapping victim.

 

[TMRJIJ]

So want? Are we looking for a prototype iPad Air 3 or iPad Pro?
The victim should give us a description.

 

[Reason077]

Could one of Apple's competitors be behind this?

If (let's say) Samsung somehow knew that a future iPad prototype was at this property, could we put it past them - or some shadowy middle man - to arrange to have it stolen and made to look like a random break in?

After all, having a few months advance knowledge of Apple's designs would potentially be worth tens or hundreds of millions in extra sales to an electronics giant which is known to have, shall we say, "loose morals".

 

[emcampbe]

Can't they just locate the device, and remotely wipe it, with Find my iPad?

 

[BruiserBear]

Responded to a woman's online advertisement? Doesn't report being kidnapped for 5 days?

Hmm....

 

[dampfnudel]

I'm curious who owns that home that was robbed in Cupertino?

1,000th post!!!

 

[7thson]

He waited 5 days to tell the cops? Did he have to check in with Apple first? Did they then do their own investigation and come up with nothing and then instruct him to call the cops?

 

[japanime]

Clearly the stolen iPad is a bigger story than a kidnapping victim.

I had the same thought when I read the headline.

Ugh.

 

[7thson]

Could one of Apple's competitors be behind this?

If (let's say) Samsung somehow knew that a future iPad prototype was at this property, could we put it past them - or some shadowy middle man - to arrange to have it stolen and made to look like a random break in?

After all, having a few months advance knowledge of Apple's designs would potentially be worth tens or hundreds of millions in extra sales to an electronics giant which is known to have, shall we say, "loose morals".

Samsung to the two hoodlums: Make it look real! Kidnap him and steal his prescription meds. Oh, and the iPad. Don't forget the iPad.

Hoodlums: You want us to rough him up a bit?

Samsung: No no no! He will be so traumatized from the kidnapping, he won't call the cops for 5 days! By then, we will all be on a different continent. Mu ah ha ha ha ha!

 

[Zedcars]

The Santa Clara County District Attorney's Office has*arrested the two suspected robbers, who took the items and forced the victim into their car before driving three-quarters of a mile and releasing him. The victim contacted the sheriff's department five days later and the case is still being investigated.

The victim waited 5 whole days before reporting it?! Something wrong there...

 

[Batman89]

Careful with the Escorts! Glad to hear the dude is (apparently) ok.

To be 20 years old and work for Apple. Wow.

Obviously the person here is talented and smart, not just for working for Apple but even having test devices in his home.

But a 20 year-old man is still a 20 year-old (young and horny) man. Always a risk (to himself and his company).

 

[Crzyrio]

Could one of Apple's competitors be behind this?

If (let's say) Samsung somehow knew that a future iPad prototype was at this property, could we put it past them - or some shadowy middle man - to arrange to have it stolen and made to look like a random break in?

After all, having a few months advance knowledge of Apple's designs would potentially be worth tens or hundreds of millions in extra sales to an electronics giant which is known to have, shall we say, "loose morals".

Apple could design the best product ever, give it to Samsung to sell and they would still sit on shelves.

When Apple sells us a product, they are selling us a lot more than just a piece of hardware.

 

[Westside guy]

Obviously the person here is talented and smart, not just for working for Apple but even having test devices in his home.

Hmm, I don't think I'd describe him as "smart"...

 

[PilotTiny]

To be honest if it was I who came across a prototype Apple product, I would make the journey to Cupertino to return it. Hate dishonest people

 

[phoey1]

Probably the father/mother who worked for Apple

 

[Alenore]

Could one of Apple's competitors be behind this?

If (let's say) Samsung somehow knew that a future iPad prototype was at this property, could we put it past them - or some shadowy middle man - to arrange to have it stolen and made to look like a random break in?

After all, having a few months advance knowledge of Apple's designs would potentially be worth tens or hundreds of millions in extra sales to an electronics giant which is known to have, shall we say, "loose morals".

Could we put past Apple to have actually staged that whole thing just to have people talking about the iPad, how everyone wants it and make people Samsung actually did it ?

Seriously, how retarded can some people be ? We're soon all going to have to wear tinfoil hats to shield from conspiracy theorist corrupted brainwaves.

 

[Makosuke]

Obviously the person here is talented and smart...

I think the dude lost the "smart" half of that platitude pretty conclusively when he waited five days to report getting kidnapped and having several thousand dollars of stuff stolen, including a potentially ridiculously valuable industrial prototype.

I'll give him a pass on the Craigslist ad, since he theoretically could have just been trying to score some weed or sell his old MacBook, and even if not while it's not the smartest thing in the world to do you still don't usually plan on getting rolled and kidnapped. But when you then wait nearly a week to report it...

 

[Reason077]

I think the dude lost the "smart" half of that platitude pretty conclusively when he waited five days to report getting kidnapped and having several thousand dollars of stuff stolen, including a potentially ridiculously valuable industrial prototype.

No doubt he was pretty embarrassed at having been ripped off by an escort and her pimp boyfriend. I might think twice about reporting a theft in such circumstances too. Until my employer started wondering where the potentially ridiculously valuable prototype iPad was.

 

[H2SO4]

Could one of Apple's competitors be behind this?

If (let's say) Samsung somehow knew that a future iPad prototype was at this property, could we put it past them - or some shadowy middle man - to arrange to have it stolen and made to look like a random break in?

After all, having a few months advance knowledge of Apple's designs would potentially be worth tens or hundreds of millions in extra sales to an electronics giant which is known to have, shall we say, "loose morals".

I think that the Samsung Galaxy S27 Traverser has time travel capabilities and they have come back to alter the past and thusly the future. If you look at Pickard he was using one of the Samsung prototypes in Star Trek NextGen.

Sound far fetched a little? So does the drivel you wrote.

 

[ninjadex]

This is a pretty big screw-up by this young man. Can't imagine Apple's security team will take this lightly. This a step above leaving a phone in a bar or something. This shows a big character flaw that's now put his job performance in serious jeopardy, assuming he works for Apple to begin with.

 

[H2SO4]

To be honest if it was I who came across a prototype Apple product, I would make the journey to Cupertino to return it. Hate dishonest people

Jesus I wouldn’t. I’d email TC and let him come and pick it up or send me tickets to get there.
Wow, all the way there to return it off your own back, what did Roy Castle say?
Dedi kay shuuuun. Ooohh Dedi kay shuuuun, Dedi kay shu-un that’s whatcha need….

 

[iZac]

It took this poor guy 5 days to figure out how to tell his boss that he was trying to get laid and the consequences of how that failed so miserably.

And like others have said - kidnapping and robbery is the headline here, not "iPad stolen"