Nokia turns to Russian police to recover lost prototype smartphone
In a move similar to the ongoing investigation of a "missing" iPhone 4 unit involving Apple and Gizmodo, Nokia has contacted Russian police in an effort to regain a prototype smartphone from a blogger who leaked details of the device.
The Wall Street Journal published a report this week detailing Nokia's attempts to recover a prototype N8 smartphone from Russian blogger Eldar Murtazin. In April, the Moscow-based blogger published a preview on his blog Mobile Review, critiquing the handset a day before Nokia officially announced the device, due to be released in the third quarter of this year.
The Finland-based communications company turned to the police after its requests to Murtazin for the return of the device went unanswered.
According to the Journal, Murtazin claimed in an interview that he "was given the prototype by a source he declined to identify." He has claimed he attempted to contact Nokia in recent months, but no longer has the phone in his possession.
"I can never give back to Nokia anything I don't have," he reportedly said.
The blogger also denied that he had worked as a consultant for Samsung, a claim that Nokia made on its corporate blog. Murtazin said he was "contacted Wednesday by the Russian Interior Ministry's economic-crimes department" and had agreed with officials on Friday.
The incident closely mirrors a recent dispute between Apple and the technology blog Gizmodo over a lost iPhone 4 prototype. In April, Jason Chen, an editor for Gizmodo, published pictures and details confirming the design and specs of the then unreleased iPhone 4.
It was later revealed that the blog, owned by Gawker Media, had paid $5,000 for an exclusive hands-on look at the hardware. A week after the leak, California authorities seized several computers and servers from Chen's residence.
In both the Nokia and Apple incidents, the corporations have publicly highlighted their efforts to retrieve the prototypes and resorted to legal and official channels to continue their quest, while the bloggers assert that they made numerous attempts to return the devices to the companies. Although both investigations are ongoing, they have ignited controversy online and in the press, with many analysts viewing the resolution as having broad implications for journalists and bloggers alike.
Speaking on the Gizmodo incident at the All Things D conference in early June, Apple Chief Executive Steve Jobs said some people advised him to take no action in the incident. But Jobs said he feels as though Apple would not be the same company, and he would not be the same person, if he were to let such incidents occur without recourse. Jobs, at the conference, asserted that the prototype was stolen, and Gizmodo engaged in extortion in returning the device to Apple.
"I thought deeply about this, and I ended up concluding that the worst thing that could possibly happen as we get big and we get a little more influence in the world is if we change our core values and start letting it slide," Jobs said. "I can't do that. I'd rather quit."
The Wall Street Journal published a report this week detailing Nokia's attempts to recover a prototype N8 smartphone from Russian blogger Eldar Murtazin. In April, the Moscow-based blogger published a preview on his blog Mobile Review, critiquing the handset a day before Nokia officially announced the device, due to be released in the third quarter of this year.
The Finland-based communications company turned to the police after its requests to Murtazin for the return of the device went unanswered.
According to the Journal, Murtazin claimed in an interview that he "was given the prototype by a source he declined to identify." He has claimed he attempted to contact Nokia in recent months, but no longer has the phone in his possession.
"I can never give back to Nokia anything I don't have," he reportedly said.
The blogger also denied that he had worked as a consultant for Samsung, a claim that Nokia made on its corporate blog. Murtazin said he was "contacted Wednesday by the Russian Interior Ministry's economic-crimes department" and had agreed with officials on Friday.
The incident closely mirrors a recent dispute between Apple and the technology blog Gizmodo over a lost iPhone 4 prototype. In April, Jason Chen, an editor for Gizmodo, published pictures and details confirming the design and specs of the then unreleased iPhone 4.
It was later revealed that the blog, owned by Gawker Media, had paid $5,000 for an exclusive hands-on look at the hardware. A week after the leak, California authorities seized several computers and servers from Chen's residence.
In both the Nokia and Apple incidents, the corporations have publicly highlighted their efforts to retrieve the prototypes and resorted to legal and official channels to continue their quest, while the bloggers assert that they made numerous attempts to return the devices to the companies. Although both investigations are ongoing, they have ignited controversy online and in the press, with many analysts viewing the resolution as having broad implications for journalists and bloggers alike.
Speaking on the Gizmodo incident at the All Things D conference in early June, Apple Chief Executive Steve Jobs said some people advised him to take no action in the incident. But Jobs said he feels as though Apple would not be the same company, and he would not be the same person, if he were to let such incidents occur without recourse. Jobs, at the conference, asserted that the prototype was stolen, and Gizmodo engaged in extortion in returning the device to Apple.
"I thought deeply about this, and I ended up concluding that the worst thing that could possibly happen as we get big and we get a little more influence in the world is if we change our core values and start letting it slide," Jobs said. "I can't do that. I'd rather quit."
Comments
It's hard to be impressed with what passes for innovation at Nokia.
The difference, of course, is that 'innovation' in the Nokia sense probably means that it was the same, old clunky phone as the previous one but they painted it yellow instead of blue.
It's hard to be impressed with what passes for innovation at Nokia.
Sometimes I hope Nokia could stop "innovating", because their version of innovating really is just putting things in different places.
I have 2 Nokia dumb phones, and software on both of them are totally different for no good reason.
The difference, of course, is that 'innovation' in the Nokia sense probably means that it was the same, old clunky phone as the previous one but they painted it yellow instead of blue.
It's hard to be impressed with what passes for innovation at Nokia.
Why not click on the link and view the pictures?
... In both the Nokia and Apple incidents, the corporations have publicly highlighted their efforts to retrieve the prototypes and resorted to legal and official channels to continue their quest, while the bloggers assert that they made numerous attempts to return the devices to the companies. ...
Should you really be publishing this when it's been proven beyond a shadow of a doubt that it isn't actually true in the Gizmodo case?
Sure, that's what Gizmodo and the guy that stole the phone *said*, but it's already been proven to be a lie. Why confuse the issue and compound the rumors and bad feelings by repeating something that is known to be false?
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xrXHXin9Iio
Why not click on the link and view the pictures?
I did.
It came out in 2005. They took the zero off the N80.
Should you really be publishing this when it's been proven beyond a shadow of a doubt that it isn't actually true in the Gizmodo case?
Sure, that's what Gizmodo and the guy that stole the phone *said*, but it's already been proven to be a lie. Why confuse the issue and compound the rumors and bad feelings by repeating something that is known to be false?
Exactly. With the iPhone prototype there was never any effort made to contact Apple. The first story was that he had tried to contact Apple, but after he was busted, his official statement from his attorney was that "one of his friends offered to call AppleCare". There was no mention if that friend ever made the call, meaning the chances it actually happened are slim to nil.
In America, when you lose a phone you call the police. In Russia, when you find a phone the police lose YOU! What a country.
Hmm. While I appreciate the somewhat stale humor, at this point of time I see no difference in the police actions in the US and Russia.
As for that Russian blogger, I seem to remember him involved in some other obscure phone-related scandals over the years, and bickering with other phone-related bloggers.
Why not click on the link and view the pictures?
I agree with your comment, he was spot on with his comment, since when I looked at the Nokia 'new' smartphone, it was the same old same old. Nothing new in terms of design and would not cause me to drop my iPhone 3GS and buy new phone, when it is released in India.
The fun part of the story is that Nokia doesn't know what equipment Murtazin has got. No one of N8 has been stolen
Das Gizmodo?
In America, when you lose a phone you call the police. In Russia, when you find a phone the police lose YOU! What a country.
Just what I was thinking.
Anyone want to place bets that when Nokia's phone reappears Eldar Murtazin will be the one missing?
Although it might take Russian police a little while to get to this one. They've got ten busted spies to "process" first....
(Sorry, I just had to do it...