Apple searching for another missing prototype left in SF bar
Apple is urgently working with police to recover another missing iPhone prototype, this time left in a bar in San Francisco's Mission District.
The new prototype went missing at the end of July, according to a report by CNET.
Apple's security team scrambled to find and recover the missing device to avoid a replay of the embarrassing incident that occured shortly before the launch of iPhone 4, when a similarly misplaced advanced prototype was found and ended up in the hands of Gizmodo, which paid the finders $5,000 and subsequently published photos of the device just prior to its official unveiling.
Two of the individuals allegedly involved with finding and fencing the stolen iPhone 4 prototype last year, Brian Hogan and Sage Wallower, have been charged with misappropriation of lost property and possession of stolen property, but the San Mateo County district attorney's office decided that arguing a case against Gizmodo would be too much work.
Searching for the missing iPhone 5
Apple tracked the location of the missing prototype from the Cava22 bar on 22nd Street in the Mission (pictured below) to a house in San Francisco's nearby Bernal Heights neighborhood. Company representatives contacted police asking for help in recovering the device, which Apple reportedly described as "priceless."
Police questioned a man in his early twenties at the location, and while admitting he had been at the bar said he did not have the prototype or know anything about it. He allowed police to search the house for the device, but nothing was found.
Apple's representatives reportedly offered the man a cash reward for its recovery with "no questions asked," but the man continued to report no knowledge of the device.
Apple never filed a police report detailing the loss (which would have made any reported details of the device public), and has apparently still not recovered the phone. The report noted that the prototype may have been sold on Craigslist for $200, but neither Apple nor Craigslist would comment on the matter.
The new prototype went missing at the end of July, according to a report by CNET.
Apple's security team scrambled to find and recover the missing device to avoid a replay of the embarrassing incident that occured shortly before the launch of iPhone 4, when a similarly misplaced advanced prototype was found and ended up in the hands of Gizmodo, which paid the finders $5,000 and subsequently published photos of the device just prior to its official unveiling.
Two of the individuals allegedly involved with finding and fencing the stolen iPhone 4 prototype last year, Brian Hogan and Sage Wallower, have been charged with misappropriation of lost property and possession of stolen property, but the San Mateo County district attorney's office decided that arguing a case against Gizmodo would be too much work.
Searching for the missing iPhone 5
Apple tracked the location of the missing prototype from the Cava22 bar on 22nd Street in the Mission (pictured below) to a house in San Francisco's nearby Bernal Heights neighborhood. Company representatives contacted police asking for help in recovering the device, which Apple reportedly described as "priceless."
Police questioned a man in his early twenties at the location, and while admitting he had been at the bar said he did not have the prototype or know anything about it. He allowed police to search the house for the device, but nothing was found.
Apple's representatives reportedly offered the man a cash reward for its recovery with "no questions asked," but the man continued to report no knowledge of the device.
Apple never filed a police report detailing the loss (which would have made any reported details of the device public), and has apparently still not recovered the phone. The report noted that the prototype may have been sold on Craigslist for $200, but neither Apple nor Craigslist would comment on the matter.
Comments
Jesus, this is quite a screw-up. How many people do they have to fire before they can get rid of the careless drunks from their payrolls?
Exactly.
edit: Now there is an article. I see what AI did.
http://news.cnet.com/8301-13579_3-20...one-exclusive/
I don't know, but Apple may want to update their usage policy for field testers to prohibit taking prototypes into bars.
Apple electronically traced the phone to a two-floor, single-family home in San Francisco's Bernal Heights neighborhood, according to the source.
When San Francisco police and Apple's investigators visited the house, they spoke with a man in his twenties who acknowledged being at Cava 22 on the night the device went missing. But he denied knowing anything about the phone. The man gave police permission to search the house, and they found nothing, the source said. Before leaving the house, the Apple employees offered the man money for the phone no questions asked, the source said, adding that the man continued to deny he had knowledge of the phone.
I am guessing that they used FindMyiPhone to trace it and it was turned off at some point. I wonder if the prototypes might be periodically transmitting their location in the background, allowing Apple to know it's last location prior to being turned off. Relying on it being left on in order to trace it once it is discovered and reported to be missing seems like it would be too much after the fact to do much good.
iPad 3?
next gen macbook pro?
iphone 5?
Look! I just wrote a longer article that DED!!!!!
Last year, Phone lost in April, released in June. This year lost in July, released in Sept? (fingers crossed!!)
Maybe it was just a Samsung phone that looked like an iPhone.
Yeah, and Apple is looking for it.
This is getting ridiculous.
Apple is urgently working with police to recover another missing prototype, this time left in a bar in San Francisco's Mission District.
Forget about carjacks, assaults, or missing children. This is important! Apple lost an iPhone.
I am angry that they allow the WS shsyters to continue to play with the PPS. I hope samsung gets this one and makes makes a copy and releases it before apple does. With the way litigation works, it will be years before apple gets compensated.
I don't understand why apple cannot just come clean as to how well iphone and ipads are selling. Instead of downplaying their sales, I believe it is their fiduciary responsibility to update sales projections if they are greater than what they reported in the last Q report.
Maybe if samsung takes the thunder out of apple, management and the BOD would be more responsive to attacks on the stock price.
Like all large organizations, it's basically impossible to prevent people from doing stupid things, or have nefarious or unlucky things happen. It's amazing Apple is able to keep things secret for so long, and basically all the way to within a few weeks of public unveiling.
This is what happens when apple takes its time to release a product they are well prepared to have already launched.
I am angry that they allow the WS shsyters to continue to play with the PPS. I hope samsung gets this one and makes makes a copy and releases it before apple does. With the way litigation works, it will be years before apple gets compensated.
I don't understand why apple cannot just come clean as to how well iphone and ipads are selling. Instead of downplaying their sales, I believe it is their fiduciary responsibility to update sales projections if they are greater than what they reported in the last Q report.
Maybe if samsung takes the thunder out of apple, management and the BOD would be more responsive to attacks on the stock price.
?????????????????
Good to see the police getting involved. You know who to call next time you're inept enough to keep your cellphone secure.
Oops, nevermind, that doesn't make sense...stupid brain...