<strong>Has there been a thread yet that has addressed the fact that if the iWalk is real, why hasn't Apple legal stepped in yet?</strong><hr></blockquote>
Yeah, it's curious.
The Germany thing might have something to do with it -- wouldn't Apple have to contact people in Apple Germany (which is a much smaller market, btw) and try to force them to take down the pictures via German law... who knows how long that would take.
You might note that spymac *didn't* take down their 10.2 pictures, by the way. So the former might be it.
Another notion is that not removing the pictures seems to do Apple's work for them -- the general concensus seems to be that it's a fake.
We may never know if it's a fake or not. Even if it's not introduced on Monday, the iWalk can still very well exist as an actual functioning Apple prototype. That thing is real. No doubt. It may be a hacked Newton or a fullscreen movie running on a redesigned pocket PC, but it's real.
That thing is the ultimate education tool. Forget HWR for taking notes during class if you can record a lecture. You could keep 4 years of lectures recorded in mono 64k mp3s. it just better have an infrared transmitter to zap notes a'la palm and be compatible.
Of course, all things said, the important question remains ... Can I play games on that?!?!
If they had been thinking properly they would have put the site up for four or five hours, enought to get the pictures and the videos out, and then shut down claiming apple legal action...
had they done that it would have been a supremely well executed hoax...
Update - 01/03/02: By legal request, we have removed all iWalk footage from our server. Sorry everyone, but we held out as long as we could.
We were asked by many readers why this latest iWalk does not look like the first one we presented. The answer is simple: The footage you just saw was real. The first one was not... although it's a bit more complicated than that. The first picture we presented was a mock-up based on information we were told. This information concentrated on the technical aspects of the device and provided little data regarding the visual attributes of the unit. The initial information and the video came from the same source.
Regarding those who found fault in the footage: you were looking too hard. Our source said he/she had a good laugh reading through the "evidence" suggesting that the video was doctored. As far we know, the video(s) was real.
So will we see this released on Monday? Judging from the video, no way. The unit seems to still be in a testing phase - how else can one explain the large "wheel" at the bottom of the unit and the obtrusive port at the top? Indeed, it could be speculated that the "iWalk" exists in many different forms which are currently being evaluated (thus the reason why our source originally described the unit as looking completely different). Designs evolve over time.
Finally, regarding where the video was filmed: we don't know, but please consider the following:
Every step was taken to ensure that the source of the video could not be easily identified. German voices in the background and a seemingly deliberately-planted (foreign) electrical socket makes the origin questionable.. and the source safe.
Apple legal may have actually asked them to remove the pics and video--though not because the device is real. Their phoney-baloney handheld had a prominent Apple logo. I believe on the basis of that, Apple could demand the images & vid be removed.
Amazing how quickly they went from being unsure to certain the device wouldn't make an appearance at Macworld. Funny that.
They covered their asses mighty well. Now they say it won't be released? One way they could KNOW that is if this were a hoax.
However it's very plausible that this "iWalk" was a prototype from Apple. I'm sure that even though Jobs has no plans to release a PDA, there are still PDA prototypes at Apple, for the sake of R&D. Apple never knows when one may be needed, in the case of the market changing or whatever.
I also enjoyed their explanation of the foreign electric socket and audible German being spoken in the background. If, as they say, these are tricks they're using to disguise the identity of their source...why would they point out the things they falsified? Seems like a pretty dumb idea to me if you actually had someone to protect.
This fakery stuff is too much. I had to finally register to comment on this. Who in the world would waste so much time creating this as a red herring? To get some email addresses to sell? To get a CG job? PLEASE! Anyone remember the "Mac OS X 1.0 secret post-release speedup download?" Did we learn nothing? Whatever we saw in that video was as real as the day is long. Whether Apple releases it or not, no sane person would spend as much time creating a CGI fakery as those here have critiquing it. It may not be a soon-to-be-released Apple product, but give me a break!
Have you seen Applele.com? Have you seen the renderings that have been posted here? Have you seen all the time people have spent discussing this? Have you seen the postings that appear seconds after midnight and the new Apple Macworld teaser is up? People are passionate about Apple.
Why do people spend time and energy writing viruses? Why do people spend time and energy creating flash animations like the "all your base are belong to us" one? Because they have the time. Because they have the drive. Because they enjoy it.
Hell, I've seen halloween costumes that probably required more time, money and effort than what was required to orchestrate this fakery. Your argument is weak.
<strong>I just went to Spymac. Bunch of worthless hoax, looks like to me. Apple would have quashed it already if there was any truth to it.</strong><hr></blockquote>
Not sure.... I had a cease and desist on my site once.... I posted the info on midnight and they sent me the cease and desist at nearly 6pm the next day, when the info was really known on the net (some other sites published it....). I waited till 10 pm to remove it.... It stayed online for almost a day.... That is exactly what happened for the iwalk
Comments
<strong>Has there been a thread yet that has addressed the fact that if the iWalk is real, why hasn't Apple legal stepped in yet?</strong><hr></blockquote>
Yeah, it's curious.
The Germany thing might have something to do with it -- wouldn't Apple have to contact people in Apple Germany (which is a much smaller market, btw) and try to force them to take down the pictures via German law... who knows how long that would take.
You might note that spymac *didn't* take down their 10.2 pictures, by the way. So the former might be it.
Another notion is that not removing the pictures seems to do Apple's work for them -- the general concensus seems to be that it's a fake.
I have a feeling otherwise, though...
That thing is the ultimate education tool. Forget HWR for taking notes during class if you can record a lecture. You could keep 4 years of lectures recorded in mono 64k mp3s. it just better have an infrared transmitter to zap notes a'la palm and be compatible.
Of course, all things said, the important question remains ... Can I play games on that?!?!
had they done that it would have been a supremely well executed hoax...
sadly they must recieve a
[ 01-04-2002: Message edited by: erbium ]</p>
<strong>Thirteen Pages within two days!? This is crazy! :eek:
[ 01-04-2002: Message edited by: erbium ]</strong><hr></blockquote>
Around 26+ hours...
-Paul
[quote]Spymac.com:
Update - 01/03/02: By legal request, we have removed all iWalk footage from our server. Sorry everyone, but we held out as long as we could.
We were asked by many readers why this latest iWalk does not look like the first one we presented. The answer is simple: The footage you just saw was real. The first one was not... although it's a bit more complicated than that. The first picture we presented was a mock-up based on information we were told. This information concentrated on the technical aspects of the device and provided little data regarding the visual attributes of the unit. The initial information and the video came from the same source.
Regarding those who found fault in the footage: you were looking too hard. Our source said he/she had a good laugh reading through the "evidence" suggesting that the video was doctored. As far we know, the video(s) was real.
So will we see this released on Monday? Judging from the video, no way. The unit seems to still be in a testing phase - how else can one explain the large "wheel" at the bottom of the unit and the obtrusive port at the top? Indeed, it could be speculated that the "iWalk" exists in many different forms which are currently being evaluated (thus the reason why our source originally described the unit as looking completely different). Designs evolve over time.
Finally, regarding where the video was filmed: we don't know, but please consider the following:
Every step was taken to ensure that the source of the video could not be easily identified. German voices in the background and a seemingly deliberately-planted (foreign) electrical socket makes the origin questionable.. and the source safe.
<hr></blockquote>
-You know, even the name "iWalk" sounds German.
Can't you just picture Arnold saying, "yah, da ivalk is good!"
Amazing how quickly they went from being unsure to certain the device wouldn't make an appearance at Macworld. Funny that.
However it's very plausible that this "iWalk" was a prototype from Apple. I'm sure that even though Jobs has no plans to release a PDA, there are still PDA prototypes at Apple, for the sake of R&D. Apple never knows when one may be needed, in the case of the market changing or whatever.
Why do people spend time and energy writing viruses? Why do people spend time and energy creating flash animations like the "all your base are belong to us" one? Because they have the time. Because they have the drive. Because they enjoy it.
Hell, I've seen halloween costumes that probably required more time, money and effort than what was required to orchestrate this fakery. Your argument is weak.
[ 01-04-2002: Message edited by: eliahu ]</p>
<strong>Well, they removed it...
</strong><hr></blockquote>
Maybe the legal reason was they exceeded the bandwidth or Megs served for their hosting agreement
<strong>I just went to Spymac. Bunch of worthless hoax, looks like to me. Apple would have quashed it already if there was any truth to it.</strong><hr></blockquote>
Not sure.... I had a cease and desist on my site once.... I posted the info on midnight and they sent me the cease and desist at nearly 6pm the next day, when the info was really known on the net (some other sites published it....). I waited till 10 pm to remove it.... It stayed online for almost a day.... That is exactly what happened for the iwalk
<strong>
I've tried my best to find an archive of it but have come up empty. a shame</strong><hr></blockquote>
Did you try <a href="http://web.archive.org/web/*/http://forums.appleinsider.com"; target="_blank">http://web.archive.org/web/*/http://forums.appleinsider.com</a>; ?
<strong>
Maybe the legal reason was they exceeded the bandwidth or Megs served for their hosting agreement
Yes, they easily did. It's hosted at '1&1 puretec' a big german isp. Their standard 'packages' incl. 10 GB of transfer volume per month.