Well, Shut My Mouth

[m-reader]

IMHO - If Apple is so protective of its unreleased gear, they shouldn't be giving it to its engineers to take home. What's the deal with this?
The fallout of this whole kaffafle isn't going to do much good for Apple's image, which is already starting to suffer.

[kennyc]

Originally Posted by Sonist

Actually, it is not clear it is "stolen property." One may argue that calling Apple's customer service number and telling them about the phone, and asking around the bar if someone lost a phone, are good faith attempts to return the LOST phone.

Apple could have called the phone, or tracked its location easily. They were certainly ale to wipe it clean the day after it was lost.

Apple also sent a lame email demand letter to Gizmodo two days later, but again, it was not nearly as aggressive in pursuing this as it normally is.

Whether they didn't do these things because they banked on all the publicity it will generate (the G4 was already leaked from China earlier, anyway), or for some other reason, I don't know.

But it is clear that Apple didn't do all it could, or normally would, to recover the phone.

This is why it is surprising to see such sudden show of force by the San Mateo police. I do expect Apple to have clout with local officials, but breaking down a journalist's door certainly seems excessive.

^^^^^^ THIS ^^^^^^^

[Jaime_Astorga]

Originally Posted by m-reader

IMHO - If Apple is so protective of its unreleased gear, they shouldn't be giving it to its engineers to take home. What's the deal with this?

Many people have speculated this was most likely a field test. Equipment such as cellphones need to be tested and debugged in real world conditions before being released.

[TGS]

Originally Posted by Worldwalker

When did the job of the police become protecting corporations instead of protecting citizens?

At about the same time the interests of corporations came into conflict with the interests of citizens I'd guess!

[m-reader]

Originally Posted by Jaime_Astorga

Many people have speculated this was most likely a field test. Equipment such as cellphones need to be tested and debugged in real world conditions before being released.

I understand this, but field tests come with certain risks. Such as for example, testing new iPhone reception in a beer garden, ascertaining whether new GUI is usable for people under the influence of alcoholic beverages, etc

Joking aside, them's the breaks Apple. They shouldn't be getting all shirty when things don't pan out exactly as Mr Jobs (a.k.a Mr Perfection) planned.

This is bad publicity for Apple. I for one like to have a nice and cosy feeling about the company I am buying a product from. Of course I realise that all Big Corporations are in essence the same, but they do not need to rub it into our faces.

[stustaff]

Originally Posted by Jaime_Astorga

Many people have speculated this was most likely a field test. Equipment such as cellphones need to be tested and debugged in real world conditions before being released.

someone finds the phone... and instead of handing it into the bar owner(kind of ok as might not trust them) or letting the police know(basic thing to do if you find something worth 100's of dollars imo) or even contacting the guy whose name they knew and knew he was on facebook by say facebook they instead call the phones manafacturer! it woukld be like someone phoning Google tech support and saying they found my phone... Not going to work.

THEN the person sells the device for ... 5'000 Dollars! he even KNEW whose phone it was but he still sold it that is unforgivable imo and shows he knew exactly what he was doing.

Gawker bought a phone from someone that they KNEW was not the actual owner! they knew it belonged to Gray! they are in the wrong too.

now factor in that this is a prototype device so a special technology division become interested(maybe at the bequest of Apple but we dont know) they decide to look at the computers of the person who has had it in their possesion and has taken apart the device for financial gain!!

it hardly seems strange that they got a search warrant does it.

Im not a lawyer but it seems logical and not at all suprising that its being investigated! remember no one has been charged with anything!

[kennyc]

Originally Posted by TGS

At about the same time the interests of corporations came into conflict with the interests of citizens I'd guess!

Which was about the same time they gained control of Congress, Politics and Law.

Corporations are the biggest danger we face, bigger than all the religious issues which are massive themselves.

[Sonist]

Originally Posted by stustaff

...
... Im not a lawyer but it seems logical and not at all suprising that its being investigated! remember no one has been charged with anything!

Perhaps it may not be "suprising" if it was in North Korea, but breaking down the front door of the home of a journalist in San Mateo, CA, may, and should, raise a few eyebrows.

[wodin]

Originally Posted by stustaff

Im not a lawyer but it seems logical and not at all suprising that its being investigated! remember no one has been charged with anything!

Except that now they almost have to bring felony charges in order to protect themselves and the judge who issued the warrant from California and federal shield laws.

[Dulin's Books]

This DA will be lucky if he doesnt get hauled in front of the bar for using that warrant instead of going to a judge to get a subpoena.

Do they serve EVERY warrant with door breakage? That sounds excessive. Simply knocking on the door and showing the warrant would have sufficed. They werent looking for drugs, guns or bombs.

[Dulin's Books]

oh this is good- Apple is on the steering commitee of the REACT task force that conducted the search and seizure.

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ynews/ynews_ts1795

http://latimesblogs.latimes.com/tech...-to-apple.html

[Sonist]

Originally Posted by Dulin's Books

oh this is good- Apple is on the steering commitee of the REACT task force that conducted the search and seizure.

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ynews/ynews_ts1795

http://latimesblogs.latimes.com/tech...-to-apple.html

Wow, this gets better and better....

It reminds me a bit of the beating of the reporter by the staff of Foxconn (Apple's top supplier in China). There the reporter did not file a complaint, because the local police told him: "You're free to do what you want," ... "But this is Foxconn and they have a special status here. Please understand."

I suppose Apple has similarly special status in the Bay Area.

[jalandar]

Sounds like receiving stolen property to me, which is a felony in California.

When he bought the item, he pierced the veil and became more than just a journalist covering a story.

I don't find this as outrageous as most, when you get to the heart of it.

[Phogg]

[QUOTE=Moejoe;887745]Just a little after Reagan and Thatcher took office in their respective countries. I don't have an exact date, but it was probably sometime in the eighties when the Corporations became numero uno, A no 1, Duke of New York! *

If you think corporations were not in that position in the nineteenth century, perhaps you should read more history and biography.

How did the railroad and cattle wars in the American west come about?
And what reaaly built Western Union, and AT&T?

Originally Posted by Worldwalker

What bothers me is the comments I've seen praising the police for "doing the right thing" and "protecting Apple". When did the job of the police become protecting corporations instead of protecting citizens?

"Corporations have no souls, but they can love each other." Wealth Against Commonwealth by Henry Demarest Lloyd

One of Ronald Reagan's objectives, pretty much carried forward by every subsequent president was to free corporations from any restraints and serve their interests while shifting the wealth upward to a smaller and smaller fraction of the people. On on going love affair between government and corporations.