Grey Powell: Idiot Of The Week (UPDATED)
UPDATE 1:
It seems as though Grey Powell was celebrating his birthday. Of all days to lose Steve’s baby, what a hell of a birthday that must have been….
Well, these past 72 hours have been epic. We got images of the 4th generation iPhone, denials, proof, debating back and forth, conspiracy theories, tech specs, and after all of that, we now have the name of the idiot who lost the iPhone and started this all.
Meet Grey Powell. Secret Apple engineer. He is a 27 year old North Carolina State University graduate that was hired by Apple to work on, what just so happened to be, the baseband.
Yes, the baseband. The thing that makes the iPhone make calls. Not only that, it’s the thing that determines whether you can use the SIM that you want to use or not, as in, to achieve an unlock, you have to mess with the baseband, and this guy was working on the iPhone Dev Team’s next challenge.
Well, it seems as though on March 18th, Mr. Powell decided to go to his local pub to enjoy some beers. Well, it seems as though he was stupid enough to bring the iPhone along with him and get buzzed. He even sent a Facebook message on the concealed iPhone prototype.
Well, it seems he had one too many beers, and he got up, went to the bathroom, and most likely, was puking his brains out. Now, our leaker (who will be kept anonymous) was sitting next to Grey. Well, a “random drunken guy” next to him and “anonymous” had a small conversation:
“Hey man, is that your iPhone?” asked
Random Really Drunk Guy.
“Hmmm, what?” replied the person who ended up with the iPhone. “No, no, it isn’t mine.”
“Ooooh, I guess it’s your friend’s then,”
referring to a friend who at the time was in the bathroom.
“Here, take it,” said the Random
Really Drunk Guy, handing it to him. “You don’t want to lose it.”
No, not losing it was a decision that ended up being a great one!
After that, the Random Really Drunk Guy also left the bar. The person who ended up with the iPhone asked around, but nobody claimed it. He decided to wait.
During the time that he was waiting, he played with it. “I thought it was just an iPhone 3GS,” the leaker said. “It just looked like one. I tried the camera, but it crashed three times.”
The iPhone didn’t seem to have any special features, just two bar codes stuck on its back:
8800601pex1 and N90_DVT_GE4X_0493.
Next to the volume keys there was another sticker:
iPhone SWE-L200221.
Now, there was nothing different other than that, it just had 6 pages of apps. One was “Facebook”, he tapped on it, and up came Gray Powell.
Thinking about returning the phone the next day, he left. When he woke up after the hazy night, the phone was dead.It had been bricked remotely. It was only then that he realized that there was something strange about that iPhone.
The exterior didn’t feel right and there was a camera on the front. After tinkering with it, he managed to open the fake 3GS. There it was, a different iPhone that looked like nothing ever before seen.
He even called Apple multiple times. However, no one knew what to tell him. They gave him a ticket number. He hoped that the news would reach a higher up executive, but his phone never rang.
Well, that’s when he contacted Engadget and Gizmodo. He gave Engadget the pictures, and made a deal with Gizmodo. Some reports are saying that Gizmodo payed $5,000 to the man who found this rare treasure to be able to have it.
Well, after Gizmodo had a full tear down and inspections, there was no longer any doubt in anyone’s mind. This was the real deal.
Gizmodo contacted Grey Powell, here’s the conversation:
Gray Powell: Hello?
John Herrman: Is this Gray?
Gray Powell: Yeah.
John Herrman: Hi, this is John Herrman from Gizmodo.com.
Gray Powell: Hey!
John Herrman: You work at Apple, right?
Gray Powell: Um, I mean I can’t really talk too much right
now.
John Herrman: I understand. We have a device, and we think that maybe you misplaced it at a bar, and
we would like to give it back.
Gray Powell: Yeah, I forwarded your email [asking him if it was his iPhone], someone should be contacting you.
John Herrman: OK.
Gray Powell: Can I send this phone number along?
John Herrman: [Contact information]
Gizmodo says this about the phone call:
“He sounded tired and broken. But at least he’s alive and apparently may still be working at Apple”
Well, Apple’s secrecy can only go so far. It’s not perfect, especially when you have the human factor.
However, this was just stupid. The decision to bring the iPhone to a bar was just stupid. What topped that off was the fact that he got drunk and left the very valuable iPhone prototype on a bar stool.
This is why, he is my “Idiot Of The Week”! Congratulations Grey! However, this was not all bad, his EPIC FAILURE did bring us a lot of excitement and a sneak peek into the near future, and for that, we thank you.
Also, a huge thanks to the anonymous man that picked up that iPhone and opened it. Not only that, he actually TRIED to give it back, but no one listened. So, we want to thank him as well for selling it to Gizmodo and for leaking pictures to Engadget! (Next time, why don’t you throw some of those images our way. 
)
That’s all for now guys. 
Incoming search terms:
- grey powell
- grey powell attorney
iPhone 4th Gen Confirmed! Videos, Pics, Specs
Well, these past 72 hours have been very exciting. It seems as though the 4th generation iPhone that was leaked both back in February 20th and the one from Saturday night is, in fact, real.
There was never any doubt in my mind that this was the next iPhone. Now, Gizmodo has obtained the mysterious device and has even opened it.
As expected, the insides were full of “APPLE” logos and trademarks. It wasn’t a red circuit board, meaning that this may, in fact be, the final production model that we will see in June. I bet Apple is jusf working on the OS.
Now. according to Gizmodo, they managed to get the device, it indeed has a camera flash, way better back facing camera, and a new high resolution front facing camera.
Not only that, but the screen is high resolution. They say that the USB cable picture that the iPhone shows when it’s in restore mode was in such a high resolution, that they couldn’t see any individual pixels.
Not just that, they say that it behaved as an iPhone when hooked up to a computer. iTunes, XCode, and the Finder/Explorer discovered it as an iPhone in DFU mode. As well as the Vendor IDs not matching any previous iPhone.
Now, they do say that it does indeed take microSIMs. This is still a very odd choice to me. I refused to believe this until Gizmodo did a tear down. Now, it is slightly heavier. 3 grams heavier.
So why the new square design? Because it can’t support having curves on it. The internals are as squished together as possible. Apple made the battery 18% larger than the 3GS battery, as well as radically miniturizing the internal parts. Everything is insanely small.
read more“iPhone HD” Confirmed?! A Blast From The Past?!
Well well well. My mind is officially blown. Remember the picture of the iPad that was leaked the night before the reveal? Well, this picture has helped confirm that the “iPhone HD” isn’t just a Japonese knockoff as previously reported by TUAW or MacRumors.
Well, it seems as though we have had confirmation and pictures of the next iPhone since January 2010! How can this be? By a tiny corner of the leaked iPad image…
If you look at where the arrows are pointed at, of course, there appears to be an iPhone (with a front facing camera) on top of the iPad prototype, but if you look at where the other arrow is, you can clearly see an iPhone. An iPhone that looks exactly the same as the iPhone that was leaked yesterday!
January 2010 (Day before Keynote):
Leak (April 17, 2010):
Well, as for me, I believe this 100% of the way. I believe that Apple took the “denial and discreditation” method of dismissing the rumor by posting the “Japonese Knockoff” pictures, rather than basically confirming it all by sending Engadget a “Cease and Decist”.
Apple is smart, but it seems that the internal picture taken at an Apple testing facility back in 2010 has come back to haunt them further by basically confirming the leaked images from both February 20th and yesterday night.
Take a look at the pictures and tell me that we’re crazy and that it’s not the leaked iPhone that we saw yesterday and February in the leaked picture, inside of Apple HQ the night before the iPad keynote!
Also, on a side note, this iPhone seems to take microSIMs! This is a very weird decision to do in my eyes, but I’m sure there is a reason to their madness, also, a high resolution camera on the front was confirmed, as well as a higher resolution screen!
More info as we get it!
read moreLEAK: iPhone 4G Prototype Discovered At A Bar?! (UPDATED 3X)
UPDATE 1: I have managed to get the numbers from this prototype iPhone. A lot of the numbers are “XXXXX” which is a sure fire way to confirm that this is a prototype and has not been passed through the FCC or anything.
Flash Memory: XX GB
Model Number: XXXXX
FCC: BCGAXXXXX
IC ID: 579C-AKXXX
UPDATE 2: We have another collection of pics for u
UPDATE 3: It seems as though the pictures (the one with the multiple pictures in one picture) are from a previous leak from way back in February 20th. Now, add to these newer pictures taken earlier today, and we may have even more evidence that this is the next iPhone. Or atleast, this proves that this is a genuine Apple prototype iPhone 4th generation! One that has already been leaked twice.
Now, this could indicate that this is a controlled leak. Most all companies like to leak a little bit of information to the public (or their audience) to keep them interested and to create buzz.
However, this may also mean that the February 20th leak iPhone may be the same iPhone, its just that it was stolen or forgotten at that bar and was once more pictured.
Or lastly, Apple has had the worst possible luck at keeping the 4th generation iPhone’s look a secret with these leaks.
Only time will tell when it comes to rumors and leaks.
LEAK: Next iPhone To Have iPad-Like Design?
Well guys. Today, we have recieved some shots that supposedly depict the back casing of the iPhone 4th generation.
Now, if you look, this is just the back. As the buttons are missing and you can see through the back case openings.
If you zoom in, you can see that it says “64GB”.
Also, more noticable, it looks like an iPad. There are a couple of things that make me thing that this is faked. Now, the “leaker” claims that this is aluminium. That’s not possible.
The reason for that is, the cellular radio (and wifi) signals cant go through metal, either way. The only way I can see this as possible, is if they stuck the antennae from both the Wi-Fi and the cellular radio on the Apple Logo, or below the touch screen.
If these are real, it might be aluminum (I would love for that and I would go and buy it immediately by selling my 3G) but more likely, some sort of plastic, or hard plastic, that feels like aluminum.
Well, all sources seem to indicate that the next iPhone will be revealed in early June for a late June release.
We will have to wait and see… Here’s all 3 spy shots
