It was probably Apple’s most famous security breach in the company’s 47-year history, and it was at least partially fueled by alcohol.
On Thursday, March 18, 2010, a drunk Apple software engineer named Gray Powell left an iPhone 4 prototype on a barstool inside Redwood City’s Gourmet Haus Staudt beer hall. This seemingly innocuous act would eventually result in a $5,000 cash purchase of stolen property, a police raid and accusations of extortion from then-CEO Steve Jobs.
It would also set off a complete media frenzy that would bring the world’s attention to the bar, which was located only a mere 20 miles from Apple’s Cupertino headquarters.
A terrific SFGate article details the story of how the Apple engineer accidentally left the iPhone 4 prototype at the bar, how owner Brian Hogan mistook it for an iPhone 3GS, how Hogan tried to get it back to its owner, and the chaotic frenzy that took place when people realized what the device was, how its hardware was different from previous generations, what the prototype might be worth, and what the device indicated as to the future of Apple’s hardware (especially its antenna module).
The story took its next turn when Gizmodo acquired the prototype, Apple’s legal team became involved in efforts to get it back, and the question of the first amendment versus intellectual property came into play.
Click the link below, give it a read, and please let us know what you think in the comments.
Via SFGATE, Gizmodo, The New York Times, CNET, and Business Insider