Apple Engineer Loses iPhone Prototype

http://www.engadget.com/2009/07/21/apple-confirms-expresses-sadness-over-death-of-chinese-iphone-p

  Quote

Reports have circulated the internet that a 25-year old worker at Chinese manufacturer Foxconn, which produces all the iPhone models for Apple, committed suicide last week following revelation that a fourth-generation iPhone prototype, one of the 16 iPhones he was responsible for, had gone missing. While not confirming the case being a suicide or the cause being the disappearing device, a spokesperson for the Cupertino-based company did release a statement corroborating the news of his death, saying that it is "saddened by the tragic loss of this young employee, and we are awaiting results of the investigations into his death. We require our suppliers to treat all workers with dignity and respect." The status of the missing iPhone prototype, which may or may not have been one that earlier this month found itself on eBay, remains unknown. Our hearts go out to all involved.

he did the right thing.

"We require our suppliers to treat all workers with dignity and respect."

just in case you think we had him killed

So is there a clause in your JD you haven't told us about, Lumpy?

In case someone at your office leaks the next DLC for Fallout 3, say?

"cocksucker fed to pigs!"

actually labor laws are better in China than in the US. Go figure. But intellectual property theft is so rampant (cracked iphones and knock offs were hitting the street here almost immediately) that I really have very little sympathy for this guy for being so stupid. Though we clearly don't know the full story.

Actually I should have posted the Register article - it's way better

  Quote

A Chinese engineer committed suicide after he was allegedly roughed-up by company security services when one of the iPhone 4G prototypes entrusted into his care went missing.

 

Twenty-five-year-old Sun Danyong, a recent engineering graduate, was employed by Foxconn, manufacturer of Apple's iPhone and iPods. According to reports from China Radio International (Google translation), VentureBeat, and others, Sun leapt to his death from the 12th floor of his apartment building on July 16th, a few days after the iPhone 4G prototype disappeared.

 

The reports indicate that on July 9th, Sun received 16 of the prototypes, but a few days later, he could account for only 15 of them. After searching the factory, he reported the missing iPhone to his superiors on Monday, July 13th.

Two days later, his apartment was allegedly searched by Foxconn security who, according to CRI and others, beat Sun during their investigation.

 

Although the beating is unproven, what happened at 3:00 am on Thursday the 16th is not in dispute: Security cameras in Sun's apartment building taped him leaping from an open window.

 

In a statement (Google translation) this Tuesday morning, Foxconn confirmed Sun's suicide, but questioned reports of the beating.

 

Apple did not immediately respond to our requests for comment. Bu Cnet quotes an Apple spokesperson as confirming the suicide, adding that "We are saddened by the tragic loss of this young employee, and we are awaiting results of the investigations into his death."

 

The Apple statement also noted that "We require our suppliers to treat all workers with dignity and respect."

 

Apple is certainly not alone in requiring strict security from its partners and suppliers. And Foxconn is obviously under great competitive pressure from all of its OEM rivals.

 

But something in this highly-competitive, highly-secretive world went tragically wrong. A young engineer lost an iPhone prototype. A few days later, he took his own life.

no i don't, but i meant to imply it was the manufacturer. i just thought it was an odd sentence to throw in there, and that it sounds like there was some suspicion of shady activity that went on that prompted such a sentence.

edit: lol the comment i replied to disappeared?

Apple deleted my commented!

Shit!

i must admit this is making me paranoid.

  On 7/22/2009 at 8:52 AM, Braintree said:

Apple deleted my commented!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Shit!

FUCK!!!

Apple made me drunk!

Shit!

fuck apple nigga!

west pc fa life nigga!

  On 7/22/2009 at 6:03 AM, lumpenprol said:

intellectual property theft is so rampant

It wouldn't surprise me if the 'value' of all the intellectual property stolen by Asia over the past century far exceeded both Europe and America's current level of debt. Something to rememeber the next time you're being reprimanded by commentators with over-used and simplistic analogies that we're spending on China's credit card, and that the decadent west is going to hell while 1.3 billion chinese work 18 hour days in factories and then go home and put all their hard-earned in a piggy bank.

  On 7/22/2009 at 8:57 AM, vamos scorcho said:

i must admit this is making me paranoid.

LOL

  On 7/22/2009 at 2:15 PM, Dan C said:

  On 7/22/2009 at 8:57 AM, vamos scorcho said:

i must admit this is making me paranoid.

 

LOL

Would that be more or less paranoid than adverts?

Let that be a lesson to all Apple affiliates...