Wires Crossed #51 – September 9
Apple Takes iPhone 5 Loss Seriously
Just before the iPhone 4 was released an Apple employee ‘accidentally’ left a prototype of the device in a bar, which eventually found its way into the hands of a member of the technology media, who published photos and specs of the unit online. Fast forward almost a year, and the same thing seems to have happened with an early model of the iPhone 5. Cynics might suggest it’s a form of viral marketing because for something like this to happen twice with a company that not only has a lot of secrets, but is usually very good at keeping them, is almost unbelievable. Then again, as San Franciscan resident Sergio Calderon found out, maybe it was an accident. Some San Francisco cops came knocking on his door along with a couple of Apple PI’s, who were looking for the device. Calderon claimed no knowledge, but one has to think aloud as to why the police got involved.
Costly Printing Error Allows Freeplay
A printing error has caused game publisher Ubisoft to give gamers free use of its Uplay network. In order to promote its Driver: San Francisco game it was issuing a Uplay online pass to those who bought the game. However, a printing error meant that some people had access codes that didn’t work. Rather than go through the rigmarole of getting customers to return the game so they could be issued with the correct code, the company decided to open it up for all and sundry including those who have second hand copies. Not too sure of what the reaction has been of those who bought the game on the condition they were getting that little bit extra value for money.
30 Years In Prison Over Errant Tweets?
Radio presenter Maria de Jesus Bravo Pagola and teacher Gilberto Martinez from Veracruz, Mexico, could face long prison stints after tweeting that children from a local school had been kidnapped, which turned out not to be true. The problem wasn’t the tweets per se, but the reaction to them. Panicked parents rushing to the school were involved in car accidents, and the city’s emergency phones were overloaded as people tried to find out what was happening. Both Martinez and Pagola claim innocence, as they say they were just repeating what they had seen published on the internet. How about checking sources?
Judge Order Rehire of Workers After Facebook Rant
Is this a case of common sense prevailing? We’ve bleated on in this column – and given some examples – about putting stuff up on the internet that can come back and bite you in the butt. Whether it be a risqué picture, or being abusive towards a co-worker or boss, it’s not wise to put something on the net that can be on there forever. Well, be that as it may, five workers for the non-profit National Hispanics Of Buffalo in New York State have to be rehired after being sacked after a bit of set-to on Facebook between employees. A judge that specialises in labour disputes deemed that the workers had a right to discuss their employment amongst themselves without fearing for their jobs. As I said, common sense really.
