Not sure what to make of this - is it a genuine accident, or is Apple just riffing on Charlie & The Chocolate Factory’s Golden Tickets?
A chap’s mum bought an iPhone, took it home and - after registering it - discovered that there were three mysterious photos already on the phone.
Two are blurred, but the third shows what seems to be an accidental snap of a load of other iPhones, presumaly in the iPhone factory.
Now, that’s all very well but.. the chap in question seems to be British. Assuming that his mum is also an Englander - how was she able to get home without having her precious new phone registered for her by a stubborn member of the O2/Carphone Warehouse staff?
It could be true, of course, but standard internet salt-pinches should be carried at all times. Assuming it is for real, how did it happen? Is it part of some elaborate marketing gimmick that will see iPhone customers being taken to Steve Jobs’ bizzare, Oompa Loomp-filled secret factory?
Hmm. This wouldn’t look out of place in an issue of Fortean Times.
Engadget is reporting that a long queue of people has formed outside the New York Apple Store (the fancy one that looks like a big double-glazed cube) .
The queue, at least 60 - deep, formed late afternoon and several members seem to think that they are there to wait for the imminent release of the new 3G iPhone.
Thing is.. there has been no announcement from Apple - not so much as a hint that the phone is due for release.
Is this a clever marketing scheme from Apple, or is it just some kind of weird runaway rumour that has ensnared the over-eager Apple acolytes?
Some of the queue seemed a bit unsure of why they were there, with some seeming to think they were buying refurbished original iPhones.
Another quite persuasive rumour is that this is the work of prankster group Improv Everywhere - responsible for similar flashmob events like ‘freezing’ the crowd in Grand Central Station.
Apple have still not commented, but if this is what people are like now what on earth is it going to be like when the phone actually does come out?
Actually, that would just sound normal. Umm, how about, “If a mobile receives an SMS in the forest, does anyone read it?”
Depends on the network coverage, I suppose.
Anyway, enough with the koans - check out the bling on the Buddha Phone!
This beautiful bit of tat was discovered for sale in Shenzhen. It is apparently plated in 24 karat gold and can actualy be ued to make phone calls - which is a nice bnus.
We spotted this on Engadget, but the original (Google translated) page is a goldmine for fans of wobbly Engrish.
For example - “This gem with evil may decorative buttons than unusual, it is Buddha video button.”
Interestingly, the characters around the edge are described (I think) as “stainless steel body of the fuselage with the gilded frames, like Journey to the West and some of the incidents that caused the Jiasha shiny.”
Which (again, I think) means they relate to the Buddhist classic ‘Journey to the west‘ - the inspiration for crazed seventies TV classic Monkey
.
And that is why this is better than ANY phone Nokia, Samsung or Apple will ever produce.
