Where’s Gear Live’s “cease and desist” letter?
Separating fact from fiction is often no easy task, and this is even more true when it comes to the Mac rumor community. In these days of Photoshop and affordable versions of previously “pro-only” effects software (such as Maya and Shake), picking out the real “leaked” photos and videos from from the fan creations is increasingly difficult. To date there has been only one sure-fire way to distinguish a delicious Baby Ruth from a cleverly wrapped piece of excrement, and that is a “cease and desist” letter from Apple legal.
So where’s Gear Live’s?
Everyone knows Apple’s legal department doesn’t sleep, much less have families or take vacations. Just because Gear Live’s very convincing video of the iPhone’s 1.1.3 firmware happened to come out on a week many big-wigs take off doesn’t mean Apple would let something that major slide. After all, they pretty much have no higher profile item than the iPhone right now, and with Macworld coming up, odds are Steve would have loved to have showcased the latest features on stage in front of row upon row of the Mac faithful.
Sure, there have been some leaks that turned out to be true that Apple legal let slide (such as the pics of the updated iMac Keyboard), but one thing separates those from the ones Apple does go after; no one cares about them. Be honest, did you really care that the iMac’s keyboard got thinner and received the brushed aluminum treatment? The real story there was more that someone got a legitimate picture out from under Apple, not the keyboard itself.
But Apple does indeed have a history of going after legitimate leaked images and video of important upcoming products and software. Take this year’s leaked pics of the new nano from 9to5Mac or the videos of the new iPod and iPod nano’s interfaces on MacRumors. Both sites were contacted by Apple legal and “asked” to take the offending pics/videos down immediately within hours. Yet Gear Live’s video is still going strong. Given how highly competitive and secretive the mobile phone market is, the iPhone certainly should be one of Apple’s most well guarded and well-protected (legally) devices. If nothing else, you would think they would put on a half-hearted show to protect the new Google-maps “GPS” location feature, just to show their partner they take secrecy seriously.
So what’s up? Is Apple feeling the Christmas spirit? Did their heart grow three sizes this day? Or, do they figure “Well, the video’s already out there, no use closing the barn door once the horses got out”? Or is Steve using this leak as an opportunity to see if people will be freaked out by the “wiggling” moveable icon animations?
Or is the video fake?
I personally love all the new features in the video, so I am hoping it is indeed legit (although the “crash” seemed a little staged to me, kind of like they were trying to show they had authentic beta software). Additionally, I can’t imagine how they would have gotten access to the firmware, as it isn’t the type of thing Apple needs to seed to non-Apple employees to beta test, and any Apple employee privy to the build likely has a pretty sweet job not worth risking. Still, someone leaked those new iPod interface videos to MacRumors, so anything is possible.
An award-winning rumor
The quality of the video is also quite good, so if it is faked, Gear Live’s tech guys will likely be using the video on their CGI demo reels, and the video is a shoe-in for for “Best Special Effects in a Rumor” at the 2008 Macenstein‘s MacAdemy Awards. Odds are we’ll find out for sure at Macworld (if not sooner) if Gear Live has a bona fide scoop or not, or if Gear Live will be taking home a “Steiny” at the MMA’s.
If the rumour turns out to be false, I shall hate Gear Live forever 🙂
Well, if they faked the video, why not just fake a Cease and desist letter? Or is that maybe illegal, where making the video is not?
I think the video is too legit to quit. But I AM surprised Apple hasn’t responded.
I did hear that some people reckoned that Apple might have supplied the firmware to Gear Live as some kind of PR stunt. I can’t imagine that happening, but these are some pretty big updates, and so Apple might be looking to shake up what settled of the iPhone since 1.1.2.
Hey Max, if that’s the case, let Apple know we’re available for the 1.1.4 leak!
🙂
-The Doc
Let’s face it, the video didn’t show anything too amazing. Apple is probably pissed that it got out but it’s only a minor software update so i’m sure they’ll get over it.
I think that Apple hasn’t responded because this information doesn’t affect sales of the iPhone or any other Apple product. No one is going to postpone an iPhone purchase because a firmware update will be released.
NIce, well thought out piece. Too bad you didn’t take the time to do any research before writing it. I run Gear Live, I took those images and recorded the video.
I’d think you would contact someone from Gear Live if, for some reason, you think we aren’t telling the truth. Question – did you do ANY research at all? I mean…did you Google the name Andru Edwards to find out any of my credentials? Like that I am quoted in the NY Times, USA Today, NPR, Wall St. Journal, etc? Or that I speak at various tech conferences? That maybe I have a reputation that I wouldn’t want to ruin by posting some fake story in some ploy to generate traffic?
Hey Andru,
Not to call into question your reading comprehension skills after reading your credentials, but I do not say anywhere in the article that I think your video is a fake. I say only that it looks very convincing, and I hope it’s real, but the fact that Apple doesn’t seem to care about it being out there when they have responded swiftly and legally to similar leaked videos seems odd.
As for your accolades, sorry if it doesn’t impress us. We’ve also been quoted in the NY Times, CNN, USA Today, Wall Street Journal, Wired, MacRumors, Apple Insider, etc.
And we suck.
But I’m glad to hear you’re standing by the video, and we’re looking very forward to the 1.1.3 update.
-The Doc
Who is this guy anyways? Or more importantly who cares? LOL Don’t give this clown the traffic he desperately needs.
I think the video is likely real, but I don’t see any reason why we aren’t allowed to question them. I never heard of gearlive before this video.
I like the dragable pin thing on maps
“DON’T YOU KJNOW WHO I AM?!?!”
🙂
Andru comes off like a bit of a tool here… No, Andru, sorry, we’ve never heard of you before.
Wow… What a douche bag. I took a quick look over at tuaw and saw the great and wonderful Andru Edwards post similar venom defending gearlives “scoop”. Is it real? I don’t really care. I think the new features would be pretty cool but I’m not losing sleep over this. I don’t understand why Andru couldn’t let all their videos and pics speak for themselves. If someone on the internet out there wants to speculate if its real, why can’t they?
yeah, Andru is kind of a self important troll. He put together a foo camp knock off up here in Seattle called mind camp and then got his panties in a bunch when someone from the UK hosted an event of the same name. Was threatening to get all sue happy and mightier than though.
Definately in love with himself. Oh and quoted in a publication? I saw some trailer park guys quoted on Cops once about how “he seemed like a nice guy at the time. ” Someone should call those folks up and suggest they parlay that up into some sort of speaking engagement or something. Book deal perhaps? Meh