Sounds like the iPhone 4G is going to kick ass! [UPDATED]
According to Slash Gear (via Into Mobile via Venture Beat via the Chinese Twittersphere), 25 year old Foxconn employee Sun Danyong committed suicide last Thursday after losing an early 4th generation iPhone prototype he was supposed to ship to Apple HQ. I’m not entirely sure I believe this “My best friend’s sister’s boyfriend’s brother’s girlfriend heard from this guy who knows this kid who’s going with the girl who saw Ferris pass out at 31 Flavors last night” type of source on this, but if true, it sounds like the 4th gen iPhone might include more than just a compass, so I am rather excited.
And of course deeply saddened if it is true.
But I doubt it.
Probably my favorite part of this story is the picture of a random dead Chinese man (not Sun Danyong) that Intomobile decided to publish (above), perhaps to help us all visualize what a Chinese man who committed suicide might look like. I’m not saying the China labor scene isn’t evil, and the pressure to keep a decent job isn’t intense, and maybe bosses over there DO randomly search your house, torture you, and drive you to jump out a window, but this story just stinks of a Twitter rumor gone viral. Maybe Danyong DID work for Foxconn, or maybe he did commit suicide, but until I hear something from at LEAST as credible a source as someone’s Facebook, I am going to hold off on believing this.
Until then, I will just have to imagine how cool an iPhone worth dying for would be.
[UPDATE:] OK, some of my more sensitive (infrequent?) readers have called for blood for my apparently flippant attitude in this post after news that Apple has acknowledged that a Foxconn employee did indeed commit suicide, and they have also demanded I update the story. I assume by “update” they mean “apologize” for making light of a suicide, and that’s not something I am going to do. What I WILL do however is admit I was wrong about the validity of the source, and admit that something suspicious seems to be going down at Foxconn.
A couple readers were apparently so incensed that they have sworn to never again return to Macenstein, and to those I say simply, “I don’t believe you. Where else are you going to go? Macenstein is like crack to you and you know it.”
I appreciate the support of my readers who understood I am almost ALWAYS looking for a joking/sarcastic angle in every story I write, and who realized the article was originally written under the belief it was likely untrue and with the intent of making fun of using Twitter as a source of a potentially damaging rumor, and of the odd choice of showing a random dead Chinese man by Intomobile. I felt those two things were ludicrous enough to warrant a story. I stand by my assertion that if it turned out to be a real story I would feel deeply saddened… at least as much as I could, being a largely unfeeling monster.
If you are looking for anything more than that, well, eat me.
Isn’t this a little out of taste to be posting a tragedy with a title like that?
A little out of taste? Possibly. Since when has the doc been ” In taste” though?
No one ever said it was and iPhone 4G, the story stated that it was unknown WHEN he lost the prototype. It was probably a 3GS a few months ago.
oh COME ON MACENSTEIN THAT TITLE IS NOT APPROPRIATE FOR SUCH NEWS I COME HERE EVERYDAY BUT IM DISAPPOINTED IN YOU GUYS WITH THAT TITLE::(
it sounds like it is true. Apple released a statement acknowledging the tragedy.
publishing that picture is f’d up. What was intomobile thing?
Yeah, you need to amend your story. I believe it is true since Apple has made a statement about it.
Here’s the story on that: http://news.cnet.com/8301-13579_3-10291701-37.html
And even if it had turned out to be a hoax, I find it disturbing your gut reaction when writing about this story to crack a joke first. The first thing you should have said is that you hope it isn’t true, not have your laughs then make that statement as an afterthought.
Shame on you, Doc.
Have a cry peeps, toughen up some and stop your bitching there is nothing wrong with the article by the good Doc
You’re a cruel man, Macenstein. (Keep it coming.)
Shame on thee, Herr Doktor! You have done it again! Said what everybody else thought, that you did, and pay you now, will.
As “Alan” said, keep ’em coming 🙂
It sounds real to me, and it sounds like it is a 4G phone that he lost. because he lost a prototype in july. his boss wouldn’t care if he lost a prototype to an already released product. i see nothing wrong with what doc said.
People,stop complaining about the title it was only a joke.
Chances are he was killed when he “lost’ the phone,maybe he sold it to apples biggest competitor,and the factory pushed him….oops he fell out of his window
CASE CLOSED
it was widely reported in today’s chinese media.
Sun Danyong is a 25-year-old college graduate from harbin institue of technology, in northern China.
One of his classmate wrote on a chinese bbs, that Sun chatted with him before commiting suicide, describing how he was detained,humiliated, abused by supervisor. On July.15th, the poor boy was suppose to have dinner with his girlfriend. And the last message he sent to her was ” my dear, i’m so sorry. don’t contact me, don’t tell my family.i’m so sorry..”
I hope that’s the reliable source you need. maybe it’s not about asian sweat factory, nor it’s about the prototype of iphone, it’s just about a young man inept to fact this cruel world.
Sun was born in a small village in south west China, when he was enrolled in the university he can’t even afford the tuition fee. When he died he still owes the school some loans. For a country boy, the only hope to get out of poverty is through education. Now i’m pretty sure his parents were weeping, not only they lost their son, they also lost their dependence for rest of their lives.
Seriously bad taste. This site has really gone down the drain over the past year.
Considering it appears he was beaten and had his rights somewhat violated prior to his suicide, as reported here: http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/business/8162325.stm , I really am amazed how so many people are so removed from the reality of the situation that they can defend something as being a ‘joke’ when clearly it is not.
Come on people, you might not give a fuck about complete strangers, but have some respect for the morals of others. ‘Its just a joke’ is not a defense of any kind.
Nice Headline – don’t care about those stupid people who dont’t know what sarcasm and humour means!
Bad taste? Have you people ever read a newspaper or watched network news? News media is an industry notorious for intentionally slanting their coverage due to political leanings, etc. It’s not exactly a morally righteous business when it attempts to tell the public how to think. That’s a far more serious issue to me than an “insensitive” article, or headline.
If you didn’t notice, this is a BLOG…. I’m pretty sure that the expectations of politically correctness are lower here. If you want run-of-the-mill writing, go pick up a copy of “The Daily Outdated Medium” or some such.
For those who actually added value to the comments, I thank you.
Wow, Dr. Macenstein, you’re a real jerk for making fun of a story like this.
Also, Apple said that the story was true and so, I think you should update this article, since it acutally IS true.
I think you’ve lost a lot of readers just by posting this shitty blog post. I’m not coming back on this website again.
I feel like, considering Apple even released a statement about this incident, the prudent thing would be to update this posting. I mean, it seems obvious. Your snark even promises a recant if facebook mentions it.
Well, Doc. Tasteless humor may not be to everyone’s liking, and I guess people were caught off guard reading it here. But in the end this certain case is sad. On the upside, it helps China’s population problem a little.
Cheers,
B.
To those who bitch, grow a pair. Its just a joke. Lighten up.
Besides, the more people that leave this site = the less people that enter the mimobot giveaways = the higher the chances of me finally winning one lol. JK, but seriously tho…
Keep it comin Doc.
I love you.
Oh Doc, what’s wrong with these people?
The guy didn’t commit suicide. The whole thing is a Media Stunt. FoxConn and Apple conspired for some more free media attention. It’s an Apple specialty, and others like to learn from the best. Look at all the free press these two have gotten over some guy laying in the middle of the street so some pictures could be taken. Over what, a 4G phone that will only play on the Sprint network? What’s Apple trying to do, compete with Pre? 😉
I know, I know, i’m insensitive too, and 4G can mean more than the signal. But, when you look at the source and the country, who’s to be trusted. 😀
Thanks Doc for at least going against the grain and not presenting the story in the same Dim / Bright light (depending on your perspective) as everyone else.
Keep up the insane work.
On a Side note: I know some of your audience thinks you are a friend with that Michael Savage guy by now, but I’m sure you hang out with PETA and Greenpeace just the same. So, after speaking with Al Gore and the Gang, it could also be that this guy was just doing his part to fight global warming. Can you check with your extended array of sources and get back to me? 😉
Well, you have a right to say and do whatever you want, but your attitude in your update sealed the deal for me personally. In fact though I thought your initial comment was insensitive but I considered the source and just moved on, but that response was just over the top. I know you can care less, but this is indeed my last visit to your site.
*cough* smells like Maddox in here
Oh bloody hell,
Oh bloody hell. You lost a few insensitive souls that can not follow the logic. Like ferris’ day off and the girl who heard from the grapevine that he’s on his death bed.
Then you have the typical mentality of some countries where they do not care who they harm and who they kill as long as it’s not one of them. Notice: I be nice and name not countries so you think for self and maybe not be prejudice biased like your bloody hart do usual. ><
Pee out.