$100,000 "Prototype Laptop" Stolen From Apple?

[Paul Daniel Ash]

A terse report in a website covering local news in Cupertino, California (the home of Apple, Inc.) has people scratching their heads today. Zirana, a site that claims to be "a digital media platform covering local communities across the globe,” reports that sometime between January 1 and December 18 of last year, thieves took off with a "prototype laptop" valued at $100,000 from "Infinite Loop," the address of Apple's main campus. Police apparently found the culprit and the person who received the stolen goods.

Zirana.com, according to CrunchBase, "provides local news and information about schools, events, real estate, merchants etc." It comes in local versions for 1300 towns in all fifty states of the US, focusing on communities from 25,000 to 250,000 residents, which are often not well served by media outlets. Zirana apparently generates content by picking up and republishing publicly available sources, such as police reports.

The theft report came as part of a weekly crime summary for Cupertino.

Trade Secret Theft/Possession of Stolen Property - Infinite Loop
Between 1/1 and 12/18, unknown suspect(s) took a prototype laptop worth
about $100,000 from Apple Computers on Infinite Loop using an unknown
method. The suspect(s) sold it to another suspect. Deputies recovered
the laptop from the second suspect and he was released pending further
investigation.

It's not clear why the report is so vague as to the date, but it may be that certain reports are only released once a year. The fact that the theft was valued so high is not surprising, as the device was likely one-of-a-kind, though, as The Unofficial Apple Weblog notes, it is an interesting coincidence that $100,000 was the exact amount offered by the San Francisco-based Valleywag website to anyone who could let them play with the Apple tablet for an hour. Apple quickly hit Valleywag's parent company Gawker with a cease-and-desist letter.

If the report is true, it's notable that Apple managed to keep the theft out of the news, and that neither the thief or the person whom the thief sold it to was never charged with any crime. There has as yet been no independent confirmation of the story from any authorities, however.

image via TUAW

[Melech518]

It is a very vague report, but it is kind of interesting to say the least. In 3 days all of these rumors will finally be put to rest

[timmyinpajamas]

Apple stay gettin robbed lol !! Man up apple !

[The Maestro]

I love the pic from the iPhone commercial but yea that letter from apple would seem to match this police report

I wonder what it's like inside apple or i'll ever see it

[awesomeSlayer]

Wow...just wow.

[StealthBravo]

It is a very vague report, but it is kind of interesting to say the least. In 3 days all of these rumors will finally be put to rest

Hopefully

[steve-z17]

It is a very vague report, but it is kind of interesting to say the least. In 3 days all of these rumors will finally be put to rest

My thoughts exactly!

[romeo_herman]

Again apple?

[Zeal]

Hop off!

[lolcats1]

dude i want that laptop

[iLaw-One]

What's the point of stealing the laptop since they'll never be able to use the design (I assume that whoever's behind this will definitely get sued should they come out with a design that Apple can proove is theirs) except to try to have the same hardware specs?

Waste of time IMO!!!

[rhekt]

interesting indeed...interesting. still having fun with my $100,000. muahHAHA

[ty22]

Let me guess..... the prototype of the tablet is stolen and they won't announce it, so we have to wait for months through thousands of more annoying rumors. Whyyyyyyy?!?!?!?!

[hollow0]

It is a very vague report, but it is kind of interesting to say the least. In 3 days all of these rumors will finally be put to rest

My eyes will be glued to my laptop for live webupdates while the event is on.

[tudtran]

The Laptop is probably worth $500 now.

[battlecrushr]

Wow.

[mailer_96]

Nah ********

[mortopher]

Between 12:00 PM on 12/17 and 5:00 PM on 12/20, unknown suspect(s) broke
into a residence in the 11000 block of Northsky Square through a side
garage door. The suspect(s) took a washer and dryer for a total loss of
about $2000.

That is my favorite part of the entire page! You break into a house to steal THAT? Plus, how on Earth does nobody see you stealing a washer and dryer!?!

[LSZ33]

I wonder how much the thief sold this prototype for? He obviously wasn't too bright as he got caught. I too wonder what Apple looks like inside.

[nora47]

$100,000? thats got to be the best laptop on the face of the earth, and steve jobs has at least two of these for personal use