Lost and Found: iPhone

What if you accidentally found an iPhone at the counter of a popular drugstore in Greenbelt? Would you pick it up? Keep it for yourself? Read its messages? Check out its photos? Bring it to the store manager? Just leave it on the counter? Or find out who owns it and return it?

Or what if an Apple engineer accidentally loses an iPhone prototype and you happen to be around that place? What if? Actually, both what if’s have happened. Last year, I did accidentally find an unattended iPhone at Watson’s in Greenbelt 1. Was not really jumping up in joy seeing that iPhone as I already owned one. It was nothing new. Been using my iPhone for over a year. And I second iPhone didn’t really present itself as an exciting option.

Out of curiosity, I did pick up the phone. On my mind, I was thinking it was one of those TV pranks like “Wow Mali.” Maybe, Joey de Leon was around? I looked around the store, trying to spot any hidden video cameras. None. I thought of handing it over to the store manager, but that was no guarantee that they would find the owner and return it. It was safe to be in my hands. And I knew how to return it. Simply, call the last incoming number. I did that. Called the last incoming call. Talked to a real estate agent. She identified that the iPhone belonged to a Korean-American filmmaker visiting the country. A few minutes later, the owner did call and we made arrangements to meet up at McDonald’s Greenbelt 1 that same evening. He offered some money as a reward. Huh? No need for any reward, although coffee might have been nice?

You surely read the news or heard the buzz about an Apple employee named Gray Powell who lost a prototype of the next-generation iPhone4 somewhere in Redwood City. Imagine. The future iPhone that Steve Jobs proudly introduced just a few days ago.

Someone did pick it that lost prototype and reportedly made some effort to find out who owned it. That was really easy. Steve Jobs. But the “finder” decided to sell the prototype to Jason Chen who paid US$5,000 for the “lost” phone. He posted photos of the phone on this blog at Gizmodo.com And quickly his blog got around 9 million readers.

Apple also reported the “theft.” The prototype was ultimately returned to Apple. Gizmodo editor Jason Chen was raided by members of the Rapid Enforcement Allied Computer Team. Chen refused to answer questions.

Questions have been raised about media and checkbook journalism, where some journalists pay for information. I don’t think it is right or ethical to pay for information. But must admit the search for a scoop might be too tempting specially, if it involved a very popular tech brand like Apple.

So next time, you are around a bar or fast-food chain and see an iPhone, pick it and return it to its rightful owner!