iPhone - page 478

As you might expect for a major product launching on Friday, the iPhone has arrived stateside. According to AppleInsider, the much anticipated devices touched down over the weekend in a variety of locations. A bit more surprising is that Apple apparently had armed guards on hand to ensure a smooth arrival.

Awaiting the freight at each location on Sunday were armed personnel, who were reportedly hired by Apple through its courier’s ground handling agent and then cleared by the Transportation Security Administration. Armed guards are extremely unusual for freight coming out of the Asian sector, those familiar with the matter explained, and are typically reserved for shipments containing riches such as gold and diamonds.

Once on the ground, the iPhone shipments were to be broken down under the watch of the armed personnel, who would then observe the loading of the freight onto ground vehicles and become party to its transportation outbound.

You hear that? The iPhone is made of gold and diamonds! Will the magical features never cease?

Via Apple 2.0

In case you haven’t heard, this weekend marked the iPhone’s coming out party. Though the iPhone actually goes on sale this Friday, Apple employees decided to take the iPhone out into the world one week early. How do I know? Two personal acquaintances ran into Apple folks breaking out their 3-in-1 revolutionary devices in San Francisco on Saturday.

One works in a retail store and saw the iPhone-bearer pull out the device when he couldn’t remember the name of a book he was looking for. He was very careful not to show the screen. It was a discrete way to show off.

At the other end of the spectrum lies the doofus in the skull t-shirt above. A friend of mine caught him at a party. Check his texts about it:

I’m at this party with a bunch of [company name deleted] people, and this dude from apple is conspicuously busting out his iphone.

After I requested the photo you see above, here’s the note of his reply:

Someone told me not to do it bc he could get in trouble… Well maybe he shouldn’t be flashing it around at a party! I refuse to jock even though it’s a research op.

That’s how brazen Apple folks were with their iPhones these days.

It seems there’s more people looking for iPhone waiters on Craigslist than waiters available to wait.
In New York especially, waiters are in high demand. One particularly desperate guy wants his waiter to start camping out on Wed night — 60 hours before the iPhone goes on sale. (“I need an iPhone. Like, really need an iPhone.”)

But here’s the really galling part. He wants waiters with experience! “Interested applicants should have experience waiting in line,” the ad says.

The full desperate text:

Updated: Get Paid To Wait In Line… For An iPhone (Midtown)
“Ok, so here’s the deal. I need an iPhone. Like, really need an iPhone. It’s so bad, I’ve taken to carrying around my paper cut-out just to get used to the size. ANYWAY, I’m looking for 1 or 2 industrious folks to setup camp outside the 5th Avenue Apple Store 6:00am, Wednesday the 27th until 6:00pm on Friday the 29th. That’s 60 hours of chilling and doing nothing… and getting paid. Or maybe getting your very own iPhone if we can buy more than 1! Interested applicants should have experience waiting in line. You are responsible for any supplies, food, etc. that you may need during your stay. If you want to be considered for this rather bizarre, very odd, and slightly fun assignment, please get in touch right away…”

Meanwhile, in L.A, waiters must be reliable and focused; in San Francisco, creeps and criminals need not apply; and in NYC, security in apparently not an issue.

More ads after the jump…

Pic by ShadowzBlog

There are waiters advertising on Craigslist these days — iPhone waiters, that is.

Several people are advertising on Craigslist their willingness to line up for others for an iPhone later this week — for a fee, of course. The going rate is about $250 a day — 6AM to 6PM, when the device goes on sale.

Some have suggested this service will be performed by desperate homeless people, but a quick survey of the ads suggests that unemployed clowns make up the ranks of iPhone waiters.

“3 clowns, unemployed and hungry, willing to wait in line for three separate individuals, 250 a pop, guaranteeing you get yourselves that tasty little iPhone,” says a San Francisco ad: iPhone Professional Waiters – $250 (downtown / civic / van ness)

The same clowns, or perhaps stunt doubles, are willing to wait in line in New York:

“2 clowns, unemployed and hungry, willing to wait in line for two separate individuals, 250 a pop, guaranteeing you get yourselves that tasty little iPhone on June 29th! email me asap, I will spend all day and night that day and bring it to you!” — Need an iPhone? I’ll WAIT ON LINE FOR YOU for TWO ppl! – $250 (Upper West Side)

Here’s a few more:
New York
WHO NEEDS AN APPLE IPHONE
Student willing to stand in line overnight for iPhone release. Will either buy and deliver or hold spot in line .
Danville, Calif.
YOU WANT AN IPHONE I WANT TO STAND IN LINE
Los Angeles
Professional line waiters near Pasadena! Guaranteed to get an iPhone on the 29th. Multiple waiters available upon request. For more info email me.
and another:
Will Stand In Line For a IPhone for peole who can’t

iPhone Wallpaper

Originally uploaded by zeronine.

There’s a slick iPhone ad shot in New York City at iPhoneNewYorkCity.com. It’s clearly made by pros — there was a casting call in April — but there’s no info on the ad’s site except the creators’ names: Alec Sutherland, Anthony Hechanova, Todd DosSantos and Shane Annas.

Reminds me of George Master’s unofficial iPod ad.

Just in case anyone still had doubts about Apple’s commitment to AT&T as the exclusive carrier of the iPhone, wonder no longer: USA Today reported that Apple will be married to AT&T for FIVE YEARS. FIVE YEARS! To put that in perspective, that’s the same amount of time between the introduction of the original iPod and the release of the clip-on model of the Shuffle.

And while this announcement is thoroughly irritating to me (I use T-Mobile…grumble, grumble), it might prove strategic for Apple. Click through to read why.