Apple called. It wants its secret iPhone back.
Gizmodo, the site that leaked pictures of the next generation iPhone, received an email Monday from Apple requesting the return of its unreleased prototype immediately.
But how was Apple's impenetrable fortress of secrecy compromised? Reportedly by a forgetful programming wunderkind celebrating his 27th birthday.
Gray Powell is an Apple software engineer who works on the software that gives the iPhone the power to make calls. But Powell may not be working at 1 Infinite Loop for too much longer.
That's because he allegedly -- others aren't so nice -- left a cleverly camouflaged iPhone 4G on a bar stool at a bar in Redwood City, Calif. called the Gourmet Haus Staudt. With it, he also left Apple's years of iron fisted control over information about its future devices.
Gizmodo, who paid $5,000 for the yet to be released iPhone, talked to Powell on the phone and described him as sounding "tired and broken" but he was still working for Apple.
Various reports say Powell was at the bar, just a short drive from Apple's headquarters, celebrating his birthday on March 18. He even used the phone to let his Facebook friends know how much fun he was having.
"I underestimated how good German beer is," he posted using his next-generation iPhone.
That was the last update Powell posted with his secret device.
