It's been a long time coming, but we've finally found a
KIRF suitable to become the one and only successor to our very first "
Keepin' it real... WTF?!" This here iPhone -- which is little more than a familiar chassis with a lead weight and a small amount of internal hardware -- is reportedly used by scammers in Russia in order to barter for train tickets, grub, etc. In essence, the phone has just enough electronics within it to give the appearance of a "boot up" sequence, complete with the Apple logo; the
scammer in possession of it then explains that the battery is simply drained, but that it will work perfectly fine once charged. After any given sucker hands over something quite valuable in exchange for this heap, he / she proceeds to crush it into a million pieces while cursing the unknown name of whoever fooled them in the first place. Moral of the story? Stay
sharp, street traders.
[Thanks, Abhijit]
posted Oct 7th 2008 9:07PM
LOL, I want one of those
Even this KIRF is far superior than the other phones out there...
No cut/paste on this one either?
IN SOVIET RUSSIA.
You're Firmware update IS WHATEVER WE SAY IT IS. 2.0.1.2
What is stupid about this is that broken 1st gen iPhones go for $200+ on ebay... they could have just sold the broken units... as they have valid serial numbers...
Wow broken phone that cost $200+, a new motorola of HTC sells for $100... another example of iPhone superiority...
go fall in a ditch
I think that's a better example of the stupidity of some Apple fanboys (like you) willing to pay 200 dollars for a broken phone. That's not superior, that just dumb.
Meant to say that's just dumb, not that just dumb. lol
You should buy a go-kart
I would love to see these as a mission item in the next grand theft auto. I can see it now, Get the crate of fake Russian iPhones downtown to the safe house.
BOOTS UP AND DOES NOTHING?
That sounds like the REAL IPHONE....
(seriously though: I own an iPhone and I don't actually believe that - I love my phone)
russians are so hardcore
I don't know why, but I'm still laughing at that
Only a Russian could have thought that one up! :D
iEye = the reason Engadget provides a vote down option
No, it's because of clak
And Clak's long lost twin, Jubei.
Don't forget Zak, ugh.
There it is! Someone found the iBrick!!
what would we do without you KIRF....what would we do
these are the stories we need- ones to laugh at
btw-- how much were they sellin these for to get people to get it from a street vendow instead of Apple themselves?
In Soviet Russia...
iPhones boot you up.
In Soviet Russia iPhone use you
I vote you down.
...blond make joke on you.
apple eats you
iPhone charges you..
with espionage and treason.
now i can afford to impress the chicks
I always wondered if they made "in [place] [object] [verb]s you!" jokes in Soviet Russia...
the joke is appropriate, for once, yet still so very annoying... i hope you all got it out of your system for at least a week.
(object) (transitive verb) you!
I would want one just for fun :)
I would give one to you at a discounted proce of US $200. !!
Wow, so much work to steal people's money. Why not just point a gun at someone and take their money? These guys are spending too much time coming up with this plan... time is money too!
people wt apple more than a shady guy on a corner and they wont remember a gu who sold them an iphone than a guy who almost shot you.
Yeah, I agree--but that's the business plan that Apple came up with, and it's too late to change now.
Wow, that's so shady. I actually had a similar thought when airport security had me boot up my laptop a few years ago. The moment it flashed a Windows logo (yes, I used to have a Windows laptop), the guy waved me through. What's preventing a terrorist from creating a laptop shell with just enough electronics to show a Windows boot screen, packed with a couple pounds of plastic explosives? Er...maybe I shouldn't have just put that idea on the internet...
Oh, and iEye, for the sake of all us sane Apple fans, STFU. I mean, STFU dude. Seriously. STFU.
Well, if you never comment again, we know where you went. Federal prison.
Oh no, you used to have a Windows laptop. The horror! The security guard should have just arrest you on the spot.
They actually did that in season 1 of 24. When they forced Jack Bauer to kill the senator, they made a briefcase with a fake laptop with gun components in it. He passed through security after they had him boot it up, then he went and assembled it in a side room. Pretty clever.
IIRC, they also did it in season 6 when they made that bomb to take out the president.
Wait. Season 1 of 24 of what show?
Any show that goes on for twenty-four seasons...
Getting a bomb through security would be pretty damn easy. This whole airport security deal we have going is just false security. If someone wants to blow up a plane, there's not going to be any stopping them. Anyway, there are so many more effective and easier ways to scare America than doing another plane hijacking. Just think if 30 armed terrorist separated into 10 groups and shot up random malls. People wouldn't feel safe anywhere, and it'd be much easier than stealing a plane. Whatever makes people sleep easier though I guess.
Laptop weapons remind me of Perfect Dark. The N64 one not the 360 one, I've never played that.
.....
hmmmm....
>=D
to bad i dont even have the money to afford an ipod off the streets. :'( i would so get one of these.
This doesn't surprise me coming from Russia! Flippin WANABES!!!!
Dude! Where can I buy one? That is awesome.
Hey, I'd like a dozen of 'em, if they don't cost too much.
Good novelty Christmas pressies.
Surely there's a dodgy Chinese manufacturer out there that can get onto this bandwagon.
I'd be curious to know what the screen is, whether its a touch-screen, or just a regular LCD, or maybe some kind of single-cell LCD panel that can only show the apple icon. If you could get one cheap (and not ripped off in the process), it might make a good hacking target.
It should have shown the picture of Steve Jobs saying boom in Russian when the phone gets plugged in.
No, it should rickroll him. Imagine that, if he crushes it just because it doesn't work.
that's a lot of work going into scamming someone ...
yea sounds like someone found a bin of failed iphones and decided to use them for scam. otherwise its too much trouble.
looks like c4 and a bomb
also, this reminds me of when we were in school and we would spend more time trying to figure out ways to cheat instead of just studying
First the Russians mod the iphone logo to glow when being used, and now this. What's next, the a phone you make calls with, or in Soviet Russia, the phone that you get calls on?? (In soviet ruissia Phone does not make calls, it only receives them!)
in soviet russia punchline fail you
It looks like they actually manufactured these, and didn't just use broken iphone shells... if you look at the details on the inside of the back plate, it doesn't really match what the back plate of a real iPhone 1g looks like:
http://blogs.zdnet.com/security/images/iphone_inside.jpg
One explanation is they could be dummy phones from a mobile phone store, which also happen to have weights inside and maybe even a light up screen, I've seen some before that have hologram sort of fake screens.
Palin better keep a better eye on those Russians...they're getting tricky!
Palin could spot this scam from her house.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4NUtQcufnQI
But will the lead weight blend?
Yes it'll blend and then can be used to make paint for your toys!
Probably they are being sold in shops as iPhoney.
When i buyed my second hand mobile phone a year ago, brand new W910i the battery was low... the guy who sold me the phone seek for a plug in the gas station. Moral of the story? Don't buy if you dont see it working. :P
One of my best purchase, when the phone was 500€ i bought it unlocked for only 200€.
It's not 'buyed' but 'bought', also if you are using languages that aren't your own it helps to get firefox as browser, which automatically checks spelling during typing in a variety of language.
Doh! next time i won't forget that... anyway you understand what i meant to say, by the way i dont like Firefox.
When i buyed my second hand mobile phone a year ago, brand new W910i the battery was low... the guy who sold me the phone seek for a plug in the gas station. Moral of the story? Don't buy if you dont see it working. :P
One of my best purchase, when the phone was 500€ i bought it unlocked for only 200€.
Ups... not my fault xD
I think the receiver of such will not bin/crush it but just pass it on to the next person with a similar scam, after all if you are a target for such dodgy deals you likely are either poor or(/and) of dubious business character yourself.
bobartig: i think you'll find it's a light and a diffuser. sheesh.
I gotta' get myself some of these to Sell!
Smart tactics in the time of whole world crisis.
Thousands of peoples already lost their jobs, so who's wanna get easy money?
This fake iPhones we'll see in many countries now.
Mind you, they are sold/officialy available in Russia for as much as thousand US$
A bit overpriced, I would say.