Ease yourself into the weekend with these stories, plucked fresh from the Internet just this afternoon and delivered straight to you.
Roommate’s tip led cops to iPhone finder (Wired)
Pursuant to a hearing requested by the media, a California judge unsealed legal documents in the case of the iPhone prototype, which was confirms that the device was found by a 21-year-old named Brian Hogan. The money quote? “Sucks for him,” Hogan told his roommate. “He lost his phone. Shouldn’t have lost his phone.” Once again proving the old adage: he who lives by the “sucks for him” dies by the “sucks for him.” (Also worth a look is the e-mail Gizmodo sent to Steve Jobs, which was included in the affidavit.)
Apple may soon be the U.S.’s largest company (SmartMoney)
By the end of the year, Apple’s market cap could be higher than both Microsoft’s and Exxon’s, making it the largest company in the U.S. To think that a little more than a decade ago, Apple was teetering on the edge of destruction. And it’s all thanks to blockbuster products like the Power Mac G4 Cube, iPod Hi-Fi, and Apple TV!
Why we need a real iPad killer. And quick. (Internet.com)
Mike Elgan makes a strong case that the world needs serious competition to the iPad for the good of people everywhere, lest the iPad fall into the same trap of stagnant ubiquity as Microsoft Office. After the fate that befell the JooJoo, the HP Slate, and Microsoft’s Courier project, perhaps it’s time hardware manufacturers consider a form factor that’s not already shaped like a tombstone.
Apple Stores top retail shopping experience (RetailWire – PDF)
A survey of retail industry observers and participants deemed Apple Stores the best shopping experience, beating out Whole Foods, Nordstrom, and even Trader Joe’s. Hey, that makes me think: you know what would make the Apple Store shopping experience even better? Free samples.
Supermodel Bar Refaeli in iPad trouble in Israel (AP)
Sports Illustrated swimsuit model Bar Refaeli was fined 650 shekels, or about $170, for failing to declare her iPad when she arrived in her native country of Israel for a commercial appearance. However, security camera footage reveals that she did indeed produce the iPad, but nobody paid the slightest bit of attention to it because it was being held by a supermodel.