Teens banned from Apple Store over unlocking an iPhone

It sure is a strange digital world out there, what will you do if you get banned for life from Apple stores worldwide?

In this case, two Palo Alto teenagers: Daniel Fukuba (17 - on the left) and Eric Vicenti (16 - on the right); have been banned from local Apple store because of downloading a car racing game into store's iPhone demo unit.

The two teens met with other two alums from University Avenue at the Apple store to kill some time, and to show off their skill to jailbroken the iPhone and download the "Raging Thunder" game into it in 60 seconds. Okay, I made it up about the 60 seconds, because it sounds so close to the "Gone in 60 seconds" phenomenon ;-p

At first nobody noticed, but as they walked halfway down the block the manager of the store called them and next thing you know they're detained for 2,5 hours and told that all of them are to be banned for life from ever entering any Apple stores worldwide! Fukuba and Vicenti had to be picked up by their parents, since they're under age.

Here are the rest of the story according to Kristina Peterson's (Palo Alto Daily News) article: Over the next few days, the boys worried about the ban's repercussions. Fukuba wondered what would happen if he needed to get his computer or iPhone repaired. "I'll have to get a friend to buy stuff for me, like a drug deal," he said.

But later in the week, the teens heard through a friend that a different manager had said they were still welcome at Apple, despite what the other employees had said. Vicenti said he has managed to separate his still strong affection for Apple's products from his now murkier feelings about the company's retail division. "I'm not going to take it out on Steve Jobs or anything," he said. ~LOL~ (you should boys! ;-D)

If just those four boys can wait till June 9th, where Steve Jobs himself will announce the availability of 3rd part softwares for iPhone & iPod. Meaning, Apple is officially will allow and even push iPhone customers to download and install 3rd party apps. There's no need to play jailbreak Apple stores' iPhone anymore, like what people usually do in video clip below.



[blogged with my Treo 750v]