What Digg founder leaked about the iPhone

Stan Beer
Tuesday, 05 December 2006 02:21

IT Industry - Market

Kevin Rose, founder of content aggregator Digg, knows about the iPhone, he's leaked a lot in a podcast which is up on YouTube, and he's nervous about Apple retribution. Rose says there will be two flash RAM iPhone models, 4GB (US$249) and 8GB (US$449), they'll have two batteries, they'll be very small, they'll have a slide out keyboard and they'll be compatible with all the main cellular technologies.

In a video version of the Diggnation podcast with cohort Alex Albrecht, which is posted on Engadget, both hosts are talking between swigs of alcohol, and Rose appears half drunk and very nervous about what he is allowed to say. The impression given is that Rose has been given the green light by someone at Apple to say that the iPhone exists but not to give too much detail.

When pressed by Albrecht, Rose leaks the above details but often pauses nervously to ponder whether he should send an instant message on his laptop to his contact to verify whether he's allowed to release certain information.

Rose admits that he hasn't seen the operating system but promises that it will be "very cool" and that we will like it.

The Diggnation podcast, which is the latest in a series of leaks about the iPhone, seems to indicate that there may well be a cleverly orchestrated campaign by Apple underway to build tension in the marketplace about the arrival of the new combination music player and phone.

There have been stories about patent filings and orders placed with Taiwanese iPod manufacturer Foxconn. However, the Diggnation podcast is the first evidence of a high profile media person confirming that the Apple device exists, while imparting considerable detail.