FACT: Apple employees can't hold their liquor… and an iPhone, at the same time.

Either that or I'm in a fucking time warp, because in a dumb-shit repeat of last year's iPhone 4 prototype incident, an Apple employee apparently lost his iPhone 5 at Cava 22 at Mission and 22nd back in July. CNET and Bernalwood are all over the story, since the phone was apparently back-traced to Bernal by the cyberpolice using the Find My iPhone app.  The SFPD searched the home where the device was tracked to, but found nothing. The resident of the home acknowledge being at Cava 22 the night the phone 'went missing' (ie: was set down and abandoned at the bar so Apple-bro could carry all 6 tequila shots back to his table) but claims not to have any knowledge of the missing iPhone. According to CNET, Apple and the SFPD believe the phone might have already been sold on Craigslist for $200; a significant drop from the $5000 Gizmodo paid for the iPhone 4 prototype. I blame the drop in value on Steve Jobs retirement, and the fact that no semi-legit source would go anywhere near a stolen Apple prototype after what happened to Gizmodo last year. 

Aren't these Apple people supposed to geniuses or something? Maybe they should have their potential field-testers fill out a questionarre before issuing them a prototype, with questions like “Do you like bars?” or “Are you under 35 and prone to binge drinking?” and “Do you check in to 4Square when you drink and then set your phone down on the table?” 

And seriously, $200??? That's a better deal than buying it retail.