New Zealand iPod recovered with US military data [u]
updated 03:55 pm EST, Tue January 27, 2009
Mil. data found on iPod
(Updated with correction) A used iPod bought by a New Zealand man, Chris Ogle, has been found to contain critical US military data, according to reports from the region. While unable to play music, the $15 iPod was found by Ogle to contain 60 pages of material related to US personnel, mission briefings and equipment deployments. The information mostly dates back to 2005, but contains names and personal data that remain relevant.
Some of the people named were in the past deployed to Iraq and Afghanistan, and the Australian Broadcasting Corporation notes that it when it attempted to call phone numbers mentioned in the documents, some of the appropriate people were still there to respond. Ogle continues to keep the iPod, but says he will hand the player over to the US Department of Defense if asked.
Update: Contrary to earlier accounts, New Zealand's ONE News reports that the player was not an iPod, but rather a more generic device. It and a backup disk have also since been handed over to the country's US embassy, in exchange for a new player; the original one is noted to have specifically had data on military bases in Germany and Iraq, and personal records including Social Security numbers.
Used MP3 Player Not an iP
01/27, 04:47pm reply
I think the facts are off a little, this was supposedly a used MP3 player not an iPod.
Per the Sydney Morning Herald:
http://news.smh.com.au/breaking-news-world/nz-man-finds-us-army-files-on-mp3-player-20090126-7pxt.html
And TV NZ:
http://tvnz.co.nz/national-news/nz-man-gains-access-us-military-secrets-2453415
And Engadget (Monday, with a picture).
Guest
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Joined: Nov 1999
MP3 player and iPod
01/27, 06:06pm reply
are not mutually exclusive.
ff11
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Joined: Apr 2004
Not an iPod
01/27, 08:17pm reply
According to the photo accompanying this CNN story and the video the link to showing the guy at his computer with device, it was not an iPod.
ArsTechnica should do a little more research before posting their story (or at least report on other people's stories more accurately) and MacNN shouldn't so blindly parrot the story. In fact, the 2nd post on Ars reader comments about the story points out that it wasn't an iPod and that the reference Ars used for their own story never said it was an iPod.
Blind leading the blind.
ender
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CNN Link
01/27, 08:21pm reply
For some reason MacNN won't let me post with CNN's story link that I forgot to put in my last post. Guess you'll have to go to CNN to find the story yourselves!
ender
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Joined: Mar 1999
It is not an iPod
01/27, 08:25pm reply
The TV NZ link provided by "Guest" has a viewable news report and they specifically show "this mp3 player".Definitely not an iPod.
Flying Meat
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Joined: Jan 2007
Not an iPod
01/28, 01:04am reply
Don't know what sort of MP3 player it was, but from the photo, it was not a iPod. A little more research before posting is required IMHO.
Monde
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