Top Secret Microsoft Phone Pickpocketed

Earlier this week at the Mobile World Congress in Barcelona, a phone loaded with prototype Microsoft software was pickpocketed from the coat of an unnamed executive.

The phone, which was loaded with an early version of Windows Mobile 6.5, was reported given to Australian telecoms giant Telstra CEO Sol Trujillo for testing purposes. Trujillo then handed the device over to another executive, whose pocket was picked later that day at an evening function, according to the Telegraph.

A Telstra representative said, “One of our product executives was given the phone to test the system. He had it with him at an organised evening event and it was stolen from him – we don't know by whom.”

“I'm not clear on what the security implications of the theft will be,” said the Telstrar spokesman. “That is for Microsoft to say.”

The features of Windows Mobile 6.5 aren’t exactly super sensitive internal Microsoft information, but it is pre-release software that isn’t meant to get beyond the control of the software giant.

"We have nothing to say on this subject at this time," said a spokesman from Microsoft's London office.

Windows Mobile 6.5 is seen by some as Microsoft’s attempt to reinvigorate its software to keep up with the likes of Apple’s OS X for iPhone, Google’s Android and Palm’s WebOS. It’s unknown if this early version of Windows Mobile 6.5 could be extracted and uploaded to the internet, but there’s no doubt that users of Windows phones will be eager to check out the upcoming OS as soon as possible.

Marcus Yam
Marcus Yam served as Tom's Hardware News Director during 2008-2014. He entered tech media in the late 90s and fondly remembers the days when an overclocked Celeron 300A and Voodoo2 SLI comprised a gaming rig with the ultimate street cred.
  • might want to check the spelling on that...
    it is Telstra in Australia - not Telstar
    Reply
  • Oops. Sol must have felt really stupid lol
    Reply
  • I have been with Telstar for over 10 years and some Telstar idiot thought Damian has the letter 'o' in it and 'corrected' the spelling of my name for me.

    How do you like it now Telstar?
    Reply
  • physx7
    Haha this is so funny....
    Reply
  • Mr_Man
    Steve Ballmer is throwing a chair across the room yelling, "I'm going to kill pickpockets!"
    Reply
  • matt2k
    nice. wonder if the pickpocket knows what they got.
    Reply
  • jerrardo
    I'm going to read between the lines and say that the guy lost the phone. If I didn't want to get in trouble for losing something I would say it was stolen.
    Reply
  • blackened144
    jerrardoI'm going to read between the lines and say that the guy lost the phone. If I didn't want to get in trouble for losing something I would say it was stolen.
    Right. It was "stolen".
    Reply
  • smalltime0
    jerrardoI'm going to read between the lines and say that the guy lost the phone. If I didn't want to get in trouble for losing something I would say it was stolen.The barcelona event is known for its five fingered discounts, really its a major mistake for the exectuive.
    opmopadopI have been with Telstar for over 10 years and some Telstar idiot thought Damian has the letter 'o' in it and 'corrected' the spelling of my name for me.How do you like it now Telstar?Realy, your a Telstar customer? since when? Long enough to know that the spelling is Telstra?
    matt2knice. wonder if the pickpocket knows what they got.Probably a phone that some journo would pay a few hundred$ to look at and take a photo of... good for him.
    Reply
  • Pei-chen
    Spain’s unemployment rate is 13.9 percent at the end of December. Just to show what happen if you allow lesser economies joined the EU.
    Reply