This is the clown that ended up with Steve Jobs’ stolen iPads

Among the items stolen from Steve Jobs' home last month were two iPads, which ended up in the hands of an unsuspecting kids entertainer.

You might think we’re teasing you about the stupidity level of the thief that robbed Steve Jobs’ home last month, snatching roughly $60,000 worth of goods from the late Apple co-founder. But seriously: Steve Jobs’ stolen iPads have been recovered, and one of it was being used by a clown performer as part of his act.

The children’s entertainer otherwise known as Kenny the Clown was unaware that he was using a stolen iPad after his friend gave the device to him. This friend, of course, is Kariem McFarlin, who is currently under police custody for breaking into Jobs’ Palo Alto home on July 17.

Kenny, real name Kenneth Kahn, said McFarlin gave him two iPads, one that he gave to his young daughter and the other as a prop for his act. Kahn was reportedly using the silver 64GB iPad to play the Pink Panther theme song and some Michael Jackson tunes to accommodate his performance. Naturally, he had no idea these devices were actually stolen until police came to his door, demanding the goods back.

“It would be like getting a football from Joe Montana that was stolen out of his house,” Kahn, 47, told Mercury News. “It’s bizarre; it’s really bizarre.”

Kahn gave police the iPads back without hesitation. Among the items that McFarlin took from Jobs’ home are a few other iOS products, Tiffany & Co. jewelry, and Jobs’ wallet and driver’s license.

As if the story couldn’t be any more strange, Kahn is not just an entertainer; he is also a former San Francisco mayoral candidate during the 2007 election, and a former mayoral candidate in 2006 and 2010 for his hometown of Alameda, California. He reportedly met McFarlin more than 10 years ago when he acted as McFarlin’s basketball coach at Encinal High School, and never saw him as “any type of menace” — claiming that he just made a bad decision to steal. McFarlin is due in court on Monday for the theft of Steve Jobs’ properties. 

“It still hasn’t really 100 percent set in for me. It was Steve Jobs’ iPad — literally,” Kahn said. “If this thing weren’t so tragic, it would be comical.”

We couldn’t say it better ourselves.

Source : digitaltrends[dot]com

Xbox Live switch from Microsoft Points to real money a “glitch” says Microsoft

Some items on Xbox Live switched to real currency yesterday. Microsoft says it was a mistake, but is it planning to drop the currency soon?

Microsoft Points are the bane of the Xbox 360 owner’s existence. How much do I have left in my wallet? 170 Microsoft Points? Tony Hawk Pro Skater HD costs how much? Why do I need these stupid points!?

Microsoft’s virtual currency is a curse that gets people to spend more than they have to on downloadable goods. Hence why it seemed like such a wonderful thing on Wednesday when Avatar items popped up on Xbox Live with real dollar prices on them. Also hence why it was so disappointing when those prices reverted to Microsoft Points shortly thereafter.

Turns out it was all just a mistake. Microsoft told GamesIndustry International on Thursday that the prices appeared as a glitch, not a broad shift towards consumer friendliness. “Yesterday, a few avatar items appeared with an option to purchase with local currency, instead of Microsoft Points. The display error doesn’t signal a change in payment options, but rather an error in how the offers were configured in our services which resulted in an inconsistent experience. It is in the process of being resolved.”

The verbose PR speak can’t mask the fact that Microsoft is clearly considering a shift away from Microsoft points. Rumors first popped up in January that Microsoft planned to phase out Microsoft points by the end of 2012, looking to unify its digital retail operations across Xbox Live Arcade and the Windows Phone Marketplace. While Microsoft declined to comment on the rumors at the time, it was said that numerous mobile developers were informed that they would need to adjust the pricing of in-app purchases and DLC to reflect local currencies. While the Zune Marketplace, Windows Phone Marketplace, and XBLA all used Microsoft points at one point, they have not universally in all territories.

Virtual currency systems aren’t going anywhere. The profitability of Facebook Credits and similar fake loots purchased with real world cash has guaranteed their continued existence for some time. The era of virtual currency having any layer of abstraction in front of actual dollar value is coming to a close though. Nintendo finally gave up the DSi/Wii Points ghost with the Nintendo 3DS eShop’s real money prices last year, and the Wii U is expected to follow suit.

With Windows 8 and the Surface tablet on the horizon, Microsoft needs to make its pantheon of digital businesses uniform and easy to understand for consumers. Don’t make them remember how many points you get for $5. Just tell them they need to spend $5.

Source : digitaltrends[dot]com