IPod Smashing Video Not Very Smashing
10:32 pm, October 30th, 2005,
Yegor Simpson, the 19-year-old student behind SmashMyiPod.com, has finally posted video of his iPod smashing — but it’s not worth watching.
About 10 minutes long, the first nine minutes is the deadly-dull documentation of Yegor buying the iPod at an Apple store.
The last minute or two concerns the actual smashing, but there’s not much joy in it. Simpson and a friend first try to smash the iPod inside the Apple store, underfoot, but are escorted out. They finish the job on the sidewalk with a hammer. It’s pretty joyless.
To refresh: Simpson raised more than $500 in donations to buy and smash an iPod. He promised to post video for the jollies of everyone concerned.
The actual smashing happened last week but until now was no video. Simpson did post pictures — but of an older $300 iPod, not a brand new $500 one. This raised a lot of suspicion he was pulling an elaborate scam.
“They collected $400 (+$151 extra) and spent it on an iPod 20GB???” noted one skeptic among many at the Engadget blog. “How stupid. They probably already owned the 20GB, smashed it, and bought a brand new 5th gen for themselves. Anyone that donated is officially a sucker.”
Over at TUAW, there was a similar note of suspicion: “The guy had a destroyed 4G, got the $400, and got a new 5G,” wrote one commentator. “He smashed up the 4G good and is laughing all the way to the Apple store with a new iPod.”
Scam.com says it was an “obvious scam.”
Simpson didn’t respond to a request for comment. But in the video, you can see him buying a new iPod for yourself.
Meanwhile, Simpson is full steam ahead with his other smashing projects: SmashMyXBox, SmashMyPS3, and SmashMyRevolution.
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so obviously a scam. Glad everyone called him out on being the brat he is.
glad the truth came out, on October 31st, 2005 at 5:56 pm
Very stupid guy for doing something like this, but it was a job well done, if he ripped everybody off, and bought the new iPod for himself. Because the people who donated are, as or more stupid than he is.
André, on November 1st, 2005 at 2:21 am
Give me a break, I can see this being blog worthy, but news/wired worthy. I mean he was young and obviously nervous when making the video (which should have been edited down by 70%.) I dont think he went in there with the intention of buying a smaller one, but even thought he did, what is the difference? People paid for it, and got to see an ipod get smashed, and they are complaining about the drive size? LMAO. When you donate money to the cause of something being destroyed in a store, and you complain, then you are an idiot. You should have held on to your money. Don’t get mad at this kid.;what did you want him to do? Ship the change back to his sponsors?
TheRealJobe, on November 2nd, 2005 at 4:52 am
“Scam.com says it was an “obvious scam.”"
Hah! Seriously Leander, try to get your facts straight before making a bold assumption. You are pretending to quote the somewhat respectable site scam.com, yet you just take the words of an anonymous fresh forum user. It’s the only post he has and, in fact as mentioned on their forum, HE is the obvious fraud, not smashmyipod.com
As for the other “sources” uou quote… man, you seem pathetic. Some guy calling himself “JN” just assuming the anti-apple guy already owns an iPod and..no, it’s just such a silly comment he has thrown out of nowhere.
Jeez, look at the video properly and read what the claimed the would do. They did what they said.
And you, Leander, are just trying to drag down these guys for having some fun. Just cause they don’t appreciate your precious, adorable, “oh-my-god-its-an-mp3-player” iPod, doesn’t mean you need to diss them like this.
Still you can if you want, in my opinion it just makes you look silly.
Peder Bergan, on November 2nd, 2005 at 6:20 am
IPod Smashing Video Not Very Smashing
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Klaus Hertwig, on November 5th, 2005 at 1:27 pm