“After the one-two punch of announcements of iPhone availability in the U.K. and Germany last week, every Apple enthusiast fully expected Steve Jobs to make a public announcement at this week’s Apple Expo in Paris of a deal with French cellphone provider Orange. He did not,” David Zeiler blogs for The Baltimore Sun.
“It’s crazy. Last Friday Didier Lombard, chief executive of France Télécom (which owns Orange) told a reporter a trade show in Vietnam that Orange had made a deal with Apple, which many media outlets reported. But Apple never said a word,” Zeiler reports.
“In all likelihood details of the deal are still being worked out – but for Apple to let such an obvious PR opportunity slip by is completely out of character… Then again, perhaps the two parties have reached an agreement but Jobs wanted to wait a few weeks before announcing it in order to gin up more free publicity for the iPhone after the current chatter has died down,” Zeiler reports.
Full article here.
Reuters also has a report saying that “France Telecom and Apple are struggling to come to an agreement on the distribution of the U.S. group’s iPhone in France,” here.
“Making misspelling in a foreign language makes you sounds twice more stupid”
That’s really funny, irony, clever use of a foreign language by a non-native speaker(?) that fooled several posters above. Kudos to the French(?)man, or woman.
All the ***** posters with (American) English as their native language who didn’t get it should look up ‘Socratic irony’. Or even look up ‘how to recognize irony’.
@Gandalf
thank you for your defense my friend. But I must admit that it was not intended as irony. my statement stands as it stands. I can see that offended hugo. my appologies mon ami. I will now leave you with my life’s mission.
“mais vraiment, j’aime boire mon propre pipi. C’est toute la fureur ici dans la campagne française.”
The #1 song on the French iTunes Store? Surrender by Cheap Trick! [removed]void(0);
Wow… Hum, herr…
I’m French, and seriously, I don’t really care about “racist” comments… I’m used to it by now. It’s the primary source of inspiration for the French sense of humor.
On another note… I don’t need a fight with funny people. I am sure that you guys are open minded enough, anyway…
I live in the States now, and I have been for a while now… I have the iPhone, and even though I am French, I have one… I deserve it… I use it! LOL
Anyway, you guys are funny… Vive la France, vive les États-Unis… Vive le monde et les bonnes blagues…
@ポール
good on you
Steve is just punishing them for spilling the beans without Apple’s consent.
Renversement des haricots? Mon dieu!
I have to chime in when I see most ignorant and offensive comments implying French somehow surrendering (I’m assuming in conflicts, etc). I’m neither French, nor American, nor allied (neither by personal political views, nor by virtue of nationality) with either of the two. Yet, it irks me to no end.
Take a few minutes to google a few things and you’ll easily find out that, in WWII (I’m sure most of the offensive bigots are thinking about this period when implying surrender), France lost over half a million people, and almost half of that number was in combat.
Not everyone wants to blindly follow a vengeful world leader into a personal foolish war, when there are real terrorists to be fought elsewhere (France does have combat troops in Afghanistan, trying to find and fight actual terrorists).
I’ll end my rant here, although it doesn’t diminish my anger.
As for the topic at hand, I’m sure the deal will be ready before Christmas. France is large enough of a market not to be ignored.
What is the new French military uniform?
Sneakers and a skirt , so they can Sh$t while they run.
Wow, I never knew that French was a race. Caucasian, Oriental, Negroid and French. They really ARE freakin’ special.
francophile
YOU ARE WANKER
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What is the unique feature on French tanks?
They are the only tanks equipped with backup lights
Oh yeah, and of those that died in combat in World War II, I wonder how many were the Nazi loving Vichy French that killed our boys who were there to liberate their country. Although I haven’t been there, everyone I know who has been to Europe says that of all the nationalities, the French are the biggest assholes. But I’m not sure if they are bigger assholes than us. Anyone from a neutral country have an opinion?
The French may have surrendered to the Nazis (and immediately organized the Résistance), but GE was in a business relationship with Krupp, and Ford and GM were selling trucks to the German Army.
“Ford had a role in Nazi Germany’s prewar military buildup. U.S. Army Intelligence reported that the “real purpose” of the truck assembly plant opened in Berlin in 1938 was to produce “troop transport-type vehicles for the Wehrmacht (German military). A senior executive of General Motors also received a medal from Hitler, apparently for services rendered, and services to come. GM’s involvement in Germany began in 1935 with the opening of a truck factory near Berlin. Within a few years trucks produced by that factory would be part of German Army convoys rumbling through Poland, France and the Soviet Union.”
More here :
http://www.ranknfile-ue.org/uen_nastybiz.html
That’s why I never buy vehicles from those warmongers like Ford and GM. I only purchase Hondas or Toyotas. Oh, wait…..
How the Allied multinationals supplied Nazi Germany throughout World War II
(…)
Suppose the public had discovered that the Chase Bank in Nazi-occupied Paris after Pearl Harbor was doing millions of dollars’ worth of business with the enemy with the full knowledge of the head office in Manhattan? Or that Ford trucks were being built for the German occupation troops in France with authorization from Dearborn, Michigan? Or that Colonel Sosthenes Behn, the head of the international American telephone conglomerate ITT, flew from New York to Madrid tot Berne during the war to help improve Hitler’s communications systems and improve the robot bombs that devastated London? Or that ITT built the Focke-Wulfs that dropped bombs on British and American troops? Or that crucial ball bearings were shipped to Nazi-associated customers in Latin America with the collusion of the vice-chairman of the U.S. War Production Board in partnership with Göring’s cousin in Philadelphia when American forces were desperately short of them? Or that such arrangements were known about in Washington and either sanctioned or deliberately ignored?
(…)
Much more here :
http://libcom.org/library/allied-multinationals-supply-nazi-germany-world-war-2
@ Lord 1776
“That’s why I never buy vehicles from those warmongers like Ford and GM. I only purchase Hondas or Toyotas. Oh, wait…”
Good point. I only buy Swedish cars…
For now, the French will have to use a phone from the iMaginot Line of Apple products…(‘t’ is not silent)
Very amusing thread here. Mon dieu!
I expect Orange hoped Steve really wanted to announce something at the Expo, so they publicly proclaimed themselves as Apple’s choice in the midst of the negotiations, thinking El Jobso might cave on some of his demands – to meet the “deadline” of Expo Paris. Never a good move to underestimate Steve.
Steve’s response to Orange? “Siooma! Later, Dawgs”
If you don’t know what that means, go ask Fake Steve Jobs.
iPhone? C’est quoi iPhone? Iphone nowhere in France!
@LorD 1776
“Although I haven’t been there, everyone I know who has been to Europe says that of all the nationalities, the French are the biggest assholes. But I’m not sure if they are bigger assholes than us. Anyone from a neutral country have an opinion?”
I’m from Switzerland ( neutral enough for you?) and I think it’s pretty much a tie. However you get a free pass for asking the question.
Yes I would say the french and americans are equally self absorbed. The ignorant comments in this thread clearly show the limitations of humanity, and point to the very reason humans seem unable to rise above percolating protoplasmic soup.
wow, speaking as an American who has spent some time in France… you knuckle draggers who are ridiculing the French are like little boys trying to pee into a strong wind.
They have it figured out…
you perverted and arrogant fat americans suck !