14 DAY TRIAL // The message “STEVE JOBS JUST DIED” was publicly posted on the Internet on January 6, 2009, following a hacker attack of a Macworld live coverage. Readers were able to take screenshots of the live feed, before it was pulled down. The 2009 keynote (Apple's last at Macworld) was delivered by the company's SVP of product marketing worldwide, Phil Schiller.
Apple's CEO has been the target of countless rumors and farces involving his battle with cancer years ago. While Mr. Jobs was able to get back on his feet following intense medical procedures that rid him of the pancreatic cancer that was threatening his life, some side effects soon started to show. Mr. Jobs has been losing weight ever since he battled the disease, and has seen fire from the press for his continuously thinner appearance, one keynote address after the other. Rumors about Jobs dying kept pouring, as Apple kept quiet.
However, just before the Macworld 2009 show, the company and its CEO decided to post open statements to clear the air of any speculation concerning Mr. Jobs' health. In his open letter to the Apple Community, Jobs noted that, for the first time in ten years, he was getting to spend the holiday season with his family, whereas, in other years, Apple's CEO would prepare “intensely” for the Macworld keynote.
Mr. Jobs officially stated, “I’ve decided to share something very personal with the Apple community. [...] As many of you know, I have been losing weight throughout 2008. The reason has been a mystery to me and my doctors. A few weeks ago, I decided that getting to the root cause of this and reversing it needed to become my #1 priority.”
“Fortunately, after further testing, my doctors think they have found the cause—a hormone imbalance that has been 'robbing' me of the proteins my body needs to be healthy. Sophisticated blood tests have confirmed this diagnosis,” Apple's CEO wrote.
Naturally, the letter did little to convince the public that Steve Jobs was fine and that Apple would have the same charismatic CEO for years to come. Thus, the farces continued.
“Our MacRumorsLive keynote coverage was hacked today, inserting inappropriate content into the text and photo feeds,” the affected site wrote. “We apologize for the inconvenience, and are working to restore our services. The hack appears to be limited to the MacRumorsLive servers, so forum accounts should be safe,” the post revealed.
No other websites / blogs / forums were hacked during Apple's keynote address on January 6, although the malicious feat did lead to confusion, suspensions, and Twitter feeds being pulled down.