Think Secret killed by Apple

Now in another draconian move, Apple has managed to slay this beloved site, which its executives including Steve Jobs, always saw as an annoyance. Ironically, the site was chiefly frequented by Apple fans, but Apple has always maintain a closed box policy to some extent which seems to hurt the ones who love it.

Apple had sued Think Secret for trade secret violations in 2005 after it revealed an unannounced "headless" Mac for $500 and the new iWork office suite. Apple planned to announce these products at the Mac World that year and virtually confirmed the leak with its lawsuit. The suit centered on putting the squeeze on Think Secret's sources -- likely so Apple could wish them luck in finding a new job.

Think Secret remained loyal to Apple, its fans, and most significantly its sources to the end. Site publisher Nick Ciarelli (aka Nick DePlume) settled with Apple, but went down fighting. Ciarelli refused to betray his sources and instead paid the ultimate price -- losing his beloved website.

Ciarelli was happy he could at least save his friends from harm. He sent an email to Engadget stating, "I'll just say that I'm very satisfied with the settlement, and that I'd like to thank the Electronic Frontier Foundation and my attorney, Terry Gross of Gross & Belsky, for their support."