Little Black Book Lost

Every year thousands of cellphones, PDAs, and iPods are left behind by New York City cab riders, most never to be seen again. But here's a notable exception on two counts: an iPhone was returned to its owner, according to this story yesterday in the Daily News, and the owner was Annie Leibovitz's assistant. The contact list, which includes an A-list of celebrities, was apparently downloaded in the meantime and, according to the News, "a random sampling of them have already been drunk-dialed." [The story also relates the tidbit that somehow the culprit's own database was merged with Leibovitz's, making for some strange bedfellows between personal-contacts details.]

The episode illustrates that super-photographers like Leibovitz run in a rarefied circle of celebrityhood that is usually protected by a firewall of agents, publicists, and staffers to lend a semblance of privacy and normalcy to its inhabitants. It also illustrates that everyone carries their personal info on phones and PDAs these days. The iPhone is the new Black Book and the new Equalizer. Be careful where you put yours. — Jack Crager