Oops: Steve Jobs Declared Dead By Bloomberg, Jobs Surprisingly Mobile For A Corpse

Either this is the start of the zombie takeover of the world, or Steve Jobs isn't quite dead, as Bloomberg news mistakenly claimed yesterday:

Steve Jobs, Apple Co-Founder, Arbiter of Cool Technology, XXXX by Connie Guglielmo

DATE (Bloomberg) -- Steve Jobs, who helped make personal computers as easy to use as telephones, changed the way animated films are made, persuaded consumers to tune into digital music and refashioned the mobile phone, has XXXX. He was TK.

Yes, it seem that whilst updating Steve Jobs's obituary (newspapers regularly keep obituaries of people who are alive up to date just in case they kick the bucket), someone mistakenly hit "publish" instead of "save as draft" and the story got put out to the wire.

Bloomberg news was understandably embarrassed, and issued a retraction when they found out what had happened:

Aug. 27 (Bloomberg) -- An incomplete story referencing Apple Inc. was inadvertently published by Bloomberg News at 4:27 p.m. New York time today. The item was never meant for publication and has been retracted.

Boy, what a dismissive way of saying "Hey, sorry we said you're dead."

The mistake comes at a time when Apple investors and the media are jumpy regarding Steve Jobs health, following news of his battle with pancreatic cancer and his gaunt appearance at his last keynote speech at WWDC (pictured.) Lucky for Apple (and Bloomberg), the erroneous news story hit the wire in the evening, when the stock market had already closed, saving the story from causing a panic induced sell off of Apple stock.

Gawker managed to obtain a full copy of the draft obituary, and it makes for interesting (albeit morbid) reading, with notes for reporters and who they would contact in the case of Jobs's death. Read it at the link.

Steve Jobs's Obituary, As Run By Bloomberg [Gawker]