How Apple geniuses find out about new Apple products

They are just customer service/technicians, they are not in the need to know. Maybe steve will release that top secret podcast he demo'd for genius bar staff only.

The day the 5G ipod came out I went to the Apple Store to return my week old 4G and the check out girl didn't even know about the 5G with video. Guess she was working instead of frantically hitting refresh on tuaw.

If you can't get through, there's a Coral cache of the article at:

http://www.macgeekery.com.nyud.net:8090/column/pure_genius/rumors_at_the_bar

I was wondering why I couldnt get to the link but then I went to Digg.com and indeed it has been dugg :(

I used to be a Mac Genius, and the only people who knew about product ahead of time were 1) Managers (but not always), and 2) inventory specialists (if the product was already shipped to the stores for the announcement).

Also, most people who come into the Apple Store aren't at all obnoxious. The percentage of obnoxious people at the Genius Bar, however, is significantly higher. Sometimes it's understandable, because their computer just crapped out. Sometimes you just want to smack them upside the head and tell them to grow up.

If they new about upcoming products, they might lean to discourage someone from buying a product, telling them to wait a little while. If they wait, they might forget to buy...

Where was that Apple Store Genius Bar image taken?

The notoriously secretive Apple doesn't disclose its secrets with the people who interact with the public?

Shocking!

They have to learn what Apple's going to do just like we do: rumor sites that get it right maybe half the time.