Steve Jobs Accidental Obit

Sam Gustin says: By now you may have heard. Yesterday, Bloomberg updated Apple chief executive Steve Jobs' obituary and accidentally moved it on its news wire.

Despite having the disclaimer, "HOLD FOR RELEASE - DO NOT USE - HOLD FOR RELEASE - DO NOT USE," on the top of the file, gossip site Gawker promptly published the lengthy obituary.

Steve Jobs remains very much alive.

As has been pointed out relentlessly, major news organizations routinely prepare obituaries of famous people. But Bloomberg couldn't have picked a worse subject to for this particular snafu: Steve Jobs' health has been a matter of intense speculation ever since he appeared on stage earlier this summer looking like he'd lost weight.

Bloomberg's gaffe has prompted a new wave of speculation: Does the wire know something we don't?

Bloomberg has since issued a statement saying: "The item was never meant for publication and has been retracted."

Meanwhile, the error has become the top story on tech blogs hungry for fodder in the depths of August and a page view bonanza for Gawker.