Police finally got the guy that allegedly broke into the Palo Alto home of the late Steve Jobs.
The actual theft took place a couple of weeks ago, when the burglar was able to break into the empty house that was undergoing renovations. He managed to make off with an impressive array of loot including many of Apple's (Nasdaq: AAPL) signature products.
Some other items in the police report include a $33,000 necklace, Cristal champagne, and Jobs' own driver's license. It was in his wallet, which fittingly enough had a single dollar in it -- possibly a nod to his $1 annual salary during his time at Apple.
However, the one item that jumped out at me was that the thief also took off with a SodaStream (Nasdaq: SODA) soda maker.
It's an odd choice to haul away. The systems start at less than $100, and even the high-end stylized SodaStream maker costs less than $300.
However, the real takeaway here is that Jobs -- or at the very least his wife and family -- owned a SodaStream.
That's pretty cool, though it would be hard for SodaStream to milk that nugget into free publicity without coming off as morbid.
SodaStream is used to free publicity. Just as it was kicking off its stateside marketing push two years ago, Tori Spelling was gushing about the appliance on a television morning show.
There's also the real possibility that Jobs himself never used the machine. He was a health food nut, even limiting his diet to fruit smoothies for a spell after his liver transplant.
However, there's certainly no harm in SodaStream promoting its healthier side. Most of the company's marketing has emphasized either the value of SodaStream relative to branded soda or the convenience and eco-friendly nature of making fresh soda at home instead of lugging around cans and bottles that may collect in landfills.
I bought mine two years ago to tap into my inner mixologist and to give my children a somewhat healthier choice in soda. A SodaStream non-diet soft drink has a third of the calories, carbs, and sugar -- and a lot less sodium -- than Coca-Cola (NYSE: KO) or Pepsi (NYSE: PEP).
Coke and Pepsi will argue that they offer plenty of diet-based alternatives for those counting calories and carbs. SodaStream also uses different sweeteners. The point is merely that SodaStream appeals to different people for different reasons.
For now, I just think it's cool that there was a SodaStream in Jobs' home.
SodaStream and Apple will rarely be used in the same sentence, though one can argue that it was SodaStream's push for Apple-like simplicity and stylized design that helped the century-old company regain its fizz globally a couple of years ago when CEO Dan Birnbaum arrived.
SodaStream is naturally doing just fine without the Jobs publicity. Revenue and adjusted earnings soared 49% and 41% respectively in the company's latest quarter. However, there should still be some twisted pride in knowing that a SodaStream machine is one of the few items worth stealing in a legendary billionaire's home.
Drink up
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