对一小群科技记者而言，试图预先琢磨出苹果（Apple）的产品计划是件严肃的事，过去，这方面一直是由《华尔街日报》（Wall Street Journal）的苹果报道团队独占鳌头。

    但在本周的全球开发者大会上，所有人——包括《华尔街日报》在内——都被洛杉矶一位名为马克•古曼的18岁中学生抢尽了风头。

    为苹果报道网站9to5Mac担任兼职写手的古曼上月发布了对苹果全球开发者大会（WWDC）大会的八大预测，让我们先来回顾一下：

    5月11日：iCloud beta网站（Beta.iCloud.com）透露，苹果计划发布记事本（Notes）和提醒（Reminder）应用，而且，可以确定，iOS 6测试版即将发布。 【预测正确】

    5月11日：iOS 6：苹果将抛弃谷歌地图，首次采用自行研发，拥有极强3D效果的“地图”软件。【预测正确】

    5月14日：苹果准备升级15英寸版MacBook Pro：视网膜显示屏、超轻薄设计，配备速度超快的USB 3接口。【预测正确】

    5月15日：苹果还准备发布配备视网膜显示屏的MacBook Air和iMac。

    6月4日：Facebook现身iOS 6：将成为系统级应用，应用程序商店将出现Facebook的“赞（like）”选项。【预测正确】

    6月4日：在iOS 6，苹果将为iPad带来完整版Siri语音助手：（为用户提供）更多模组和细节。【预测正确】

    6月4日：在WWDC大会上，苹果将更新大部分Mac产品线和各类配件。【预测正确】

    6月5日：在经过近两年的苦苦等待后，苹果终于将于下周发布升级版Mac Pro。【预测正确】

    日前，我在旧金山偶遇古曼，当时他正参加苹果的开发者大会。当我问他是从哪里获得这些资料时，他守口如瓶，不肯透露一点风声。不过维特劳布（他在两年前就雇佣了古曼，当时他发现这个少年对苹果可谓了如指掌）更为坦率。古曼的一些资料来自苹果的内部人士，但绝大部分资料都基于所谓的 “老式的费时费力的报道”（ old-fashioned shoe-leather reporting）——认真研读苹果的公开文档，归纳总结出一个苹果开发者及零部件供应商的资料库，并进行不厌其烦的研究。

    我们上周对古曼进行了报道，彭博新闻社在本周二也提到了他的光辉业绩。古曼有些担心这些关注会惹恼苹果。

    但他也渴望得到苹果的认可。当他听到苹果的公共关系部门在打听自己时，简直容光焕发。他还很自豪地强调，苹果高级副总裁菲尔•席勒知道自己。真实情况是，几个月前，某人（不是古曼）打电话给席勒，自称是马克•古曼，向他询问苹果的新产品信息。我得知古曼第二天接到了苹果公共关系部的电话，告诉他如果想知道任何与苹果公司有关的信息，必须通过公关部门。嗯，虽然这么做基本不管用。

    译者：项航

    Trying to scope out Apple's (AAPL) product plans in advance is serious business for a small army of tech journalists, one that has been dominated in the past by the team that covers the company for the Wall Street Journal.

    But in the walk-up to this week's World Wide Developers Conference, everybody -- including the Journal -- got scooped by an 18-year-old kid named Mark Gurman who goes to high school in Los Angeles and writes on the side for Seth Weintraub's 9to5Mac.

    Let's review, with the benefit of hindsight, the WWDC predictions Gurman posted over the past month:

    May 11: iCloud beta website reveals plans for Notes and Reminders web apps, affirms iOS 6 beta coming soon CORRECT

    May 11: iOS 6: Apple drops Google Maps, debuts in-house 'Maps' with incredible 3D mode CORRECT

    May 14: Apple readies revamped 15-inch MacBook Pro: Retina Display, ultra-thin design, and super-fast USB 3 CORRECT

    May 15: Apple also working on MacBook Airs and iMacs with Retina Displays TO BE DETERMINED

    June 4: Facebook in iOS 6: Integration is system-wide, 'Liking' of App Store apps present CORRECT

    June 4: Apple to bring full Siri voice-assistant to the iPad with iOS 6: mockup and details CORRECT

    June 4: Apple to update most of its Mac lineup and multiple accessories at WWDCCORRECT

    June 5: After nearly two years without an update, Apple to finally revamp Mac Pro next week CORRECT

    Seven out of eight ain't bad, and I suspect that the one that we don't yet know about -- his report that Apple is bringing the Retina display to the rest of its notebook line -- will eventually be proven true.

    I ran into Gurman in San Francisco, where he is attending Apple's developer sessions. He clammed up when I asked him where he gets his stories. But Weintraub -- who hired Gurman two years ago when he realized the teenager had his finger on Apple's pulse -- was more forthcoming. Some of his stories come from sources inside Apple, but most are based on what used to be called old-fashioned shoe-leather reporting -- poring over Apple's published documents and building a network of Apple developers and parts suppliers that he hammers relentlessly.

    Gurman is a little worried that the attention he's been getting -- we wrote about him last week and Bloomberg News mentioned his work on Tuesday -- could bring down Apple's wrath.

    But he also craves Apple's recognition. He lights up when he hears that Apple public relations has asked about him, and he mentions proudly that senior VP Phil Schiller knows who he is. It turns out that a few months ago, someone (not Gurman) called Schiller claiming to be Mark Gurman and asking for information about future Apple products. I'm told that Gurman got a call the next day from Apple PR saying that if he wanted any information about the company, he should go through their department.

    Yeah, right. As if that would work.