Did Apple Freeze Steve Jobs in Carbonite to Distract From iPhone Spying Scandal? (AAPL)

Steve Jobs might be an odd choice to be dipped and frozen in carbonite. Even with the latest iPhone spy scandal, in which Apple AAPL was rumored to be collecting and storing customers' private data, Jobs is a beloved figure in the Apple user community. Even still, many iPhone users found themselves giggling at the sight of a new case and skin of Steve Jobs frozen, a la Han Solo, in a mock-carbonite cover. The cases were available until Wednesday morning, when the creator received a cease and desist letter from Apple's lawyers. The new case emerged as a hot topic after rumors hit the internet this week that Apple's iPhones collect and store the movement and locations of users. Apple released a statement today to address the scandal, claiming that the company “is not tracking the location of your iPhone. Apple has never done so and has no plans to ever do so.” According to Apple, the company is not tracking the iPhone, but rather, “maintaining a database of Wi-Fi hotspots and cell towers around your current location to help your iPhone rapidly and accurately calculate its location when requested.” The reasoning for storing a year's worth of past data in the iPhone? A software bug. No word on whether or not Apple will be releasing an iBridge in iBrooklyn for sale any time soon. Between the scandal and the mock-carbonite freezing, Jobs has had a tough week. It's about to get tougher, as Congress has the Apple CEO in its sights. Democratic Senator Al Franken announced this week he will be holding hearings in May on the issue of smartphones and privacy. Franken is one of the Senate's most outspoken proponents of privacy and consumer rights. “I think Apple will be testifying,” Jobs said. “They have asked us to come and we will honor their request of course.” Jobs may want to reconsider hiding out in carbonite for the next few weeks.