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iPhone Freed From AT&T, Twice
Posted by
kdawson
on Fri Aug 24, 2007 02:14 PM
from the everything-but-the-visual-voicemail dept.
from the everything-but-the-visual-voicemail dept.
A very large number of readers sent in stories about one or the other of the two new claims to have unlocked the iPhone for use on other GSM carriers. A New Jersey teenager, George Hotz, posted instructions for unlocking the iPhone using a soldering gun and a lot of patience. This is from coverage in a local NJ paper: "If someone handed him an iPhone new out of the box, he could modify it in 'about an hour,' he said. A person following his directions might take 'a good 12 hours,' the teen estimated." Hotz has put up a YouTube video substantiating his claim, and is conducting an eBay auction for one of his two hacked phones. The other hack is by a commercial outfit called iPhoneSIMfree.com, whose claim Engadget has verified. The company will be selling licenses to the hack, minimum quantity 500, at a price not yet announced. These hacks are much bigger news for those outside America. Expect to see an industry spring up to meet European (and Asian?) demand for freed iPhones.
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Calling all Lawyers (Score:2, Insightful)
Re:Calling all Lawyers (Score:4, Insightful)
(http://www.dragonswest.com/ | Last Journal: Monday November 05, @07:35PM)
I smell Lawsuits.
Lawyers my eye, this is probably covered by the DMCA reverse engineering, same as for unlocking XBoxes and so forth. Simply purchasing an iPhone does not convey complete ownership and the right to dismantle protections under such law. Worse, offering up the modified iPhone on eBay, which I expect to see cancelled, will not simply bring grief from AT&T, but Apple as well. (It's currently up to $15K, which I doubt will be honoured.) It's best if someone does unlock the iPhone for other GSM services to keep their yap shut and use it as they see fit. Sadly, ego must be fed, but at what price?
Re:Calling all Lawyers (Score:5, Insightful)
Re:Calling all Lawyers (Score:5, Insightful)
(http://koiulpoi.dmusic.com/)
More Like.... (Score:2, Interesting)
Re:More Like.... (Score:5, Interesting)
Re:More Like.... (Score:5, Insightful)
Apple doesn't lose out of this, so I can't see them rushing to redesign the hardware or software.
The only loser it AT&T. And one can easily argue that if the provided a good connection product, at a competitive price and backed it up with quality service they'd have nothing to worry about.
But, of course, the only reason for all service providers all over the globe to use lock-ins is because the last thing any phone company offers is any of the above.
So, yeah, let's hear those world's smallest violins.
Re:More Like.... (Score:5, Informative)
http://www.mobile-tech-today.com/story.xhtml?stor
http://www.appleinsider.com/articles/07/07/19/ana
Re:More Like.... (Score:5, Interesting)
Re:More Like.... (Score:5, Funny)
(http://www.roughlydrafted.com/ | Last Journal: Friday August 11 2006, @11:13PM)
I'll work on rounding up the proletariat to design games for the People, so we can all play without anyone being trampled under these bourgeois capitalists who build electronics for money and orchestrate evil plots to make their products more attractive through proprietary software.
--
ZDNet's George Ou Exposed as Ignorant Microsoft Shill (Zoon!) [roughlydrafted.com]
The assault on reason isn't just a political phenomenon. Microsoft has long been developing its own cast of apologists who have eked out full time careers in the field of sputtering out ignorant, unfounded claims with such insistence and volume that the undecided simply have no alternative but to line up and applaud their seemingly convincing rhetoric. Among them is George Ou, who unsurprisingly blogs for CNET's ZDNet branded website.
Apple iPhone vs the FIC Neo1973 OpenMoko Linux Smartphone [roughlydrafted.com]
Frequently compared to Apple's new smartphone, the OpenMoko FIC Neo1973 is described as the free and open software community's alternative to Apple's officially closed iPhone platform. Here's a look at what it really is and how it compares to the iPhone.
Re:More Like.... (Score:4, Interesting)
Depending on the balance of new customers to old (and 4GB iPhones to 8GB iPhones), Apple may just make more money by letting people buy the phone and use it with any provider, especially considering that the legal fees to try to enforce the locked phone policy would probably wipe out any difference in revenue from lost AT&T customers. That's provided that AT&T doesn't make too much of a stink with Apple about it. In any case, I'm sure the number of people who actually will end up unlocking their phones will be relatively small, so even AT&T doesn't have much to worry about, and Apple can enjoy those few extra sales that they'll get from it.
Re:More Like.... (Score:5, Insightful)
(Last Journal: Saturday April 28 2007, @07:18AM)
Re:More Like.... (Score:4, Insightful)
Very true, but I fear the government wants less smart people around.
Re:More Like.... (Score:5, Funny)
(http://thepandablog.com/)
Thank you Grammar Nazi.
Re:More Like.... (Score:5, Insightful)
(http://127.0.0.1/ | Last Journal: Friday November 02, @08:43PM)
No, I call it really smart. He did his homework, found the DMCA provision/exemption that allowed him to do EXACTLY what he did, and announced it.... and as neither "pissing off companies" nor "screwing the warranty" is illegal in the US, he just assured himself a future job.
Not just in lots of 500. (Score:3, Informative)
Implications (Score:5, Insightful)
(http://www.greenarrowinvestments.com/)
Re:Implications (Score:5, Informative)
Why do all this... (Score:5, Interesting)
Re:Why do all this... (Score:5, Insightful)
(http://slashdot.org/)
Re:Why do all this... (Score:4, Interesting)
STFU - iPhone represents the most proprietary item you can obtain, with a hardware supplier who's not letting anyone but them write software, a software supplier who's famous for not running on any hardware other than that which they created (software supplier and hardware supplier being the same company, for anyone interested in vendor lock-in), and doing an exclusive deal with a monopoly telephone provider, just to put the monopilistic cherry on the proprietary icing.
How the fuck can you compare *that* with OpenMoko, a completely Free phone with a Free firmware, Free Operating System, Free applications, and community of Free Software guys prepared to spend $450 each just to debug the hardware for the benefit of humanity, so that for the first time ever, you can buy a phone that does whatever you want
Re:Why do all this... (Score:5, Insightful)
Yes, I am all for OpenMoko and Free Software, I hope they do a great job. But it is absolutely ridiculous for you ignore the fact that for the average non-technical user, a polished, working product that exists now has a real practical value over something that is still in "pre-alpha" (again, their words) development.
Re:Why do all this... (Score:5, Insightful)
Re:Why do all this... (Score:5, Insightful)
(http://www.ferrus.net/)
The Neo is neat and all, but you don't even have to be that open to do better than the iPhone.
The iPhone is explicitly designed to create vendor lock-in with AT&T. If you want a fully functional smartphone that is unlocked by default, you can get something like a Nokia Communicator [wikipedia.org].
In fact, there are great stacks of phones (all generally unavailable from carriers in the US) that are fully functional smart phones that run on industry-standard Symbian (some even on not-fully-open Linux; hell, even Windows Mobile is better than an iPhone) and have such amazing features as being unlocked and supporting 3rd party apps by default.
Here are some more phones to compare the iPhone to:
Do you smell that? (Score:3, Funny)
(http://stylus-toolbox.sf.net/ | Last Journal: Tuesday May 15, @11:50AM)
Re:Do you smell that? (Score:5, Insightful)
(http://stylus-toolbox.sf.net/ | Last Journal: Tuesday May 15, @11:50AM)
Re:Do you smell that? (Score:4, Informative)
Yeah, but... (Score:3, Insightful)
(http://www.fiveeightforums.com/)
Re:Yeah, but... (Score:5, Insightful)
(http://hilighters.blogspot.com/ | Last Journal: Friday October 01 2004, @11:00PM)
Meh (Score:5, Funny)
Thinks a lot of himself.. (Score:2, Offtopic)
(http://www.theinternetisboring.net/)
Limited in its usefulness.... (Score:4, Informative)
Apple and AT&T won't care (Score:5, Insightful)
Functionality (Score:3, Insightful)
(http://redlevel.org/)
Still... (Score:4, Insightful)
You would think...... (Score:4, Interesting)
Licensing a hack? (Score:4, Interesting)
(http://somejunkwelike.com/wordpress/ | Last Journal: Friday March 05 2004, @04:46PM)
Re:Licensing a hack? (Score:5, Funny)
Creating the hack may be fine, but... (Score:2, Insightful)
don't care (Score:5, Interesting)
(http://127.31.33.7/)
Will eBay pull the auction? (Score:4, Insightful)
(http://robvincent.net/ | Last Journal: Tuesday October 09, @01:55PM)
Hack licenses? (Score:4, Interesting)
Not Illegal (Score:2, Informative)
DMCA on cell phones [wired.com]
ET CLone Phone.. (Score:1)
Interesting to see what will happen (Score:2)
It will be very interesting to see how the players react. My prediction?
Apple: won't care. more customers = better
T-Mobile: won't care.
AT&T: Pissed!
It is very important to distribute the "how-to" as quickly and widely as possible. I hope he published them before they sue his ass and try to silence him. Because I think AT&T will do exactly that...
Remember folks, sometimes it doesn't matter if you win or lose -- only that you delay. And AT&T would love to delay people from doing this on a mass-scale.
How to connect to PC boards without soldering (Score:2)
(http://www.animats.com)
Soldering on jumper wires is only for experimenting. If it really can't be done from software alone, what's needed is a a PC board test fixture. [testelectronics.com] Once you have one of those set up for the job, connecting to the right spots is easy. With that, and a control PC programmed to do all the necessary downloads and updates, the whole operation can be done in a minute or two per phone.
Coming soon to the back room of an off-brand cell phone store near you.
not worth unlocking. (Score:2)
CNBC Coverage (Score:4, Informative)
Cheers,
Dave
Software hack (Score:2)
(http://tkincher.com/)
just wait till the hack appears on bit torrent (Score:1)
(http://www.javenue.org/)
as soon as this thing gets out in the open, there will be no stopping street-corner mobile phone stores from just downloading the hack rather than buying it in these "500 license" bundles.
SIMlock is not legal everywhere (Score:1)
(http://www.majoros.net/)
Isn't that always how it goes (Score:2)
Someone please explain this.. (Score:5, Insightful)
You don't buy cars from the Highway Department (or equivalent)
You don't buy your TV,dishwasher,microwave or other electrical appliances from the electricity company.
So why on earth do americans still meekly accept the logic of buying mobile phones from service providers?
The sooner unlocked phones proliferate, there won't be a need to jump through such hoops to unlock an iPhone, or any other phone.
I wouldn't expect that european market (Score:2)
(http://www.gothnet.org/)
The market for expensive phones without a contract is tiny.
If there's a two year contract attached, brits will expect the handset to be free, or nearly so.
Selling a phone for that much cash just won't fly here when we have a huge selection of phones available for nothing over contract price.
Its a shame... (Score:1)
(http://www.myspace.com/31589335)
There's already a tutorial online, you know... (Score:1)
(http://www.marketingdebusca.com/)
Group Project (Score:1, Flamebait)
AT&T Lies (Score:1, Flamebait)
(http://www.myspace.com/ronpaul2008)
Now if I Were an Apple Marketdroid... (Score:1)
(http://www.hyperic.com/ | Last Journal: Friday November 03 2006, @02:04PM)
1. yeah, we can do a hackable phone, or...
2. we'll sort of lock it up, but make it just hackable enough so that droves of hackers will toil away to open it up, then...
2a. step back while we get lots of free publicity as the media rush to report about every latest hack
2b. profit!
Now I'm no Apple marketdroid, but I'm just sayin'...
-John Mark
Information just wants to be Free (Score:1)
(http://www.users.qwest.net/~waffleck-asch/ | Last Journal: Wednesday November 07, @04:46PM)
Let Freedom Ring!
Ring. Ring. Ring.
Yes?
Um, sure, the pizza will be there in 20 minutes.
Just wait for them to be sold in Belgium (Score:3, Informative)
(http://www.houghi.org/)
Controversial (Score:2)
Oh, I'm suuuuure there's huge demand (Score:1, Troll)
(http://jargon-file.org/)
Interview with George Hotz (Score:1)
is the touch screen really worth all this trouble? (Score:1)
Quick update on the Auction (Score:1)
for sale on ebay.... (Score:1)
They have to give up locking anyway, for Europe (Score:2)
(http://www.dina.kvl.dk/~abraham/)
this just in (Score:1)
(http://www.robertreppert.com/)
All Apple and AT&T have to do is... (Score:1)
perfectly legal in Australia (Score:1)
(http://www.filthynoises.com/)
You see, we make SENSIBLE laws in countries outside the USA. And yes, there ARE countries outside the USA, and I don't just mean Mexico and Canada!
why not use the linux based phone from Trolltech (Score:2)
(Last Journal: Sunday September 16, @03:39PM)
The software i currently in use on cellphones from Siemens and Samsung and others(?)
http://trolltech.com/products/qtopia/greenphone [trolltech.com]
Re:OpenMoko (Score:3, Interesting)
1) Noone's going to know about it but Slashdot nerds. It may sell alright and be moderately succesful, but nothing like the iPhone.
2) The Phase 2 version of the phone (the one intended for mass market) will cost $450 [openmoko.org] for the base model, or $600 for the Advanced (developer's) version. That makes the base model $50 cheaper than the 4GB iPhone, and $150 cheaper than the 8GB iPhone, but there's also much less storage space (256MB + 512MB micro SD card... any other larger mSD cards you have to buy separately), no camera, and at this point, there's no way for the general public to really know how good the software interface is. It also has a smaller screen (but with higher resolution, so that's a plus), with no multi-touch functionality (yet). More pros and cons for the OpenMoko phone vs. the iPhone can be found here [openmoko.org].
I hope the OpenMoko project is a success, and I want one two, but I wouldn't go so far as to say it's an iPhone killer. Come to think of it, good things haven't ever happened for any company that's made a so-called iPod killer, so I wouldn't think OpenMoko should even aspire to be an iPhone killer. Just a good phone/personal portable computer.
Wider Selection? (Score:3, Insightful)
I'm not quite sure what you mean here, since the application development aspect of the iPhone hacking community requires no licencese and is totally open. In fact I daresay there are a lot more iPhone applications right now than for OpenMoko...
I love the idea of OpenMoko and may get one myself. But if you think it's at the same level as the iPhone, that's just being delusional and check-list centric.