Next iPhone update could leave you with an iBrick September 24, 2007
Posted by metalickl in Gadegets Insights, Hardware Insights, PDA and Mobile Insights.2 comments
Apple: Next iPhone update could break unlocked phones
Apple issued a statement Monday afternoon warning users of unlocked iPhones that the next software update it ships will probably break their phones.
It’s not clear how many people have unlocked their iPhone to run on networks other than AT&T’s, but there has definitely been some interest among early adopters who want no part of AT&T’s network. Most of those folks were always operating under the assumption that Apple might relock their iPhones with future software updates, but were they expecting Apple to actually disable the phone?
Hacked your iPhone? The next software update from Apple could break your phone.
(Credit: CNET Networks)
“Apple has discovered that many of the unauthorized iPhone unlocking programs available on the Internet cause irreparable damage to the iPhone’s software, which will likely result in the modified iPhone becoming permanently inoperable when a future Apple-supplied iPhone software update is installed,” the company said in a statement issued after the close of the stock market. “Apple strongly discourages users from installing unauthorized unlocking programs on their iPhones. Users who make unauthorized modifications to the software on their iPhone violate their iPhone software license agreement and void their warranty. The permanent inability to use an iPhone due to installing unlocking software is not covered under the iPhone’s warranty.”
This is not going to sit well with the fringe early adopter who, having already suffered through the price cut debacle, now faces the prospect of a dead iPhone. The probable solution, as discussed earlier today by our new friends at iPhone Atlas, involves restoring the iPhone to the factory default settings before installing the new update. The next update will be released later this week to allow iPhone owners to access the new Wi-Fi Music Store introduced earlier this month.
That assumes, I guess, that the iPhone hackers will probably find some way around the new update next week, and that’s probably not that much of a stretch. But it seems Apple is hell-bent on making sure too many people don’t make unauthorized modifications to its iBaby, which in some ways, makes sense to me. This is a brand new product, and even Apple may not totally be aware of the problems that could arise from willy-nilly hacking.
So, be forewarned: if you hacked your iPhone, you might want to hold off on installing this week’s update unless you’re willing to go back to using AT&T’s network.
Update: The Unofficial Apple Weblog thinks that doing a factory restore might not be enough to reverse the unlocking process. They’ve posted a detailed, step-by-step process for “re-locking” your iPhone that might make you wince unless you’re handy with code. Check it out here, but TUAW warns this is still in the early testing stages.
from cnet news: http://www.news.com/8301-13579_3-9783713-37.html
Norwegian hacker crack iPhone just one week after its release July 6, 2007
Posted by metalickl in Gadegets Insights, IT Industries, PDA and Mobile Insights, Software Insights.add a comment
According to a post on his blog, a well-known Norwegian hacker has figured out a way to bypass restrictions on the iPhone that forces people to activate on the AT&T network. Now the iPhone might be worth buying.Digital Journal — Jon Lech Johansen, a 23-year-old famous for his hacking of consumer electronics, says he has cracked the iPhone. In a post on his blog on July 3 (titled “iPhone Independence Day”), Johansen said: “I’ve found a way to activate a brand new unactivated iPhone without giving any of your money or personal information to
AT&TNSA. The iPhone does not have phone capability, but the iPod and WiFi work. Stay tuned!”Johansen’s blog, titled “So Sue Me” provides source code and software for hackers to activate an iPhone for iPod+WiFi use.
Hackers and coders have been working around the clock to crack the iPhone’s security restrictions since its launch a week ago.Apple is in a long-term contract with AT&T, meaning anyone who wants an iPhone must activate it through the wireless carrier.
Mark Siegel, a spokesman for AT&T said it was “necessary” to activate the iPhone on his company’s network to “ensure optimum performance.”Despite what AT&T’s spin doctors have said, anyone in the tech world knows the wireless provider has what can only be described as a horribly slow Edge network, and many Apple fans want to use the phone without activating on AT&T.
The hack is important for an iPhone owner who wants to travel abroad and use the Internet or the phone’s music without having to pay AT&T to activate the phone.
As hackers continue to dig through code, cracks will also (likely) eventually lead to a way for the iPhone to work on another network. The phone comes locked, and a crack is (of course) against AT&T and Apple’s contract.
No doubt, few crackers actually care about that.
Johansen is practically a god in the underground tech world, most well-known as “DVD Jon” for reversing the code on DVDs that protect them from being pirated.
On his blog, Johansen warns the “application will not do anything unless you understand the magic numbers as well as add the hosts entry,” and you will need software installed on your computer.
by Christopher Hogg
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E-Insight, 2007
Things to look for when select a cellphone June 27, 2007
Posted by metalickl in Gadegets Insights, PDA and Mobile Insights.1 comment so far
Things to look for when select a cellphone
Many of you will be going on holidays overseas this summer, and consider buying a cellphone, digital camera, mp4 and etcetera. Here I would give you some suggestions in picking a cell phone, as the last gift I can give you before we say goodbye.
The integration of camera, mp3 into cellphone is almost an inevitable procedure of any phone behind the glass display case. Sony Ericsson has just released w610i is one of the delegates of these popular walkman/digital cam phones, though it is not the type of phones I would select.
For professionals, businessmen, many of the functions such as push-email from the highly successful Blackberry, schedule/calendar, notepad, internet and etcetera are equally important to entertainment functions. PDA (personal digital assistants), those that lack the function of mobile phone, but would serve all the above needs are dying out. The future belongs to the decedents of PDA’s, which combines the functions of pocket pc and mobile phone. Such phones are called Smartphones. The obvious choice comes to mind would be an iPhone, which is coming out in just 4 days (June 29th). Other choices includes Blackberry phones, the latest is Blackberry 8300 (Curve), but slightly too expensive both to purchase and to maintain (the service that is).
The secret to Smartphones’ power lies within its integrated firmware, which includes an OS (operation system); so that one can update its software at convenience, e.g. install/uninstall softwares, games. You can do absolutely anything you do on a computer, read pdf books, listen to mp3’s, watch optimized movie clips, play games and ectcetera.
Some popular phones, like Nokia 3250, an excellent smartphone with Symbian 9.0 has a problem that dust can get inside the space under the glass screen. Motorola also have some great phones, the new Razr looks slick, but the drawback is its short battery duration and it’s not a smartphone so that you are limited in installing applications. Some additional aspects you should look out for is that the phone should be at least tri-band or quad-band GSM phone, it specifies the frequency it supports so that it will work in Canada. Other things I would personally look in a phone are the size of its screen, talking time, wifi/Bluetooth support, battery duration (this is most important), signal and its ability to resist dust/water/impact.
Long story short, buy a phone, buy a smartphone. If the phone was a man, than its OS (symbian/Microsoft/linux) is its brain so that it can accept new applications that would serve other purposes than a simple mobile phone. The screen is its face and the battery duration whos how long it lasts without sleep, haha. Good luck finding your phone.
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E-Insight, 2007
