Teen 'unlocks' iPhone from AT&T network
By PETER SVENSSON, AP Technology WriterSat Aug 25, 2:20 AM ET
Armed with a soldering iron and a large supply of energy drinks, a slight, curly haired teenager has developed a way to make the iPhone, arguably the gadget of the year, available to a much wider audience.
George Hotz of Glen Rock, N.J., spent his last summer before college figuring out how to "unlock" the iPhone, freeing it from being restricted to a single carrier, AT&T Inc.
The procedure, which the 17-year-old posted on his blog Thursday, raises the possibility of a cottage industry springing up to buy iPhones, unlocking them and then selling them to people who don't want AT&T service or can't get it, particularly overseas.
The phone, which combines an innovative touch-screen interface with the media-playing abilities of the iPod, is currently sold only in the U.S.
An AP reporter was able to verify that an iPhone Hotz brought to the AP's headquarters on Friday was unlocked. Hotz placed the reporter's T-Mobile SIM card, a small chip that identifies a phone to the network, in the iPhone. It then connected to T-Mobile's network and placed calls using the reporter's account.
T-Mobile is the only major U.S. carrier apart from AT&T that is compatible with the iPhone's cellular technology, but smaller carriers also use the technology, known as GSM. In Europe and Asia, GSM is the dominant network technology.
The hack is complicated and requires skill with both soldering and software, and missteps may result in the iPhone becoming useless, so few people will be able to follow the instructions.
"But that's the simplest I could make them," Hotz said.
Technology blog Engadget on Friday reported successfully unlocking an iPhone using a different method that required no tinkering with the hardware. The software was supplied by an anonymous group of hackers that apparently plans to charge for it.
AT&T spokesman Mark Siegel and Apple spokeswoman Jennifer Bowcock said their companies had no comment on Hotz' exploit. Hotz said the companies had not been in touch with him.
Last time I checked iPhones did not have wheels on them. ;-)
Anyway, I wanted to share Steve Jobs' reaction to this: Dead man vlogging ... honest, it says right on the site that it's Steve Jobs who wrote that. ;) ;) ;) ;) ;)
BTW, there's been a lotta 'hacking' of iPhones going on, not just this kid.
- David Herron, http://davidherron.com/
- David Herron, The Long Tail Pipe, davidherron.com, 7gen.com, What is Reiki
He has it up on eBay: http://tinyurl.com/26br8w
Yesterday it was up to $10,300 LOL
His blog: http://tinyurl.com/38vwcw
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www.BaseStationZero.com
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` :)
Peace Out,
Gman
What is your vision for the future our growing community?
Peace Out, <img src="http://tinyurl.com/ysafbn">
Gman
Teen trades hacked iPhone for new car
Tue Aug 28, 6:03 AM ET
The teenage hacker who managed to unlock the iPhone so that it can be used with cellular networks other than AT&T will be trading his reworked gadget for a new car.
George Hotz, of Glen Rock, N.J., said he had reached the deal with CertiCell, a Louisville, Ky.-based mobile phone repair company.
Hotz posted on his blog that he traded his modified iPhone for "a sweet Nissan 350Z and 3 8GB iPhones."
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:( Well I was hoping he might have been a Treehugger , we could use kids like this on our side.
Peace Out,
Gman
What is your vision for the future our growing community?
Peace Out, <img src="http://tinyurl.com/ysafbn">
Gman