UniquePhones indefinitely delays release of iPhone SIM unlock software
By Ryan Block 
posted Aug 25th 2007 3:57PM
posted Aug 25th 2007 3:57PM
So, as you may have seen, earlier this morning at 3AM local time UniquePhones (the team behind iPhoneUnlocking.com, who've claimed to have the second proper iPhone SIM unlock software hack) got a threatening call from AT&T's legal team urging them to not release their software -- or else. Now, we can understand why any smallish business wouldn't exactly want lawyers repping AT&T (and Apple) breathing down their necks for a potentially market-shifting discovery -- which is why the company is now officially holding the release of their SIM unlock solution indefinitely while they assess their legal position. Fair enough, but we still haven't even had a chance to verify their solution does unlock iPhones.However, the interesting (and possibly telling) bit comes up at the end of their release, where apparently UniquePhones is "evaluating what to eventually do with the software should they be legally denied the right to sell it." Here's to hoping that, should UniquePhones not find themselves able to actually sell their software, at very least the unlock method they've discovered gets opened up to the public. After all, there's no reason why everyone shouldn't be able benefit from this knowledge just because one company isn't able to sell it, right?
THIS SUCKS!
come on dude..... LOL!
Henna
http://www.prankvideoz.com
I'm not-at-all surprised by this.
Jesus, do AAPL lawyers threaten assassination or something? UniquePhones was talking a lot of smack, only to cower into their dimly lit basement after a telephone call? Did they think AAPL and ATT wouldn't mind if they sold the unlocking software they hyped the world up about?
Something smells fishy.
Lol yeah one of the team woke up in the morning to find the head of a dead horse in bed with him with a note saying:
"You've been warned.
Apple and AT&T"
I suspect they do not want to be a test case for the DMCA. That said, I don't know how open sourcing the software is going to make a difference in a civil or criminal action.
I want to let everyone know that I created a spaceship that will be able to take people on the moon for only $10. First spaceflight is scheduled for tomorrow.
UPDATE: I just received a phone call from NASA's lawyers. After bringing up alienisation issues, I will have to postpone the first spaceflight to the moon for an indefinite period of time.....
BTW, I've recently uncovered a method of harnessing zero-point energy to generate a reasonably inexpensive and renewable source of electric power. From my personal tests, you can run your electric cars for roughly 10 cents a month, and power your home for less than $5 per year. Remarkably the system can be cobbled together from mostly common household items, with a few minor, though easily acquired, exceptions. Forgoing the obvious lure of the patent system, I'll be releasing the method as Open Source tomorrow.
UPDATE: I just received terse phone calls from the FCC, DOE, NSA and 4 other representatives from various U.S. governmental agencies. Apparently I've unknowing threatened the stability of the global economy and ruin upon civilization as we know it. I've decided to postpone my unveiling indefinitely... My bad.
I'll give you a 20 spot if you can take my girlfriend back to her planet.
"Fair enough, but we still haven't even had a chance to verify their solution does unlock iPhones."
The Original Engadget post and video contradicts this statement.
http://www.engadget.com/2007/08/24/iphone-unlocked-atandt-loses-iphone-exclusivity-august-24-2007/
True. Engadget was pretty adamant in saying it worked. Not they don't know if it works?
This is a publicity stunt, I'm afraid.
That was talking about a different website.
I think.
Um, no, that was the iPhoneSIMfree.com team's software solution, not the UniquePhones software solution.
That's the first one, the second one hasn't been demonstrated yet.
If you're going to accuse Engadget of getting their facts wrong, at least get yours right - that would be the *first* iphone unlocking software that sprang up
To all the tools that got duped into giving away their IMEI number:
A nice, big, Simpsons "HA HA!"
I don't think giving away IMEI would be very useful to them. Still stupid, but if software unlock actually exists, nobody really cares if they got your IMEI.. It's still your phone's IMEI.
Now I really don't know what to think. I want sw unlock!
Engadget, can you call iPhoneSIMFree and see if they got the same call? Seems locial that if AT&T was threatening legal action they'd also call the guys with a proven working solution too.
I think they should market their software where AT&T is not doing business like Europe and Middle East.
"Oops, we were hacked and now the software's floating around the internet. Now everyone can unlock their iPhones for free. Too bad you didn't just let us release it for sale."
"what to eventually do with the software should they be legally denied the right to sell it"
I love the smell of GPL in the morning
Amen to that!
If you guys are reading this and you want somebody else to take some blame for hosting the files, let me know. ethana2@gmail.com
Not all countries have fascist telecommunications laws like the US :)
I thought the news laws gave the right to anyone to be able to unlock their phone, as well as play abandonware?
So it seems to me that they were shut down because they were purely into hacking the iPhone for profit, which might be the case in which they were stopped? Now if they had just released the information and relied on donations from the public for there good work (Which I already have $50 in Paypal ready to drop to whoever provides the solution) this would already be all over the net? If that's the case why not just release the info and ask for donations, which (as far as I know) is the norm on the public hacking scene. I didn't see PSP hackers show this type of greed, and they have been working way harder constantly making new downgraders and applications for the masses, and for free as well.
Dear Engadget: It seems like you *might* have given some fraudsters a total pass - have you seen any proof that they can actually unlock anything? Have you seen any proof of their story whatsoever? A fwd'd email? A copy of a C&D? If not, why then are you still referring to "their software"...and even with wide-eyed hope now that they are going to make it public. It's almost cute,...but then not. Because I gave these guys my e-mail address and the IMEI number of my phone based on your initial confidence in their credibility. And yes, that was hasty of me - "guilty, your honor". But then re-read your post from yesterday, "iPhone Software Unlock Competition Begins to Heat Up", and and then tell me if you aren't about to bust a nut in your pants for these super cool guys that can unlock our iPhones...on a Saturday no less! Jeepers.
http://www.engadget.com/2007/08/24/iphone-software-unlock-competition-begins-to-heat-up/
Oh it's heating up alright. I sincerely hope you aren't just taking a company that unlocks cell phones for a living, and that threw up a word press blog in 3 minutes at face value. You did see something from these guys that we didn't see, right? I mean,...not any bozo claiming they can unlock iPhones can make it to your front page,...heh...right? The first unlock I can understand. You saw it. You tested and document it thoroughly. Bravo. That was what we used to expect from, well, journalists. But I'm afraid you might have jumped the gun on this second one. I certainly hope I'm wrong, but if not then somebody got some 'splaining to do.
Um, no they haven't seen the software, they tell you that these people have claimed to have the second software unlock. You can infer from that that Engadget has not verified its authenticity. Duh...
----------
*Second iPhone software unlock promised tomorrow*
The iPhone is getting used and abused today with a second software-only unlocking solution making itself known. Uniquephones has now surprised with word that it will be offering a downloadable software unlock service between 12 and 2 PM EST tomorrow at iphoneunlocking.com. Pricing will be somewhere between $25 and $50 with a 25 to 50 percent discount for people who have already signed up for the service -- apparently as many as 450,000 already have.
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Sorry, Samuel. I don't get the journalistic due diligence here. Where exactly does it say they have not verified this? And even if they did underline that fact in this teaser (and they didn't), doesn't the phrase "a second software-only unlocking solution making itself known" imply actually the opposite - that it has been tested or has at least been vetted to some degree or another as credible. How has it been made known when it hasn't been made public or verified in any way? I guess you could say they have made their claim known - but their solution?
I'll wait for Ryan or Sean to come with the goods and explain why these guys seem to have gotten a pass and why this story made it to where it did editorially. I know how much Ryan enjoys writing open letters, so it stands to reason he also enjoys responding to them.
Stop it, I kid. In all seriousness I am not trying to build you or Engadget a new one, and definitely not laying the blame on them for any problems that...oh...500,000 odd people might incur as a result of a potential scam. They definitely can't take the fall for where I or anyone else chooses to stick their e-mail address.
I just want his take on why he ran with this story. As Ryan or I am sure anyone who runs a popular blog will tell you, Engadget gets a lot of e-mails from a lot of people claiming a lot of different things every single day. What was compelling enough about *this* claim to warrant the subtle confidence and almost total lack of skepticism that this (and the other) posts convey?
I look forward to hearing what the 'gadge has to say about it.
If this goes p2p w/o being sold, is there still a possibility that ATT/AAPL will pursue legal action? Could they? They'd know the source of the leak...
This is FAKE!
Well, they can file a patent application
Did a check on Corporate unlock the web site is down for the last 3 days?
what can people do with your IMEI number?
There is a trojan for phones running Symbian http://www.linuxsecurity.com/content/view/116782/65/ that basically locks you out of the phone but allows it to still function. Thia allows someone that stole a phone but can't use it because it's on a blacklist to borrow your IMEI number and use it as the IMEI for the hot phone. There is a black market for IMEA numbers. You can monitor your number here if you worried: http://www.numberingplans.com/?page=analysis&sub=imeinr
but I wouldn't be too worried since you have an iphone and it's pretty hard to get stuff on there yourself much less 3rd party or trojans. But you never know.
oh wow, okay. that makes sense.
thanks for the info
In Europe if your phone is phone stolen, the IMEI number will be used to lock out that phone from any of the networks, regardless of which SIM is used. In effect rendering the phone useless.
Sounds like it's time for... OPEN SOURCE to the rescue! And who's to say we cant make "donations" to them for releasing this wonder software.
I definitely think you have got the right idea.
They just got greedy and now have screwed themselves as well as the fan[boys/girls] over as well.
hee hee hee, Engadget said "cok" as in "unlCOK" (viz. third line from the bottom, smack dab in the middle).
a) if you didn't see this coming... well, I saw it coming
b) the Apple iPhone will not be completely un-lockable until ATT and Apple both agree to let it be so since it is required to suck at the iTunes teat.
Sure Apple wants to sell as many units as they can, but they don't want a lawsuit from ATT for breaching the contract. You can bet your sweet unlcok that they Apple agreed to lock the thing back up as quickly as possible in exchange for some sweet sweet revenue.
c) just be happy that you all didn't pay a good chunk of money only to have Apple circumvent any unlocking.
Everything to do with Apple is just overpriced. I'm not saying it's not "cool" and it doesn't work, but that's how it is. Not worth it to me *personally* but a little bit of foresight is definitely key.
looks like UniquePhones should read engadget more often as they JUST posted an article from a lawyer saying a measure like the one that was stated here would be considered illegal, but if it were given away for non-profit use, it would be legal.
create a new company, release it under that company (same software+ guys). make money before being shut down. hire lawyers AFTER when they HAVE money.
or, counter threaten the lawyers with simply releasing it for FREE. now there's an even bigger threat that that of selling.
in these times large companies should know not to threaten the little guy, the little guy can usually rip apart a business model in no time when pissed off.
***PUBLICITY STUNT***
There not releasing it because it doesn't exist.
Relesase for free accept donations!!!
Release it!
I, for one, welcome our iphone unlocking overlords. But they never showed up. So screw it, back to internet porn and junk food for now.
Move to Thailand. US laws are boring.
Can you just walk into an Apple store in the U.S. and buy an iPhone without having to commit to an AT&T contract?
This unlocking thing sounds great, but the deal-breaker for me would be having to
get an AT&T contract before buying an iPhone.
You can walk in and buy the phone without the contract(I'm sure they'll try to pressure you and whatever). The key thing is that in order to use any features they try to force you into an AT&T contract. There are plenty of software solutions around this, or you could simply sign up for AT&T, activate the phone, and then cancel your AT&T thing cus they have a 30 day no risk cancellation policy.
Thanks for the tip, Will.
I'm Canadian, so I don't think I'd qualify for the AT&T contract anyway.
But if I could just buy the iPhone at a U.S. store and then unlock it and use it on a
Canadian GSM network, I'd be away at the races.
dd