iphone unlocking
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iPhone delayed in France due to unlocking laws?
We're not exactly up on our French, let alone our French telecommunications law, but we're hearing that Apple's supposed launch of the iPhone in that country is being held up by two different regulations that prevent the iPhone from being the locked-down revenue-generating machine Apple wants it to be. The first, a law passed in 1998, requires that carriers unlock any phone upon customer request -- for a fee during the first six months of a contract and for free after that. Notably, all three major French carriers -- including Orange, which was supposed to get the iPhone -- have lost lawsuits challenging this law. The second, which we're slightly less clear on, apparently requires carriers to sell both locked and unlocked phones. Tensions over the regulations have apparently strained the relationship between the companies to the point where Orange spokespeople are saying things like "the risk we're evaluating this week is that Apple crosses France off," but really, who expected Apples and Oranges to mix without someone getting a little bruised? Read -- French unlocking law with unlocking provision at end of Article II Read -- Les Echoes report on Apple / Orange tension [Via The Unlock iPhone Blog, image from TechCrunch France] Disclaimer: Although this post was written by an attorney, the attorney in question only met his university's foreign language graduation requirement by reciting an Eddie Izzard routine verbatim, so this post should not be considered legal advice or analysis of any kind.
Apple: "iPhone SIM unlockers will end up with iBricks"
Here at TUAW HQ (located on this occasion very much east of the Atlantic ocean), we've been receiving a flurry of tips about a certain press release from Cupertino folks about iPhone unlocking. The short of it? Apple's telling consumers that "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." For consumers everywhere, that's a daunting proposition if you've bitten the bullet and chosen to run one of the numerous unlocking applications out there.The word on the street is that Apple, whilst looking for ways ensure customers did not brick their iPhones after a future software update (namely, the one including the iTunes WiFi Music Store), have simply chosen to take the somewhat easier route of stating "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.".The press release also goes on to tell us that iPhone users can expect to receive the Software Upgrade this week, leaving people in the lurch until then to see whether this Doomsday-esque scenario plays out as Apple says. If you want to be on the safe side, you might try Erica's relocking procedure (still in the very early testing stages!).
Found Footage: How not to create a product video
Let's say you've just announced a really controversial iPhone unlocking method based in software. Do you: (a) provide step-by-step screen shots, showing what your product can do; (b) offer a carefully crafted demonstration piece, highlighting your product in action; or (c) create a completely unwatchable video with an incomprehensible voice over and put it on your corporate blog? Tens of thousands, if not hundreds of thousands, of dollars are at stake. What option do you pick? It's not as if an average video camera cannot be placed on a pile of books on a chair with a fixed focus setting. It's not as if you can't spend 5 minutes writing out a rough script and speak slowly. But after being brought to international attention in the media, don't you think that if the first video turned out poorly, you'd at least re-shoot it? Even if you had to buy or borrow another $400 or $500 iPhone? We at TUAW have watched this new video from the iPhone Unlocking blog. And let's just say: we're not very impressed. [Via Engadget]
Uniquephones's iPhone unlock release 'slowed' by AT&T lawyers
Hope you weren't waiting in tense anticipation to get your hands on Uniquephone's iPhone unlock software, because things certainly aren't going as planned. Reportedly, the gurus behind the software unlock were contacted by "a Silicon Valley law firm" who is "slowing down the release of the software." Of course, they still claim to have the app "ready to go," but until this legal hubbub gets cleared up, it seems like their method of freeing your iPhone will remain a well kept secret. We'll keep you posted.
