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Palm Pre hacked and running on Verizon


It's not the fabled GSM Pre, but PreCentral forum member Cleanser has apparently managed to unlock his Pre's CDMA radio and get voice and SMS service on Verizon -- data's still a no-go, but he's working on it. Other devices have been flashed between the networks for years, so we've no doubt that this is possible, but we doubt it'll ever be super-easy -- according to Cleanser, the hardest part was getting someone to add his device's MEID to the system, and that's always gonna be tough, regardless of VZW's big talk about open network access. Still, it's heartening to see a webOS device on another carrier -- Palm, you want to maybe do this up official sometime? Video after the break.

[Via PreCentral]

Video: 15 year old spends summer hacking iPhones


When we were fifteen we were too busy smoking Winstons behind the Country Fair on Pennsylvania state route 99 to do anything of real value for society, so perhaps that's why whenever we cover one of these "teenager does good" stories it's with a slight tinge of regret. Ari Weinstein, the precocious spawn of a real-estate developer and a social worker, says he began his career as a "hacker" at the age of 7 when he figured out how to get around AOL's parental controls. Since then its only been onward and upward for the lad, who has since made short work of the iPod mini, the iPod touch (which led to the development of iJailbreak) and, with as a member of the Chronic Dev Team, the iPhone 3GS. Now, according to the Wall Street Journal, "he's going legit, as he spends his summer tooling up a new app." Sure. As we know, once the hacking bug bites, there's no going back to the straight world. That is, until AriX (as he's known on the street) discovers girls. Jailbreaking fans, please enjoy a rather confused (and wildly conflated) video after the break.

iPhone 3GS jailbreak released by GeoHot ahead of Dev Team

Be warned, this is beta stuff and we haven't been able to test it ourselves. However, a number of breathless tipsters and commenters are reporting a successful jailbreak and unlock of their iPhone 3GS. The magic begins with a 3GS jailbreak released by GeoHot. See, George is fed up with the Dev-Team's insistence on waiting until Apple releases iPhone OS version 3.1. As he puts it:
Normally I don't make tools for the general public, and rather wait for the dev team to do it. But guys, whats up with waiting until 3.1? That isn't how the game is played. We release, Apple fixes, we find new holes. It isn't worth waiting because you might have the "last" hole in the iPhone. What last hole...this isn't golf. I'll find a new one next week.
Meeeeow. After performing the jailbreak, ultrasn0w should then take care of the unlock although we haven't seen official comment on this by GeoHot or the Dev-Team yet. Good luck, backup, and kiss the children goodbye -- it could be a long weekend if you brick your new iPhone. Now hit the read link if you must.

[Thanks to everyone who sent this in]

iPhone 3GS exploit confirmed, jailbreak and unlock coming 'soon'

And so it continues. Geohot has returned with some help from hacking buddies chronic, posixninja, and pod2g with news that the same "24kpwn" exploit used to cracked open the iPod touch 2G will work on the iPhone 3GS. That means a jailbreak and unlock can be launched just as soon as the existing tools are updated for the iPhone 3GS (which won't be long). As George Hotz laments,
On a personal note, I'm sad. Apple, it took me a week to break through your new defenses. And to let us reuse an exploit like that; 24kpwn was so 5 months ago. Although I imagine it must have been painful watching the devices roll by on the assembly line, knowing they all had a hole in them and you couldn't fix it.
Oh George.

[Via Dev-Team Blog]

Ultrasn0w iPhone 3G unlock for 3.0 is 0ut

Have at it kids, the iPhone Dev-Team's Ultrasn0w unlock for legacy iPhone 3G owners is ready. The unlock works with the original iPhone as well but not the iPhone 3GS; for that you'll have to be patient. Hit the read link to get started on your eight-step program to carrier independence. No donuts or coffee but at least it's free.

[Thanks to everyone who sent this in]

iPhone 3G running OS 3.0 unlocked, ultrasn0w release coming Friday

The iPhone Dev-Team (no relation) have been teasing us for a little bit now with what they've been saying is an iPhone OS 3.0-compatible version of yellowsn0w, and tonight in a video presentation they unveiled ultrasn0w, which should let you unlock any iPhone on the market, running any version of the firmware from 3.0 on down. The trick to how they're getting the jailbreak hasn't been revealed yet for fear of Apple making a fix at the eleventh hour, but if everything goes according to plan, the new hacking software should be out Friday in time for the iPhone 3G S (no guarantee it'll work on the new device). Hit up the read link to watch the magic happen right before your very own eyes.

iPhone 3G unlock revised, now with less beta


The iPhone Dev-Team works in mysterious ways, but it also works in quick ways. Granted, the iPhone 3G's initial unlock took way longer than anyone would've liked, but when reports started surfacing that it wasn't working particularly well after the first beta release earlier in the week, they appear to have worked doubletime to get a better version into circulation. The release is now up to v0.9.4 -- still beta -- but if you tried the first cut and struggled, we'd suggest giving the new version a whirl.

iPhone 3G unlock arrives at last, time to eat some yellowsn0w


So, it didn't quite land before midnight as some had hoped, but we're sure you were partying too hard to notice. The Dev-Team just launched its long-awaited iPhone 3G unlock, dubbed "yellowsn0w," and while they're still working out a few kinks (terming this release a 0.9 beta release), reports are already pouring in of successful unlocks. It's also been confirmed that this release will work with the iPhone's latest v2.2 firmware, and in fact requires that the phone be updated to v2.2 to run at all -- much to the chagrin of folks who've held off on that update at the Dev-Team's behest, we're sure, but hopefully all will soon be forgotten in the new year... already freer than the last! Hit up the read link for download instructions and caveats.

[Thanks to everyone who sent this in]

Update: Unfortunately, it seems yellowsn0w might be living up to its beta status, with plenty of commenters and others across the interwebs reporting problems getting "unlocked" iPhone 3Gs to pick up their preferred carrier. As always, proceed with caution, and prepare some loose papers that need weighting just in case.

Dev-Team teases v2.2-compatible iPhone 3G unlock for the New Year


Ever since the Dev-Team kinda sorta promised that they would have a neatly packaged iPhone 3G unlock ready for release by the year's end, we've all been waiting on pins and needles, counting down the moments until freedom was in hand yet again. Now, a cryptic message on the crew's blog has been followed up with a not-at-all secretive image (shown above), which shows that whatever magic they've got going on will work with the latest (v2.2) iPhone 3G firmware. According to a related writeup at yellowsn0w, we're clearly told that the unlock tool will be made available by midnight PST at the latest, though we're hoping those guys have their AM / PM mixed up -- otherwise, you might be waiting until noontime tomorrow. At any rate, now you've more than a day off and black eyed peas to look forward to tomorrow, right?

[Via MobileCrunch]

iPhone 3G unlock demoed on video


We can't unlock ours for a few days yet, so why don't we sit back, relax, and watch the boys and girls at the Dev-Team shoehorn their iPhone 3G onto T-Mobile while we wait? Follow the break for all the nail-biting action!

iPhone 3G finally unlocked by the Dev-Team!

Well this has been a long time coming. It seems that the iPhone Dev-Team has finally done the impossible -- they've gone and unlocked the iPhone 3G. The hack isn't out yet (the team says they're shooting for a December 31st release), and it requires that you've got a baseband of 2.11.07 or earlier, but when it drops, the crew seems fairly confident it will result in freedom from carrier oppression. The team is packaging the app -- formerly codenamed "yellowsn0w" -- into a user-friendly app a la PwnageTool and QuickPwn. Of course, you know how this cat and mouse game goes by now, so don't be surprised when Jobs and company come calling with an update that adds toast making to the official menu, but breaks your breaks all over again.

[Thanks to everyone who sent this in]

SIM / hardware-unlocked Android Dev Phone 1 surfaces for $399


Oh, snap! Out of seemingly nowhere, Google has revealed the Android Dev Phone 1, a SIM- and hardware-unlocked G1 designed to be sold exclusively to hard working developers. The handset ships with a system image that's fully compatible with Android 1.0, and obviously, it complies with any SIM card and can "flash custom Android builds that will work with the unlocked bootloader." In other words, the mobile should seriously appeal to devs who live far, far away from areas blanketed with T-Mobile coverage. In order to get one, you must first register as an Android developer on the Android Market site (which involves a one-time $25 setup fee); once you're in, you simply surf over and nail the "Purchase" link. For $399 (including free shipping in the US of A), this swanky G1 -- custom back and all -- can be yours, and it's scheduled to ship in 18 international markets soon. Would it be too much to yell "snap!" again?

[Thanks, Ryan]

New firmware unlocks GPS on Verizon-branded Pearls and Curves, carrier's intentions unclear

If you've been itching to get your GPS on but weren't feelin' the $9.99 monthly charge for VZ Navigator, today is a good day. Verizon 8330 Curve and 8130 Pearl devices have finally been (somewhat) decrippled, as users over at HowardForums are reporting that the GPS in the aforementioned devices started working once they applied the 4.5.0.97 update. As this is an unreleased firmware version, we're unsure if this was an intentional measure, or simply an epic mistake. But one thing we're sure about is that if Verizon does shut this down in the next firmware update, the backlash will surely be enough to whip up one heck of a Storm. Unfortunately at this point, it's only working in BlackBerry Maps, while Google Maps is left out of the party; but hey, we'll take whatever we can get.

[Image via Boy Genius Report, thanks Nate]

Two BlackBerry Storm updates imminent, handset unlocked for use on T-Mobile


Here on Thanksgiving Eve, we've got two juicy Storm tidbits sure to make your Turkey Day that much more interesting. For starters, one fellow over on HoFo has purportedly unlocked his touchscreen BlackBerry for use on T-Mobile's GSM network. Hot, right? The process involved sourcing a SIM unlock code from VZW, then updating the phone with software intended for the Bold. If you're not confused yet, you'll also need a dash of Elvish magic and a bit of luck, but you should know that you can't tap into T-Mob's 2G voice network and Verizon's 3G data network at the same time. Next up, the Boy Genius has it on authority that two firmware updates are but weeks away, both of which will target some of the many issues that early adopters have been harping on since launch day. Hit the links below for more details on everything.

Read - Storm unlocked for T-Mobile [Via SlashGear]
Read - Storm updates [Via SlashGear]

Video: T-Mobile G1 gets unlocked, quirks still present


It was inevitable, was it not? T-Mobile's G1 lasted an entire week as the T-Mobile G1; now, it's really anyone's G1. Thanks to the kids over at Unlock T-Mobile G1, any owner with a few spare moments and $22.99 can open their handset up for use on AT&T or any other GSM network across the globe. Reportedly, prospective unlockers simply hand over the aforementioned cash and their IMEI code (scary, we know), and in return they receive an eight-digit unlock code that frees it from the bonds of T-Mobile. Initial tests have shown that calling and texting work just fine on non-native networks, but the inability to even login to Gmail (and thus, the Android Market, etc.) puts a real damper on things. No worries -- we're sure those minor hindrances will be worked out in short order. A video full of proof is waiting just beyond the break.

[Via Android Community]
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