With firmware 2.1 now out for the iPhone and iPod touch we bring you the inevitable PwnageTool and QuickPwn response. Apparently, the DevTeam took offense to a previous posting where we questioned the relevancy of continued jailbreaks in the age of the AppStore and official, worldwide iPhone distribution.

So, we'll put it to you dear reader: as much as we respect these guys for their gen-1 iPhone unlocking and pre-AppStore era work, is PwnageTool and the ability to jailbreak your phone still as important as it was?

Update: By a three-to-one margin it's clear that you still love your Pwnage! As such, we'll continue to cover the DevTeam's exploits just as obsessively as before.

We've already seen the iPhone 3G got unlocked to function on any carrier (and you can already buy unlocked versions in several countries), but we haven't seen a locked handset get unlocked via software only, and the folks at gsmphone-unlocking have the first video we've seen of Steve's newest baby doing the SIM swap dance without any adapters. Yep, there it is, going from Rogers to Fido. Sadly, the video is more of a shameless ploy for publicity than actually useful information, and until we're told otherwise, we're just going to assume that they've just gotten hold of an early copy of the Dev Team's unlocking tool -- which should be free to the public sometime soon. So, you know: video after the break, but feel free to ignore the obnoxious phone numbers and URLs.

An under-the-radar class action lawsuit against Sprint Nextel is winding its way towards a settlement this week, and it contains a pretty huge concession by Sprint: the company will unlock phones for both current and former customers, and will begin training its customer service reps on how to connect non-Sprint phones to its network. The settlement was tentatively approved by a California judge on October 2, but hasn't had a final approval hearing yet, according to Sprint -- but it's still a huge win for US consumers, who haven't been able to buy mainstream unlocked phones from any of the major carriers. Of course, since Sprint's network is CDMA, unlocked phones will only work on other CDMA carriers like Verizon -- and there's no guarantees those companies will be happy about it -- but at this point we'll take whatever we can get.

It's beginning to look as though Apple's kinda-sorta "hands off" approach to iPhone hackers turns a bit more "hands on" when it comes to the iPod touch. According to reports, a hacker named "Martyn" had gotten a broken touch, which he was planning to dump the NAND data from so that efforts to create 3rd party applications for the device could be sped up. Apparently, while uploading the data to a private folder on his site, his ISP showed up on the scene and killed the transfer... all at the request of Apple, who (rightfully so) let them know that sharing the code was a copyright infringement. Of course, the interesting news here is that Apple seems to be very actively monitoring channels where all this warranty-voiding software manipulation is being planned and discussed. So next time you're going to reverse engineer one of its products -- keep it quiet.

Shortly after Apple released a brief statement yesterday regarding iPhone modifications and their impacts on warranties, the firm's senior vice president of worldwide product marketing has stepped up to clarify a few issues. In a recent interview, Phil Schiller was quoted as saying that the upcoming software update "has nothing to do with proactively disabling a phone that is unlocked or hacked." Furthermore, he added that it was "unfortunate that some programs have caused damage to the iPhone software," but he noted that "Apple could not be responsible for... those consequences." All in all, it doesn't sound like Apple is changing its stance, but it seems safe to say that Cupertino won't be listening to any crying should subsequent updates render your hacked iPhone useless.

[Via AppleInsider]

Are you a Japanese Windows user? Did you just buy an iPod touch? If you answered yes to both of those questions, you may find yourself in a boiling rage in a matter of moments. Apparently, you are unable to unlock your new WiFi-device / media player if you're using Japanese Windows -- the player just remains in the holding pattern of a "connect to PC" prompt when you hook it up to your computer. According to reports, Apple Japan has yet to issue a statement or updates to solve the problem, which is causing a number of Japanese buyers to take matters into their own hands. Word on the street is that lines have been forming outside of Apple stores, where new buyers are taking their useless touches to be brought magically to life by the in-store Macs. First the screen problems and now this? Come on Apple -- get it together.

Update: The crack team at Engadget Japan has learned from Apple that an update coming later this week will fix the problem, though they have yet to make an official announcement. Also, it sounds like other foreign Windows users may be experiencing similar problems. If you're having trouble -- let us know.

[Via Impress]

The Apple class-action party continues folks, this time featuring a disgruntled New York State customer named Herbert H. Kliegerman, who claims that the Cupertino giant failed to adequately disclose information pertaining to the "locked" nature of the iPhone and the roaming charges which might be incurred if a user was to take the device overseas. According to the 9-page suit, which was filed Monday in a New York Supreme Court, Kliegerman traveled to Mexico a few weeks after purchasing the phone, where he proceeded to check e-mails and make calls, blissfully unaware (or so the suit tells us) that AT&T would be charging international roaming fees for the usage. Apparently, when Mr. Kliegerman received his bill, he was shocked to discover $2,000 in the aforementioned fees. The suit argues that if he had been allowed to unlock the phone and use a foreign SIM card, the costs could have been avoided. As a result, Mr. Kliegerman is seeking a judgement which bars Apple from selling locked iPhones, plus an order for the company to offer unlock codes to all current owners. Perhaps Mr. Kliegerman should call these dudes.

So you say writing SIMs all by your lonesome isn't part of your daily routine, but you're still interested in freeing the iPhone from AT&T's surly bonds? Yeah, we can't blame you -- we're pretty much in the same boat -- so we're glad to see that an ever-so-slightly easier unlocking trick has bubbled out of the hive mind just a week after the original. This new hackery involves a specialized SIM card called a "Turbo SIM" manufactured by the Czech Republic's BLADOX. The idea behind the Turbo SIM is that you can add... well, stuff to the Turbo SIM, sandwich it between your regular SIM and your phone, and the loaded material then becomes available to the handset; traditionally, that "stuff" is value-add software like customized SMS directories, security, logging, and the like. In this case, though, the chip is used to pass through the original AT&T SIM's identifying information to the phone while preserving the calling capability of the Carrier X SIM of your choosing. Of course, a €59 (about $81) Turbo SIM has to be ordered from afar to get this accomplished, the phone has to be jailbreaked, and a handful of files need to be downloaded, edited, and executed, so this still isn't for the faint of heart. As always, buyer beware, and find a nice stack of paper that needs weightin' in case everything goes south in a hurry.

[Via iPhone World]