Dear Aunt TUAW: Help me convert my iPhone to an iPod touch

Dear Auntie,

Is it possible to completely convert my old iPhone 3G into an iPod touch? I don't want it to think it is still my phone and keep trying to backup and restore in iTunes.

Your help would be really appreciated.

Thanks and cookies!

Ryan

Dear Ryan,

Yes, and it's really easy to do. Just "Restore" that phone to factory-fresh and don't restore-from-backup afterwards. Set it up as a new phone instead.

Auntie has a 3GS she uses like that, and it's great. It has all the iPod touch features and works with GPS. That's super for all kinds of run-tracking apps and search-by-location ones, like Yelp.

You can throw in a cheap SIM and use your old unit for phone calls and data, too. So long as it is an AT&T SIM, you don't have to jailbreak or unlock.

Hugs,

Auntie T