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Rogers, Fido offering iPhone unlocks for $50
Bringing this up with your local AT&T rep is liable to get you laughed out of the store, but things are a little different up in Canada where one of the major carriers is now offering an unlock service -- for a fee. If you're on Rogers (or its budget subsidiary, Fido) and you're a customer in good standing with an iPhone that you've previously purchased from them and you're not currently in a contract, you can pay $50 Canadian -- that's $50 US, for those of you not up to speed on current conversion rates -- to have Rogers' customer service reps flip a switch that'll cause the phone to magically unlock the next time you restore it while connected to iTunes. Considering the restrictions, they should probably be offering the service for free, but it's a start.
ChevronWP7 unlocking tool pulled in hopes Microsoft decides to play along
Could Microsoft actually embrace Windows Phone 7 hacking much like it's sort of done with Kinect hacking? Not very likely, but it seems like the folks behind the ChevronWP7 unlocking tool are at least holding out some hope for that possibility. They've apparently had some "good faith" discussions with Microsoft's Director of Developer Experience for Windows Phone 7, Brandon Watson, and have decided to take the rather drastic step of pulling and ceasing all development on the tool in order to "fast-track" discussions about Microsoft officially embracing homebrew development. Obviously, that may just be wishful thinking, but one thing is clear at least for the moment: it just got a bit harder to hack a Windows Phone 7 device.
Confirmed: Galaxy S unlock codes are stored in your phone, Vibrant capable of AT&T 3G
Sure, the Samsung Vibrant's a T-Mobile device and the Samsung Captivate belongs to AT&T, but there's no longer any reason you can't swap them around -- all you need is a simple script and a USB cable to completely unlock your phone. A cracker-jack team at XDA-Developers discovered that Galaxy S unlock codes aren't kept in a secure remote server, but merely stored in a .BAK file on the device itself, which you find with a hex editor and key right in when inserting a new SIM card of your choice. We tested it out on both Vibrant and Captivate and were up and running in less than five minutes each time, and wonder of wonders, the Vibrant gave us a 3G data connection (with 2Mbps down) using an AT&T SIM. Sadly, we can't say the inverse for the Captivate, which pulled down standard EDGE speeds on T-Mobile, but this is already far more than the hacking community could have hoped for. The best part? None of this requires you to actually root the phone, and if you're worried about warranty you can re-lock the handset with the very same code. [Thanks, Brad] Myriam Joire contributed to this report.
NTT DoCoMo handsets going entirely unlocked next year
Responding to a government request -- a request, not a mandate -- to let customers take their phones wherever they like, Japan's juggernaut NTT DoCoMo has announced that it'll be selling all of its phones fully SIM-unlocked starting with devices launching next April. It seems DoCoMo's moved is primarily targeted at putting pressure on rival SoftBank (which offers the iPhone 4 exclusively) to do the same, since it's been unwilling to make the move so far. With KDDI on CDMA, it seems like a competitive disadvantage for the government to require the HSPA giants alone to go fully unlocked -- so in the absence of a mandate, it seems this becomes quite a gambit for DoCoMo that could end up paying off or hurting the bottom line.
Proposed class action settlement would let you unlock almost any AT&T handset -- except the iPhone
So the good news is that a class action lawsuit out in Cali is on the cusp of coming to a resolution, and the resolution will require AT&T to provide an unlock code for just about any phone it has sold since March 12, 1999 -- in other words, you'll be able to take the phone and use it on any GSM carrier of your choice. We say "just about" because there's one big exception -- any phone for which AT&T secured an exclusivity period of at least ten months -- which naturally includes the iPhone (in fact, it's called out by name in the settlement). There are some stipulations, too; if you're postpaid, you have to have been a customer for at least 90 days, and even devices with exclusivity periods of less than ten months can't be unlocked until the period is over (which admittedly makes good sense). Taking a Backflip somewhere else might not seem like a particularly appealing option, but who knows -- maybe you're a T-Mobile customer with a thing for backward hinges and a disdain for 3G.
Tune Runner rises to the top on a wave of free
There's been some interesting discussion in our comments section lately about Ngmoco's freemium model -- first they made headlines by endorsing it even to the detriment of one of their most popular games, and then they bought Freeverse and the conversation started up again. But while customers don't seem to like the freemium model very much, there's a growing number of examples that go the other way, and here's another: Appy Entertainment is a company that's been doing fairly well with a game called FaceFighter, but last weekend, they decided to drop the price of that game to free, and use the giveaway to promote their newest game, Tune Runner. And the plan worked extremely well -- after just a week, their original music game is rivaling Rock Band and Tap Tap Revenge for downloads. FaceFighter hadn't been doing badly, but offering it up for free not only increased its downloads to several hundred thousand (which sounds like a lot for Appy), but put the new game in front of a whole bunch of people who otherwise might not have heard about it. And Tune Runner is a "freemium" app -- you get the first hit for free, and can buy more premium content inside the app. With an example like this, why would a developer not go with a freemium model? As Freeverse's CEO told us, customers may complain about the model, but assuming your game has the quality to support it, it's the best way to monetize the App Store's huge audience. That's not to say that the paid model should be abandoned for good -- even Appy says they plan to release a paid version of their app with the in-app purchase content already unlocked. But for all of the murmuring about the freemium model, it certainly seems that customers' actions are different than words on the App Store.
Motorola Milestone now available on Telus, AT&T*
Two days earlier than expected, Motorola's Milestone has become available to the public via Telus Mobility. For Canadians, that means that you can wrap your palms around one of the sexiest Android devices out for as low as $199.99 on a 3-year contract, while it'll set you back $499.99 with a 2-year deal, $549.99 with a 1-year agreement or $599.99 outright. Americans -- you should pay close attention that to last figure. A half dozen Benjamins (not including losses in currency conversion and the trip to go get one) will land you what's essentially a 3G-enabled Droid for AT&T's network. You know you need an excuse to go see the Yanks take the ice against the Canucks on Sunday, so you might as well snap up your dream phone before heading back from Vancouver. *AT&T support hinges on one's ability to procure a Milestone from Canada, get it back across the border, unlock it and slide an activated AT&T 3G SIM card into it. Godspeed. [Thanks to everyone who sent this in]
Player rewards versus character rewards
Rewards have, more often than not, been things that make your character better. You complete a quest and you get a new piece of equipment, or access to a new area, or even just a nice handful of experience toward the next level. But we've recently talked a bit about how leveling, and progression by extension, can get rather tedious. Spinksville also talked about this, discussing the differences between player rewards and character rewards, with the former being general rewards that stick with the player and aren't contingent upon or related to power level. An excellent example is that of Klingons in Star Trek Online. The race has been a staple of the series ever since it began, and the Klingon Empire is one of the major political factions in the game... but it's not initially accessible to players. You have to complete a mission or reach Level 6 in order to unlock the option of playing a Klingon. Similarly, World of Warcraft gates its first hero class, the Death Knight, by requiring a level 55 character before one can be created. Player rewards contribue less to a sense of avatar progress, but they also help keep the power level slightly lower, as well as providing benefits that you can take with you, so to speak. On the other hand, they're vulnerable to feeling less like rewards because they're unrelated to the character who obtained them. We've all been well-versed in the endgame grind for gear acquisition, however, so the post's call for more player rewards might be a welcome change for many of us.
Contract-free refurb 8GB 3G $430 with free shipping
TUAW reader Conrad N. tipped us off to a nice 3G iPhone deal this morning. Buy.com is offering an 8GB 3G for just $430 with free shipping. While I wouldn't classify this as a red hot deal (a 3GS would have qualified) it's not bad for anyone who wants to pick up an inexpensive contract-free unit, for generous interpretations of the word "inexpensive". The 3G model works right out of the box with any AT&T SIM, although AT&T encourages you to sign up for an iPhone-specific plan. If you're only interested in basic phone service without data, you can buy a $10 O2 SIM at Best Buy (it's a re-branded AT&T SIM) good for 3 months of use, at 5 cents a text message and 17 cents per minute of airtime. That's great for developers who want to add a telephony-ready unit into their testing arsenal without signing up for a full contract, who don't want to use the phone except for testing and occasional use. If you want to use data, however, your best economy bet probably lies in jailbreaking and unlocking (with a tool like blackra1n or pwnage) and using one of T-Mobile's better-priced data plans. But be aware: because T-Mobile uses a different 3G frequency than AT&T, their data plans can only use EDGE service when accessed on the iPhone 3G. Want to use an existing AT&T data-plan enabled SIM? It should work out of the box but AT&T generally disapproves of that approach, and may (ahem) "encourage" you to upgrade to a (contract-enforced) official iPhone plan. So is the 3G a good iPhone to buy for four-hundred-plus dollars? Recall that the 3G is just a 1st generation system (model 1,2 -- i.e. 1st gen, 2nd iteration) with a few extra bells, whistles, and case design beyond the original model. The 3GS (model 2,1) is a far better system in terms of processor power and features, and we're half a year out from what will likely be the next (model 3,1) iPhone, let alone any (possibly mythical) tablet. I'd call this a "warm deal" at best.
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]
Apple spells out the story on iPhone locking around the globe
On AT&T, you know the drill: your iPhone 3G's locked up tight, and no amount of begging, pleading, or bargaining is going to convince a CS rep to drop the digital deadbolt for you (not to say they'd have the foggiest clue how to anyway). In other parts of the world, though, some carriers are more than happy to unlock iPhone 3Gs that have been sold through them -- and sometimes, they're even unlocked out of the gate. Apple has thrown out a handy guide to the relative scruples of carriers around the world, ranging from Mobistar Belgium -- where the phone you buy can be used on any carrier you like -- to our own aforementioned AT&T, where only the good folks at the iPhone Dev Team can save you. Of course, you pay more when the phone comes unlocked, so, you know, pick your poison.[Thanks to everyone who sent this in]
iPhone 3G unlocking down to a tough, old-fashioned science in Vietnam
Most would-be iPhone 3G unlockers are impatiently waiting for an easy software solution that's been in the works since release day, but in some parts of the world, entrepreneurs are taking matters into their own hands. Enter Vietnam's Tuan Anh Do, who employs a team of some 30 technicians diligently tearing iPhones and iPhone 3Gs apart to remove the baseband chips, reprogram them, and solder them back into place at a charge of about $80. Considering that the end result is a totally carrier-unlocked device, the cost could be perceived as reasonable by some Vietnamese who desperately want an iPhone on the domestic carrier of their choice -- but there's the ever-present risk of re-locking, which 2.2 conveniently does. Of course, that just means more business for Do, who charges another $50 to unlock re-locked handsets. All told, probably not a business model Apple would approve of -- but it's pretty awesome that a single handset has given rise to an entire cottage industry.[Thanks, JagsLive]
T-Mobile's CTO on G1 unlocking and tethering -- plus a few details you might have missed
While there was a flurry (actually, a full on snowstorm) of news today about the G1, there's a few bits of info you might not have heard, largely because no one is reporting them. We had a chance to speak with T-Mobile CTO Cole Brodman after the event today, and he had some illuminating -- and frankly refreshing -- takes on some of our more pressing questions. When asked about what T-Mobile's reaction would be to users creating tethering or unlocking apps for the phone, he was surprisingly even-keeled, noting that while the company didn't encourage the practice, they wouldn't lock down the OS or update the software to break those applications. Our impression was that as long as their use was relegated to a small percentage of owners, T-Mobile likely wouldn't take action, though he did voice concerns over tethering apps and their effect on the network, with a clearly guarded eye to letting users have free reign. More interestingly, buyers would be able to have access to a "contract free" G1 (with a price point of $399), and could unlock the device with T-Mobile's blessing after 90 days. Brodman also said that the company's policy of unlocking phones for customers in good standing wouldn't change for this phone.
DevTeam releases PwnageTool and QuickPwn 2.1, wants to rumble
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.%Poll-19697%
iPhone 3G SIM unlock demoed on video, zero details given
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.
What will you do with your old iPhone?
So like a gadzillion people have asked me: "What do I do with my old iPhone now that I'm upgrading to a spiffy new 3G unit?" I thought about doing a top ten list. I thought about clever and amusing ways to use an old iPhone. But seriously, it just comes down to this. So read my lips. Jailbreak it. Unlock it. Give it away or sell it. The end. Get yourself a copy of iLiberty+ or ZiPhone or whatever tool you like. Once unlocked, you can sell it for a badzillion dollars on eBay, because contrary to what I originally thought, AT&T isn't going to let you walk away with a new 3G iPhone without signing over your first born, your personal bank account and possibly your soul. So the demand for 1st gens is going to go through the roof (as will the demand for posthumous mobile air conditioning units once AT&T is through with you). Over at Google, those $250 refurb iPhones from a few weeks back are going for $500 and up. Ebay has relative bargains at $350 and up. If you have a child, a spouse, a dog or any other loved one, you can now give them the phone with a T-Mobile or AT&T SIM and they're good to go. If any of these loved ones are foreigners ("votre chien", for example, in the case of those north of the border but within the Quebecois borders), they should be able to use a non-US SIM in the unlocked unit (i.e. "Le Rogers Fido"). As we've posted before, AT&T says it will reset your contract to 2 years once you get the new iPhone, so your old one will be completely free, clear, and contract-free. No one (except, perhaps, your dog) will sanction you for unlocking it.
Report Card: Phase 4 daily quests
Phase 4 is now well underway, with about 50 servers having it unlocked according to us.gorgonnash.info at the time of this writing. There's still a few more things to unlock, but for the most part, the Sunwell Isle is complete, and what you see is what you get as far as resources and places to fight. So, once again, it is time to ask the question: How do these quests fit into your busy up-to-25-daily-quests-to-do lifestyle? They fit pretty well, actually!
Proudmoore server hits Phase 4 first
Scant hours after the false alarms from the Burning Legion and Area 52 servers, it looks like we have a true winner in the race to Phase 4 of the Shattered Sun Offensive on the Isle of Queldanas. Continuing their streak, the Proudmoore Server activated phase 4 early this morning. Currently, it looks like they're the only ones legitimately at Phase 4, with Cenarius 2nd with 86% accord to us.gorgonnash.info. Congratulations to Proudmoore on continuing your streak. Be sure to check out our Phase 4 daily guides for all the information you'll need to finish strong. The rest of you, check out our Phase 2 and Phase 3 daily guides to get the edge you need to power up to Phase 4 yourself. %Gallery-19980%
ZiPhone 3.0 released
ZiPhone, the free jailbreaking and unlocking tool for iPhone, has hit version 3.0. According to the ZiPhone blog, new features include: NVRAM fix is no longer needed Greyed WiFi solution YouTube fix is no longer needed Apps installer is included Customized plug-ins You can download the updated installer from the ZiPhone blog.[via iPhone Hacks]Thanks Leif!
TracFone wins a cool million in unlocking lawsuit
Mass unlocking and reselling of prepaid phones has been a pretty hot topic as of late, with AT&T taking its high-power legal team out of its holster recently and TracFone famously pursuing unlockers for some time now. In fact, according to the latest press release, TracFone has now filed a bewildering 28 lawsuits against a grand total of 80 defendants (including one disconcertingly called "Skynet"), all in an effort to stamp out the so-called "theft of subsidy" concept that rips off TracFone when its ultra-cheap phones are worked over and sold elsewhere. The legal angle seems to be working, too, with a $1 million judgment being handed down this week against a guy (who goes by no fewer than three names, it seems) in a Texas federal court.[Via HotCellularPhone.com]
