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Free the iPhone from AT&T

Acererak was one of several readers who noted that DVD Jon has released information on unbricking an iPhone. You sacrifice all cel phone functionality of course, but you have an iPDA that will work on your WiFi. Currently the hack is windows only but it doesn't look very complicated.

17 of 314 comments (clear)

  1. Yeah make it worthless, then I can afford one!! by HouseArrest420 · · Score: 5, Insightful

    Why would you pay that much money for a PDA, when you can get other devies whose only purpose it to be a PDA for less?

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    This is Slashdot! Give me the latest gadget, bug, or OS project! This ain't english class so don't confuse the two!
    1. Re:Yeah make it worthless, then I can afford one!! by Simon+(S2) · · Score: 5, Funny

      hy would you pay that much money for a PDA, when you can get other devies whose only purpose it to be a PDA for less? Because of the "I" prefix.
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      I just don't trust anything that bleeds for five days and doesn't die.
    2. Re:Yeah make it worthless, then I can afford one!! by niceone · · Score: 5, Funny

      Well, because you get to have a cool iPhone.

      This mod has a couple more advantages for the slashdot crowd:

      1) you won't have to talk to people.
      2) it makes it harder for 'them' to track you

    3. Re:Yeah make it worthless, then I can afford one!! by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 5, Informative

      Tapwave Zodiac :)

      Cool factor > Still looks cool to this day!

      User interface > Yup its pretty nice touch screen interface

      Wifi > With an SDIO card yeah

      Almost full featured browser > yup got that too

      Full screen > tis a pretty big screen

      Video player > hardware mpeg4 decoder built in :D

      plus it plays emulators and has tonnes of over features :)

      f*ck the iphone get a Zodiac off ebay now!

    4. Re:Yeah make it worthless, then I can afford one!! by Bemopolis · · Score: 5, Funny

      YEAH! Someone should find a way of making the iPhone work without having to sign a 2-year contract with AT&T. Even if they have to sacrifice the cellphone functionality. I sure hope that when someone does that it becomes a story on SLashdot. Of course then, I'd probably have to respond to someone too dense to Read The Fucking Title.

      --
      "I guess the moral of the story is, don't paint your airship with rocket fuel." -- Addison Bain
  2. Right by suv4x4 · · Score: 5, Funny

    So "unbricking" the iPhone means losing cell phone ability. What kind of unbricking this is?

    How about a guide how to free my PC from Internet security vulnerabilities. By blowing up my modem with a hand grenade.

  3. Re:Why "Of course"? by jonwil · · Score: 5, Interesting

    The iPhone almost certainly contains a network lock (where it will refuse to talk to any SIM card that isn't from AT&T)

    The interesting question would be if you could use any AT&T SIM card in the iPhone after activating it with this hack (or if not whether the hack could be changed so that becomes possible). If so, this allows you to completely avoid the "lock-in contract" by obtaining whatever the "I already have a suitable phone and I just want an AT&T SIM card with no lock in contract" plan is.

  4. Unlocking a Cell Phone is LEGAL by MCSEBear · · Score: 5, Informative
    From Ars Technia -- November 24, 2006

    The newest list of exemptions to the Digital Millennium Copyright Act (DMCA) is out, and the Register of Copyrights is recommending six exemptions this time around. If you've been hankering for the legal authority to remove Sony's rootkit or to unlock your cell phone, then this will be big news. If you were hoping for the ability to make backup copies of your legally purchased DVDs, you're (still) out of luck.

    Exemptions are allowed for 1) the educational library of a university's media studies department, in order to watch film clips in class; 2) using computer software that requires the original disks or hardware in order to run; 3) dongle-protected computer programs, if the the dongle no longer functions and a replacement cannot be found; 4) protected e-books, in order to use screen-reader software; 5) cell phone firmware that ties a phone to a specific wireless network; and 6) DRM software included on audio CDs, but only when such software creates security vulnerabilities on personal computers. You are allowed to unlock your cell phone no matter what Apple or AT&T think about it. They can't sue DVD Jon for breaking their bullshit attempts to control hardware that they have sold. The purchaser can do what they want with their own phone.

    Whole article is at: http://arstechnica.com/news.ars/post/20061124-8280 .html
  5. Or... by dwightk · · Score: 5, Informative
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    Like anyone can even know that
  6. Re:Why is DVD Jon focused on Apple? by Aladrin · · Score: 5, Insightful

    He earned his name long ago. He has no need to 'justify' himself to anyone, and he certainly doesn't owe us anything. He can do whatever he damned well pleases, and you should be thankful for anything that happens to help you, instead of disrespecting him for the stuff that doesn't.

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    "If you make people think they're thinking, they'll love you; But if you really make them think, they'll hate you." - DM
  7. Well by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 5, Funny

    I'm interested in a hack that allows tunring my nano into a phone. Let me know when this happens...

  8. Re:Why is DVD Jon focused on Apple? by suv4x4 · · Score: 5, Funny

    He earned his name long ago. He has no need to 'justify' himself to anyone, and he certainly doesn't owe us anything. He can do whatever he damned well pleases, and you should be thankful for anything that happens to help you, instead of disrespecting him for the stuff that doesn't.

    Showing your gratitude means you're weak. You gotta hate things. Hate Windows, hate Oracle, hate IBM, hate Intel, hate RIAA, hate Exxon. Hate the government, hate DVD Jon. Hate some guy who made a million by selling pixels on his home page and so on.

    It's a survival technique. Now, of course, I kinda like Linux. I contributed a brightness adjustment to the "paste" icon in the KDE file manager, so by extension this puts me in the same group with the guys who created the Linux kernel.

    But I'm not gonna tell you I like Linux. I'll just instead tell you you're an idiot for not using Linux, otherwise it means I'm weak.

  9. voip by metroplex · · Score: 5, Interesting

    would a voip webapp be feasible? then the iphone would be pretty cool even whitout gsm functionality

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    "Words of wisdom: drop that zero and get with the hero" -- Vanilla Ice
  10. Re:Why is DVD Jon focused on Apple? by suv4x4 · · Score: 5, Funny

    In order to justify his name he should do Blue Ray and HD DVD stuff.

    Totally agreed. And he better do it quick, I'm on the phone talking with the head of the Name Giving Commission, and they're seriously considering taking his name back.

  11. Re:Why "Of course"? by LearnToSpell · · Score: 5, Insightful

    Here's a choice: DON'T BUY IT.

    Jesus. /. drives me nuts sometimes. Everybody wants an iPhone for 99 cents, with 10,000 free minutes a month, unlimited texting, unlimited bandwidth, and a personalized letter from Steve Jobs thanking them for making a difference in the world. How the fuck is any of this unfair? There are other phones. There are other PDAs. Want a competitive market? Get Samsung to make a hot phone, and hook it up to another network. Talking about how you don't have a choice is truly idiotic.

  12. Re:Its very hard to understand this by mla_anderson · · Score: 5, Insightful

    Should be pretty obvious why they have the network lock: visual voicemail. Visual voicemail is a major change to the carrier's voicemail system, to get a network to agree to make the change Apple has to agree to the lock-in.

    For me, the visual voicemail is the big win for the iPhone, the ability to have random access to voicemail is great. The other features are pretty, but visual voicemail is what makes me drool.

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    Sig is on vacation
  13. Why risk it? by NMerriam · · Score: 5, Informative

    Wouldn't it be a lot simpler to just use 999-99-9999 as the SS# when signing up for AT&T, which allows you to buy a prepaid phone plan? Then you pay $30, get access to the iPhone, have no AT&T contract, and can even use it to make phone calls if the mood ever strikes you. You also don't miss out on the software updates and new features Apple has already said are coming, and someday when someone offer unlocking for $50 you can get that done as well.

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    Recursive: Adj. See Recursive.