Slashdot Mirror
US Teen Trades Hacked iPhone for Nissan 350Z
PieGuy107 writes to mention that seventeen-year-old George Hotz of Glen Rock, NJ has made the trade of the summer. Hotz traded his hacked iPhone for a new set of wheels (Nissan 350Z to be exact) and 3 more 8GB iPhones. "[Terry] Daidone, who's the co-founder of Louisville, Kentucky-based CertiCell, has apparently also offered the young man a paid consulting job, but stresses the company doesn't have 'any plans on the table right now to commercialize Mr. Hotz' discovery'."
I like many Apple products, but I can't afford an iPhone (I don't YET consider it a value when it doesn't offer 3G support, etc, and I can't afford to pay just for the style factor). Despite its shortcomings, however, I have been fairly impressed with its hackability (and the efforts those who've modified it for interesting new uses, including unlocking it). I haven't heard any peep out of Apple about discouraging this sort of thing (short of the obvious warnings warranties being voided). I think this approach with the iPhone, and also the highly hacked AppleTV, is enhancing the value of these products, which out of the box, aren't necessarily top of the line in many categories.
Too bad it doesn't come with car insurance. There's no way the guy will be able to afford the premium on a 350Z.
I mentioned the exact same thing but that this was a big group project, he was just the guy (who rather badly) soldered the wire into the iPhone. The way to solder that kind of equipment is with tweezer soldering irons, very small amounts of solder, and either a chemical or 400 grit sand paper to get the solder mask off. You use a smaller 26-28 AWG wire instead of the rather large one he used in the photo to get the best results.
This was a huge team effort, it was not pulled off by this guy alone. The software reverse-engineering alone would take more time than figuring out how to hack the hardware. I don't know if he's a member of the North American Marl0n Brando Look-a-like Association, but come on.
Another thing- I know this post and the parent is going to hit the Trolling trigger for some people, but honestly we have a right to voice our opinion. As a moderator, you can choose three ways: reward the good posts, mod down the truely bad posts, or mod down anything you disagree with. Yes there are trolls out there who need to be dealt with and they are, but seriously our standards for posting and moderation have been slipping and it makes me wonder where /. is headed.
Totally OT, but one night I was driving home one night around Four Mile Circle and I could see this car coming up to the circle behind me real quick. I'm in my little Saturn and so I'm going slow enough that I can keep one eye out for deer and one eye back on him.
He comes around the circle in his Trans Am, at top speed, and as he comes out of the circle back onto 70 West, he starts to fishtail. I start thinking, "He's going to overcompensate" and sure as shit, his wheels engage, he's aimed for the trees and goes airborn. Second time I've had a car going airborn in my direction and once you realize you're not going to get hit, you are amazed at how fucking awesome a sight it is.
I pulled over and backed up to him and he was totally like, "Can you help me back out of here."
I had to point out that his car was sitting on a tree and I was not going to be able to lift that Trans Am up.
He didn't know what he was supposed to do. I offered to call for help. He didn't want it. He seemed in a little bit of shock, but not much I could do. Besides, it was late, I wanted to get home.
But wow, what a sight.
The opposite of progress is congress
I seem to recall similar statistics about the Toyota Supra, back when they still made them. Something like, you have 20% more chance to die if you're in an accident while riding in a Supra than in a vanilla commuter car... which sounds bad until they mention that the average accident in said Supra is at more than twice the speed than the equivalent accident in the put-put-mobile.
Rampant carbon sequestration destroyed the Dinosaurs' tropical paradise. I'm here to help repair the damage.