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GSM Palm Pre unlocked with a little Rebel assistance

by Nilay Patel posted Nov 3rd 2009 @ 1:58PM

It's not exactly the native unlock we've been waiting for, but those of you in Europe dying for a Pre unshackled from O2 will be happy to know that the Rebel Simcard II is now compatible with Palm's first webOS device. The £10.99 / $17.95 accessory card slots in between your carrier's SIM and the Pre's SIM slot, bypassing the Pre's network locks and allowing full access to voice and data services including 3G. Sadly, the Pre doesn't have the radio support to make this work in the States on anything but EDGE, but at least it's a start, right? Video after the break.

[Thanks, Ji]

Continue reading GSM Palm Pre unlocked with a little Rebel assistance

Apple: Jailbreaking encourages cell tower terrorism, "catastrophic results"

by Joseph L. Flatley posted Jul 29th 2009 @ 12:37PM

If trashing your push messaging wasn't enough to steer you clear of using your iPhone in unauthorized ways, this next bit of news might have you back on the straight and narrow. According to Wired, Apple's latest salvo in the fight over jailbreaking is a claim that pernicious, iPhone wielding techno-hackers at home or abroad could modify the baseband and use it to attack cellphone towers, "rendering the tower entirely inoperable to process calls or transmit data." Of course, the idea that this would become more likely if the legal status of jailbreaking changes is totally absurd, but why let that stand in the way of a legal argument?

In a related note, one of our editors (whose jailbroken iPhone shall remain nameless) got a strange baseband pop-up error this morning -- the very same morning that AT&T is suffering a "massive connectivity outage" throughout the northeast and midwest. Coincidence? Yeah, probably.

Read - iPhone Jailbreaking Could Crash Cellphone Towers, Apple Claims
Read - Anyone Experience the AT&T Outage?

Palm Pre hacked and running on Verizon

by Nilay Patel posted Jul 10th 2009 @ 11:55AM

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]

Continue reading Palm Pre hacked and running on Verizon

iPhone 3G running OS 3.0 unlocked, ultrasn0w release coming Friday

by Ross Miller posted Jun 16th 2009 @ 11:22PM

The iPhone Dev-Team (no relation) have been teasing us for a little bit now with what they've been saying is an iPhone OS 3.0-compatible version of yellowsn0w, and tonight in a video presentation they unveiled ultrasn0w, which should let you unlock any iPhone on the market, running any version of the firmware from 3.0 on down. The trick to how they're getting the jailbreak hasn't been revealed yet for fear of Apple making a fix at the eleventh hour, but if everything goes according to plan, the new hacking software should be out Friday in time for the iPhone 3G S (no guarantee it'll work on the new device). Hit up the read link to watch the magic happen right before your very own eyes.

Unlocked, official-sounding iPhone 3Gs available from Buy.com

by Chris Ziegler posted Apr 14th 2009 @ 4:29AM

If you're looking for a quick way to stick it to AT&T, we might suggest an unlocked iPhone 3G running on T-Mobile. Not just any old pwned iPhone, though -- how about something a little more official? Buy.com is offering fully Apple-warranted, "never-locked" 16GB iPhone 3Gs for the princely sum of $799.99, which might very well mark the first time such a unit has been offered by a major retailer stateside. You'd be looking at well less than $800 for an off-contract unit from AT&T that's been unlocked the hacky way, but if you'd rather stay on the up and up, this looks like the way to roll.

[Via dealmac.com]

iPhone 3G unlock revised, now with less beta

by Chris Ziegler posted Jan 2nd 2009 @ 4:23PM

The iPhone Dev-Team works in mysterious ways, but it also works in quick ways. Granted, the iPhone 3G's initial unlock took way longer than anyone would've liked, but when reports started surfacing that it wasn't working particularly well after the first beta release earlier in the week, they appear to have worked doubletime to get a better version into circulation. The release is now up to v0.9.4 -- still beta -- but if you tried the first cut and struggled, we'd suggest giving the new version a whirl.

iPhone 3G unlock arrives at last, time to eat some yellowsn0w

by Paul Miller posted Jan 1st 2009 @ 10:31AM

So, it didn't quite land before midnight as some had hoped, but we're sure you were partying too hard to notice. The Dev-Team just launched its long-awaited iPhone 3G unlock, dubbed "yellowsn0w," and while they're still working out a few kinks (terming this release a 0.9 beta release), reports are already pouring in of successful unlocks. It's also been confirmed that this release will work with the iPhone's latest v2.2 firmware, and in fact requires that the phone be updated to v2.2 to run at all -- much to the chagrin of folks who've held off on that update at the Dev-Team's behest, we're sure, but hopefully all will soon be forgotten in the new year... already freer than the last! Hit up the read link for download instructions and caveats.

[Thanks to everyone who sent this in]

Update: Unfortunately, it seems yellowsn0w might be living up to its beta status, with plenty of commenters and others across the interwebs reporting problems getting "unlocked" iPhone 3Gs to pick up their preferred carrier. As always, proceed with caution, and prepare some loose papers that need weighting just in case.

Dev-Team teases v2.2-compatible iPhone 3G unlock for the New Year

by Darren Murph posted Dec 31st 2008 @ 9:44PM

Ever since the Dev-Team kinda sorta promised that they would have a neatly packaged iPhone 3G unlock ready for release by the year's end, we've all been waiting on pins and needles, counting down the moments until freedom was in hand yet again. Now, a cryptic message on the crew's blog has been followed up with a not-at-all secretive image (shown above), which shows that whatever magic they've got going on will work with the latest (v2.2) iPhone 3G firmware. According to a related writeup at yellowsn0w, we're clearly told that the unlock tool will be made available by midnight PST at the latest, though we're hoping those guys have their AM / PM mixed up -- otherwise, you might be waiting until noontime tomorrow. At any rate, now you've more than a day off and black eyed peas to look forward to tomorrow, right?

Via yellowsn0w and MobileCrunch]

Verizon Touch Pro's GPS unlocked -- and not by Verizon

by Chris Ziegler posted Dec 22nd 2008 @ 4:54PM

Why wait for Verizon to do it? As usual, the always-vigilant WinMo community has come through with its own GPS unlock for Verizon's Touch Pro, meaning you're not locked to the VZ Navigator app -- pricey monthly fee and all -- to get your coordinate fix. The unlock's a little hacky, and the trick's author himself says that it should be characterized as a "beta," so we wouldn't recommend doing this if you rely on your Touch Pro to be spot-on perfect day in and day out -- but if you like living on the edge and you just love knowing where you are, this might be worth a shot.

[Via wmpoweruser.com]

iPhone 3G unlock demoed on video

by Chris Ziegler posted Dec 21st 2008 @ 4:27PM

We can't unlock ours for a few days yet, so why don't we sit back, relax, and watch the boys and girls at the Dev-Team shoehorn their iPhone 3G onto T-Mobile while we wait? Follow the break for all the nail-biting action!

Continue reading iPhone 3G unlock demoed on video

iPhone 3G finally unlocked by the Dev-Team!

by Joshua Topolsky posted Dec 16th 2008 @ 8:43AM

Well this has been a long time coming. It seems that the iPhone Dev-Team has finally done the impossible -- they've gone and unlocked the iPhone 3G. The hack isn't out yet (the team says they're shooting for a December 31st release), and it requires that you've got a baseband of 2.11.07 or earlier, but when it drops, the crew seems fairly confident it will result in freedom from carrier oppression. The team is packaging the app -- formerly codenamed "yellowsn0w" -- into a user-friendly app a la PwnageTool and QuickPwn. Of course, you know how this cat and mouse game goes by now, so don't be surprised when Jobs and company come calling with an update that adds toast making to the official menu, but breaks your breaks all over again.

[Thanks to everyone who sent this in]

Apple spells out the story on iPhone locking around the globe

by Chris Ziegler posted Dec 15th 2008 @ 6:52AM

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]

SIM / hardware-unlocked Android Dev Phone 1 surfaces for $399

by Darren Murph posted Dec 5th 2008 @ 11:36PM

Oh, snap! Out of seemingly nowhere, Google has revealed the Android Dev Phone 1, a SIM- and hardware-unlocked G1 designed to be sold exclusively to hard working developers. The handset ships with a system image that's fully compatible with Android 1.0, and obviously, it complies with any SIM card and can "flash custom Android builds that will work with the unlocked bootloader." In other words, the mobile should seriously appeal to devs who live far, far away from areas blanketed with T-Mobile coverage. In order to get one, you must first register as an Android developer on the Android Market site (which involves a one-time $25 setup fee); once you're in, you simply surf over and nail the "Purchase" link. For $399 (including free shipping in the US of A), this swanky G1 -- custom back and all -- can be yours, and it's scheduled to ship in 18 international markets soon. Would it be too much to yell "snap!" again?

[Thanks, Ryan]

Gallery: SIM / hardware-unlocked Android Dev Phone 1 surfaces for $399

New firmware unlocks GPS on Verizon-branded Pearls and Curves, carrier's intentions unclear

by Jacob Schulman posted Dec 5th 2008 @ 12:31AM

If you've been itching to get your GPS on but weren't feelin' the $9.99 monthly charge for VZ Navigator, today is a good day. Verizon 8330 Curve and 8130 Pearl devices have finally been (somewhat) decrippled, as users over at HowardForums are reporting that the GPS in the aforementioned devices started working once they applied the 4.5.0.97 update. As this is an unreleased firmware version, we're unsure if this was an intentional measure, or simply an epic mistake. But one thing we're sure about is that if Verizon does shut this down in the next firmware update, the backlash will surely be enough to whip up one heck of a Storm. Unfortunately at this point, it's only working in BlackBerry Maps, while Google Maps is left out of the party; but hey, we'll take whatever we can get.

[Image via Boy Genius Report, thanks Nate]

iPhone 2.2 OS re-locks (some) legitimately unlocked iPhones

by Jacob Schulman posted Dec 3rd 2008 @ 12:42PM

Uh oh -- closing holes is all well and good, but it looks like Apple may have closed one too many holes in the iPhone's firmware this time around. In a possible attempt to discourage intrepid iPhone unlockers, it seems like the bigwigs in Cupertino accidentally relocked some legitimately unlocked units. Users in Apple's support forums report have been having mixed results, with some users no worse for the wear and others only able to make emergency calls. So if you've got an unlocked iPhone (and would prefer not to have to ship it to Vietnam) maybe you should resist the urge to hit that update button until this situation gets sorted out. Either way, be sure to sound off in the comments if you've got an unlocked iPhone and have successfully (or unsuccessfully) upgraded.

[Via IntoMobile and iPhoneAtlas]