Stuff and Nonsense

So, here’s what worked for me to get my iPhone unlocked.
First some definitions because if you were an iPhone virgin as I was until just two weeks ago these terms may be unfamiliar to you.
Jailbreak – this refers to the practice of getting the iPhone to a state where you can install third party software without going through the apple app store and hence opens up the opportunity of using hacks written by people cleverer than either you or I.
Unlocking – is what needs to be done to get the phone to work with a sim from a provider other than o2 (in the uk)

Now I got my iPhone second hand without a warranty or contract so I had little to lose if this process turned the phone into a pretty brick. Doing this will invalidate your warranty so if that scares you don’t go any further.

Now I have a mac at the moment and although I’d prefer to be able to do this via the pc, i am making an effort to learn mac so that’s all I can do.

The first thing is to use iTunes to upgrade to firmware 2.2. If you are currently using a turbo sim of some sort this will likely break it. You have been warned!

Now if you don’t have a bittorrent client go get one then use it to search for quickpwn you are looking for the 2.2 version since that’s the firmware you now have.

Once you have downloaded quickpwn just connect iPhone to mac and run quickpwn. It will check your phone is suitable then it will download the firmware package you need. This replaces the operating system on your phone with a hacked version. It takes a while but once done you will see a pineapple at startup rather than the apple logo. You will also see the cydia application which is basically a third party appstore!

Now point your browser at iPhone-dev.org then follow the link to their blog. Scroll down till you see the cydia source URL. Go into cydia on your phone and add the URL as a source repository. Once done you can browse for the yellowsn0w app version 0.9.4 is the one that worked for me.

Finally then install the app and follow the directions on the blog.

5 minutues after getting my hands on version 0.9.4 I had orange 3g and could makes calls with my regular sim card.

Thank you to the awsome developers who made this. I think apple deep down don’t want to work too hard to prevent something that increases iPhone uptake but I’m equally sure that o2 must be pissed and apple will do something because they have to been seen to do so. As long as you don’t restore your phone from backup though I guess all could be well for some time.

I typed this whole post on my iPhone using the wordpress app available from the app store. Anyone who says the keyboard input on iphone is anything less than genius is looking in the wrong place. I only get two and a half little fat index fingers to cover the screen width yet I can type as fast as I can think. Still loving ‘miphone’

Well I mean it’s closer to being perfect than any phone, PDA or computing device I’ve ever owned. A little background is probably in order. I have never been an Apple fan. Of course I have used a mac in the last twenty years but only to test websites on mac safari and Internet explorer. In fact I’ve hated every exposure to mac I’d that I’ve ever had. Of course this is borne out of impatience, never having had the time or desire to learn the OS as I had learned all things windows.

Recently though, I read a few blogs about the app store for iPhone and iPod touch. This caught my attention because Apple have essentially gathered all users of this platform in one place which though criticized by many has the benefit for the developer of virtually eliminating marketing costs and at the same time with the iPhone they have created a platform so friendly and so powerful that it’s users want all their old simple apps games and utils on it. Since I’m in the business of writing software this is a new opportunity to be investigated at least.

So I obtain a 3G 16g iPhone. I was hooked in minutes. Setup of work and personal mail accounts, sync with exchange, wifi connections you name it, it works and with zero frustration. The software tools only work on a mac of course so I now have a mac mini and while the objective c language is a challenge for me, all else is easy and… dare I say it… I think I am starting to enjoy the environment.

I have had every slide out keyboard, stylus operated windows mobile or nokia phone of note and this beauty makes them all look like early prototypes of what a phone come PDA come laptop should be. What’s more, this phone is making a mac user and developer out of someone who thinks bill gates should be made king of the world. That is remarkable. The iPhone has filled me with an excitement and desire for programming that I haven’t felt since I school days spent programming 6502 assembler.

Don’t believe the reviews that say typing is difficult, it’s not, it’s the fastest editor on any small device, period. Don’t be fooled by reviews of other phones saying they are potential iPhone killers, they are not. This is, quite simply the best piece of technology I have ever used. It just works. It really does live up to Apple’s hype. Get one now and write space invaders for it, there is still a Market for all the retro stuff that we all know how to write these days but is saturated on other platforms.

If you can’t afford one, sell your granny to get one. If you have a phone, you need an iPhone. By the way, I typed this post on my iPhone and with the exception of a few erroneous conjunctions that had to be edited, what you see is what I typed and what’s more, I typed it using one hand, two fingers and a thumb, almost as quickly as I can type accurately on any keyboard. It is truly impressive.