Apple can permanently patch the blacksn0w exploit in their next firmware update. You must download Cydia's "On File" system in case Apple blocks more exploits in future updates.

It's still safe to run the tool, but keep in mind that Apple can—and probably will—patch the core exploit used by Blacksn0w, rendering your unlock useless, or worse. Running On File will ensure you can downgrade in the future, so you don't lose whatever precarious carrier/plan/phone arrangement you've so fallen in love with.

Mac and PC downloads are available here. [GeoHot via iPhoneOS3]

If you update to Apple's new software using the normal iTunes process, you will lose your ultrasn0w unlock. In fact you may lose it permanently, because for most people the baseband firmware cannot be reverted to a previous version (unlike the main application CPU firmware).

But don't worry…our PwnageTool program lets you update your main firmware without touching your baseband firmware, so you can still have the best of both worlds.

From all reports, you can still update to (and sync with) iTunes 9, but just be sure to mash "no" when pestered to update your firmware. [Dev-Team]

Just found a HUGE #security #hole w/ push & AIM. Someone got my sent messages and wrote back. DO NOT send confidential AIM msg to #iPhone

#iPhone #push #security #hole:my msg was received by an hacked iPhone w/ push service hack; msg seems to be broadcasted to all hacked phones

Take extreme caution when sending AIM msg to people w/ hacked iPhones. Push service broadcasts your msg to strangers. Pls RT

@martinhering there seems to be a brand new hack that reactivates push with the effect that received msg are broadcasted to strangers

Here's a screenshot the random receiver of my msgs sent me back http://twitpic.com/b3bct I used iChat on a Mac #iPhone #push #security #hole

The problem seems a result from a hack to avoid Apple's jailbroken/unlocked iPhone push blockade, so if you haven't used any of this, keep sending your kinky messages to your mistress or master as usual. Otherwise, zip it.

Update: Yes, it's confirmed. The problems are a result of the patch to fix the push blockade. [Twitter via CrunchGear]

The developer says the following:

According to technical documentation, every Push application has to request the unique token from the Apple's APNS servers to identify the device it's running on. Thanks to that token, APNS servers always know which device is yours. The token can be understood as an IP address — the server has to know where to send the notification and for which application. APNS can also change your token regularly for higher reliability, so it's critical that the application requests the token again on every start (or when enabling the Push feature) to replace the old one if new token is forced by APNS.

On any unlocked iPhone, the application requesting the token is stuck. APNS does not provide any response at all and the application can either cancel the request completely by automatic timeout or let user wait with the proggress bar forever. Either way, the user will never receive any Push message, because APNS has not provided the token.

However, I have an unlocked iPhone here in Spain and the push notification works perfectly—for example, with AIM. The catch, however, may be that my JesusPhone is using the official Movistar network, not a different one.

Whatever is the case, can Apple legally block these push services to people running iPhones on non-official networks? Would they be interested in doing this on purpose—since unlocked iPhones is such a small percentage of units? Or maybe it's just a technical glitch?

According to the developer, it doesn't matter: They argue that Apple has all the right to block services for these users—since they don't use the official carrier—even while it's hurting its ratings. However, they are asking Apple to provide a way to inform users with unlocked phones about why they don't get push services using third-party applications. [Powerybase via AppAdvice via 9to5]

The Dev Team says that the 3GS is vulnerable to the same "24Kpwn" bootrom exploit that plagues the iPod Touch 2G—an unpatchable, un-updatable route of access for jailbreakers. Additionally, they expect to be able to unlock the phone with the ultrasn0w tool, using familiar techniques.

What seems a little odd about this is that the 3GS would be so susceptible to hacking, and in such way that had been identified months ago. The Touch 2G had additional protections that the iPhone 3G didn't, and it was released just a few months after. The 3GS, however, was released well over six months after the Touch 2G and quite some time after its predecessors exploits had been publicly identified, but doesn't appear to have substantially different protections.

There are two possibilities here: either the 3GS development and manufacturing schedule is longer and more rigid than the iPod Touch 2G's (the Dev Team says its bootrom was "cut" in August of 2008, before the 24kpwn exploit was identified) or, more compellingly, Apple just doesn't really care that much about jailbreaking anymore. I'll assume the former, and quietly hope for the latter. [Dev Team—Thanks, Bhoumik and Eric!]

Step 1
Let's check to see if jailbreaking or unlocking an iPhone makes sense for you by explaining what they actually mean: Jailbreaking allows you to load non-iTunes, third-party apps like these onto the phone, at your own risk. Unlocking lets you use another company's SIM card (for T-Mobile or international travel). That's it. And if you don't like it, you can restore the original Apple software any time using iTunes' Restore button—we've done it plenty of times.

This guide is for the original iPhone, iPhone 3G and iPod Touch running the new iPhone 3.0 firmware. If you own a 3GS, you'll need to wait since it hasn't been hacked quite yet. But if you're ready to hack your iPhone, grab your Mac or PC, iPhone and the USB adapter cable. Let's do this. (Oh, and go to THIS LINK if you'd rather see all of the instructions on one big page.)


Step 2
Even if all you want to do is unlock the phone, you need to jailbreak it first, and that requires redsn0w, a Mac/PC jailbreaking program. Download the official redsnow torrent files HERE, then download redsn0w via your Bittorrent client of choice. Make sure you've backed up your iPhone to your computer before moving forward. That creates a data restore point in case you want to ditch the jailbreak apps. Done? OK. Last, if you're moving your phone to T-Mobile, disable 3G before going on to the next step.

The image associated with this post is best viewed using a browser.
Step 3
Redsn0w works by patching the iPhone firmware file on your computer, then loading it onto your iPhone without using iTunes. So open redsn0w. Follow its instructions to select your .ipsw (iPhone firmware) file. On Macs, you can find the file at Home Folder/Library/iTunes/iPhone Software Updates. Or just download a new one from HERE. Once you've found your .ipsw, move on.

The image associated with this post is best viewed using a browser.
Step 4
Begin patching, but keep in mind this one setting: Redsn0w will ask if you want to install Cydia or Icy or Both. (These are apps that can load programs on jailbroken phones and will be needed to unlock the phone later.) JUST INSTALL CYDIA, NOT BOTH, OR ERRORS ARE PRONE TO ARISE LATER. TRUST ME. Once the .ipsw file is patched, make sure to plug in your iPhone then turn it off while still plugged. When you see the screen "Click NEXT when your iPhone is both OFF and plugged in..." go on to the next step.

The image associated with this post is best viewed using a browser.
Step 5
Now you need to put your phone into DFU mode to load the patched firmware. You'll hold the top power button for two seconds, then hold the Home button with it for 10. Then you'll release the top button and just hold Home for 30 or so. It's not as hard as it sounds, and if you mess up you can just try again, but you need to pay attention, so make sure you're holding your phone and watching the computer screen when you hit "next." Redsn0w will guide you through the pattern of holding the top and home buttons in timed succession. If you're successful, redsn0w will inform you that your phone is being jailbroken and you can stop holding the Home button. If you're not, redsn0w will reset the process and you'll probably need to manually restart your iPhone.

The image associated with this post is best viewed using a browser.
Step 6
Wait as the jailbroken firmware loads onto your iPhone. (You'll see a disk drive on the phone's screen, then this cute pineapple graphic as it installs.) After a few minutes, the phone will reboot just as it does with official firmware. Congratulations, your phone is jailbroken! Most of you are done—just load Cydia (which is now an app on your iPhone) and search for apps you'd like to install. Others need to continue this tutorial for the unlock.

The image associated with this post is best viewed using a browser.
Step 7
If you want to unlock your original or 3G iPhone so it can take a T-Mobile or international SIM, follow these next steps. You're done with your computer, so make sure your iPhone is on a Wi-Fi connection. We're going to use Cydia to download and install ultrasn0w, which unlocks your iPhone.

The image associated with this post is best viewed using a browser.
Step 8
Cydia will first ask what kind of interface you'd like. I'm no hacker, so I chose the graphical view. Then Cydia will want to download at least 2 Essential Upgrades. Let it by choosing "complete upgrade." If Cydia's successful, you'll see a bunch of install code and the option to "Close Cydia (Restart)." Hit that button. (Note: If you are getting errors in this step, it may be because you installed both Cydia and Icy. If you did that, restore your iPhone with official 3.0 firmware via iTunes and start the process over.)

The image associated with this post is best viewed using a browser.
Step 9
Reopen Cydia. Go to Manage -> Sources -> Edit - > Add and then enter "repo666.ultrasn0w.com" in the text field. This should add ultrasn0w as a Cydia source so that you can download the ultrasn0w software. Choose to return to Cydia and then click "Done".

The image associated with this post is best viewed using a browser.
Step 10
Click the repo666.ultrasn0w.com listing under your Sources. Click repo666.ultrasn0w.com again at the next screen (redundant, we know). Then click Install. You'll see a black screen with some text and, after a few seconds, it should read "Complete". Reboot your phone with your new SIM.

Congratulations, your iPhone is unlocked! But if you're having any type of problems (it's not our fault!!) check out the Dev Team blog. Chances are that if you've encountered a particular issue, so has someone else.

The instructions are nice and short:

1. Ensure you have upgraded to iPhone OS 3.0
2. Jailbreak your iPhone 3G using redsn0w or PwnageTool (this will also install Cydia/Icy)
3. Run Cydia or Icy
4. Please add the repo repo666.ultrasn0w.com to Cydia or icy
5. Search for ‘ultrasn0w' in cydia or icy and install ultrasn0w
6. Reboot your iPhone 3G
7. T-Mobile USA users should disable 3G before using ultrasn0w
8. Enjoy

It bears repeating that this hack will not work on the iPhone 3GS, though it will work on 2G and 3G models. The Dev Team is obviously working on this, but they're not giving any fresh indication as to when a fully compatible tool will come out. [Dev Team—Thanks, Alexandru, Stephen, and everyone else!]

On Tuesday evening they will do a live demo of the new yellowsn0w carrier unlock working on official 3.0 firmware, just before the big Apple release. While jailbreaking is already possible on 3.0, this is good news for would-be unlockers with an iPhone 3G, though those going for the 3GS will have to wait a bit longer. [DevTeamBlog via TheModShop—Thanks, Dylan!]

The bad part is that you're still locked into AT&T unless you jailbreak and SIM-unlock your phone, but if you're paying an extra $400 upfront for these (which is also another "bad part" of this deal), that's likely what you were going to do anyway. [Yahoo]

As with the yellowsn0w video we showed you last month, this video was brought to us by Dev Team member Muscle Nerd.

redsn0w, quite simply, bypasses the Apple anti-jailbreak protection that causes the device to stop booting up if a jailbreak were detected. It opens up a whole slew of applications that are not, or will never be, offered through the "official" channel, the App Store.

The official release for redsn0w is expected shortly. [Qik]

Yellowsn0w, the iPhone 3G unlock, runs as a small command line application that gets installed in any jailbroken iPhone 3G using Installer. It's very easy to install:

• First, update your iPhone 3G to the latest iPhone OS provided by Apple using the latest iTunes.

• Then, use QuickPwn 2.2 to jailbreak and activate your iPhone 3G. If you have Mac OS X 10.5.6 installed, you should follow these instructions before doing it.

• Use Installer or Cydia to install yellowsn0w, which is completely free. Here are the addresses you have to use to add yellowsn0w to your installer application:

For Cydia enter: http://apt9.yellowsn0w.com/
For Installer enter: http://i.yellowsn0w.com/

• That's it. There are some special SIM cards that give problems, but f you have a normal SIM card from any non-official carrier, you are fine.

BEWARE: This is a beta application—version 0.9.1— so install at your own risk—I'm installing, it, though. Since it's a daemon which doesn't alter anything permanently, it seems safe. Just proceed with caution and be warned.

Update: I've been trying to get this to run all day. The installation is very easy. Getting it to work right is a completely different matter.

After reboot, the iPhone won't pick my Vodafone carrier (the Vodafone SIM card works fine in an iPhone first generation, unlocked with the old unlock). It will just sit there, idle. Won't give any error, but it won't connect to the carrier network.

My iPhone 3G has the 2.28 baseband, as it should, and has been Quickpwned for the first time to do the unlock. Installer and Cydia are there, working fine. I've carefully followed the instructions in their page—about getting out the SIM card for a minute, then get it back in (and all other possible combinations)—but it just won't fly.

Like they say, this is beta. It won't damage your iPhone—in theory—but it may or may not run. It seems like there are other reports of the same, as well as other people talking about losing the network connection.

Even while this is labeled as a beta, it saddens me that the iPhone Dev Team has embraced the damn beta culture just to make the release on a cute date. It looks like the old days of solid versions are long gone by.

Update 2: There's a poll here with people saying if it works or not. At the time of this writing, these were the stats:

It worked: 23 34.33%
It doesn't work: 44 65.67%
Voters: 67.

Hopefully, a more stable and predictable release will come soon. Until then, I will keep trying. If you have any reports, drop me a line via email.

Update 3: iPhone Dev Team has released version 0.9.4. After some magic moves in the terminal, it worked for me. My iPhone 3G is now working in Spain in the Vodafone network. [IPhone Dev Team]

Yes, all we have here is an annotated hour-long PowerPoint, and yes, almost all of the content is of interest only to the actual haxxors that gathered at 25C3 to watch, but for me, it's a thrill to hear these guys talk about the software that we've covered and used ourselves for so long. It's also a thrill to hear little tidbits like the 180 IP addresses inside apple that the Dev Team guys have tracked as frequent updaters of Pwnage and Quickpwn.

Up until this weekend in Berlin, most of the iPhone Dev Team had never met each other in person. And I only wish we could have gotten a quick camera pan over to the guys identified as the team members who wish to remain anonymous—in the corner, wearing "PwnApple" t-shirts, speaking Russian. [hackaday via BBG]

You first need to be logged into the Mac with administrator privileges and, when asked, you have to provide with the administrator password.

Yes, it's that easy. Enjoy. [Get the script here or here via Hackintosh]

While it took a little longer than the free iPhone EDGE unlock, it does sound like this is the real deal. The team is claiming a successful unlock—now the next step is to package it up in a user-friendly GUI app like Pwnage Tool.

The only catch is that it will work only with iPhone 3Gs with baseband version 2.11.07 or earlier, and it must be jailbroken. To ensure you preserve an unlockable version of the baseband, the Dev Team has warned against the usage of the QuickPwn jailbreaking tool and against updating via official firmwares without first waiting for Pwnage Tool to work with it. More guidelines for that are here.

Phew, after all this l33t my head is starting to spin, but the good news remains—iPhone 3G unlock is on the way! [Dev Team]

So, you'd better download these files fast before they're taken down (they'll most likely pop up again elsewhere though, with a day or two's delay). The instructions are here, complete with photos of the process. If you want to unlock, hit that up now rather than pay $30-$50 to some guy to unlock your phone for you. [Sw box via ZonaBlackBerry via Into Mobile]

- It auto-finds the bl39 and bl46 files better, if they’re on your computer.
- It creates the ~/Library/iTunes/Device Support/ folder if not present, which should help with some 1600 errors people have been having.
- Many people have reported the PwnageTool not starting up at all (the icon never stops bouncing). This issue should be resolved now.
- The Sparkle AppCast URL is fixed in this version, so automatic updates should work for future releases.

If you successfully jailbroke and unlocked your iPhone with OS 2.0 with the previous one, there's no need for you to use this version. Otherwise, you can download from here or here.

We can't wait for the tool to be released. [iPhone Dev Blog]

Breno MacMasi, one of the Brazilian guys who achieved this, told us how it works:

Our procedure consist in using one SIM adapter to simulate a fake IMSI test card. Instead of the AT&T IMSI like in the universals.

In other words, like the original SIM card hacks for the iPhone classic, this method forges the International Mobile Subscriber Identity, making the phone believe it's working in the network in which it's supposed to work. There's no word yet on the availability of this hack, but we will keep all of those who don't want to pay roaming charges updated. [Techguru]

You can download from here and here.

If you were wondering how I was doing push email tests on iPhone OS 2.0 and Vodafone UK, this is the reason why. The code wizard commandos at the iPhone Dev Team have been working on this non-stop since the early days of beta testing. In fact, I had iPhone OS 2.0 running on my iPhone since last week. That was version 5A345, two below 5A347, but identical in functionality.

Now that the official iPhone OS 2.0 is out, the iPhone Dev Team will release their Pwnage tool for everyone to unlock and jailbreak their iPhones soon, although the specific date/time is not firm yet. It may not be as interesting as before—since most countries now have the iPhone and it will be impossible to buy without doing a contract first—but people looking to install unsigned applications and buy pay-as-you-go cards while traveling—instead of roaming—will find it very useful.

And besides, we don't get tired of seeing the Death Star exploding again and again. [iPhone Dev Team Portal]

Having an unlocked iPhone has always been a tradeoff—you can get some cool 3rd party apps but trying to install firmware updates is a huge pain in the ass. Still, the urge to rebel and personalize your phone the way you want is strong—and there will always be a large group of people who will hack their iPhone just because they can. So, the question is, Would you unlock a 3G iPhone even when there are good SDK apps to be had?

Gawker Media polls require Javascript; if you're viewing this in an RSS reader, click through to view in your Javascript-enabled web browser.

Yes, I said "punch a hole." The SIMable card lies flat against the SIM, and you first have to perform the following surgical procedure. At least the hole-puncher comes free with the £16.99 chip:

For certain 3G phones including the 8GB Nokia N95, Nokia E51, Sony Ericsson W200 and others to maintain "full 3G functionality," you will have to make an addition cut to the card itself:It's not clear if SIMable is shipping to the US, though there's no reason to believe it wouldn't work here. There's also no mention of Apple's iPhone on the site, although the Inquirer mentions it in the first paragraph of their own writeup. Hopefully SIMable is just getting around to that, after testing on 70 or so other, more popular phones.

Update: Corrections were made to the post following some clarifying comments (thanks!). As far as this being a copy of other products, that may very well be the case, although SIMable maintains that it is not:

NOTE - SIMable is not linked in any way to other similar products and enables full 3G functionality. We include a free customised cutting press ruling out any messing around with scissors.

geohot's 1.1.2 software unlock yes, this is what you have all been waiting for now fixed to support 1.1.3

1. Download these:
gunlock and the secpack from http://iphonejtag.blogspot.com/ or the blog :)
the 4.02.13 fls from http://george.zjlotto.com/index.php/baseband/

2. Downgrade your phone to 1.0.2. See all the great tutorials online to do this.
Your baseband won't be downgraded, this is normal.
This will probably work on other versions too, but 1.0.2 doesn't lose wifi on bb access.

3. Kill CommCenter and run "gunlock secpack ICE04.02.13_G.fls"

4. Reload CommCenter. For some reason my phone was in brick mode. Use the elite team bricktool to get out.

5. Enjoy your 1.1.2 OTB unlocked iPhone

Now, who'd have thought it'd be this easy : )

This release is no thanks to elite/dev
I wish they would share like the old days.
I don't believe everyone in the team is like this, but come on guys.

Oh, the drama. Next in Venezuelan Telenovela TV, Hackers Passion! ¡Rosita, tú mataste a tu hermana! ¡No, lo hizo Pablo! ¡Sí! ¡No! ¡Amparo! [iPhonetag]

The Digg badge in this post is for the original story in Geohot's blog.

Fot the Windows version, you need to download an install iBrickr (instructions are on Nate's site), which will guide you through downloading and installing the firmware. The whole thing will take about 15-30 minutes, based on estimates.
[Cre.ations.net]

Adam from Lifehacker has a walkthrough for the process as well.

Mac version is here.

First, AT&T put out a press release saying that 2 million iPhones were subscribed on their service by the end of 2007. The three European carriers with iPhones (O2, Orange and T-Mobile) don't have official numbers, but iLounge rates them at about 300-400k, which means the total is only around 2.4 million. This, with Apple's announcement that 3.7 million iPhones were sold in 2007, makes put the number at about 1/3 of all iPhones being unlocked.

Even if the European iPhone numbers are low and AT&T customers haven't activated their Christmas phones yet, that still puts unlocked iPhone numbers somewhere around 1/3 to 1/4, which is extremely high by any count. [iLounge - Thanks David!]

From a business point of view, Apple owns what they have done. They have a right to lock it. But I am really for the unlockers, the rebels trying to make it free.

I'd really like it to be open to new applications. I'd like to install some nice games. Why in the world can I not install a ringtone that I've made? How would that hurt AT&T's network? Here is Steve Jobs sending letters to the record companies saying [they] should provide music that's unprotected, but here he is taking the opposite approach with the iPhone. I don't know to what extent AT&T is involved in the thinking and direction.

We can only assume that credit cards allow Apple to better track mass purchasers since, if anything, plastic allows people to spend more money on products than they have in their bank accounts. We're guessing that neither of these new restrictions will impact 99% of consumers, but that perfumed old lady with her huge jar of change will just need to settle for a Prada. [nytimes]

We have successfully completed a test of the 1.1.1 firmware update on IPSF unlocked phones. We are very pleased to report that the phones are still fully unlocked, and if you are using an original activated AT&T sim, you can activate and use the phone with no issues at all. Unfortunately, currently there is no way to jailbreak/reactivate the phone for use with a sim card other than the original AT&T card. Therefore for our customers who have no immediate need to use alternate providers and are still using their AT&T card, you are welcome to update your phone. For the rest please be patient, as the jailbreak issue is something that affects much more than just the unlocking. The thousands of open source developers who have put a cumulative 10s of thousands of man hours into various apps and tools now have no way to get them onto the phone as well. We are all looking into the jailbreak issue as it affects us all, and we will keep updating our site as well as the open source community at large with any information we can about this.

We also tested an AnySim unlocked phone, and after the update it appeared to be relocked. The IMEI was reported as 004999010640000 (see below), and a T-Mobile sim was reported by the phone as an "Incorrect SIM" rather than the new "Different SIM Detected" message.

However, our recommendation still remains the same. Even if you could keep using your unlocked iPhone after updating, you can only use it with AT&T, which defeats the point of having an unlocked iPhone in the first place. Just don't upgrade. [iPhoneSIMFREE]

It all started here, when Frucci asked for a graphic about The AT&T/iPhone Moral Quandary. Little did we know what would come later, with the iPhone unlock race that started as soon as Apple's cellphone was released:

8:00 AM ON WED JUL 18 2007. The first approach started here: the Dev Team partially unlocks the iPhone. As a result, you could use any SIM card or contract from AT&T, instead of those contemplated in the agreement.

11:55 PM ON TUE JUL 31 2007. A new milestone is achieved: they announce they have reverse-engineered the software which controls the iPhone's radio communications.

5:57 AM ON SUN AUG 5 2007. Another milestone: obtain the plans for the fucking Death Star, extracting the full content of the radio memory.

8:59 AM ON MON AUG 6 2007. First unlock is achieved: hackers in Europe use the information previously obtained to forge a SIM and fool the iPhone to believe it is working in the AT&T network.

11:10 AM ON WED AUG 8 2007. We try the forge SIM hack, but it doesn't work: it only works with first-generation SIM cards.

8:45 AM ON TUE AUG 14 2007. The first solution that unlocks 100% any iPhone is announced: using a TurboSIM card the iPhone doesn't know if it's not working on the AT&T network. Still, this costs money and the cards are scarce. The search for the free software unlock continues.

12:20 PM ON MON AUG 20 2007. The iPhone grass-roots developer community say to Steve Jobs "TFSU!" as third-party iPhone applications become mainstream. AppTapp and iBrickr demonstrate how easy is to install them.

3:35 PM ON TUE AUG 21 2007. Using information and code from the Dev Team, a hacker unlocks the iPhone using a hardware soldering. Later it was discovered by others that no soldering was needed, just a couple of metal pins and a bit of wire.

12:20 PM ON FRI AUG 24 2007. Partly using the information obtained by the Dev Team, a group called iPhone Sim Free announces the first software unlock, but they want you to pay for it. Weeks would pass until they released their paid program to the public, only to be rendered obsolete three days later by the iPhone Dev Team with the free software unlock.

11:30 AM ON SAT AUG 25 2007. Knowing that only the free software unlock was going to be The Real Thing™ and that the Dev Team was demoralized by the news and the attitude of some people in the community, Gizmodo asks for your support for the iPhone Dev Team ongoing efforts

6:23 AM ON TUE AUG 28 2007. A newspaper claims Israeli hackers get yet another new unlock. Shortly thereafter, we discover it is an error and they just used the modified version of the hardware unlock.

3:00 AM ON TUE SEP 11 2007. The first commercial unlock gets released and the Giz witnesses as the reseller has countless problems installing it in two clients' iPhones. Gizmodo discovers there's a bug in the iPhone Sim Free software that makes it unusable with certain SIM cards. As a result of this discovery, iPhone Sim Free fixes the bug hours later.

7:40 AM ON TUE SEP 11 2007. Later in the day, some hackers vow to reverse-engineer iPhone Sim Free's commercial unlock. The core iPhone Dev Team, however, keeps working in its own independent solution.

6:30 AM ON TUE SEP 11 2007. Hackers race to obtain the unlock. GeoHot claims in a IRC channel that he has reverse-engineered the iPhone Sim Free. This was discovered to be false a few minutes later.

7:10PM ON TUE SEP 11 2007. The Death Star explodes: the Giz is the only media outlet to witness as the core iPhone Dev Team unlocks the iPhone with its own solution. It gets released as free program at 8:10PM, only a few hours after the paid software unlock was released,

1:00 PM ON WED SEP 12 2007. The next day some stupid bozo tries to snatch $41,000 posing as the "sole developer" of a graphical tool to unlock the iPhone. He fools a major gadget site into thinking he's the author. Hours later, Gizmodo uncovers the imposter, a 23-year-old from Belfast who got the original code from Erica Sadun and convinced another developer to make it work.

1:36 PM ON WED SEP 12 2007. The UIkit team, a separate group of programmers who work in graphical applications for the iPhone, announce that they are working on the graphical software unlock, which was released on September 15.

The same day, the iPhone Dev Team confirms that Apple may re-lock the phone with future software updates.

1:26 PM ON WED SEP 26 2007. As they get ready to battle the next iPhone firmware update, the iPhone Dev Team irons out bugs in the software unlock, bringing it up to version 1.0.2.

So yes, the iPhone Dev Team is still working on the unlock. Not only that, as you probably already know, they are preparing software to un-brick the iPhone and return it to its original state. And hopefuly, unlock it again. You can support them by donating money to the following PayPal account:

iphone.devteam@googlemail.com (yes, it's googlemail.com, not gmail.com)

Short FAQ about the Dev Team
Q: Will the stuff you find out be freely available on the forum and the wiki?
A: Simply, yes [as shown again and again.]

Q: Why do you think you can do this?

A: Simply remember the AppleTV. Many good hacks, including running OSX on your aTV came from here.

Q: Isn't that illegal?

A: No, we don't live within the US, there are a lot free countries that allow you to break or modify stuff on your own.

Q: Were can we talk on the iPhone hacking?

A: join #iphone at irc.osx86.hu

Q: Where is the money going?

A: Not much left, hosting is paid, and other stuff around the project, most of the time we run minus

CUPERTINO, Calif., Sept. 24 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ — Apple has discovered that many of the unauthorized iPhone unlocking programs available on the Internet cause irreparable damage to the iPhone's software, which will likely result in the modified iPhone becoming permanently inoperable when a future Apple-supplied iPhone software update is installed. Apple plans to release the next iPhone software update, containing many new features including the iTunes Wi-Fi Music Store (www.itunes.com), later this week. Apple strongly discourages users from installing unauthorized unlocking programs on their iPhones. Users who make unauthorized modifications to the software on their iPhone violate their iPhone software license agreement and void their warranty. The permanent inability to use an iPhone due to installing unlocking software is not covered under the iPhone's warranty.

[Image courtesy of callalillie and olive the cat]