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People & Blogs
Worlds First Hacked iphone |
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Views: 162,994 - Rating: 4.77
Comments: Seventeen-year old George Hotz from New Jersey spent 500-odd hours (an entire summer) trying to free the iPhone from AT&T's clutches.
Hotz posted the hack on his blog Thursday. Which could lead to the mushrooming of an entire industry devoted only to buying of iPhones, unlocking them, and selling them to people who don't have or don't want the AT&T service.
However, the hack is complicated and requires skill with soldering and software. A wrong step here or there could render the iPhone useless.
Apple Computer and AT&T refused to comment on Hotz' exploit.
An earlier method deployed to make the iPhone work overseas involves copying information from the SIM chip or Subscriber Identity Module. This method does not require any soldering expertise or special equipment.
Meanwhile, both hacks leave intact the iPhone's many functions, including built-in camera and ability to access Wi-Fi networks. By now both procedures have been publicly disclosed so Apple can get down to the task of modifying it's iPhones to making them immune to such hacks...
Hotz, who said he collaborated online with a large number of people to develop the unlocking process, put up his unlocked iPhone for sale on eBay on Thursday. The highest bid reportedly was $12,600 late Friday. The 4GB iPhone model actually sells for $499.