New support site is up!
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GSM vs CDMA2000. Will my SIM work in an unlocked iPhone?
CDMA (Code division multiple access) 2000 is a hybrid 2.5G / 3G technology of mobile telecommunications standards that use CDMA, a multiple access scheme for digital radio, to send voice, data, and signalling data (such as a dialed telephone number) between mobile phones and cell sites.
Carriers in the USA who use CDMA2000: Alltel, Cellcom, Cellular South, Cricket Communications (from Leap Wireless), MetroPCS, nTelos, Sprint PCS, U.S. Cellular, Alaska Communications Systems and Verizon Wireless and Claro Wireless (in Puerto Rico formerly VZW) use 1x & EVDO.
You cannot run the unlocked iPhone on these networks.
Now GSM (Global System for Mobile) is the most popular standard for mobile phones in the world. Its promoter, the GSM Association, estimates that 80% of the global mobile market uses the standard. GSM is used by over 3 billion people across more than 212 countries and territories. There are five different cell sizes in a GSM network—macro, micro, pico, femto and umbrella cells. The coverage area of each cell varies according to the implementation environment. Macro cells can be regarded as cells where the base station antenna is installed on a mast or a building above average roof top level. Micro cells are cells whose antenna height is under average roof top level; they are typically used in urban areas. Picocells are small cells whose coverage diameter is a few dozen metres; they are mainly used indoors. Femtocells are cells designed for use in residential or small business environments and connect to the service provider’s network via a broadband internet connection. Umbrella cells are used to cover shadowed regions of smaller cells and fill in gaps in coverage between those cells.
One of the key features of GSM is the Subscriber Identity Module, commonly known as a SIM card. The SIM is a detachable smart card containing the user’s subscription information and phone book. This allows the user to retain his or her information after switching handsets. Alternatively, the user can also change operators while retaining the handset simply by changing the SIM. Some operators will block this by allowing the phone to use only a single SIM, or only a SIM issued by them; this practice is known as SIM locking, and is illegal in some countries.
In Australia, North America and Europe many operators lock the mobiles they sell. This is done because the price of the mobile phone is typically subsidised with revenue from subscriptions, and operators want to try to avoid subsidising competitor’s mobiles. A subscriber can usually contact the provider to remove the lock for a fee, utilize private services to remove the lock, or make use of ample software and websites available on the Internet to unlock the handset themselves. While most web sites offer the unlocking for a fee, some do it for free. The locking applies to the handset, identified by its International Mobile Equipment Identity (IMEI) number, not to the account (which is identified by the SIM card).
In some countries such as Bangladesh, Belgium, Costa Rica, Indonesia, Malaysia, Hong Kong and Pakistan, all phones are sold unlocked. However, in Belgium, it is unlawful for operators there to offer any form of subsidy on the phone’s price. This was also the case in Finland until April 1, 2006, when selling subsidized combinations of handsets and accounts became legal, though operators have to unlock phones free of charge after a certain period (at most 24 months).
Carriers that use GSM in the USA: Advantage Cellular Systems Inc, Airadigm Communications, Airwave Wireless, LLC (SWS / iwireless), Alaska Wireless Communications, LLC (Dutch Harbor), Alltel Communications Inc, Arctic Slope Telephone Association Cooperative (Artic Slope Telephone Association Cooperative), AT&T Mobility, Bend Cable Communications, LLC (BendBroadband), C T Cube, LP, Caprock Cellular Limited Partnership, Cellular Properties, Inc (Cellular One of East Central Illinois), Centennial Communications, CGKC&H No. 2 Rural Cellular LP (West Central Wireless), Chariton Valley Communications Corporation Inc (Chariton Valley Communication Corporation), Choice Wireless LC (AmeriLink PCS), Cincinnati Bell Wireless (Cincinnati Bell Wireless – Cincinnati, OH), Commnet Wireless, LLC, Convey Communications Inc., Cordova Wireless Communications Inc, Corr Wireless Communications, Cross Telephone Company (MBO Wireless – Muskogee & McAlester: Oklahoma), CROSS VALLIANT CELLULAR PARTNERSHIP (BIG FOOT), CTC Telcom, Inc. (CTC Telcom Wireless), E.N.M.R. Telephone Cooperative (Plateau Wireless – New Mexico RSA 2 and New Mexico RSA 6-II), Edge Wireless, Epic Touch Co (Elkhart Telephone Co – Liberal, KS), GCI Communications Corp., GreenFly LLC, GW Wireless, Inc. (SWS/iwireless), Indigo Wireless, Inc, Iowa Wireless Services, LLC, Jasper Wireless, inc, Kaplan Telephone Company,Inc , Keystone Wireless LLC, Lamar County Cellular, Inc, Long Lines Wireless LLC, Michigan Wireless, LLC, Mid-Tex Cellular, Ltd., Missouri RSA No 5 Partnership, MTPCS, LLC, NEP Cellcorp, Inc, New Dimension Wireless Ltd, New Mexico RSA 4 East Ltd Partnership, NewCore Wireless, LLC, North East Colorado Cellular, Inc, OK-5 Licensee Co., LLC (Cellular One), Oklahoma Western Telephone Company, OTZ Telecommunications Inc., Petrocom LLC, Pine Telephone Company (Pine Cellular), Pinpoint Wireless Inc, Quantum Communications Group Inc, SLO Cellular, Inc, Smart Call, LLC (iSmart), Smith Bagley, Inc. (CellularOne), Stelera Wireless, L.L.C., T-Mobile USA, Inc, TerreStar Networks Inc., Texas RSA 3 Ltd Partnership, TMP Corp, TX – 10 Licensee Co, TX-11 Acquisition, LLC (Cellular One of East Texas), Union Telephone Company, WestLink Communications LLC, Wilkes Cellular Inc (Via Wireless), Wireless Alliance, XIT Wireless
You can run an unlocked iPhone on these networks.
Here is a coverage map for GSM
If you have questions about unlocking your iPhone visit our site here and email us.
MIT open course ware
MIT is now giving us access to all of it’s curriculum for free online. Go here to check it out!
Deposit Checks with iPhone?
Hrmmm might be kind of cool. USAA bank is allowing customers to deposit checks by using an app and photographing both sides of the check. After following directions and using the app they can throw the paper check away!! Damn that is insane read more about it here Check it out here on USAA’s site. How about some screen shots.
Wow FCC and Apple get aquainted
Looks like the FCC is interested in Apple’s app approval process. Read more here Check out the inquiry sent to Apple
You know Trent Reznor has to be smiling read here to understand
LOLCATS
Go get this app. You need this. It is free at the app store. Here are some samples.
Trapster
Let me start with I HATE TICKETS!!! I have to travel quite a bit and the areas I travel in are know for being speed traps. So what is the answer to old school dirty trucker CB/Scanners well if you are sporting an iPhone it is Trapster.
Trapster is one of the most useful apps I have found yet. It uses GPS to track where you are and gives you information on where speed traps and red light cameras are located. Here are some screen shots. 
Go here and take a look. You can download the app from the Apple Store.
Download your voicemails no problem
This is the first installment in what will be an infinite list of reasons to Jail-break your iPhone. ATT’s visual voice mail is a nice feature however like many things about the stock iPhone they left you with no ability to save your voicemails to your computer. Well if you are like me there are some voicemails you would like to hold on to for various reasons. I will give you the quick and dirty on what you need to do this.
- You will need to Jailbreak the phone.
- You will need a copy of openSSH for the iPhone (this is free).
- You will need an ftp client that can connect via sftp.
- A Wifi network.
So you have gathered everything you need listed in the steps above – now what? Connect your computer and your iphone to the same network. Go to your iphone settings and get the device ip address. Open the FTP client on your computer connect via sftp to the iphone’s local address. The user password combo for your phone will be root/alpine or mobile/dottie. Once connected go to /private/var/mobile/library/voicemail/. Download the files you are after to your computer quicktime can play these files.
Who’s the boss of my iPhone?
A friend offered me an Apple iPhone 2G. I’m a T-Mobile customer, have been for years, and didn’t want to switch to another carrier. I did, however, want the phone. He unlocked and jailbroke it so I could put my SIM card in the phone and have my T-Mobile telephone service, no data just phone. I called T-Mobile (611 from my iPhone) to request data and texting be added to my plan. The rep said, “I see you’re calling from an iPhone. How do you like it?” She said my SIM card told her it was working from the iPhone. She shared the plans available for my usage history (not a big texter) and added the data plan (Edge). I later called for the password and PIN to activate the data and was helped without issue. I am on a month to month plan and can cancel at any time. I don’t think T-Mobile cares what phone I use as long as I remain a loyal customer.
The AT&T site clearly states a data plan from AT&T is required to purchase the iPhone from them and the plan should stay in effect for the life of the phone. What if I don’t buy the phone from them? What if I buy the phone from someone else like my friend or on eBay? Can AT&T still dictate who my carrier is? Can Apple dictate carriers for this phone? Just who is the boss of my iPhone? The biggest question is -am I breaking the law by running T-Mobile on a hacked phone? Am I breaking the law if I don’t have the AT&T data plan?
No. Despite what AT&T or anyone else tells you unlocking and jailbreaking any cell phone, including the iPhone, for personal use is completely legal in the US. The US Copyright Office granted an exemption for cell phone unlocking under the Digital Millenium Copyright Act in 2006; users are free to unlock their cell phones to lawfully connect to other carriers. So in short, you are the boss of your cell phone. You can select your carrier if you unlock your phone.
How do you unlock your phone? There are several sites that will walk you through it with screen shots and videos but I bought mine already unlocked. I’m not comfortable monkeying with reprogramming something that I need to work immediately. I’m not familiar enough with the hardware or software to troubleshoot problems that may arise and from what I’ve read in the forums and Q&A pages problems will arise. For the reader’s reference, my friend had the phone unlocked and jailbroken by MC2 Development Team. Their website is www.mc2iphone.com.