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iPhone anyone?
#26
I don't know what EDGE is either. It might be the special network that the iPhone runs on for the wifi.
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#27
From arstechnica.com:

Consumer protection agency writes Apple over iPhone battery

By Jacqui Cheng | Published: July 31, 2007 - 09:30AM CT

The New York State Consumer Protection Board is hopping on the iPhone battery outrage bandwagon this week by sending a letter to Apple "urging the company to revamp its customer service policies to make it easier and more affordable for consumers to repair an iPhone," according to WCBSTV. The letter addressed both the fact that the iPhone battery is not easily user replaceable and the cost of the iPhone Battery Replacement through Apple, which tops $80 outside of the one-year warranty. The CPB also objected to the $29 fee for the rental iPhone while the customer's is in for repairs.

The CPB's letter and requests come just a few days after a class-action lawsuit was filed against Apple over the iPhone battery. According to the filing, Apple did not make it clear enough prior to the iPhone's launch that the battery would not be replaceable. Not only that, but the suit alleges that the iPhone's battery will need to be replaced once a year after purchase. While the latter is almost certainly not true, technicalities about what was said, where, and when about the iPhone's battery could be what will make or break the case.

"We ask that Apple review its practices in disclosing contract terms and conditions, warranties and return policies," CPB Chairperson and Executive Director Mindy Bockstein told WCBSTV. She also made a jab at Apple's customer service, saying that "A high-end cell phone shouldn't have to have low-end customer service." Newsday has an even better quote from Bockenstein: "I encourage Apple to redesign the iPhone in order to provide for a replaceable battery."

But users who are dead set on not handing over $80+ to Apple do have a couple of options. iPodJuice.com offers an iPhone battery replacement ranging from $25 to $95 depending on what level of service and shipping the customer prefers. Another retailer, Brando, now offers an iPhone battery replacement kit (complete with instructions) for only $20 as well. While these solutions may not be as simple as some customers seem to demand, they are certainly more affordable than Apple's program.

Will this iPhone battery thing become the consumer fuss of 2007? Don't get me wrong, we here at Ars think it's quite annoying as well. But to be honest with you, I have only had to replace a single phone battery ever since I started using cell phones many years ago. I would certainly be more concerned about being able to remove it in the event of water contact than the battery dying on me early, that's for sure.
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#28
http://www.iphoneatlas.com/2007/08/02/ap...ra-issues/


Recent Posts

* The best iPhone IM client yet debuts
* How the iPhone was hacked
* Problems with WiFi? Try renewing DHCP lease
* Apple: Fix for error 1601 or 1602 When Restoring iPhone in iTunes
* Apple speaks on iPhone volume, battery, display, camera issues
* iTunes 7.3.2 appears to include iPhone-related bug fixes
* iPhone logic boards, displays, batteries, other parts for sale
* Exchange in the iPhone's native e-mail client, sort of
* iPhone Update 1.0.1: Undocumented fixes, improvements galore: volume, stability, VPN, battery, more
* iPhone Update 1.0.1 troubleshooting: Problems installing (especially with hacks); more

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#29
from the link in the post above comes this:

How the iPhone was hacked


Posted 3 August 2007 @ 9am in News

Rixstep has a nice write-up of a presentation given at this week’s Black Hat security conference detailing an iPhone vulnerability that was announced on July 23rd and patched by Apple on July 31st.

Some salient points about the iPhone’s security pitfalls:

* As previously noted, the iPhone runs most (all?) of its applications/processes as root (superuser, UID 0).
* Safari has the capability launch over a dozen applications, making it a potential attack vector.
* The crash reports are perhaps overly detailed, revealing significant chunks of code.
* Crucial parts of memory are both writable and executable
* Code addresses are, in some cases, not randomized at startup
* Perhaps most importantly: Apple “branches” open source code (customizes it heavily) meaning that patches are, generally, slower to evolve. Rixstep writes “[…] not only does Apple leave their users wide open but also because the code is originally open source the astute hacker can simply consult the ‘change logs’ for the real open source variants and see where bugs have been discovered and fixed. […] Samba had an exploitable root vulnerability - long since fixed in the open source community - that’s been open on OS X since February 2005 - two months before the release of OS X Tiger, two and one half years ago.” The version of WebKit that the iPhone uses contains other open source code (specifically the Perl Regular Expression Library) that is outdated. Hence, a hacker can simply look at the flaws that have been patched in the newest release of the Perl Regular Expression Library, and exploit away.

Feedback? info@iphoneatlas.com
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#30
If it were just an iPod with a browser, and cost maybe $350-400, I think it would be accessible to more people. The phone end of it seems to be Apple biting off more than they can chew. The fact that you can only use the phone under one service provider makes it that much less attractive to a lot of people. Switching mobile phone providers is NOT like switching from a PC to a Mac.
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#31
know anyone who has it yet?
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#32
Nope, but I've read plenty of user and authored reviews, and it's a toss-up. Some people are happy with it, while others complain incessantly about it.

All in all, It's just another thing to get mugged for. People buy it because A) It's an Apple product, or B) it's the "latest and greatest" gadget on the market, or all of the above. It's another phone with a ton of gimmicks.

I tried to get a peek at one at a couple of the Apple store near me, but the table is always crowded with people. I'm actually curious how hard one has to squint to be able to read anything off the internet browser. I know it zooms in, but at what rate?

I also want to see how smudgy the screen side gets.
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#33
want it because it's a CrApple?
they should read mac fix it daily news letter!
from what I read, they'll be fixing it daily!
also,
a class action law suit is underway over the battery being non user serviceable, saying they kept that information from the consumer.

I'm still waiting to hear from someone who has used it.

from Mac Fix-it today}

Title: iPhone international data charge warning: Data access can occur
involuntarily.
Date: Tuesday, August 07 2007 @ 09:30 AM PDT

Read the full article at
http://www.macfixit.com/article.php?stor...0709402959

------------------------------
This is why I call them CrApple:

Title: Security Update 2007-007 (#2): Problems after installing, getting
rid of the update
Date: Tuesday, August 07 2007 @ 09:00 AM PDT

Read the full article at
http://www.macfixit.com/article.php?stor...7090020263


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#34
Apple triggering iPhone updates through EDGE?

A new "Send to Web Gallery" is appearing for some iPhone users, and may only be enabled if you have a .Mac email account set up on your iPhone, and may require a reset to appear. The button links with new .Mac iPhone integration functionality that allows photos to be sent directly from the iPhone to the new "Web Gallery" function (which offers an app-like interface to photos stored online). Inexplicably, it's not showing up for some users, and it looks like Apple may be triggering the update over EDGE. More...

http://www.iphoneatlas.com/2007/08/07/ap...-via-edge/

Earlier today, a fascinating thing happened. iPhone owners across the country gained a new function without applying any software or firmware updates. The function in question is “Send to Web Gallery,” a button that appears in the Camera and Photos applications when clicking the share button (lower left corner when viewing a photo), and did not exist for any iPhone owner (that we know of) prior to today. The button links with new .Mac iPhone integration functionality that allows photos to be sent directly from the iPhone to the new “Web Gallery” function

What makes this situation curious is not only that, as aforementioned, no synchronization process, nor conspicuous software update was applied to enable the new function, but also that some users received the function early in the day, some later in the day, and some not at all. As we noted earlier, you may need to establish a .Mac email account on your iPhone and reset it to make the button appear, but even these steps did not result in successful addition for all users.

So how did the new button appear? One theory is that the Photos and Camera applications were updated by iPhone Update 1.0.1, released on July 31st, and somehow put on a timing mechanism under which they were not enabled until today, August 7th, to coincide with the .Mac announcements. If this is the case, however, why did some iPhones begin showing the function early in the day, and others later in the day? And why do some iPhones still not show the function, even after applying the 1.0.1 update, adding a .Mac email account, and resetting the unit?

Another theory, perhaps more plausible, is that Apple is somehow triggering unlocking of iPhone functionality through the EDGE network. Interesting, but perhaps not evidential, is the fact that one of our in-house iPhones was tethered to a WiFi network all day, and did not display the new button. To experiment, we shut WiFi off on the unit, and let it sit on EDGE for an hour or so. We then reset the iPhone, and lo and behold, the “Send to Web Gallery” button appeared.

While this is far from a conclusive indicator that modifications are being made over the EDGE network, it’s certainly something worth considering.

Feedback? info@iphoneatlas.com.

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2 Comments

Posted by ostrichtom
8 August 2007 @ 5am

Last night I followed all the steps to make the Web Gallery button appear, but it wouldn’t. I left the phone on its charger overnight. I didn’t turn off its WiFi connection. This morning when I checked the button had appeared. It may be that Apple somehow triggered unlocking the function, or it could be that the phone just had to poll the .Mac account and this took some time.

Posted by rlepage
8 August 2007 @ 4pm

the same thing happened to me - tried a bunch of things to make it work, but just leaving it overnight somehow did the trick.


http://www.iphoneatlas.com/2007/08/07/ne...creenshot/

We originally postulated that Apple would soon be releasing a software update for the iPhone that adds a “Send to Web Gallery” function to the Camera application.

However, it now looks like the option is already appearing for some users, and may only be enabled if you have a .Mac email account set up on your iPhone, and may require a reset to appear (hold down the sleep and home buttons simultaneously until the Apple logo appears). To put a .Mac account on your iPhone, go to the Settings application and select Mail, then create a new .Mac email account credentials.

A .Mac support page states:

“To add photos directly from iPhone to your .Mac Web Gallery: Make sure you’ve set up your .Mac email account on your iPhone. […] If you don’t see the Send To Gallery item, make sure you’ve set up your .Mac email address on your phone and that your iPhone has the latest software updates.”

Unfortunately, we still did not receive this added button after setting up a .Mac account on our iPhone, performing a reset, and making sure the software was up to date. Several readers have noted a similar situation.

The button links with new .Mac iPhone integration functionality that allows photos to be sent directly from the iPhone to the new “Web Gallery” function (which offers an app-like interface to photos stored online). The same Web Gallery can be directly accessed in an iPhone-optimized fashion.

Are you seeing the new button? Please let us know at info@iphoneatlas.com.
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#35
Title: The quiet riot: iPhone volume complaints continue to pour in
Date: Friday, August 10 2007 @ 05:20 PM PDT

Read the full article at
http://www.macfixit.com/article.php?stor...0172755409
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#36
I give up on humanity...

Quote: Man surgically alters thumbs to better use iPhone

Written by James Benfly
Wednesday, 08 August 2007

Thomas Martel, 28, of Bonnie Brae is a big guy. So he has a hard time using the features on ever-shrinking user interfaces on devices like his new iPhone. At least, he did, until he had his thumbs surgically altered in a revolutionary new surgical technique known as "whittling."

"From my old Treo, to my Blackberry, to this new iPhone, I had a hard time hitting the right buttons, and I always lost those little styluses," explains Martel. "Sure, the procedure was expensive, but when I think of all the time I save by being able to use modern handhelds so much faster, I really think the surgery will pay for itself in ten to fifteen years. And what it's saving me in frustration - that's priceless."

"This is really, on the edge sort of stuff," explains Dr. Robert Fox Spars, who worked on developing the procedure. "We're turning plastic surgery from something that people use in service of vanity, to a real tool for improving workplace efficiency."

The procedure involved making a small incision into both thumbs and shaving down the bones, followed by careful muscular alteration and modification of the fingernails. While Martel's new thumbs now appear small and effeminate in comparison to his otherwise very large hands, he says he can still lift "pretty much anything I could lift before the surgery - though opening spaghetti sauce jars has been a problem. That was a big surprise."
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#37
is this the neanderthal? [attachment=198]

makes me think of something I read posted by ronan: "de-nut the nuts" as a way to clean up the gene pool.
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#38

Friday, August 24 2007 @ 11:00 AM PDT
iPhone unlocked for other carriers: One method hardware-based, one software-based


from iPhone Atlas


There are now two methods for unlocking the iPhone for use on carriers other than AT&T -- one hardware-based and one software-based. The former is free but requires the use of a soldering iron and other tools, as well as a high degree of technical dexterity. The latter will be made available commercially, but is apparently a fast and easy process. Read more...

A Glen Rock teen has unlocked an iPhone for use on other carriers (he currently, allegedly, has it up and running on T-Mobile), posted instructions for doing so, and is selling the unlocked phone on eBay.

The instructions are almost too frightening to fathom unless you have excellent technical dexterity and superfluous iPhones you can potentially destroy. They require cracking the iPhone’s case, soldering, meddling with firmware using a host of unfamiliar utilities, and “concentration.”

George Hotz, who compiled instructions for the hack, says:

“So if you follow these steps, you should have an unlocked iPhone. I’m sorry about how hard they are to follow, but someone will get them to work, and simplify them, and simplify them more. Hopefully a software unlock will be found in the near future.”

Meanwhile, “iPhoneSimFree.com” is claiming “the worlds (sp) first (and only) software driven sim unlocking service for the iPhone™. No need to open your phone. No need to solder.” The site offers no documented backup of its claims, but does state:

“To silence any doubters out there, we are welcoming publications from around the world to apply to receive their iPhones™ unlocked free of charge. If interested, please submit an application via our Contact Us form. The top three applications will receive a free un-lock within the next 48 hours, which will be soon followed by the commercial launch of the software for public consumption. […] Individual per unit licenses will be available starting next week. We are currently opening up our mail for bulk purchase enquiries of 500 licenses and above.”

UPDATE: Engadget claims to have tested the iPhoneSimFree method, and that it works:

“The unlock process took only a couple of minutes. From our end it was totally painless. Once you put your new, non AT&T SIM in the device, you have to go through the usual activation process. […] We tested with an active T-Mobile SIM — after the hack was finished and we reactivated we immediately got full bars and the T-Mobile carrier info popped up in the top bar.”
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#39
Now here's the thing. Only some providers use sim cards for the phone's ID and activation. Verizon is still in the "stone age" by having all of the needed info put on the phone's memory. That's partly why there is no iPhone in their immediate future, not to mention, it's why the phone variety through them sucks.

Anyway, that's pretty cool that someone got that to work right. It's funny that some guy went through all that effort to get his iPhone to work outside of AT&T just for someone else to come along with a simple, non-invasive hack.
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#40
I'm surprised Verizon was not more on top of things
glad I sold their stock.
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#41
me too. I used to have Cingular (now AT&T) and they just plain sucked. It wasn't worth the shit service, so I moved to verizon. Even though they don't have the cheapest plans, or the best phones, I get really good service from them, support and other wise.
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#42
I saw a Casio phone that works with Verizon that is INDESTRUCTIBLE
they ran over it, submerged it, tossed it off a 4 story building and it still works.
G-1 {I think they said.. it is a Casio.
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#43
One More Reason to get a CASIO! (see the post before this one)


Title: iPhone explodes during unlock attempt
Date: Thursday, August 30 2007 @ 03:15 PM PDT

Read the full article at
http://www.macfixit.com/article.php?stor...0152424510

It should be common sense that disassembling your iPhone and attempting to tinker with components in the hopes of unlocking it for use on other networks is risky business, but now there's proof. A user's iPhone exploded while he was attempting one of the few documented processes for untethering the device from AT&T. Read More (with picture)...
http://www.iphoneatlas.com/2007/08/30/ip...t-picture/

Earlier today we noted that while successful hardware-based iPhone unlocks are taking place all over the world (Brazil, Mexico, Canada, Germany, etc), some users are apparently doing damage to their units that will almost certainly not be covered under Apple’s warranty. One commonly reported issue is the loss of Bluetooth and or Wi-Fi connectivity. Other, more dire cases have resulted in iPhones that refuse to power up.

Now what appears to be the most serious case of iPhone unlock attempt-gone-awry has surfaced.

A picture posted to ImageShack tells the story:

[attachment=206]
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#44
Here's that Casio you were talking about:
http://shopping.yahoo.com/p:Casio%20G'zO...er-reviews

As for that exploding iPhone, serves 'em right. Honestly, I think there's something about that story that they're not telling us. The guy must have been dismantling it on a hot stove or something (ever see that Mythbusters about the lava lamp?). I smell something stupid.
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#45
at work i got few minutes with the iphone, and i must say its great! its very easy to use and looks great, if i had the money (if) i would buy it. but its expensive..


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#46
would you have to use A T &T for a carrier?
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#47
There's no service yet internationally. There will be soon in Europe, and in the states, yes, you are limited to AT&T. I'm not sure how far the hacks will take you anyway, though the wifi can be used outside of the network regardless.

Outside of myself (who has no need for the iphone), it would be great for someone who already has AT&T, no iPod, and no laptop, then it's a solid winner. It's not a replacement, nor will it ever be a replacement for a laptop, but it looks super convenient for surfing the web on the fly. Considering all of this, the price point isn't too steep (it's still expensive, don't get me wrong), but if you were a person planning on getting an iPod AND a phone, this would be an ideal solution.

There are other phones out there that do pretty much the same things, but don't looks as nice, and are not Mac compatible. The up-side to those are: 1) Expandable removable memory, 2) tactile keyboard, 3) No screen smudging, 4) Cheaper by about $100. As an example:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nokia_E70
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#48
look what Mac fix-it says}

Title: Apple kills 4GB iPhone, cuts 8GB price to $399

Date: Wednesday, September 05 2007 @ 11:00 AM PDT

Read the full article at
http://www.macfixit.com/article.php?stor...5112410702

Title: Differences between the iPhone and iPod Touch
Date: Wednesday, September 05 2007 @ 03:00 PM PDT

Read the full article at
http://www.macfixit.com/article.php?stor...5151133675

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#49
Yeah, I spoke too soon. How about that?
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#50
Frankybonz Wrote:Yeah, I spoke too soon. How about that?
look at my post for today in Mac Fix-it daily there is more but
this is especially note worthy:

Title: Steve Jobs offers $100 credit to iPhone customers angry at price
drop

Date: Thursday, September 06 2007 @ 12:30 PM PDT

Read the full article at
http://www.macfixit.com/article.php?stor...6124456781

it isn't such a good deal as it might sound ..

Apple CEO Steve Jobs has posted an open letter to iPhone customers upset about Apple dropping the price of iPhone by $200 two months after it went on sale, and is offering customers a $100 credit to the Apple online store or Apple retail stores, details of which will be released next week. Read More...

Reading about all the things still going wrong with the iPhone, lowering the price is an admission they were price gouging!
[attachment=210] Beware of Apple, they pose as 'good guys' but they are just as greedy as :msn:

* edited
I found some more news}
http://seekingalpha.com/article/45651-wi...ce=d_email

Gadget gurus Engadget Friday posted a note saying they have verified claims of a group that they have unlocked Apple’s (AAPL) iPhone a little under two months after the phone was released.

Unlocking the iPhone allows it to be used on networks other than that of AT&T (T) that also use the GSM network system.

The most obvious other place to use the phone would be with Deutsche Telekcom’s (DT) T-Mobile here in the U.S., but it should be possible to use the phone on other GSM networks world-wide. The hack of the iPhone is different from previous breakthroughs, which relied on a variety of hardware devices to unlock the phone: this one requires only a software program.

Readers of Engadget have been arguing the last 24+ hours over whether the hack will bring more or less revenue to Apple. On the one hand, the ability for those who don’t wish to have an AT&T contract to use the phone with another network could boost Apple’s sales of the phone. On the other hand, Apple has a revenue-sharing arrangement with AT&T for each new customer signed to that carrier, and some have asked whether that revenue might be in jeopardy.

Note that Engadget is not offering the software for the hack. Rather, the group that claims to have unlocked the iPhone, iphonesimfree.com, is offering on its Web site to start selling the software next week and was already inviting purchase inquries at its Web site.

Engadget noted that a second group, UniquePhones, said late Friday that they would start selling unlocking software for the iPhone by noon, Saturday. However, a post on the UniquePhones Web site Saturday said the the outfit had received a phone call early Saturday morning from a lawyer claiming to represent AT&T and alerting the group that said software represents copyright infringement and other violations. UniquePhones says the firm will not offer the software for sale until further consultation with the group’s lawyers. A report on UniquePhones back in July by Engadget stated that the group was planning to offer the unlocking software, once completed, for $49.95 per copy.

It should be interesting to see when and if Apple will circumvent the hack with a modification to the iPhone’s software. Several readers of Engadget speculated as to whether Apple would be willing to “brick” the iPhones currently in circulation, meaning, to render them unusable, to prevent unlocked use.
Addendum: The unlocking stories are coming fast and furious. China’s Xinhua news service ran an article Sunday about three Israeli engineers who say they’ve unlocked their phones and were able to give the phones a Hebrew-language interface. Not too many details about what exactly is meant by that, or the manner in which any of this was done.
Tiernan Ray

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