San Diego, CA, October 5, 2010 — The latest jailbreak for iOS 4.1 has won great fanfare providing unlocks for iPhone 3GS and iPhone 4. iPhone hackers UnlockiPhone4.biz brought a wonderful exploit capable of jailbreaking Apple’s coveted gadgets. Users will get great options as UnlockiPhone4.biz have developed a full unlock method out of this exploit.

UnlockiPhone4.biz claims the new tool to unlock iPhone 4, 3GS & 3g on baseband 05.14.02 will hit devices running iOS 4.1 software. The jailbreak works by simply crashing the device when inputting a certain command to the baseband.

The hackers have been updating jailbreaks for iOS 4.1 since the celebrated operating system was unveiled by Steve Jobs in Apple media event on Sept. 8. Apple has been working to block hackers putting them under legal suit. But, tech giant was completely flattened when U.S. Copyright Office and Library of Congress judged that jailbreaking did not violate the Digital Millennium Copyright Act.

While Apple claimed fix for 24 security issues iPhone hacker, pod2g of Chronic Dev Team found a boot ROM based exploit and exposed iOS4.1’s vulnerability. The iOS 4.1 was celebrated as it will fix numerous bugs like iPhone’s proximity sensor and will improve Bluetooth connections. But, hackers have nullified Apple restrictions by exploiting holes in iPhones and iPod Touch.

Very interestingly iPhone Dev-Team has claimed that Apple couldn’t prevent jailbrreaking without making significant hardware changes because the exploit targets such a low-level part of the operating system.

Earlier the same hacker had found the 24kpwn exploit which enabled users to jailbreak their iPhone/iPod Touch. Meanwhile, very surprisingly Apple has relaxed the restrictions on developers and opened the water tight compartments of its popular gadgets for users.

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Apple today sent out the big guns to disarm the potential PR disaster that is the iPhone 4′s highly publicized PR issues. It held a special press event, possibly the only one it’s ever had that hasn’t been a product announcement, to address the rising number of concerns and complaints, which culminated in Consumer Reports’ removal of its buy recommendation for the iPhone 4.

So what did Steve do to try to make things right for its users? Well, he actually took the advice of popular opinion on the Internet. Apple will be giving away free cases to all iPhone 4 customers. Even ones who’ve already bought cases. Starting late next week, you can fill out a form on Apple’s website to either request a new case, either a Bumper or one of Apple’s officially selected partner cases, or apply for a refund for your already-purchased case.

You can also get a full refund within 30 days of purchase if you’re not happy with the iPhone 4, or with the free case solution Apple’s offering to the problem. Regardless of your opinion of the iPhone 4, you have to admit, there isn’t much more it could do beyond that except for a full product recall, which would be costly, annoying to users, and arguably unnecessary, since the iPhone 4 isn’t actually dangerous.

Before Jobs announced what steps it was taking to remedy the problem, however, he went to great lengths to explain just why Apple is confident there really isn’t a problem to begin with. The rhetoric was clear: All our data says this isn’t anything unusual among smartphones, but we love you so much, we’re going to give you free stuff anyway! While some of this might have to do with Jobs’ inability to admit that his company can make a huge gaffe, it’s much more likely that Apple is preemptively trying to cover its tail in terms of legal liability. Suits will have a harder time sticking if people can’t demonstrate that it’s not a problem common to all smartphones.

Personally, I’m happy with what Apple did to remedy this situation, but I’m not thrilled about the way it went about it. The approach taken in the press conference today was incredibly defensive, and it’ll probably leave customers having real issues with the iPhone 4 feeling belittled and talked down to. Whatever the approach, at least Apple’s making good out of its own pocket. I know I’ll be buying an iPhone 4 when it comes to Canada again, even though I’d previously decided not to.

Other announcements at the event included a solid release date for the iPhone in the next 17 countries it will come to. That’ll be July 30, as many speculated. The white iPhone 4 is also on track for a late July release, presumably for all countries in which the iPhone 4 will be available.

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We have good news and bad news for Skype fans. The good news first: the iPhone Skype app has been updated to allow for calls using AT&T’s 3G data network.

AT&T’s restrictions on cell data usage have evolved over time. They have recentlyeased download data caps from 10 MB to 20 MB. Also, since October 2009, VoIP apps have been allowed to use AT&T’s data network to place calls.

The elephant in the airwaves, however, has been Skype. Several months after AT&T allowed VoIP apps to use cell data, Skype was still without an update. The company, via a blog posting on its site, stated that it wanted to take the time to ensure that audio fidelity was at the best quality.

I made several calls over AT&T’s 3G network this afternoon using the updated app and was surprised at how good the quality was. Each person I spoke with said they could barely tell the difference between this and a call using AT&T’s voice network.

Unlike calls made using AT&T’s voice network, which use up minutes from the buckets of minutes you’re allotted each month, the latest Skype update transmits audio via AT&T’s data network. This means that you’re using up minutes from your Skype bucket — assuming you’re placing a call from Skype to a conventional phone number via purchased Skype minutes — or that you’re calling another person on Skype for free.

Well, sort of. And this is where I sprinkle the slight bit of bad news.

Unlike WiFi-based Skype-to-Skype calls, 3G-based Skype calls will be free until at least August 2010. After that, there will be a small monthly fee, according to the company. The approach is similar to what they did when the allowed for unlimited domestic calls for several months back in 2006.

With iPhone OS 4.0′s enhanced support for VoIP calling and multitasking, Skype’s latest update can help shoulder the burden on wallets and purses for those who are heavily dependent on their phones to make a living. For instance, a Skype plan for unlimited calls in the US and Canada is $2.99 a month, compared to $69.99 for unlimited calling using AT&T’s network.

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After numerous requests from media such as the Los Angeles Times, a judge has unsealed the search warrant in the Gizmodo lost 4G iPhone case. According to California law, papers must be made public within 10 days of a search being completed, unless there are extenuating circumstances in the case.

The prosecutors were arguing that the identities of the Apple employee who originally lost the iPhone, as well as the person who found it and sold it to Gizmod, could be revealed. But that information had already reached the Web — Gizmodo identified the Apple employee as an iPhone engineer, and Wired identified the phone seller, so San Mateo County Superior Court Judge Clifford V. Cretan decided that since the information was already out there, there was no point in keeping the papers sealed any longer.

Judge Cretan made note of the irony that the papers were originally sealed to hide “possible intrusion into media sources,” and now it was media institutions asking to have the papers opened up.

Wired has the papers now – they say that the iPhone seller’s roommate led police to Brian Hogan (who found the phone), but there’s also news that Hogan had allegedly spread evidence around Redwood City. The papers also confirm that Gizmodo paid $5000 for the iPhone, but there was also a bonus promised to Hogan when Apple officially announced the phone, and an additional $3500 payment from “another source.” Interesting. Maybe there is more to this case than we had originally heard. Keep in mind that this is only the initial investigation — no charges have yet been filed.

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The new iPhone 4.0 firmware update will include a Facebook app that is tightly integrated with other programs, according to reports.

This could mean that iPhone users will be able to pull their Facebook contacts and regular address book in to one place, and message friends from their phone using Facebook Chat. There is also speculation that Facebook Connect, the system that allows people to sign on to partner websites using their Facebook ID, could be made available to developers in the iPhone Software Development Kit so that they can add social networking features to their apps.

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I’ve known some people who download iPhone apps religiously as if their very lives depend on it, and today I read about a man whose life was prolonged with the help of a first aid iPhone app.

39 year old Dan Woolley was in Haiti working on a film about the impoverished Carribbean people when the Haitian quake struck. The 7.0 earthquake on January 12 caused him to be trapped under heavy rubble in Hotel Montana where he stayed with a fellow member of Christian ministry Compassion International, David Hames, who has not been found when the MSNBC interview was published.

Woolley initially thought that he won’t survive the ordeal of being crushed by the debris. Perhaps he even thought that he would be trapped there forever, and even penned his farewell to his wife and kids, but little did he know that a nifty little iPhone application called Pocket First Aid and CPR.

There are 3 crucial factors that contributed to Woolley’s survival for 65 hours under the rubble:

• Woolley’s SLR camera was used to illuminate his surroundings under the rubble, helping him gauge his position and find a safer place to take refuge in
• Realizing that he is suffering from bodily injuries as a result of the quake, Woolley consulted the first aid iPhone app he downloaded earlier which taught him to treat his wounds efficiently. He did so by using his shirt to stop excessive bleeding from his leg and a sock to halt bleeding from his head wound.
• Following advice from the same app, he set his iPhone’s alarm clock to ring every 20 minutes, preventing him from falling asleep should he go into shock as a result to his head trauma

Woolley thought this was the end. Fortunately, he was saved by a French rescue team, 65 hours after the quake happened. We know which iPhone app he should thank!

Note: Under the username “webguydan”, Woolley posted a review on the Pocket First Aid and CPR app: “Consulted this app, while trapped under Hotel Montana in Haiti earthquake, to treat excessive bleeding and shock. Helped me stay alive till I was rescued 64 hours later.

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Fifty thousand pre-orders for Vodafone
Vodafone users rejoice! The Vodafone iPhone has finally been launched in the UK! The long wait is over, and CEO Guy Laurence says that fifty thousand iPhones will be shipped out the first 24 hours to eager users in the UK. He also said “…the main reason for the exceptional demand was customers wanting to use the phone on its outstanding network”.

Bad weather, bad business?
However, not all users who have pre-ordered an iPhone will get the handsets on time. Due to a spate of bad weather, thanks to snowy and icy condition in the roads, some customers will have to wait a bit before they could get their hands on the brand new iPhone. Newbury, where the Vodafone HQ is, is also one of the many places affected. Vodafone says “Local roads are treacherous and most villages and outlying areas remain inaccessible”.

Fifty thousand strong
Fifty thousand pre-orders is a figure to be reckoned, at least in terms of new customer against the competition. When Orange first offered up the iPhone with its contract, it reported 30,000 sales in the first 24 hours alone. Another contender is the Nexus One Google Phone where 20,000 pre-orders have been reported coming from the UK, US, Hong Kong and Singapore collectively.

Free Vodafone Navigation App… for now
In line with the launch, Vodafone also released two brand new apps. The first is the Vodafone Navigation App which is free until April, after which it will cost £3 a month for users to download. European maps can also be downloaded with a fee of £5 per month, but only if you use it. With this app, you can transform your iPhone into a satellite navigation gadget, highly useful when you travel around the UK. You can also avoid speed cameras with its handy alerts, allowing you to prevent unwanted summonses.

Vodafone 360 People Sync
The second app lets users imports their existing contacts from their old phones to their new iPhones before they start using it. This app will certainly save you and I a fair bit of time when the migration occurs.

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Happy New Year everyone! It is now officially 2010 and what better way to kickstart the new year, than to announce a monumental piece of iPhone-related news. Mophie, a five year old company is set to launch its very own credit card reader for the iPhone. For the uninitiated, Mophie was well loved for their iPhone cases and battery packs but are now venturing into a totally different area of expertise. It seems that they are set to challenge Twitter’s co-founder, Jack Dorsey’s Square in the credit card reader slash e-merchant solution field. Mophie said:

Marking its first combination hardware and private label iPhone application device, mophie is launching its innovative new credit card reader, empowering users to complete financial transactions on the go.

Realizing the power of purchasing via the iPhone, Mophie aims to boost the online credit card scene with its new solution:

The credit card reader works with an iPhone application and is meant for small business owners to conduct transactions easier.

So what will it mean for us consumers? We think it’s only a matter of time before merchants jump in with new pay-with-your-iPhone-and-credit-card campaigns. Consumers will also be able to enjoy safer and more convenient means of shopping online. And with the increasing success of the iPhone, we hope its price will be brought down even further, which will convert mobile phone users to smart phone users!

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No price war for Vodafone?
UK residents will soon be able to enjoy a free Apple iPhone when they sign up for a two year contract with Vodafone starting January 14 2010. For a mere £35 a month, users will relish being new owners of a spanking new iPhone as long as they stay customers for 24 months.

Consumers however, are a tad disappointed over the price because they were hoping for a more competitively-priced package from Vodafone. We think people are generally waiting for a more exciting deal from Vodafone as the newcomer to the iPhone scene (after O2, Orange, and Tesco Mobile) sealed the dealt to offer the sought after device in September. This happened only 24 hours after Orange announced that they too were eligible to sell the iPhone. Previously only O2 had exclusives rights as the official vendor to sell the iPhone.

While Orange and O2 both tried to seduce users with their strength in 3G networks, Tesco Mobile made a worthy opponent in the iPhone price war as they aggressively promoted the iPhone to eager consumers. At £20 a month, who won’t be attracted?

Loyalty rewarded
To reiterate its promise of offering quality service and uncompromised dedication to its customers, Vodafone took the initiative to reward loyal customers who have not jumped ship. When and if they registered interest before the official launch, they will be rewarded with free calls to Vodafone users for as long as their initial contract lasts. This means that not only they will be getting the iPhone on a network they can rely on, users will also enjoy value for money services not offered by other operators.

The numbers game
Although the older 3G iPhone has been offered as low as £20 a month (by Tesco Mobile) most consumers will likely want to shell out more cash for the advanced iPhone 3GS. The 16GB version goes for £800 when consumers sign up with Tesco Mobile and £869 from Vodafone. Price over quality? You decide.

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Surprise, surprise
What do you get when you combine gadget-crazed Japanese and the Apple iPhone? A 350 percent growth in market share, that’s what!

According to AdMob, that was how much the Apple iPhone has grown in Japan, in the year 2009 alone. This came as a surprise to me because the Japanese are known to be very fond and supportive of their own products (think: Japan’s Sony PS3 vs Microsoft’s XBOX360) so for them to fall so madly in love with the iPhone is a rarity. Moreover when the iPhone first appeared on the scene, most naysayers claim that it won’t last very long at the top of the market due to the barrage of attractive smartphones that already existed.

Just earlier on in August 2009, a survey showed that less than half potential Japanese smartphone owners were contented with a mere mobile phone. 22 per cent expressed a desire for a smartphone (most of these probably got the iPhone they wanted!) whereas the rest seem to lean towards a netbook or conventional laptop.

UK and US domination
Elsewhere for the rest of the world, iPhones are still the preferred gadget in the United States. Take a walk in the streets and you will most likely discover that half of all smartphone users are holding on fiercely to their Apple iPhones. However, this amount is considered paltry when you compare it with smartphone users in the UK where 76 percent of all smartphone users swear by their iPhones.

AdMob also predicts that Android will be creating a big impact on the smartphone scene soon after the holidays are over.

The full AdMob report can be viewed here.

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