quick iPhone update/conclusion
Just a quick update:
Apple has released the SDK which will allow developers to create sanctioned applications for the iPhone. Notable additions to the phone is fully corporate infrastructure support,(look out Blackberry, you are a beast of the past now) a centralized (and Apple gate-kept and controlled) “App Store,” and a ton of beautiful and innovative tools to create these applications, not to mention a robust user interface library to make iPhone applications look just like the ones Apple makes. Sadly, not all applications will be allowed, you have to pay a (small) fee to become a developer, and only one 3rd party application can be running at a single time. Other than that, this is an extremely mature set of software tools, and I am sure we will all be hearing about it much more in the coming months.
And for sure, the hacking community will continue 
final words on the iPhone, and what it means for your next cellphone
Do you get the feeling I have typed a lot in previous posts but really haven’t said anything yet? Me too.
this guy loves his iPhone so much more than I do, but maybe I will be the only one who thinks its funny.
I tried to wait out this last post to see if I could get any information about the Apple approved SDK (Software Development Kit) which would allow applications for the iPhone with Apple’s blessing. Depending on the details of this implementation (which have not yet been released) the level of “openness” which Apple allows for applications will have a direct impact on the future of the iPhone hacking scene.  Rumors either way have been flying around both ways for Apple’s March 6th SDK Roadmap event, but one of two things will happen for sure:
1. Apple announces a platform which is sufficiently open, allowing people to do pretty much whatever they want with the phone, sans the ability to unlock the device. This could deflect a significant amount of effort from making contraband applications, and force now rogue developers to make completely legit iPhone apps for their own selling pleasure, which could less the movement so focused and jail-breaking, (and thus unlocking the phone) which could cut down on people’s ability to use the iPhone on other carriers.
2. Apple creates a sham of an SDK which does not really offer too much leeway in using the phone for innovative applications; major companies jump on the bandwagon to increase interpolitiy for their products, but individuals stick with hacking, jail-breaking, and unlocking iPhones for maximum control over the device.
iPhone hacking, a story
For the sake of trying to create a whole picture within an embeddable media environment, I will start with how I started to hack my iPhone. While its not particularly exciting, (except to maybe me) it probably will be a good place to start.
After I got my phone, for reasons unnecessary to explain here, I couldn’t activate it using iTunes due to some issues with my AT&T account. This was a major bummer as I was about to fly cross country, and was hoping to put the new video features to the test on the long flight, and you can’t use the iPod features of the phone without activating the phone portion first.  I had read casually about iPhone hacking, and was vaguely sure that one could bypass activation by jail breaking, thus letting someone use the device as at least an iPod and a Wifi device. Since I have never been one for waiting, and always willing to get overly caviler with new toys, I decided to give it a shot. I found tons of pages dedicated to iPhone hacking, and decided this one looked simple http://iphone.unlock.no/ One of the great benefits of jail breaking an iPhone, is that it bypasses the activation for the phone.
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iPhone hacking, a brief overview
First and foremost, lets clear up some details on what hacking the iPhone means, and why you would do it. There are two primary functions for “hacking” your iPhone.
1. to”Jailbreak” your phone
To jailbreak your phone is to gain root access to allow the execution of programs on the device. Normally, an out of the box iPhone has no mechanism to create and run your own applications from the iPhone. When the phone was first announced, Apple said that one could write programs using the Safari Browser and regular old HTML, but these sites turned out to be nothing more than customized websites which were optimized for the iPhone, and could not interact with any of the phone’s hardware, such as Camera, or settings, ect. Each firmware (read: update) needs to be re-jailbroken, as the exploits from the previous versions are always patched up, and called security updates 
2. to “unlock” your phone
To unlock a phone means to use it on another cell carrier other than the default it is tied to. I am sure many of you have had an old cell phone, switched from T-Mobile to AT&T or something, and found your old phone couldn’t work on your new network. In reality however, it physically CAN, but your network actually “locks” the phone so it arbitrarily only works on their specific network (with the exception of Sprint and Verizon Phones, they use a different cell technologies, so these phones are actually different from AT&T phones) Unlocking the iPhone allows use on the T-Mobile network, in addition to many other cell carriers around the world that are not AT&T. One point of confusion is that in order to unlock your phone, one needs to Jailbreak it first, so they can run the script that lets any cell carrier’s SIM card be used.
Now, that is out of the way (but if I still lose you, check this Wired: iPhone Hacking Terms Explained)
Now, why would someone want to “hack” a shiny new iPhone? Well, the first obvious reason would be because you didn’t have AT&T, and don’t want to have to pay the absorbent fee associated with canceling your old cell service, or you are just hellbent on undermining Steve Jobs’ innovative business model for the iPhone (See this, it is a great read Wired: The Untold History of the iPhone )
But for most people, they want the ability to have the full capacity of what their little pocket computer is capable of. Why would Apple just not provide a way for people to make applications for something they own? In a way, they will be shortly, with the iPhone SDK (software developer kit) however it looks increasingly likely that Apple is looking to serve as gatekeeper for which applications are allowed to be mass distributed to the public. It is this control of the functionality which leads people to hack their phones, both steeped in practicality and the idea that you don’t truly own something which you can’t control what you can and can not do with it. Some of this retoric borders on sounding a bit like the DRM which is placed on mp3s and such, prevent people from fully manipulating its use, even if the file is “bought.”
Part 2 will be more of my own experiences with hacking this device, and looking at what I have found while doing it.
Other fun links:
Wired: The History of Hacking the iPhone <—- little out of date, but gives a good idea whats going on
www.ziphone.com <—- IMHO, the best current way of hacking an iPhone, tutorials included
iphone hacking and subverting company’s control
Alright, after much personal debate, I think I want to look at the community and reasoning behind iPhone hacking. While it may seem to be a sort of specific art, there are several groups (along with many individuals) all who have many seperate goals, motives, and plans for different iPhone “jailbreaks” or “unlocks.”
It has been sort of an interesting topic, as with each new software update, Apple has closed down the points of entry for the hacks, and the community at large is forced to find a new way to gain access to the device. Ultimatly, Apple is planning on releasing an SDK (Software Development Kit) later this month so people can create “legal”(read: sanctioned) applications for the phone. However, most people within the community feel that this will be a rather strict control as to allowing only certain applications to make it through the vetting process, ones which do not negatively undermind the iPhone’s revolutionary business model (Apple gets a cut of your monthy cellular fee).  Even not considering the internal sub-group politics, (which I am sure are hilarious)there are many interesting debates concerning how users 1) use their device 2)what they can and can not do with them 3)who controls content which is able to appear on these devices. Plus, it brings to light many other issues concerning technology ownership in general. (some die hards say you only own a device/computer/tech stuff untill you open it up and modify it for your own specific use)
There are plenty of other places to take this, so I think I just need to get started to understand some of the groups that create these hacks, and in turn, the people who use them.
