NJ teen unlocks iPhone from AT&T network - GoFuckYourself.com

Just_Dave · 08-24-2007, 02:41 PM

NEW YORK - Armed with a soldering iron and a large supply of energy drinks, a slight, curly haired teenager has developed a way to make the iPhone, arguably the gadget of the year, available to a much wider audience.

George Hotz of Glen Rock, N.J., spent his last summer before college figuring out how to "unlock" the iPhone, freeing it from being restricted to a single carrier, AT&T Inc.

The procedure, which the 17-year-old laid out on his blog Thursday, raises the possibility of a cottage industry springing up to buy iPhones, unlocking them and then selling them to people who don't want AT&T service or can't get it, particularly overseas.

The phone, which combines an innovative touch-screen interface with the media-playing abilities of the iPod, is currently sold only in the U.S.

In a video post, Hotz demonstrated an iPhone running on T-Mobile's network, the only major U.S. carrier apart from AT&T that is compatible with the iPhone's cellular technology.

The hack is complicated and requires skill with both soldering and software, and missteps may result in the iPhone becoming useless, so it's unlikely to become a household procedure.

"But that's the simplest I could make them," Hotz said in a phone interview. The next step, he said, would be for someone to develop a way to unlock the phone using only software.

AT&T Inc. spokesman Mark Siegel and Apple spokeswoman Jennifer Bowcock said their companies had no comment. Hotz said the companies had not been in touch with him.

Apple shares rose $4.23, or 3.2 percent, to close at $135.30 on Friday. AT&T shares gained 26 cents, or 0.7 percent, to close at $40.36.

The iPhone has already been made to work on overseas networks using another method, which involves copying information from the Subscriber Identity Module, a small card with a chip that identifies a subscriber to the cell-phone network.

The SIM-chip method does not involve any soldering, but does require special equipment, and it doesn't unlock the phone ? each new SIM chip has to be reprogrammed for use on a particular iPhone.

Both hacks leave intact the iPhone's many functions, including a built-in camera and the ability to access Wi-Fi networks. The only thing that won't work is the "visual voicemail" feature, which lists voice messages as if they were incoming e-mail.

Since the details of both hacks are public, Apple may be able to modify the iPhone production line to make new phones invulnerable. The company has said it plans to introduce the phone in Europe this year, but it hasn't set a date or identified carriers.

There is apparently no U.S. law against unlocking cell phones. Last year, the Library of Congress specifically excluded cell-phone unlocking from coverage under the Digital Millennium Copyright Act. Among other things, the law has been used to prosecute people who modify game consoles to play a wider variety of games.

Hotz collaborated online with four other people, two of them in Russia, to develop the unlocking process.

"Then there are two guys who I think are somewhere U.S.-side," Hotz said. He knows them only by their online handles.

Hotz himself spent about 500 hours on the project since the iPhone went on sale. On Thursday, he put the unlocked iPhone up for sale on eBay, where the high bid was above $3,000 on Friday afternoon. The model, with 4 gigabytes of memory, sells for $499 new.

"Some of my friends think I wasted my summer but I think it was worth it," he told The Record of Bergen County, which reported Hotz's hack Friday.

Hotz heads for college on Saturday. He plans to major in neuroscience ? or "hacking the brain!" as he put it to the newspaper ? at the Rochester Institute of Technology.

TMM_Vlad · 08-24-2007, 03:12 PM

This kid and I have to talk!

Andy Servers4Less · 08-24-2007, 03:14 PM

Lol, bidding war. we're looking for him too. Barslut where in NJ are you?

TMM_Vlad · 08-24-2007, 03:16 PM

New Brunswick..how about you guys?

NoWhErE · 08-24-2007, 03:17 PM

So he spent 500 hours to make 3000$? thats 6$ an hour! I guess he made as much as his buddies working at mcdonalds

BusterBunny · 08-24-2007, 03:18 PM

saw him on the news a few minutes ago giving an interview

starpimps · 08-24-2007, 03:18 PM

iphone software unlock expected in 24 hours...that geohot kid is crazy, spent alot of his time on the iphone

anyways the software unlock is expected to be from 25-50us
not bad to stop roaming on AT&T in canada

beemk · 08-24-2007, 03:24 PM

sweet, im sure he didnt do it for the money.

jacked · 08-24-2007, 03:31 PM

looks like another group has one out to today that involves no mods to the hardware of the iphone it's a software method only.

http://www.reuters.com/article/newsO...36004320070824

Chris · 08-24-2007, 03:36 PM

it wasnt just one teen
it was a group of 10 guys randing from 17-45

great spin on the story tho
within a week they are going to be selling the unlocks

how long tell apple shuts em down?

JP-pornshooter · 08-24-2007, 03:37 PM

apple scam to sell more phones and stock goes up..

starpimps · 08-24-2007, 03:43 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Chris

it wasnt just one teen
it was a group of 10 guys randing from 17-45

great spin on the story tho
within a week they are going to be selling the unlocks

how long tell apple shuts em down?

the dev team actually kicked him out and they were heading in a different direction

after he was kicked out he actually was the only one who tried to unlock the iphone via jtag.

M0nk · 08-24-2007, 03:58 PM

god bless geeks!!!!

Just Alex · 08-24-2007, 04:03 PM

He is fucked now. They will sue his ass.

Jace · 08-24-2007, 04:21 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Alexis Content

He is fucked now. They will sue his ass.

what he did was completely legal in the united states

http://search.ebay.com/search/search...one&category0=

teg0 · 08-24-2007, 04:23 PM

until they send firmware updates down the pipe, which can be done automatically when its connected to wifi or to a computer from what I understand.

Fire · 08-24-2007, 04:35 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by NoWhErE

So he spent 500 hours to make 3000$? thats 6$ an hour! I guess he made as much as his buddies working at mcdonalds

Not anymore... he's gonna be rich. Bidding up to $25 million.. ;)

http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll...m=230164884672

fuzebox · 08-24-2007, 05:03 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by NoWhErE

So he spent 500 hours to make 3000$? thats 6$ an hour! I guess he made as much as his buddies working at mcdonalds

Way to miss the point.

Big Red Machine · 08-24-2007, 06:49 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by barslut

New Brunswick..how about you guys?

Typical Joisey question "What Exit?"...

Glen Rock is in Bergen County NorthEast Jersey

woj · 08-24-2007, 07:18 PM

pretty cool

Vitasoy · 08-24-2007, 10:30 PM

only a matter of time it gets leaks out

VicD · 08-25-2007, 01:05 AM

Wizzkid

The Woodpecker · 08-25-2007, 01:09 AM

It's about time. They'll be available in Thailand in January, but I can't deal with the idea of signing a contract here...need a SIM solution.....

baddog · 08-25-2007, 01:09 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Fire

Not anymore... he's gonna be rich. Bidding up to $25 million.. ;)

http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll...m=230164884672

US $40,500.00

but you made me look

ronin · 08-25-2007, 01:15 AM

the kid was on TV tonight, he seems very smart & I am sure we will hear more about him soon.......new job i hear

V_RocKs · 08-25-2007, 01:16 AM

Old news...

Martin3 · 08-25-2007, 01:30 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by baddog

US $40,500.00

but you made me look

Was up to a 100 million earlier. Lots of fake bidding because of all the news on it.

baddog · 08-25-2007, 01:31 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Martin3

Was up to a 100 million earlier. Lots of fake bidding because of all the news on it.

I am sure, that is why I went to look.

Martin3 · 08-25-2007, 04:17 PM

Wow, wonder what happened. Auction has ended and it says he's no longer a registered user. Wonder if Apple got to him.
http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll...m=230164884672

nnweb · 08-25-2007, 04:21 PM

if you go to his blog he ended the auction and traded the unlocked iphone for 3 iphone's and a 350z (car).

baddog · 08-25-2007, 05:53 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by nnweb

if you go to his blog he ended the auction and traded the unlocked iphone for 3 iphone's and a 350z (car).

good deal

DateDoc · 08-25-2007, 06:23 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by nnweb

if you go to his blog he ended the auction and traded the unlocked iphone for 3 iphone's and a 350z (car).

awesome

Spunky · 08-25-2007, 06:30 PM

I wonder how many phones he fried in the process?

aico · 08-25-2007, 06:37 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by NoWhErE

So he spent 500 hours to make 3000$? thats 6$ an hour! I guess he made as much as his buddies working at mcdonalds

and when he drives thru the McDonalds drive thru in his new 350z after doing 2 talk shows I am sure he'll think about you and realize what an idiot you are.

tony286 · 08-25-2007, 06:40 PM

smart kid.

Big_D · 08-25-2007, 06:46 PM

damn smart teenager

Arab_Sex · 08-25-2007, 06:46 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by JP-pornshooter

apple scam to sell more phones and stock goes up..

yup

Penny24Seven · 08-25-2007, 07:07 PM

hhahaha brand new car, it all paid off, the ebay auction has 166000+ hits LOL, shit has been on the news in many places.

stev0 · 08-25-2007, 07:19 PM

"Terry Daidone, the founder of Certicell contacted me this morning, and offered to make a trade for the iPhone. I traded it for a sweet Nissan 350Z and 3 8GB iPhones."

Holy shit.. i thought it would be cool to get one, but some people really have a hard on for these things!

Marshal · 08-25-2007, 09:35 PM

iphone is not a big deal anyway. i would rather get that openmoko linux phone...

gecko · 08-25-2007, 10:35 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by nnweb

if you go to his blog he ended the auction and traded the unlocked iphone for 3 iphone's and a 350z (car).

Niceeeeeeeeeee

jonesonyou · 08-25-2007, 10:46 PM

great. Next program promotion better be giving these unlocked ones away.

tolik · 08-26-2007, 12:39 AM

http://www.certicellusa.com/

this guy will earn a lot. few times more then z350 and 3 ipods cost ;)

VeriSexy · 08-26-2007, 03:19 AM

nice score for the kid

08-24-2007, 02:41 PM	#1
Just_Dave Its almost time Industry Role: Join Date: Dec 2002 Posts: 13,009	NJ teen unlocks iPhone from AT&T network NEW YORK - Armed with a soldering iron and a large supply of energy drinks, a slight, curly haired teenager has developed a way to make the iPhone, arguably the gadget of the year, available to a much wider audience. George Hotz of Glen Rock, N.J., spent his last summer before college figuring out how to "unlock" the iPhone, freeing it from being restricted to a single carrier, AT&T Inc. The procedure, which the 17-year-old laid out on his blog Thursday, raises the possibility of a cottage industry springing up to buy iPhones, unlocking them and then selling them to people who don't want AT&T service or can't get it, particularly overseas. The phone, which combines an innovative touch-screen interface with the media-playing abilities of the iPod, is currently sold only in the U.S. In a video post, Hotz demonstrated an iPhone running on T-Mobile's network, the only major U.S. carrier apart from AT&T that is compatible with the iPhone's cellular technology. The hack is complicated and requires skill with both soldering and software, and missteps may result in the iPhone becoming useless, so it's unlikely to become a household procedure. "But that's the simplest I could make them," Hotz said in a phone interview. The next step, he said, would be for someone to develop a way to unlock the phone using only software. AT&T Inc. spokesman Mark Siegel and Apple spokeswoman Jennifer Bowcock said their companies had no comment. Hotz said the companies had not been in touch with him. Apple shares rose $4.23, or 3.2 percent, to close at $135.30 on Friday. AT&T shares gained 26 cents, or 0.7 percent, to close at $40.36. The iPhone has already been made to work on overseas networks using another method, which involves copying information from the Subscriber Identity Module, a small card with a chip that identifies a subscriber to the cell-phone network. The SIM-chip method does not involve any soldering, but does require special equipment, and it doesn't unlock the phone ? each new SIM chip has to be reprogrammed for use on a particular iPhone. Both hacks leave intact the iPhone's many functions, including a built-in camera and the ability to access Wi-Fi networks. The only thing that won't work is the "visual voicemail" feature, which lists voice messages as if they were incoming e-mail. Since the details of both hacks are public, Apple may be able to modify the iPhone production line to make new phones invulnerable. The company has said it plans to introduce the phone in Europe this year, but it hasn't set a date or identified carriers. There is apparently no U.S. law against unlocking cell phones. Last year, the Library of Congress specifically excluded cell-phone unlocking from coverage under the Digital Millennium Copyright Act. Among other things, the law has been used to prosecute people who modify game consoles to play a wider variety of games. Hotz collaborated online with four other people, two of them in Russia, to develop the unlocking process. "Then there are two guys who I think are somewhere U.S.-side," Hotz said. He knows them only by their online handles. Hotz himself spent about 500 hours on the project since the iPhone went on sale. On Thursday, he put the unlocked iPhone up for sale on eBay, where the high bid was above $3,000 on Friday afternoon. The model, with 4 gigabytes of memory, sells for $499 new. "Some of my friends think I wasted my summer but I think it was worth it," he told The Record of Bergen County, which reported Hotz's hack Friday. Hotz heads for college on Saturday. He plans to major in neuroscience ? or "hacking the brain!" as he put it to the newspaper ? at the Rochester Institute of Technology.

08-24-2007, 03:14 PM	#3
Andy Servers4Less Confirmed User Join Date: Apr 2007 Posts: 922	Lol, bidding war. we're looking for him too. Barslut where in NJ are you? __________________ Andy Servers4Less www.ServersForLess.com ICQ: 412-203-056 DUAL QUAD CORES W/100 Mbps UNMETERED- $799/ month!!

08-24-2007, 03:17 PM	#5
NoWhErE Too lazy to set a custom title Industry Role: Join Date: Sep 2005 Location: Canada Posts: 10,383	So he spent 500 hours to make 3000$? thats 6$ an hour! I guess he made as much as his buddies working at mcdonalds __________________ skype: lordofthecameltoe

08-24-2007, 03:18 PM	#6
BusterBunny perverted justice decoy Join Date: Aug 2005 Location: unborn still in the womb connected via blackberry Posts: 19,291	saw him on the news a few minutes ago giving an interview __________________ my sig caught gonoherpasyphilaids and died

08-24-2007, 03:18 PM	#7
starpimps Confirmed User Join Date: Sep 2006 Location: internets Posts: 6,954	iphone software unlock expected in 24 hours...that geohot kid is crazy, spent alot of his time on the iphone anyways the software unlock is expected to be from 25-50us not bad to stop roaming on AT&T in canada __________________ Teen Porn Models / Solo Girls

08-24-2007, 03:12 PM	#2
TMM_Vlad Confirmed User Industry Role: Join Date: May 2007 Posts: 1,220	This kid and I have to talk!

08-24-2007, 03:16 PM	#4
TMM_Vlad Confirmed User Industry Role: Join Date: May 2007 Posts: 1,220	New Brunswick..how about you guys?

08-24-2007, 03:24 PM	#8
beemk CLICK HERE Industry Role: Join Date: Jan 2002 Posts: 20,829	sweet, im sure he didnt do it for the money. __________________ I host with Vacares

08-24-2007, 03:31 PM	#9
jacked sperm tail Industry Role: Join Date: May 2004 Location: nj Posts: 11,019	looks like another group has one out to today that involves no mods to the hardware of the iphone it's a software method only. http://www.reuters.com/article/newsO...36004320070824 __________________ Got Cam Models? icq: 361-607-616

08-24-2007, 03:36 PM	#10
Chris Too lazy to set a custom title Industry Role: Join Date: May 2003 Location: icq: 71462500 Skype: Jupzchris Posts: 27,880	it wasnt just one teen it was a group of 10 guys randing from 17-45 great spin on the story tho within a week they are going to be selling the unlocks how long tell apple shuts em down? __________________ [email protected]

08-24-2007, 03:37 PM	#11
JP-pornshooter Confirmed User Join Date: Sep 2006 Location: westcoast usa Posts: 4,007	apple scam to sell more phones and stock goes up..

08-24-2007, 03:58 PM	#13
M0nk Confirmed User Industry Role: Join Date: Feb 2007 Location: uruguay Posts: 3,502	god bless geeks!!!! __________________ No! I don´t work for SPACash anymore so stop asking. ICQ: 458651805

08-24-2007, 04:03 PM	#14
Just Alex Liv Benson to You, Bitch Industry Role: Join Date: Aug 2007 Location: Maryland and WV Posts: 6,060	He is fucked now. They will sue his ass. __________________

08-24-2007, 04:23 PM	#16
teg0 Confirmed User Join Date: Jan 2006 Location: Gringo in Puerto Rico Posts: 4,204	until they send firmware updates down the pipe, which can be done automatically when its connected to wifi or to a computer from what I understand.

08-24-2007, 07:18 PM	#20
woj <&(©¿©)&> Industry Role: Join Date: Jul 2002 Location: Chicago Posts: 47,882	pretty cool __________________ Custom Software Development, email: woj#at#wojfun#.#com to discuss details or skype: wojl2000 or gchat: wojfun or telegram: wojl2000 Affiliate program tools: Hosted Galleries Manager Banner Manager Video Manager Wordpress Affiliate Plugin Pic/Movie of the Day Fansign Generator Zip Manager

08-24-2007, 10:30 PM	#21
Vitasoy GFY HALL OF FAME DAMMIT!!! Join Date: Oct 2003 Posts: 58,202	only a matter of time it gets leaks out __________________ [email protected]

08-25-2007, 01:05 AM	#22
VicD ICQ: 304-611-162 Join Date: Feb 2005 Location: Masterdam Posts: 13,245	Wizzkid

08-25-2007, 01:09 AM	#23
The Woodpecker Registered User Join Date: Aug 2007 Location: On Top of a 39kg Thai Girl Posts: 77	It's about time. They'll be available in Thailand in January, but I can't deal with the idea of signing a contract here...need a SIM solution.....

08-25-2007, 01:15 AM	#25
ronin Confirmed User Join Date: Aug 2002 Location: Main St. Posts: 1,300	the kid was on TV tonight, he seems very smart & I am sure we will hear more about him soon.......new job i hear

08-25-2007, 01:16 AM	#26
V_RocKs Damn Right I Kiss Ass! Industry Role: Join Date: Dec 2003 Location: Cowtown, USA Posts: 32,409	Old news...

08-25-2007, 04:17 PM	#29
Martin3 Confirmed User Join Date: Oct 2005 Location: Houston Posts: 1,529	Wow, wonder what happened. Auction has ended and it says he's no longer a registered user. Wonder if Apple got to him. http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll...m=230164884672 __________________ 264-543-302

08-25-2007, 04:21 PM	#30
nnweb Confirmed User Industry Role: Join Date: Apr 2004 Location: OC Posts: 720	if you go to his blog he ended the auction and traded the unlocked iphone for 3 iphone's and a 350z (car).

08-25-2007, 06:30 PM	#33
Spunky I need a beer Industry Role: Join Date: Jun 2002 Location: ♠ Toiletville ♠ Posts: 133,940	I wonder how many phones he fried in the process? __________________ *YOUR INFORMATION HERE*

08-25-2007, 06:40 PM	#35
tony286 lurker Industry Role: Join Date: Aug 2002 Location: atlanta Posts: 57,021	smart kid.

08-25-2007, 06:46 PM	#36
Big_D CRAZY MOFUKKA Industry Role: Join Date: Jun 2006 Posts: 3,296	damn smart teenager

08-25-2007, 07:07 PM	#38
Penny24Seven So Fucking What Industry Role: Join Date: Jun 2007 Location: USA Posts: 6,287	hhahaha brand new car, it all paid off, the ebay auction has 166000+ hits LOL, shit has been on the news in many places. __________________ Our site is coming soon. It will be one of the best ever! I know so. Brian and Penny

08-25-2007, 07:19 PM	#39
stev0 Confirmed User Join Date: Aug 2003 Location: Calgary, Alberta Posts: 6,801	"Terry Daidone, the founder of Certicell contacted me this morning, and offered to make a trade for the iPhone. I traded it for a sweet Nissan 350Z and 3 8GB iPhones." Holy shit.. i thought it would be cool to get one, but some people really have a hard on for these things!

08-25-2007, 09:35 PM	#40
Marshal Biz Dev and SEO Industry Role: Join Date: Jun 2005 Posts: 15,180	iphone is not a big deal anyway. i would rather get that openmoko linux phone... __________________ --- Busy ranking websites on Google...

08-25-2007, 10:46 PM	#42
jonesonyou Confirmed User Join Date: Sep 2003 Location: Lincoln, NE Posts: 3,853	great. Next program promotion better be giving these unlocked ones away. __________________ Completely Real Amateur girls doing awesome things! Signup to promote Nebraskacoeds Today! Hit me up on ICQ/AIM 473324556/jasonnecoeds for exclusive content to promote with! And any ?'s

08-26-2007, 12:39 AM	#43
tolik Confirmed User Join Date: Jun 2001 Location: inside my brain Posts: 2,035	http://www.certicellusa.com/ this guy will earn a lot. few times more then z350 and 3 ipods cost ;) __________________ LONGBUCKS-Teen, Mature, Reality, Gay sites. Free hosting (cgi/php/mysql/cron etc). FHGs. Free content.Great rebills. Support icq - 313-882-945 Webmaster friendly high recommended programs to promote (personal experience): RoyalCash-Teen ProfitX -Video SmokinCash-Amateur,Lesbo,Squirting

08-26-2007, 03:19 AM	#44
VeriSexy Join The Royal Family Join Date: Apr 2002 Posts: 25,463	nice score for the kid __________________ Looking for a KICK ASS TEEN SPONSOR? Check out ROYAL CASH - THE KING OF TEEN! Incredible webmaster tools FHGs, Morphing Blog and RSS Feeds, Embedded FLV & WMV Videos. With TOP RATIO Sites like TeenStarsOnly.com - Earn $$ with our New Site & Bonus Payouts!! ATMovs.com \| iTeenVideo.com \| TeenSexMovs.com \| TeenSexMania.com