How to Jailbreak and Unlock Your iPhone

First, the Risks

While it may no longer be against copyright law to jailbreak and unlock your phone, it's still not something Apple (NasdaqGS: AAPL - News) is likely to support, will probably void your warranty, and may violate your Wireless Service Agreement. This means that you'll have to pony up the $200 out-of-warranty repair fee Apple charges should anything ever go wrong with your phone and/or you cell service can be cancelled by AT&T. You'll also have to redo the jailbreak/unlock every time you upgrade your iPhone's operating system, the software you install after jailbreaking may drain your battery faster than you're used to, you may be more susceptible to viruses, and there's a slight possibility that you'll "brick" your phone in the process (breaking the software on your phone to a point where it can not be recovered, essentially leaving you with an expensive brick).

Now, the Rewards

If you're still interested, there's a lot to be gained by jailbreaking and unlocking your phone. Namely: freedom. Want to use your iPhone as a wireless hot-spot to connect to the web from anywhere? You need to jailbreak. Want to change app icons on your home screen? Jailbreak. Want to hide the "Notes" app that you never use? Unlock your phone for a different cell provider? Sync wirelessly with your computer? All these things, and more, can be done once you've jailbroken your phone.

Find Your Version

There are a plethora of tools and tutorials that will walk you through the process of jailbreaking and unlocking your iPhone. Depending on which model you have (2G, 3G, 3GS or 4) and which version of the phone's operating system you have installed, you'll need to follow a different set of instructions.

To figure out which operating system is running on your iPhone, open the "Settings" app, go to "General", then "About" and look for the number next to "Version". You may also need to know your baseband version, which will be on this same screen next to "Modem Firmware".

Jailbreaking

Let's start with the first step in the process, jailbreaking your iPhone. Jailbreaking allows you to install any compatible software onto your phone, whether or not it has been reviewed by Apple, and is required before you can unlock your iPhone to run on a cell service other than AT&T.

I've found several guides around the web that will walk you through the process for your specific device. Follow the appropriate guide exactly, after you have read it thoroughly and understand every step of the process. It's very easy to miss something and end up at a step where nothing works like it's supposed to.

Note: I have not tried these tutorials, but all have been used successfully by others. I have picked them because they seem like good instruction sets. If you decide to jailbreak/unlock your phone, do not hold me responsible if you end up with an out-of-warranty broken phone. It's a possibility. You've been warned.

Current iPhone and iOS Versions

• iPhone 4 with iOS 4.0 & 4.0.1 — Jailbreaking an iPhone 4 is not yet something the public can do, but instructions and downloads will be posted here when available.

• iPhone 3G and previously jailbroken 3GS with iOS 4.0 and 4.0.1

Older iPhone and iPhone OS Versions

• iPhone 3GS with iPhone OS 3.1.3
• iPhone 2G, 3G and 3GS with iPhone OS 3.1.2
• iPhone 3GS with iPhone OS 3.1 — Windows only
• iPhone 3G with iPhone OS 3.0
• iPhone 2G with iPhone OS 3.0
• iPhone 2G with iPhone OS 2.1

After successfully jailbreaking your iPhone, you'll see a new app on your home screen called Cydia. Think of Cydia as the unofficial App Store. For instructions on how to use it, as well as a walkthrough of some its features, read How to Use Cydia: A Walkthrough.

Unlocking

When you purchase an iPhone in the U.S., it is "locked" to AT&T's network, preventing you from using it with another compatible carrier like T-Mobile despite the fact that it will function perfectly (with the exception of visual voicemail) on the competing service. But in other countries, like France, consumers have been able to purchase unlocked iPhones for several years. So why lock phones in the U.S.? Profit, pure and simple. If AT&T is the only network the iPhone will function on, then they're the only network that can make any money from it.

AT&T would argue that they subsidize the purchase of the phone, and so should be entitled to your business until that subsidy has been repaid. But what about after your 2-year contract ends or if you paid full price for your iPhone? You might've thought you were free to switch to another provider, but Apple has argued in court that doing so without their permission constitutes copyright infringement. So your only choice was to keep your service with AT&T, implying you actually have a de-facto lifetime contract with them without ever agreeing to one, or buy a new phone. Fortunately, this particular anti-competitive practice is now a thing of the past.

Unfortunately, while the iPhone Dev Team, a group of hackers unaffiliated with Apple, hassuccessfully demonstrated a carrier unlock on the newly released iPhone 4, it's not yet something you can get your hands on. Only the iPhone 3G and older 3GS phones can be unlocked today. But if you've got one of those phones, after jailbreaking, unlocking is fairly easy. You'll need to install a program called ultrasn0w through the Cydia app. Here's a step-by-step with pictures that will walk you through the process.

For updates on when ultrasn0w will be available for the iPhone 4 and newer iPhone 3GS phones, follow @ultrasn0w or @iphone_dev on Twitter, or check this blog post.

Switching SIM Cards

Once you've unlocked your iPhone, you should be able to use any valid GSM SIM card to get service. A SIM card, or Subscriber Identity Module, is a removable card used by the various cellular networks to identify and authenticate your phone. They come in three sizes (largest is the size of credit card, smallest is actually called a "micro-SIM"). The idea is, as long as your new phone uses the same size as the old one, you can simply move your SIM card from one phone to the other to transfer your service.

You can purchase SIM cards by themselves, either prepaid or as part of a monthly plan.Here's a list of GSM providers in the U.S., the biggest of which are AT&T, T-Mobile, and TracFone Wireless. You should be able to obtain a new SIM card and cell service from any of them. Most likely, you'll want to transfer your existing phone number to the new SIM card as well, so your best bet is to do this in person at a store after you've unlocked your phone.

To replace the SIM card in your phone, follow these instructions from Apple to remove your old SIM card with a paper clip, then just pop in the new one, turn your phone on and voila! You can now make and receive calls on your unlocked iPhone through whichever GSM network you prefer.

Note: The iPhone is only capable of operating on GSM radio frequencies. This means that the iPhone wont work on a competing CDMA network like Sprint or Verizon without replacing the radio hardware inside the phone, something that can not be done at home.

Questions?

Of course, you might have questions — this is a fairly complicated process and may or may not be possible on your iPhone depending on its model, operating system, and baseband version — so i'll be watching questions posted in the comments and will try to answer as many as I can. And if you have any success with one of the above methods, I'd like to know that too.

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Solera Networks raises $15M for real-time network security

Solera Networks has raised $15 million in a third round of funding for its real-time network forensics and monitoring business. It’s another sign that the security technology industry is going through a revival.

The funding comes on the eve of the Black Hat and Defcon security conferences this week in Las Vegas. There have been a number of fundings (Lookout raising $11 million) and acquisitions (McAfee buying Trust Digital) in the space as the evolving threat landscape requires new kinds of technologies.

The South Jordan, Utah-based company makes forensic tools that companies can use to decipher what happens after they’ve been hit by a cyber attack or other malware, said Steve Shillingford, chief executive of the company. When hackers strike at company web sites, there is often no easy way to figure out what happened. Solera helps companies reconstruct exactly what transpired. The value of that data is often critical to figuring out who did it, much like the evidence found at a crime scene is often most critical in the first 48 hours, Shillingford said. It’s important that network forensics be done in “real time,” or instantaneously, to give companies the best situational awareness possible.

“It’s unrealistic to expect that everything bad on the network can be caught, so you have to have a good forensics system,” Shillingford said.

Trident Capital led the round, and its managing director J. Alberto Yepez will join Solera’s board. Solera will use the capital to expand sales and marketing, accelerate product development and set itself up for growth. Solera was founded in 2005 in the hopes of creating another line of defense for networks. That line of defense turned out to be a full record of network traffic, instantly accessible and searchable so that security experts could find out who was attacking them. Solera now makes a series of hardware appliances that capture, store and index network traffic for a period of time. It also makes a suite of applications that provide real-time forensic functions.

It’s a lot like having a security camera monitoring a company’s headquarters; it’s more useful if you can pinpoint the right data when you need it. Market researcher Gartner says that on-demand investigations and post-incident analysis are the most common uses for network forensics tools. Gartner recommended that mainstream enterprises beef up their network forensics capability.

Government agencies quickly sought out Solera and began testing its capabilities and helping the company improve what it could do, Shillingford said. The large amount of money raised suggests that security is a hot market, in no small part because global cybercrime keeps rising. The Obama administration has also put more attention on the problem. In the past, only government intelligence agencies used network forensics. But now it’s becoming necessary in the modern enterprise, Shillingford said.

The company has 40 employees. Its rivals include NetWitness, Niksun, and Endace. Solera focuses on differentiating itself with better search functions, stability, and the ability to store and process more data. Besides Trident, investors include Allegis Capital and Canopy Ventures. To date, the company has raised $31.9 million. The company says its bookings have grown 100 percent compared to last year, and that has happened for multiple years now.

How to Identify Iphone 3G and 3GS

Identifying Iphone Models

You can tell which iPhone model you have by navigating to Settings > General > About > Model.


Icon Model Year Introduced Model Number Capacity
iPhone 2007 A1203 4, 8, and 16 GB
iPhone 3G 2008 A1241 8 and 16 GB
iPhone 3G (China) 2009 A1324 8 and 16 GB
iPhone 3GS 2009 A1303 16 and 32 GB
iPhone 3GS (China) 2009 A1325 16 and 32 GB

iPhone

You can easily identify iPhone by the metal case and the serial number etched on the back.

iPhone 3G

You can distinguish iPhone 3G from iPhone by its plastic case. Additionally, the serial number is no longer on the back case imprint. You'll find the serial number for the iPhone 3G on the SIM tray. The imprint on the back of the phone has a faded look. Only the Apple logo is bright silver.


iPhone 3GS

You can distinguish iPhone 3GS from iPhone by its plastic case. Additionally, the serial number is no longer on the back case imprint. You'll find the serial number for the iPhone 3GS on the SIM tray. You can distinguish iPhone 3GS from iPhone 3G by the imprint on the back of the phone. The entire imprint on the back of iPhone 3GS is bright silver (not just the Apple logo).

Nokia N95 8GB LCD Change Guide

Back to: Nokia Dismantle Instructions

All pictures and text on this page has been kindly supplied by www.formymobile.co.uk. The pictures (and most of the text) are owned by formymobile, and may not be reproduced without prior consent.

Tools required: Torx 5 screwdriver

• First remove the battery cover, battery and memory card. Move the slider down and remove the two screws you see.

• Now move the slider up and remove the two screws at the top of the phone.

• Run your fingernail along the edge of the join of the front cover to unclip it.

• You should now have the front cover removed. The keypad should be loose as well.

• Flip the keypad part back to access the ribbon which connects the LCD to the phone.

• The screen is attached to the circuit board by a ribbon (indicated below by the screwdriver) which attaches like a plug and socket. Simply lift the connector up to unplug it.

• Lift the screen away from the rest of the phone. Your phone should look like below and you can replace the LCD. Reverse the whole procedure for reassembly

Source: www.formymobile.co.uk

Back to: Nokia Dismantle Instructions

Nokia N95 LCD Change Guide

Back to: Nokia Dismantle Instructions

All pictures and text on this page has been kindly supplied by www.formymobile.co.uk. The pictures (and most of the text) are owned by formymobile, and may not be reproduced without prior consent.

Tools required: Torx 5 screwdriver

• First remove the battery cover, battery and memory card. Move the slider down and remove the two screws you see.

• Now move the slider up and remove the two screws at the top of the phone.

• Run your fingernail along the edge of the join of the front cover to unclip it.

• You should now have the front cover removed. The keypad should be loose as well.

• Flip the keypad part back to access the ribbon which connects the LCD to the phone.

• To remove the ribbon, flip back the metal hinge and then simply pull the screen back and the ribbon will be released.

• Pull the LCD in the direction shown.

• Your phone should look like below and you can replace the LCD. Reverse the whole procedure for reassembly

Source: www.formymobile.co.uk

Back to: Nokia Dismantle Instructions

Dismantling Motorola W220

Back to: Motorola Dismantle Instructions

All pictures and text on this page has been kindly supplied by www.formymobile.co.uk. The pictures (and most of the text) are owned by formymobile, and may not be reproduced without prior consent.

Tools required: Torx 5 screwdriver

• Two plastic stickers cover the first two screws you need to remove. In the photo below you can see the screws after the two plastic stickers have been removed.

• Remove the two screws then peel away the Motorola badge at the top of the phone. It's stuck on with double sided tape. Remove the two screws you can now see.

• Starting near the hinge, run your fingernail all the way round the join of the housing.

• You should now have the top half of the housing removed, allowing access to the LCD screen.

• Detach the ribbon cable from the screen. Simply pull it and it'll slide out of it's socket.

• You can now lift the LCD screen from the phone and replace with new. Reverse the whole procedure for reassembly.

Source: www.formymobile.co.uk

Back to: Motorola Dismantle Instructions

Dismantling Motorola U9

Back to: Motorola Dismantle Instructions

All pictures and text on this page has been kindly supplied by www.formymobile.co.uk. The pictures (and most of the text) are owned by formymobile, and may not be reproduced without prior consent.

Tools required: Torx 3 screwdriver, plastic tool such as a guitar plectrum or credit card.

• Open the flip then slide your plastic tool around the edge of the plastic lens to remove it.

• Your phone should now look like below. Remove the four screws you can see. Note that the two at the bottom are black and the two at the top are silver and these need to go back in the right place as they're slightly different lengths.

• Run your plastic tool around the join of the top cover in order to release it.

• Your phone should now look like below.

• Lever the metal frame off at the two points shown below. Do the same on the other side.

• You should now have the metal frame removed. Three ribbons now need disconnecting. The two small ribbons have a foam sticker on which needs to be removed. Then note the black latches. Flick the black latches up and then side each ribbon out. You can then lift the green circuit board away from the phone. You'll need to waggle it around until it slides over the small screen.

• Your phone should now look like below. Lever the screen out at the points circled below.

• You should now have the screen removed.

• Slide your plastic tool behind the small screen to separate it from the large screen. You'll need some double sided tape to stick this back down.

• You should now have both screens removed. Reverse the whole procedure for reassembly.

Source: www.formymobile.co.uk

Back to: Motorola Dismantle Instructions

Dismantling Motorola Z8

Back to: Motorola Dismantle Instructions


All pictures and text on this page has been kindly supplied by www.formymobile.co.uk. The pictures (and most of the text) are owned by formymobile, and may not be reproduced without prior consent.

Tools required: Torx 5 screwdriver

• Remove the battery cover, battery and the two rubber stoppers above the battery compartment to reveal two screws. Remove these two screws

• Unclip the microphone cover (just lever it out with fingernail) to reveal two more screws. Remove these screws

• With the two screws removed in the above step you can now remove the mic

• Pull the battery compartment away from the rest of the phone and you phone will now be in three main parts, like below, attached by ribbons. The ribbons connect like a plug and socket. Simply lift pull them out to unplug them

• With the ribbon from the battery compartment removed your phone will look like the picture below

• Now unplug the other three ribbons which are attached to the green circuit board. Your phone will now look like below

• Now remove the two black screws at the top of the phone

• Run your fingernail around the edge of the front cover where the silver metal part meets it, shown below, to release the front cover

• The front cover will still be connected but will be loose enough to allow you to twist it round slightly and access two more screws on either side of the phone. Pay careful attention to these screws before removing them. They hold two brass coloured metal clips in place which will pop out when you remove the screws. Just make a mental note of their position for when you put the phone back together

• You can now remove the ribbons which are attached to the top half of the phone/LCD screen

• You'll now have the front part of the phone removed.

• To remove the LCD from the front cover gently pry it away. It's glued down so will peel away from the front cover

• The LCD is held in by clips around the edge of the metal frame. Bend the clips back slightly to remove the LCD. Reverse the whole procedure for reassembly

Source: www.formymobile.co.uk

Back to: Motorola Dismantle Instructions