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Hackers Could Crack Finish Unlocking iPhone in Three to Seven Days

iphone.jpg
A representative of the group working to unlock Apple’s recently-released iPhone handset claims that the project could be finished in as little as three to seven days according to Macworld News.
‚ÄúWe believe it will be easy. We are privately aware many of the iPhone engineers came from other handset manufacturers, and we understand their design techniques fairly well,‚Äù stated a group member identified as “gj”, who has been communicative with the media throughout the effort.
An unlocked iPhone would allow the handset to function with providers other than AT&T. AT&T has penned a five-year deal to exclusively sell the iPhone within the United States.
By Tuesday night, the iPhone unlocking effort had cracked the iPhone’s activation process, having written tools that would allow them to activate an iPhone without Apple’s iTunes software. The iPhone’s activation process relies on a software token sent from iTunes to Apple. Apple then signs the token and returns it to the iPhone, which activates the iPhone’s capabilities. Recently developed tools written by the project allow a software token from an activated iPhone to be used to activate multiple iPhone units. The token itself is not being provided with the tools that have been developed so far.
IIf you don’t have a known token (which does contain identifying information) you won’t be able to use the tool,” gj said.
An alternative tool developed by a hacker known as “DVD Jon”, allows for the iPhone to be activated without iTunes and initiates certain functions, such as the iPod and Wi-Fi systems. The hack currently doesn’t allow for the phone capabilities to be activated, but is seen as a step in the right direction.
A rumored software update which was anticipated yesterday could undo some of the project’s work and patch security holes as well as areas that have been worked with for the effort. No firm date has been released as to when the update could be expected.
If you have any thoughts, ideas or workarounds about this, let us know.


iphone.jpg
A representative of the group working to unlock Apple’s recently-released iPhone handset claims that the project could be finished in as little as three to seven days according to Macworld News.
‚ÄúWe believe it will be easy. We are privately aware many of the iPhone engineers came from other handset manufacturers, and we understand their design techniques fairly well,‚Äù stated a group member identified as “gj”, who has been communicative with the media throughout the effort.
An unlocked iPhone would allow the handset to function with providers other than AT&T. AT&T has penned a five-year deal to exclusively sell the iPhone within the United States.
By Tuesday night, the iPhone unlocking effort had cracked the iPhone’s activation process, having written tools that would allow them to activate an iPhone without Apple’s iTunes software. The iPhone’s activation process relies on a software token sent from iTunes to Apple. Apple then signs the token and returns it to the iPhone, which activates the iPhone’s capabilities. Recently developed tools written by the project allow a software token from an activated iPhone to be used to activate multiple iPhone units. The token itself is not being provided with the tools that have been developed so far.
IIf you don’t have a known token (which does contain identifying information) you won’t be able to use the tool,” gj said.
An alternative tool developed by a hacker known as “DVD Jon”, allows for the iPhone to be activated without iTunes and initiates certain functions, such as the iPod and Wi-Fi systems. The hack currently doesn’t allow for the phone capabilities to be activated, but is seen as a step in the right direction.
A rumored software update which was anticipated yesterday could undo some of the project’s work and patch security holes as well as areas that have been worked with for the effort. No firm date has been released as to when the update could be expected.
If you have any thoughts, ideas or workarounds about this, let us know.