Mobile Phone News

Filed under: Handsets, ATT, GSM, EDGE, Apple, OS X

This little phenomenon has been continue ever since lines were wrapped around buildings as consumers waited impatiently for the iPhone 3G, but even at this time, original iPhones are fetching wild prices on the secondhand market. In a weird twist of economics, Apple’s iPhone actually maintained the majority of its value even after its successor hit the market. Why, you ask? Put clearly, first-gen iPhones purchased from eBay or other pre-owned resellers arrives sans an AT&T contract, and of course, it can be (relatively) easily unlocked to work with some other carrier. PSA: if you’re still sitting on your old iPhone for no apparent reason, at this time would probably be an excellularent time to test the market.

[Image courtesy of IFOAppleStore]

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Tags: 3g, Amp, Apparent Reason, Apple Os X, Consumers, Crazy Prices, Ebay, Economics, Handsets, iphone, Iphones, Launch, Market Image, Nbsp, Os X, Phenomenon, Psa, Resellers, Secondhand Market, Weird Twist

Filed under: Handsets, Software, Apple, OS X

According to iPhone Atlas and iPhone hacker-extraordinaire Jonathan Zdziarski, Apple has readied a blacklisting system which allows the company to remotely disable applications on your device. Apparently, the new 2.x firmware contains a URL which points to a page containing a list of “unauthorized” apps — a move which suggests that the device makes occasional contact with Apple’s servers to see if anything is amiss on your phone. In Jonathan’s words:

“This suggests that the iPhone calls home once in a while to find out what applications it should turn off. At the moment, no apps have been blacklisted, but by all appearances, this has been added to disable applications that the user has already downloaded and paid for, if Apple so chooses to shut them down.

I discovered this Makea forensic examination of an iPhone 3G. It appears to be tucked away in a configuration file deep inside CoreLocation.”

at this time honestly, we don’t expect the folks in Cupertino to suddenly start turning off apps that you’ve paid for and downloaded, but if Apple is indeed monitoring iPhones or touches (even passively) for applications it doesn’t want or like, it signals a problem deeper than a company clearly wanting to sign-off on software for the device. Even on platforms like Symbian — which calls for apps to be signed and traceable — the suggestion that a process of the OS would actively monitor, report on, and possibly deactivate your device’s software is unreasonable, and clearly presents an issue that the company will have to deal with sooner or later. Oh, and Apple — we’re not plan to buy the “for your security” angle, so don’t even bother.

[Via Mac unverified information]

Read - iPhone can phone home and kill apps?
Read - Apple’s URL with “unathorized applications” string

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Tags: Apple Os X, Atlas, Blacklisting, Configuration File, Cupertino, Firmware, Forensic Examination, Hacker, iphone, Iphones, Jonathan, Jonathan Zdziarski, Mac Rumors, Nbsp, Os X, Platforms, Servers, Software Apple, Suggestion, Symbian

Filed under: Handsets, Apple

Uh-oh, it look like it’s not just the underground unlockers who’re having problems with the iPhone 2.0.1 update’s revisions to the 3G’s baseband — Vodafone customers who’ve paid to have their handsets unlocked are starting to report failures to connect to iTunes followed by the appearance of an “0xE8000001″ error code. There are also reports from a handful of other carriers, but Voda’s selling Steve’s baby in 10 countries, so most of the complaints are from its customers. Other than that, there are some isolated reports of brickage, but we’ve mostly heard good things about 2.0.1, and our iPhones are definitely feeling a little better — how about you?

[Via TUAW]

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Tags: 3g, Appearance, Apple, Baseband, Carrier, Handful, iphone, Iphones, Nbsp, Revisions, Unlockers, Vodafone, Vodafone Customers