See, I told you so...

I wouldn't like to say I told you so, but here's another reason why was telling you shouldn't unlock your iphone: to update the iPhone to firmware version 1.1.1 you'll need to reactivate the iPhone with an original AT&T SIM card.

Basically, this means for all those who were so eager to unlock the iPhone and did so by cancelling their subscription with AT&T and using the AnySIM unlocking software, now have the most beautiful brick in the market.

But hope is not lost, I bet the iPhoneSIMFree guys will find a solution for that update as well, so you can use your brick to phone home real soon.

A paradoxal myth

Here's one for the MythBusters: if a piece of bread always falls with the butter facing the floor and a cat always lands on his feet, what happens if you glue a buttered piece of bread to a cat's feet and throw it on the air?

The Open Letter From Steve Jobs: 100$ back on your iPhone

For those of you thinking that you shouldn't have bought the iPhone right at the beginning when it was worth $599 and should have waited until now that is worth $399, check Steve Jobs open letter: you'll get at least $100 back on a Apple voucher that you can use on any retail store.

Source: Apple

All you have to do is "think"

Last year, I was at an European Conference on technology (IST2006) where I was able to check out some interesting futuristic technologies. One of them was a special-purpose helmet that would enable people to perform some basic controls on a computer by only thinking about them.

Early this year, at another technology conference I attended a presentation about a project in the Enginnering Faculty of the University of Oporto, where quadraplegic people could control a weelchair with special face movements.

Now, it appears that these two technologies were merged, as a motorised wheelchair that moves when the operator thinks of particular words has been demonstrated by a US company. The wheelchair works by intercepting signals sent from their brain to their voice box, even when no sound is actually produced.

Check out a demo video:


Source: New Scientist Tech

Unlocking the iPhone

I still think that unlocking the iPhone is a bad idea, but if you happen to have one and want to do so, check this out.

Really, what's the point of unlocking the iPhone

I agree that some hackers may find this challenge interesting and that this may actually be a way of feeling some achievement in life, but really, what's exactly the point of unlocking the iPhone?

VitaminCM makes a good point about it:

It only works on GSM networks and the last time I looked (U.S. only) there are two AT&T and T-Mobile. So what have you achieved? Well, sure, you could cancel your AT&T contract and move over to T-Mobile. You still have to buy out of your AT&T contract (175$ cancellation fee) and you still have to pay for a new contract with T-Mobile ($29 - $79 a month + Voice Plan).

Your warranty on that $500 - $600 phone is now voided. (Good luck when you have a problem.)

Apple already got paid when you bought the phone. AT&T got paid when you signed the contract. You pay cancellation penalty to AT&T and they don’t have to provide the service.(Get money, don’t provide service, sounds pretty good.) T-Mobile gets paid.

Flight simulator on Google Earth

Try this:

• Open the last version (4.2) of Google Earth (download here)
• Hit Ctrl+Alt+A (or Cmd+Opt+A for Mac users)
• Choose your plane and airport
• Hold Page Up for a few seconds to increase to maximum thrust
• Once necessary speed has been reached use arrow keys to control the airplane
• Up arrow key - go down
• Down arrow key - go up
• Left arrow key - go left
• Right arrow key - go right

That's right: a flight simulator on Google Earth... What will they invent next?

Source: Lifehacker

Windows Vista and Linux-based ISP don't match

Because of a "bug" that prevents Windows Vista users from playing nice with a Linux-based ISP, some users (the ones which use Vista) in the Swedish's region of Lund cannot access the Internet...at all.

Considering that the ISP is blaming Microsoft for the flaw and refusing to change the configuration of its hardware in order to cope, who knows how long these citizens will be without their daily dose of the web.

Ironically, Sweden also holds the fastest home-based internet connection in the world, which is owned by a 75-years old lady.

From: Engadget