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iPhoneSIMfree goes retail, let the unlocking begin

After numerous delays and endless cries of "hoax!", it looks like the iPhoneSIMfree iPhone unlocking software is finally available for purchase from four online retailers around the world. Wireless Imports in the US, iPhoneWorldwideUnlock in Australia, 1digitalphone in Germany, and iPhone4arab in Saudi Arabia (currently down) have all purchased bulk licenses from the iPhoneSIMfree team and are selling individual unlocks for around $100 (Update: that price is just from the US etailer, it seems; looks like the Aussies are letting it go for under 50 bucks American. Also, the Hackint0sh community is already busy at work trying to snatch these sites' code as we speak). Go nuts, and let us know your initial experiences below...

Update: The Hackint0sh guys claim they will not be reverse engineering the iPhoneSIMfree software. Ok, well, whatever.

Apple iPod Touch Calendar Can't "Add" Appointments: Why, and What's Else is Being Crippled?

According to support discussions and their own description pages, Apple has removed the ability to add events in the iPod touch's calendar, even while it uses the same operating system and application frameworks as the iPhone [Updated after the jump]

After a lengthy discussion in Apple's support boards about an image published in iLounge's "The Beat is On" galleries, the company has removed the words "entering calendar events" from its US features page, as you can see in this screenshot:

However, the full text can still be read in other international pages (like Canada, United Kingdom, Spain or France), which still carry the original US english copy.

After apparently pulling Bluetooth functionality at the last second, it seems like Apple is trying to further create distinctions between the two devices, positioning the iPhone as a productivity platform and the touch as an entertainment device. Fortunately, if the move is confirmed in the final release of the product, the hackers will come later to the rescue.

[Update Sept. 10th 04:37AM]

A reader points out that Microsoft also does artificial product segmentation. Like with the Home edition of Windows, it includes the Internet Information Server component, which can't be used unless you hack the OS. However, this doesn't make artificial crippling right for the consumer.

I can fully understand Apple removing the CSR Bluetooth chip to make the iPod touch cheaper than the iPhone. It's a cost-saving measure, and they owe to their shareholders to save money and increase profits. But taking a line of code out of a program to make some people buy the iPhone is a dodgy and surprising move by Apple. It may be normal for Redmond, but certainly not for Cupertino. As with shareholders, they also owe their customers some respect.

And yes, it's Apple's choice and they can do whatever they want as a company. However, these practices are quite different from what Apple has been doing in the past with all their products, including Mac OS X vs Mac OS X Server. Segmentation is fine, but having a phone and EDGE and SMS and Bluetooth built in in the iPhone is enough feature differentiation to justify the current $100 price gap. Why limit a simple piece of software and risk customer alienation?

Obviously, there is a limit to product segmentation and the increasing uproar in Apple's discussion pages demonstrates that people don't get this kind of artificial crippling. Hopefully, Apple will get the message and change this before the product becomes available. [Thanks Jason]

Apple Sells 1 Millionth iPhone

After numerous delays and endless cries of "hoax!", it looks like the iPhoneSIMfree iPhone unlocking software is finally available for purchase from four online retailers around the world. Wireless Imports in the US, iPhoneWorldwideUnlock in Australia, 1digitalphone in Germany, and iPhone4arab in Saudi Arabia (currently down) have all purchased bulk licenses from the iPhoneSIMfree team and are selling individual unlocks for around $100 (Update: that price is just from the US etailer, it seems; looks like the Aussies are letting it go for under 50 bucks American. Also, the Hackint0sh community is already busy at work trying to snatch these sites' code as we speak). Go nuts, and let us know your initial experiences below...

Update: The Hackint0sh guys claim they will not be reverse engineering the iPhoneSIMfree software. Ok, well, whatever.

New Apple Ipods