EFF Success: Jailbreaking and Unlocking Now Legal in the US.

The other day (July 26 2010) in San Fransisco the EFF (Electronic Frontier Foundation) claimed victory over Apple and it's proprietary lock on what it's consumers could and couldn't do with their iPhone / iPod / iPad. The victory came in the form of exemptions to the DMCA (Digital Millennium Copyright Act).

After reading the Official Press Release I was pleased to see that the powers that be do not consider jailbreaking a copyright infringement and are "liberating" iDevice users in the US and allowing them to modify, jailbreak and unlock their units if they so please.

"The first of EFF's three successful requests clarifies the legality of cell phone "jailbreaking" — software modifications that liberate iPhones and other handsets to run applications from sources other than those approved by the phone maker. More than a million iPhone owners are said to have "jailbroken" their handsets in order to change wireless providers or use applications obtained from sources other than Apple's own iTunes "App Store," and many more have expressed a desire to do so. But the threat of DMCA liability had previously endangered these customers and alternate applications stores."

Why is unlocking and jailbreaking so important? Unlocking and jailbreaking make devices interoperable and that's how capitalism should work. It will allow for consumers to recycle devices, and choose Apps that are not chosen for us by Apple. This is a small step for technology but a huge leap for consumers.

Will this ruling facilitate a iOS4 jailbreak similar to SpiritJB? Will more developers be willing to work on jailbreaking and creating apps for jailbroken devices? Will this increase the demand for Apps from Cydia and other repositories? How will this affect the cost of these applications? I'm also curious to see if Apple will be more accepting of the applications that are available for jailbroken devices and if they will try to absorb them into the AppStore?

(Yes that was a crap load of questions, and I am sure that we'll not only get answers to these questions but, we'll see some interesting developments with this news.)

It's exciting to see our neighbours to the south moving forward with regards to Digital Locks and copyrights. What are the implications for Canada? Will we follow suit and free ourselves from the clutches of the Apple App store (not that it's stopped us yet)?

Bill C-32 is the Canadian Equivalent to the DMCA, and will be reviewed by Tony Clement and his department according to CBC.ca

"Tony Clement, Canada's minister of industry, said on Twitter that his department is reviewing the ruling to see what the implications may be for Bill C-32, the copyright reform legislation he and Heritage Minister James Moore unveiled in June.

Read more: http://www.cbc.ca/technology/story/2010/07/26/copyright-ruling-regulators.html#ixzz0uvDGKU3C"

"Good Luck" Canada, let's bring the EFF down here to fight for us along side the EFC (Electronic Frontier Canada) then we might just stand a chance.

(written for thecellularguru.com)

iPhone 4 VS Jailbroken 3G: To Buy or Not to Buy?

I’ve been approached by many iPhone users, and they have asked me if it’s going to be worth upgrading to the iPhone 4 if they currently own a jailbroken 3G or 3Gs. The truth is that I’ve had a REALLY hard time with this myself. I love having the newest coolest piece of tech on the market, but I just haven’t been able to justify spending the dollars on the newest member of Apple’s iPhone family.

I’ve tried to convince myself that I should get the iPhone 4, but it’s just not working. It all comes down to: What can the iPhone4 do that my Jailbroken 3G can’t?

A Comparison:

	iPhone4	Jailbroken 3G
Organization:	Folders	Categories and PogoPlank (apps available from Cydia that organize your icons.)
Customization:	Wallpaper (no icon customization or complete themes from lockscreen and slider to wallpaper and icons)	Themes that allow for lockscreen, slider, icon, and background customization/ personalization (available from Cydia)
Video:	Stock HD video recording ability	Cycorder (App available from cydia turns camera into video camera) not HD
Video Calling:	FaceTime	Might be able to MacGyver Fring to do it, but not face to face like iPhone 4. Might also need to download Voice over 3G from Cydia.
Camara:	5Mpx with Led Flash, touch focus GeoTagging.	Meh… just 2Mpx, no cool touch to focus stuff and sigh, no geotagging. (I’m going to try to live with out those features)
Resolution:	Retina 640 x 960	320 x 480
Run Apps in Background:	Multi-tasking	BackGrounder

I’ll admit the upgrades to the camera are HAWT, and the look of the iPhone 4 is sleek and sexy in comparison to the 3G (I am in LOVE with the volume control buttons) but, I’m not so sure I want to part with the $$ for a display that is so ridiculously awesome I won’t be able to tell just how awesome it is with my bare eyes, and the reported antenna problems that have plagued the iPhone 4 (even if it was blown out of proportion by the media and Apple is giving away free bumpers).

If you think you can't live with out the features the iPhone 4 has to offer then by all means line up July 30th and grab the newest piece of cellular technology Apple has to offer and enjoy it!

I on the other hand would like to let Apple and Steve Jobs know: You definitely got my attention, I'm just not sure when and if you’ll get my money.

(written for thecellularguru.com)

Need to write something.

You are free to ignore this blog post altogether if you so desire. I'm writing it just so that I can get some words out on to the screen.

I've been having a difficult time trying to get words together on a page since my Grandfather passed away. I've been feeling quite guilty. I had promised that I would be able to provide 1 article per week to my friends at the Cellular Guru.com
I haven't come forth with anything really in like almost 3 weeks. Feeling the block was hard, but getting out of it was harder.
I will be trying to put up a few posts a week here on my personal blog so that I can just get the creative or writing juices flowing.

I've been quite lucky so far. The guys at thecellularguru.com have published a few articles for me already.
here are the links:
Jailbreaking From My Perspective

A Lady's Guide to Jailbreaking your iPhone with Spirit

Installing Themes on Your Jailbroken iDevice

Are You Planning on Upgrading to iOS4?


I took a look at them before heading over here to start writing. I also manage to get three drafts out on to the blog. I hope that 2 of the three get picked.

that's it for now. I'll check in later.
ciao for now.

Demetrios Koutsothanassis (1913-2010)

Demetrios Koutsothanassis A soldier, a farmer, a Sheppard, a brother, a husband, a father and my grandfather. He passed away Tuesday July 6th, and I am going to miss him more than I can say.
I understand where I get my sense of humor, my trouble making skills and rebellious nature from as I hear the members of my family reminisce about him and the pranks he played when he was young.
He made it to the ripe old age of 97 despite the many illnesses that tried to take him over the past 30 years. The man was a fighter, and obviously a winner. He kept his flock of sheep until 2006.

It's hard to imagine that he's gone after being around for so long.

My grandmother survives him and so do his children, many grandchildren and great grandchildren.

He lived a long life, experiencing the good and bad this century had to offer; including the wars, and great depression.

God bless you grandpa, you are missed.