Support Our Site
Get Better Gear!
- Notability For iPad: Much More Than A Note Taking App from Ginger Labs, Inc, US$0.99
- Scosche’s RH656m Headphones With Microphone Are Wonderful from Scosche, US$129.99
- IPEVO’s Typi Folio Case & Keyboard for iPad is First-rate from IPEVO, US$79.99
- Scosche’s boomSTREAM BT Speaker: Features & Compromises from Scosche, US$99.95
- FX Photo Studio HD: iPad Painting of Effects Made Easy from MacPhun LLC, US1.99
Top 5 Free Apps
iTunes New Music Releases
Top 5 Paid Apps
Discover New Music
- Nine Inch Nails
In the sprawling post-A&R rock and roll world, there are two camps: the Beatles and the Stones. The Beatles are the artists that like to explore, evolve, and change styles. The Stones are the artis
Every Day: The Best of the Verve Years
- Joe Williams
- Joe Williams was Figure Two in my three-man education in singing. A brilliant vocalist, scatter, and interpreter of jazz and blues, Williams produces music that's totally unique, yet sounds so effortl
- Brian Eno
- In his first proper solo release since 1996's relatively cold "The Drop," Brian Eno has constructed a whimsical and ecclectic masterpiece which is arguably one of the year's strongest records thus fa
Live at the Magic Bag, Ferndale, MI
- Supersuckers
- Man, there's nothing like good, old fashioned, rock and roll... add a bit of industry resentment to that with a double-shot of cynicism, and you get one of the best "new" rock bands going. This album
- Massive Attack
"Black Milk" knocks me off my feet in this collection of moody and eclectic songs. Massive Attack uses samples and keyboards in a very unique way, but not all the songs pack the same punch.
Reader Specials
Visit Deals On The Web for the best deals on all consumer electronics, iPods, and more!
Editorial
Apple Need Not Worry About Unlocked iPhones
Thursday, September 13th, 2007 at 4:00 PM - by John Martellaro
Apple probably isnt worried too much about all the people working to unlock the iPhone. They have the technical upper hand, and the vast majority of consumers arent interested in putting their iPhone at risk.
Its all about planning. There are plenty of upgrades and new services to be offered by the iPhone over the next two years. Customers will, by and large, want those free services. That means when cool new services are offered and the iTunes Update alert flashes alluringly, 99.9 percent of users will go for the update. If there were any software mods made, Apple can wipe them out. If Apple detects hardware changes, they can make life miserable for the owner and calmly explain that associated problems arent their fault.
Thats why Apple can sit back and appear to be the good guy in all this. To be sure, some customers want to conduct creative play, research, and even make a name for themselves. (Or some fast cash.) However, in the long run, Apple doesnt need to make any harsh statements or bring on storm clouds. They know that natural market forces and human psychology will keep the unlocking business simply a temporary, lurid affair which will wear thin after awhile.
Weve gone through several stages in all this so far. At first, some were annoyed that the iPhone was locked into AT&T. Then came the hardware hacks with a soldering iron. Then the software hacks. Then the software hacks with a GUI. Then the calm realization that its all a waste of time compared to what Apple is offering in new services and updates. In light of this, Apple really doesnt have anything to worry about, and I dont expect Apple to make much of a fuss about it. They dont need to.
In fact, I suspect many at Apple are just sitting back and smiling about the whole affair which seems to be going as planned. No doubt the next issue of Wired will declare that iPhone unlocking has expired.
Recent Headlines
- Reading, Writing, & Saving the World
- Free Retro Gaming for iOS - Activision’s Kaboom!
- Apple Adds Chomp Bits to iOS 6 App Store Discovery
- Notability For iPad: Much More Than A Note Taking App
- Scosche’s RH656m Headphones With Microphone Are Wonderful
- Tim Cook & Larry Page Reportedly Discuss Patents
- Analysis: Amazon Kindle Fire Sold Out, Kindle Fire 2 Pic Leaked
Post Your Comments