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07-04-06
Phone Unlocking: Is it Illegal?
It is a common misconception that if you unlock your mobile phone from your service provider that this practice is illegal. In reality it is not. You purchased the phone, so it is your property, and you have the right to choose which carrier you use it on. However, if you modify the software to unlock the phone you may be infringing on the original manufacturer.
The only real, safe way to unlock a phone is to extract the original manufacturer lock code from the handset. The lock code is in the phone for a reason.
The lock that we are referring to is the SP (Service Provider) lock. The manufacturer chooses to place the lock on the phone to essentially “lock” the customer into a contract with that particular service provider.
How do you tell if your mobile phone is locked?
The easiest way to tell if your phone is locked is to insert a SIM card from another service provider into you handset.
The phone will display a message:
Nokia: “Enter restriction code" or "SIM card rejected"
Motorola: "Enter Special code"
Ericsson: "Enter Correct SIM"
Iden: “Enter Special Code”
Sony Ericsson: "Incorrect SIM"
Samsung: "Invalid Network SIM...Enter Code"
Panasonic: "Invalid SIM"
Siemens: "Phone disabled! NETWORK LOCK"
Sharp: "Invalid Network SIM"
Why would you want to unlock your phone?
Lets say you have an older model phone and are looking to upgrade. However the phone that you want to have activated is locked to a carrier A and your service provider is carrier B. Once you unlock the phone from carrier A you should be able to activate with carrier B.
How can you unlock your mobile phone?
Since the mobile phone is your property it is your right to unlock it if you choose. Some service providers will provide you with the unlock code, but most times there will be a charge for the code. There are many companies that unlock phones as a profession. BongoWireless is a reputable outfit who provides this service on a retail basis.
Once a phone is unlocked can it be activated with any service provider?
That question can only be answered by your service provider. There are companies that allow you to simply insert your SIM card into the unlocked handset and the phone will work. However there are come service providers that will not allow you to activate the phone if they do not show the ESN in their database. It is always best to contact your service provider first.
06-12-06
Blackberry Suit
Blackberry introduced in 1999 is a mobile, handheld device with email, internet and phone capability. RIM, bases out of Waterloo, Ontario, Canada, is the parent company of Blackberry. RIM has been in the handheld mobile device since the early 90’s. The Blackberry handset was what put RIM on the map in the tech world.
NTP, based out of McLean, VA. NTP manages the patents for the individual Thomas Campana. Campana, who died in June 2004, sued RIM for infringing on five of his patents. Campana was successful and won at trial and the appeal.
In 2004 the court ordered RIM to pay $53.7 million to NTP as well as an injunction to shut down production of the Blackberry handset.
In short, NTP wants to be paid the royalties for the patents. NTP is offering to license RIM for the use of the Blackberry device.
Blackberry users are not involved in the lawsuit, however they may still be affected. If the injunction goes into affect they may lose service inside the United States. More than likely a grace period will be in affect as well as public safety organizations may not be affected.
The infringed patents were:
5,436,960 - Electronic mail system with RF communications to mobile processors and method of operation thereof. The patent was filed on May 20, 1991 and expires on May 20, 2012. The other patents were: 5,625,670, 5,819,172, 6,067,451, and 6,317,592 all are continuations of the first patent.
The patent covers: to quote from the trial findings “a message originating in an electronic mail system may be transmitted not only by wireline but also via RF, in which case it is received by the user and stored on his or her mobile RF receiver.”
In 2005 RIM agreed to pay NTP $450 million to settle all claims.
05-15-05
.MOBI Top Level Domains are coming!
May 2006 – .Mobi release. .Mobi will allow mobile phone uses to access a companies website through their phone. .Mobi is mTLD Top Level Domain, and is based out of Dublin, Ireland.
Directs users to sites and services compatible with mobile devices. Basically allows the individual to access the internet anywhere with their mobile phone. Examples of the .Mobi format would be cellularindustry.mobi and phonehistoryreport.mobi
Will be available to all mobile device users. With the price of cell phones dropping every day and the phone being readily available from Wal-Mart to Ebay to 7-11’s, everyone seems to have a cell phone these days. Now individuals who take their cell phones everywhere can also take the internet.
The investors are: Ericcson, GSM Association, Google, Hutchison, Microsoft, Nokia, Orascom Telecom, Samsung Electronics, Syniverse, Telefonica Moviles, TIM,. T-Mobile and Vodafone.
These companies benefit by increasing their market reach to all mobile phone and internet users. With having a .Mobi address companies will be able to be reached by anyone - anywhere - anytime – and easily.
Users can be confident that they will only be directed to safe and trusted sites.
Individuals will be able to register for domains from August 28, 2006 thru September 10, 2006. Individuals who own trademarks can register June 12, 2006 thru August 21, 2006.
Convenient because most of the phone made these days are internet capable. Users will be able to optimize this feature safely and easily.
.Mobi uses the Switch On! Guide. This provides critical and suggested ways to use the service.
ICANN (Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers) monitors the domain names used in .Mobi and other top level domains. ICANN is a non-profit organization that sets Internet Protocol (IP) address space allocation for the internet. Basically they make sure that internet users are able to locate valid address on the internet.
Members of CTIA, CWTA, GSMA, MEF or MMA could register May 22, 2006 thru May 29, 2006
Register by going to http://pc.mtld.mobi/switched/findaregistrar.html
Price for each site will be determined by the market. Prices will be available at each registrar office.
Pages will be programmed with XHTML Raad format. This is to make sure that the text and images will be compatible with web-enabled phones.
Frames are not allowed because they can cause a mobile phone web brower to crash.
Not necessary to type “www”. Eventually it may not be necessary to type the .Mobi as part of the address. Another convenience…not as many characters to enter into the mobile device.
Controversy surrounding .Mobi: Those who register for a .Mobi domain will be able to create their own site. However there will be a set of guidelines to follow. Those who register with .Mobi will need to follow rules that limit the size of graphics on a site and they must design the site to fit on a much smaller screen. Sites that do not follow the set guidelines may be shut down. Users who try to access a .Mobi site via a PC may be re-directed to a PC friendly site.
Other top level that are looking to be approved by ICANN are: .asia, .cat, .jobs, .mail, .mobi, .post, .tel, .travel and .xxx
06-07-2005
The first Arabic Nokia CDMA handset has been released. Although many people were looking forward to the 2280 firmware release any phone will do in this market void. Check your local stores for the 2112 with Arabic (not in the USA market).
06-06-2005
All new Iden ROM 9 handsets are now able to be unlocked. Almost 8 months after the first unlockable handset left the line from Motorola. Kudos to the Motorola development team for creating one of the best protection systems i have seen! This project was a non profitable money pit, more than 600 man hours!
