13 replies to this topic

[Corrine]

Windows Phone 7 users who want to jailbreak their phones in a Microsoft-approved fashion can now download and install ChevronWP7 Labs for $9.

The ChevronWP7 team refers to its product as an "unlock" tool, a term that usually means freeing the phone's SIM card slot so that you can use the phone on other carriers. In this case, however, "unlocking" means opening the phone up to install, run, and debug unsigned, or "homebrew" code. In other words, it's a way to run apps from outside of Microsoft's Windows Phone Marketplace.

Source:  Official Windows Phone 7 Jailbreak Now Available | PCWorld

[Corrine]

If you have a Windows 7 phone that you were  hoping to legally jailbreak, you're out of luck for the time being.  ChevronWP7 agreed to limit the number of tokens to 10,000 and they've reached that limit.

The ChevronWP7 team is still involved in internal discussions as to whether they will contact Microsoft for permission to up the number of tokens.

» ChevronWP7 Labs and the misinterpreted tweet

[securitybreach]

Well they tried.....

[Corrine]

From what I've read, the ChevronWP7 team (Rafael Rivera, Chris Walsh and Long Zheng) haven't decided if they will approach Microsoft for permission to up the number of tokens.

[Temmu]

what does that mean, "tokens?"
(i know what a token is, but in this context, please.)

[goretsky]

Hello,

It sounds like a serial number, access code or product ID key which is needed in order to activate the jailbreak functionality in the program.

Regards,

Aryeh Goretsky

what does that mean, "tokens?"
(i know what a token is, but in this context, please.)

[ross549]

That sounds like an unlock code for other phones. I'd bet it is the same thing.

Adam

[Tushman]

I don't understand the purpose of locking the SIM card in the first place.  Obviously I understand that the companies want to make it harder for consumer Joe to just 'up & leave'.  They can't stop that from happening! If people want to switch to another carrier, they either pay the early termination fee or just wait until their term contract has expired and then look for another carrier.  Or as in this case, some people will 'hack' the phone.  So what's the point?  I really wish companies would stop this ineffective practice.  It creates more pollution (adds the old phone to the dumpster pile) when customers sign up with a new carrier/service plan.

I switched cell phone carriers a while ago and had to get a new phone.  I got a new phone when I signed up but it was free after rebate.  No biggie there... but having to re-enter all my contacts was a PITA.

[ross549]

They can't stop it but they can make it difficult. Many people I know would not change because of the hassle.

Adam

[LilBambi]

Exactly Adam. But they would be wise not to make it too hard or people will lose interest.

[ross549]

It is certainly not in the best interest of the company to lose a customer, at least as far as the bottom line ($$$) is concerned.

So they do make it difficult.

It is not hard to unlock a phone, but the basic term seems to scare people and they think it is overly technical. I can get an unlock code for just about any phone online. I just can't get it for free. Once I have the code and punch it in, the phone is unlocked and I can use it wil any carrier using the same radio technology (GSM?CDMS, etc.). I think most unlocks are under ten bucks.

Making it easy to transfer your numbers to another carrier's phone is also not in the phone company's best ($$$) interest. You can get programs that pull the numbers off your phone when you connect it to a computer, and subsequently put them on to another. Again, this costs money for the program (and convenience). Most times, carriers will be very helpful transferring your numbers to another phone that they have. They just won't (most times) do it to help you get the numbers to another carrier's phone (and why should they?). You can still do it yourself.

Thankfully, the carriers and handset manufacturers are now standardizing on microUSB as the connection of choice on the phone so you only need one cable these days. When you get a new phone, all the chargers and accessories will be compatible. This has been a big revenue stream for the carriers (sales for accessories), and continued complaining about this for years, and the manufacturers are finally bowing to consumer demand.

Adam

[LilBambi]

Yes, but they HAVE to let you do it (take your phone number with you, whether they want to or not. It's the law).

Portability: Keeping Your Phone Number When Changing Service Providers

Under the Federal Communications Commission’s (FCC’s) “local number portability” (LNP) rules, so long as you remain in the same geographic area, you can switch telephone service providers, including interconnected Voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP) providers, and keep your existing phone number. If you are moving from one geographic area to another, however, you may not be able to take your number with you. Therefore, subscribers remaining in the same geographic area can switch from a wireless, wireline, or VoIP provider to any other wireless, wireline or VoIP provider and still keep their existing phone numbers.

As noted in the quote above, there are limitations though.

And there may be fees involved, but they have to do it.

[ross549]

I was not referring to number portability, but transferring your address book from one phone to another.

Adam

[LilBambi]

Ah, yes... that is another can of worms...