Gizmodo Australia » sim

SIMbook Holds Phone Numbers, Addresses On Old-School Paper Format

Dan Nosowitz — Tue, 21 Jul 2009 23:00:00 +0000

While SIM cards hold all the stuff address books used to, some people just can’t part from that old ink-and-paper. The SIMbook lets people know that you’re aware of modern technology, yet you choose to go retro.

Pretty simply, it’s a small pocket notebook in the shape of a SIM card, both in unformatted (notebook) and formatted (address book) styles. Each SIMbook costs about $US6. [Address Book, Notebook via Nerd Approved]

iPhone 2.0.2 Kills 3G Calling For Some Users

Jason Chen — Tue, 19 Aug 2008 21:21:46 +0000

We’re not having any problems, but Ars has found many people complaining about the iPhone 2.0.2 update killing their ability to actually make calls over 3G. Among the people who suffer from no-calling-itis is one guy who took his phone to AT&T and had them swap out the SIM, which somehow fixed the problem. If you’re getting “call failed” on 3G, try switching back to 2G in Settings -> General -> Network and making the call again. [Ars Technica]

Brando Joins iPhone 3G Chip-Unlocker Game, Still Needs You to Cut Up SIMs

Kit Eaton — Tue, 05 Aug 2008 11:48:00 +0000

In similar style to the SIMable product Wilson showed you back in May, Brando now has its own SIM-hacking device available, and says it works to unlock, unchain, free, liberate—whatever—Apple iPhone 3Gs from being tied to one operator. The slim chip-and-circuit gizmo hugs the rear of your SIM and messes with the signals that go between it and the iPhone (or, indeed, a large number of other GSM and 3G phones) in a way that unlocks the device. Brando’s product still requires you to cut your SIM to make room for the chip aboard it, but it looks a fairly simple operation. And it’s two thirds the price of the SIMable: just US$21. [Brando]

iPhone 3G Hardware Unlock Uses Your Existing SIM Card…Kinda

Adrian Covert — Tue, 05 Aug 2008 02:30:41 +0000

Yeah, USB Fever just started taking pre-orders for this super thin iPhone hardware unlock tool that attaches to your SIM card, but be forewarned — it requires that you cut the corner off your SIM in order to work. If you’re up for the challenge, it will supposedly start shipping on August 20 for US$35. [USB Fever via iPhone Atlas via IntoMobile]

USBFever Reinvents iPhone 3G SIM-Eject Tool, Sells it for US$3

Kit Eaton — Mon, 04 Aug 2008 15:15:00 +0000

When Apple reinvented the paperclip for the famous SIM-eject tool, it was at least a free gizmo, included in the package. USBFever clearly thought there was a gap in this market though, and have reinvented the reinvention. The new SIM-eject tool has a rubber-bung top that allows it to be stored in your iPhone 3G’s headphone socket ready to be whipped out at a moment’s notice when you need to change the SIM card. Probably only for really frequent SIM-swappers who don’t use headphones, though, since it will cost you US$3. [USBFever]

iPhone 3G’s New SIM Ejector Tool Makes It Instant Must-Buy

Gizmodo US Edition — Mon, 09 Jun 2008 21:43:00 +0000

OK, forget about what I said before. Screw the storage and the 5MP camera. I’ve been reviewing the iPhone 3G specs, and it’s finally coming with exactly what I wanted: a genuine iPhone SIM Ejector Tool.

YES! [Apple]

A Third of iPhones are SIM Unlocked, Guesstimates Say

Jason Chen — Thu, 24 Jan 2008 20:30:16 +0000

According to estimates based on carrier’s numbers, only 2/3 of iPhones are “legally” activated, which means 1/3 of all iPhones sold are SIM unlocked and being used sans carrier contract. Here’s how they arrived at this number.

First, AT&T put out a press release saying that 2 million iPhones were subscribed on their service by the end of 2007. The three European carriers with iPhones (O2, Orange and T-Mobile) don’t have official numbers, but iLounge rates them at about 300-400k, which means the total is only around 2.4 million. This,
with Apple’s announcement that 3.7 million iPhones were sold in 2007, makes put the number at about 1/3 of all iPhones being unlocked.

Even if the European iPhone numbers are low and AT&T customers haven’t activated their Christmas phones yet, that still puts unlocked iPhone numbers somewhere around 1/3 to 1/4, which is extremely high by any count. [iLounge
- Thanks David!]

WND Atom Duo Mobile Has Dual Identities, Like Batman

Matt Buchanan — Mon, 20 Aug 2007 15:00:32 +0000

The iPhone makes pretty decent use of its gravity sensor with Safari, but that’s something of a kid’s trick compared to the WND DUO Atom, which flips between two SIM cards as you flip it from top to bottom (or is it bottom to top?), making it easy to maintain two separate accounts. Like one for wife, one for your girlfriend—just don’t turn it the wrong way. It’s also a touchscreener, so the keypad and screen re-orient themselves accordingly. Hit the jump for the nitty-gritty and another glamour shot of this unlocked tri-band GSM trickster.

Tri-Band (GSM 900/1800/1900 MHz)
Dimensions 109×48x14.5mm
Memory 128×64Mbits PGM Memory + 128MBytes Storage Memory
Display 176×220 262K 1.8? OLED (x2) TBD
Camera Built-in 3 Megapixels Auto Focus Camera
WAP 2.0 Access
MP3 Player
TV-Out
Connectivity USB 2.0, Bluetooth 1.2 (A2DP:stereo profile support)
External Memory MicroSD External Memory supporting
Applications JAVA MIDP2.0/CLDC1.1

No price or street date though, unfortunately, for this Bruce Wayne of mobiles beyond “coming soon,” but we’ll go out on a limb and guess “not cheap.” [WND Atom DUO]

iPhone SIM Card Unlocking Tested (Verdict: It Works But Depends on the Card)

Jesus Diaz — Wed, 08 Aug 2007 13:55:19 +0000

We finally got our gear and tried the forged SIM card method to completely unlock iPhone. It works but beware, because it depends on what kind of SIM card you use with your current unholy phone.

SIM cards come in different flavors. If your SIM is a V1 (old one), you will be able to use the published method and program a new SIM card that will work with the iPhone and make it work in your network.

If you are using a more modern V2 or V3 SIM, like one of the Vodafone cards we tried, then you will be out of luck: the V2 and V3 cards use a different kind of encryption. As a result, you won’t be able to extract the KI of your old card, which is not a D’ni communication device used in Uru but the key identification. This information is needed to program the forged card.

Some people in the Hackintosh forums say that a workaround would be to use a TurboSIM card, rather than the standard Silvercard SIM. This will require a totally different method.

What’s next? For us, getting a TurboSIM and see how it could work with that. For you, if you don’t have an old V1 SIM in your current phone, it seems that you will have to wait a little more to see if this works. Or for the iPhone Dev Team to finish their software-based unlocking work.

TextSpy: Paranoid, Suspicious Giz Readers Gather Round…

Seamus Byrne — Wed, 25 Apr 2007 14:00:18 +0000

…Because this little ‘mo could be the perfect gadget for you. Text Spy can retrieve up any SMS that has been recently deleted from a cellphone – so that could be good if you’ve accidently deleted the address of the bar you were going to meet your ladyfriend in. For that, I think it’s useful. If you think that your ladyfriend has been playing hide the sausage with the pizza delivery boy, then I suppose it’s useful too, but you are going down a dangerous road, my friend.

The TextSpy is a professional USB SIM card reader. Install the software provided on the CD onto your PC, plug in the TextSpy with the relevant SIM card inserted and, Shazam-a-lam-a-ding-dong, the last 10 to 20 text messages should show up. But really, guys, at $200, is it worth it? Get your revenge and hit ‘em where it hurts: find a new pizza place. â€“ Ad Dugdale

Product Page [Gadgets.co.uk via Shiny Shiny]