The release of unlocking solutions for 1.1.1 iPhones and of downgrading utilities for anyone who hastily updated took care of many iPhone owners' problems, but one group was left out. Specifically, anyone wanting to upgrade from an unlocked 1.0.2 iPhone to the new firmware was left out. Some clever hackers have figured out how to re-lock or "re-virginize" 1.0.2 iPhones, and have posted instructions.

So the AT&T Death Star is finally in ruins: A complete, functional (and free) unlock has been disseminated to the masses of geeks who crave carrier independence. But does unlocking your iPhone really give you more freedom? On one hand, due to Apple's regular updates, you have to live in fear of a bricked iPhone, a device that the Mac Geniuses can turn away under a voided warranty.

On the other hand, the hacking community has been pretty quick to respond. The iPhone Dev Team ( http://www.hackint0sh.org ) had re-locked iPhones up and running and unlocked again roughly two weeks after Apple's 1.1.1 update. A hacked iPhone is also a "jailbroken iPhone," which allows owners to use all sorts of native third-party apps. Steve Jobs has said that Apple will release a proper SDK to developers in February, but that's a few months away.

So is it worth the risk and relative vigilance in scoping out future patches? To find out, we asked three unlocked iPhone users.....

The UAE looks set to join France in banning Apple from selling the Iphone if the entertainment gear maker insists on its policy of exclusive network deals with telcos.

The Emirates' Telecommunications Regulatory Authority (TRA) says it will not permit an exclusive iPhone service with either of the two licensed telecom operators in the UAE. The ban could be 'indefinite', reports Gulf News.

From the day the rumor mills started churning Apple having an iPod phone till this very moment, everyone - in the tech world initially and then the rest of the world - has been raving about the iPhone. People who have the dough just want to own one - and those who don't, wish they could.

Will people stop calling mobile phones mobile phones - calling them iPhones instead? (Just like they started calling every MP3 player an iPod.) But why do I bother you about such metaphysical questions? Instead, let me tell you what I felt about "THE" phone over the couple of days that I got to use it. But before that.....

"When he announced the iPhone, Steve Jobs said to expect three things: "an incredibly great cell phone," "the best iPod we've ever made," and "the Internet in your pocket." One out of three isn't bad. Yes, the iPhone is the best iPod ever-ironic for something not even called an iPod! But it's just a plain lousy phone, and although it makes some exciting advances in handheld Web browsing, it's not the Internet in your pocket."

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