Unlocked my iphone to use on the Vodafone network - yay

No hassles, no worries.

Apple : 0 ; Iphone Devteam: 1

*edit* - Thanks

This is particularly interesting for me as I have an UK O2 iPhone - iPhone Dev Team has announced that 3G unlock codenamed “yellowsn0w” is now completed and is currently been packaged up into an installer package/application

This will only work on the older basebands (before 2.2). Unfortunately I couldn't resist and had already upgraded my iPhone to 2.2, so I guess I will have to wait till I return to the UK to use my iPhone :)

So currently iPhone Dev team: 2 and Apple: 0

After living in the UK and now back in NZ for a while to sort out my UK Visa, a lot of security measures have come into my way.

I feel that most of it to protect people like you and me from bad guys from "The Net" or "Enemy of the State". However there are so many measures that get in the way that makes things awfully slow

My bank (Barclays) for example, have an over-the-top sensitive online banking system that locks people out, if locked out you need a PIN which they send to you - to my UK address. So in short, I no longer have access to my online banking for the next three months .

Their Credit Card Fraud Team is also ultra sensitive, my card has been blocked on numerous occasions at: New Zealand, Spain, Italy, Austria and Switzerland. Of which, each time I told them I will be travelling outside the UK and funny enough; when I call up to unblock the card - twice - they've said that they have no record of me informing them of my travels.

My latest trouble is with UK's National Insurance Number which I will need for my VISA application, I was dumb enough to leave it back in London and now they can't give it over the phone. They can send it to me but my address is old, so I guess I'm stuck

Interesting though; both the bank and the HM Revenue and Customs will accept anything in writing, from money transfers to a foreign account to change of address of my NI number which I find very amusing, I would think that faking a letter/signature is much easier to do than answering series of sensitive questions about one's details

Anyway that's my gripe  - what has been your NZ experiences??

I spent the last two years travelling around the US, Canada and Europe and now thinking back, iPhone has significantly changed the way I pack my bags

I am amazed at how one device can save me so much weight, because of the iPhone- I no longer carry the following:

London A-Z- No Longer required as I have Google Maps loaded



My Mobile phone - Built into the iPhone (duh)




Ipod - Built into the iPhone



My TomTom (Still use it for driving but if I didn't have my iPhone, I would be using it for walking around a lot more)




My Macbook for the internet - I now use Safari on the Iphone

Travelled for the first time without a laptop on a 14 day trip around Europe over 5 countries and did not take my Macbook, the iPhone was suffice for my uses (Mainly the internet over WiFI)




Chargers, Chargers, Chargers and more chargers - Now only carry only the iPod charger




Lonely Planet Guides - Now use Safari and Apps


Sudoku book and pencil - Although not an avid, but now can have an app on my iphone


Phone card - Now use Skype over Fring



Various print outs of booking numbers/addresses - as I have them on my email on the iPhone




What I still carry and would love to abandon one day (Dreams are free)

My Camera



My weather Suunto watch (Although a watch will always have its place)


My Oyster card for the tube (Think this would be fairly easy as they embed it on the SIM)

I Was just looking at how a lot of phones coming out now has touch screen and me playing with my iPhone which I find pretty amazing, made me think about how cellphones has evolved this way

In my view, cellphone form factor popularity has evolved from:

-Candy bar --> Flip phone --> Slider form --> Touch screen

Wonder what would be next...


*update*edited*

Briefcase --> Brick --> Candy bar --> Flip phone --> Slider form --> Touch screen

Saw this today, having to a locked iphone 3G - this method seems very interesting

http://news.cnet.com/8301-17938_105-10107580-1.html

Having a locked iphone is painful, having to turn Data Roaming off so I dont rack up huge bills, this iphone is pretty much like an ipod touch

I'm hoping one day that O2 will come to its senses and offer officialy Apple Unlocks, which can be done via iTunes

Got this today

Now that Paul Reynolds from BT Wholesale has been confirmed for the job; what do you guys think will happen to the Telco industry in the next 5-10 years?

Being an ex Telco analyst myself and now based overseas - I am particularly what you guys think

A few interesting things have happened this year -they include and not limited to:

- Vodafone and iHug
- Orcon being purchased by Kordia which is an SOE
- Telecom to build a long anticipated GSM/WCDMA network
- Paul Reynolds from BT Wholesale being confirmed for the role

Do you see:
- Telecom's focus turning on towards more wholesale now that the new CEO comes from a whole background
- Telecom becoming a lot more involved with Sky because of the all the buzz around convergence and if they won't I am sure other ISPs will
- Telecom's GSM network - how will they perform and market it and how will it effect the price
- Convergence of smaller ISPs, as predicted by many analysts; many smaller ISPs are suffering now due to LLU - what do u see will happen to BB market

*sigh* I have been hunting for a job in Canada for a while now with out any luck!

I was employed as a Senior Analyst by one of NZ's telco companies last year before coming to Canada to do a bit of snowboarding in Whistler and now four months later I am settling in Vancouver, I need a job to pay off my trip - I can not find a job.

*sigh* Perhaps I should start working in a retail store such as Walmart or work in Starbucks for minimum wage

Anyway I've attached some pictures from my trip to make you guys a bit jealous :D














Anyway if you are keen - I have a blog at: www.tony-nz.blogspot.com

Just saw this article off Stuff.co.nz this morning.

http://stuff.co.nz/4064213a13.html

Speculation is mounting that the Vodafone Group is considering the sale of its New Zealand business.

 

The National Business Review weekly newspaper reported today an industry source saying there were strong indications the British-based Vodafone Group was looking to offload both its New Zealand and Australian businesses.

Such a sale could explain TelstraClear's decision to dump plans for building a mobile network in this country, the source said.

If TelstraClear's Australian parent Telstra was a hopeful buyer of Vodafone's Australasian business and assets, it would not need its own network in New Zealand.

Comment was not immediately available today from either Vodafone or TelstraClear.

<ends>

Wonder how possible would it be for Telecom to make in investment and make the mobile market monopoly - or would the govt intervene. If so I wonder how much will Vodafone be worth - considering they already own iHUG which was at a price of $41million