Prakash Advani's Blog

Apple just released the latest firmware 2.2. I have successfully upgraded my original iPhone to the new firmware. My iPhone came with firmware 1.1 and was updated to 1.1.4.

Standard disclaimer applies: If you end up with a fancy looking brick, don’t blame me. This is also known to work only on the older iPhone and not on the new generation iPhone 3G yet.

Here is what you need to do:

1. You need to update your iTunes to the latest version 8.0.2 (if not already), don’t update your iPhone firmware yet, just update iTunes and sync your data.

Syncing is an important step as when you update your firmware, all your data gets erased and then iTunes syncs it back.

2. Download these 4 files.

QuickPWN Windows Version OR Mac Version

Note: I have not tested this on Mac.

iPhone firmware 2.2

Bootloader version 4.6

Bootloader version 3.9

3. Update the iPhone to Firmware 2.2: Don’t do the automatic update, go to Advanced setting tab, hold the shift key and click on Update. This will give you an option to select the 2.2 firmware file that you downloaded in Step 2.

4. Optional: If you phone goes into recovery mode, like it did for me, Go to the Advance setting Tab again, hold the shift key and click on Restore. This will give you an option to select the 2.2 firmware file that you downloaded in Step 2.

5. After the update, your phone will get locked or will show emergency model. Keep it plugged in.

6. Start QuickPWN and select the firmware files and the boot loader files that you downloaded in Step 2. Follow the instructions, you will need to hold the home/power button in various combinations, QuickPWN will instruct you on that.
You will be given an option to install Cydia, Cydia is another installer and gives you more options to install 3rd party apps.

It also given you an option to replace the logo. If you select that option, your iPhone Apple boot logo will be replaced with a Pineapple

7. Once QuickPWN unlock your iPhone, check if you are able to make calls. If not, re-do step 6.

8 Once successful, go ahead and sync your iTunes to get your contacts. Also sync photos, music and video. I prefer to do each of them separately as its time consuming, so you can sync what’s necessary first.

9. Enjoy your iPhone 2.2 with all the new features.

For me it unlocked successfully, I am able to use EDGE, WiFi, etc. Don’t yet see all my favourite applications yet in the installer, perhaps they need to get tested on 2.2 before they show up.

Sources:

QuickPWN

Firmwares and Bootloader links

After successfully launching the Hyundai i10, the team at Hyundai is busy putting their final touches to the i20. Like the i10, the i20 will be manufactured in India and exported globally.

The i20 be positioned in the premium hatchback segment (B sgement), just as the Getz.

This car with replace the Getz worldwide except in India. Hyundai plans to sell both Getz and i20 in India. Perhaps they will reduce the price of Getz further to capture the lower segment of the market.

Like the i10, the i20 is developed in India and if successful, would be one more feather in the cap for Hyundai India, making India a global hub for small cars.

Lets wait and watch to see how this stacks up with this already crowded segment. With competition from Maruti Swift,Chevrolet UVA, Skoda Fabia and Hyundai’s own Getz the customer will have a lot of cars to choose from. Also Honda plans to launch the Jazz in February and Volkswagen Golf is also expected.

Hyundai i20 features:

1.2 Litre petrol engine or 1.1 CRDi Desel. This will be to get the tax breaks but may be under powered.  Expect higher capacity engines as options. In Australia for example the i20 has been announced with a 1.4 litre CRDi engine.

Expected Pricing: 5.5 Lakhs.

How the i20 compares to the Getz.

• This will be slighter bigger.
• Similar looks but smoother curves.
• Lots of new features.
• and ofcourse more expensive.

The Linux Foundation published this excellent article:  Estimating the Total Development Cost of a Linux Distribution

Some very interesting stats :

Linux is the most popular open source operating system today, didn’t you know that already?

Total development cost of a Linux distribution in 2002: $1.2 billion

Cost to build Fedora 9 in 2008: $10.8 billion

Cost of developing the Linux kernel: $1.4 billion

Total: 3200 kernel developers representing 200 companies.

Active for every release: 1,000 kernel developers from over 100 companies.

Linux ecosystem: $25 billion

(which means if you are in the Linux business, you have a huge market already)

Red Hat Linux 7.1 (2002): 30 Million lines of code.

Fedora Linux 9 (2008):  204 million lines of code.

How to estimate the cost of development:

Most end users wanting to move to Linux, expect to play MP3 music and sync their music with their iPods, iPhone, and XXX (put your favourite mp3 player here.)

Apple does not have iTunes for Linux, its only available for Windows and Mac, I wonder why.

iPhone being extremely proprietary, makes it incredibly difficult to write open source software to do what iTunes does. We will get there someday, but for now, here is a work around.

Install Virtual Box.

Then Install Windows within the Virtual Machine.

And then install iTunes on Windows.

Run a script to enable USB connection and you are ready to go.

Here is the link to the script, its been tested on Ubuntu, but may work on other distros.

Digital Camera Resource Page (DCRP) has a review of the Panasonic Lumix G1.

I had blogged about this earlier, when it was launched. Very interesting camera is you are looking to buy an SLR.

Mint has this nice article on how Apple got its India strategy wrong for the iPhone launch:

Lost Opportunity | How Apple got its strategy wrong

To add to this, Apple charges its customers in India full charges for the handset, which means no subsidisation from the service provide and yet the handset it locked to the service provider.

In US, handset is locked to AT&T but then subside the cost of the handset and charges only US$200. The rest they make up over the 2 year contract.

In India too, Apple should either sell the handsets unlocked at full price, or if the service provider wants to lock the handset, they should subsidise the cost.

High Dynamic Range or HDR photography is the latest craze in Digital Photography.

How often do you have photos, where parts of the photos were over exposed, while others were underexposed?

With HDR you take the same photos at different exposure levels, combine them to get very perfectly exposed photos.

See some nice examples of HDR Photography.

There are also two nice Open Source software to do this too.

Qtpfsgui and Cinepaint

Qtpfsqui is a newer one, more actively developed and also has a Windows version.

Here is a nice Tutorial which explains how to do it.

I am off to create my first HDR photo

Apple is about to release iPhone 2.2 firmware soon. The Beta is already out.

It has Google street view, and the most requested feature: turn off auto correct. Apart from several bug fixes.

Cut and Paste is noticeably absent, which was suppose to be added in this release.

Read More.

It apparently can be jailbroken, but wait till its finally release..

Guide to Unlock & Jailbreak iPhone 2G for firmware 2.1, This is already working on 2.2 beta, but may be blocked by Apple before the final release.