back to article Windows Phone 7 unlockers let off with a warning

Windows Phone 7 devices that have been jailbroken using the ChevronWP7 aren't getting locked up again by Microsoft - at least not yet. Despite reports to the contrary Microsoft is not reaching out a sinister finger and locking up phones that have been opened up by their owners; but it is pushing out an error message pointing …

COMMENTS

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  1. Anonymous Coward
    Boffin

    The fact that Windows Phone 7 spys on users

    Should be the biggest concern.

    1. Anonymous Coward
      Stop

      And your phone company...

      ....spies on it every few minutes.

      Oh how do Google disable apps if they don't report back?

      Or Apple?

      Or anyone?

      It uses a process that sends back the info. If you don't install the hack, it probebrly doesn't go back to MS

      1. Tom Chiverton 1

        Title

        "Oh how do Google disable apps if they don't report back?"

        Push notification of black listed IDs. It's not hard. Think SSL CRL.

  2. Anonymous Coward
    Anonymous Coward

    It's a shame ...

    that MS won't accept the fact that while there are enough people out there with a good software skill set and a desire to make their phone less restrictive that people will find a way to reverse engineer and break the restrictions that have been put on their devices. 99% of users will have no desire to make any changes so why not be happy with that?

    Unfortunately, all that trying to stop the people who want to free their devices will achieve is that the user experience for those people will get so low that they just won't bother with the platform and in my experience the people who actually want to jailbreak phones are usually the same people who are responsible for influencing what technology their company/friends/family will be spending their money on.

    If the only way I can make my device do what I want is to compromise its security to the level where it's extremely vulnerable to exploits and someone says to me "I see you've got the new ABC phone, is it any good?", my reply is likely to be "Actually it's a bit sh*t, I'd get the XYZ instead."

    In the grand scheme of things, I seriously doubt that they are making enough on their mobile developer subscriptions to make it worth using these restrictions to protect that. And for that matter, why on earth are they putting financial barriers in the way of people who want to develop for their mobile platform anyway? They're a long way from the top of the pile on this one so surely they need all the developers that they can get these days?

    1. HeyMickey

      Title Schmitle

      Q) And for that matter, why on earth are they putting financial barriers in the way of people who want to develop for their mobile platform anyway?

      A) Maybe to discourage the casual coders from filling the app store with 10,000 fart and wobbly boobs apps?

      1. Ian Yates

        An interesting hypothesis

        However, Apple have two cost barriers in the way of iOS development:

        1) the annual fee,

        2) OS X

        1. Tom Chiverton 1

          Ummm

          You don't need OSX to write iOS applications. ITunes on Windows is enough to do Adobe AIR apps with, using Flex or JavaScript as the language.

          1. Ian Yates

            Adobe AIR

            Is it then possible to release these on the app store? I had a trawl around, but couldn't see anything about using AIR apps on iOS (iPhone and iPad).

            The iOS SDK is still Apple-only, though: "To develop with iOS SDK and participate in the iOS Developer Program you must have an Intel-based Mac running Mac OS X Snow Leopard."

            Which was my original comment.

            http://developer.apple.com/support/ios/ios-dev-center.html

            Not sure why I got voted down; I wasn't critici\ing (it's Apple's choice), I was just pointing out that there are still duplicate apps on a system that has a large "tax" on coding for it.

      2. Anonymous Coward
        Anonymous Coward

        title

        Judging by the android and iOS stores, the casual coders aren't the problem - it's the companies who exist to churn out those (cr)apps who need to be ge given an incentive to stop what they're doing so that we don't have to wade through shite to find anything useful

  3. Tom 101

    How long till...

    ...someones just stops the phone reporting back to microsoft? Not exactly difficult I would imagine if the phones security has been compromised anyway!

  4. Just Thinking

    How long are people going to put up with this?

    Seriously, why would anyone buy a computer where the manufacturer tells you what software you can or cannot purchase to run on it?

    And why would anyone write software for a platform where one company controls the entire market, and can disappear your product on a whim?

    This madness can only go on for so long, surely.

    1. TeeCee Gold badge
      Jobs Horns

      Re: How long are people going to put up with this?

      Ask the iTards. The only reason that MS, RIM and so on know damned well that they can get away with this is 'cos Apple's locked down and pwned products are such a roaring success with the masses.

      Just be prepared to have to explain that again several times, very slowly and using shorter words. Also, be aware that a thoughtful appeal on behalf of personal liberty is difficult to make to a background of amusing fart noises.

      I have a sneaking suspicion that the war's over and freedom lost.

    2. Grumpy Fellow
      Joke

      Yes it can

      and don't call me Shirley.

  5. adnim

    I am of the opinion

    that as mobile phones become more and more like miniature PC's/computers. The user should decide what is run or not run on the device and to which services/servers the device connects.

    If one purchases a subsidised device, the choice should still be there with the possible exception of changing carrier.

    Some users are clueless about such things and may need protecting from themselves. A simple warning regarding the pitfalls of unlocking the device including a detailed and truthful account of the potential consequences of unlocking are all that is required for the user to make an informed decision.

    I will never use a device that is locked to services I do not need nor want or attempts to connect to any server or service without my knowledge or express permission.

    I still run a 6 year old Nokia 6170, though I expect I will purchase an untethered Android device next year.

  6. Atonnis
    FAIL

    I'm rapidly going the other way...

    I'm really starting to think it'd be better to get myself a Nokia phone and be done with companies that are not only spying on what *I* do with *MY* device but also telling me what I am allowed to do with said device.

    If they get away with this, how long is it until Windows is limited to only the applications they approve? It's been bad enough having to tell Windows to f-off every time an 'unsigned' application wants to run for years.

  7. sparx104
    Thumb Down

    VS

    Since the dev tools are free and the language isn't terribly hard to learn I don't understand why there's this need to pay to run your own code.

    What they should do is to provide a tool which links a PC to a phone and allows installing code from just that PC (use a generated certificate or a special loader or something) to allow people to experiment without the ability to use precompiled code.

    This would allow open source (download the source, build it and use the installer you've linked) and your own experiments without the ability to install arbitrary apps.

    Meanwhile, I'll stick with Symbian and Java...

    1. Lance 3

      Like you can on Symbian

      Like you can on Symbian; you can self-sign an app with the IMEI of your phone. There are a couple of websites that allow you to do that.

  8. John Tserkezis

    I don't get it...

    There's actually enough WinPhone7 users out there that microsoft actually noticed?

  9. Anonymous Coward
    Gates Horns

    My opinion stands that WM6.5 is the last best WM in the market

    It has features that Windows Phone 7 doesn't have (lookin' at you for removing Cut & Paste, Microsoft!) and it's not locked down at all.

    So why is are some people trumpeting WP7 as the best thing since slice bread?

    I'm sticking to my HTC TyTN (which I'm using for tethering right now), thanks.

  10. Tigra 07
    Happy

    The Bluetit is required, and must contain nuts and/or seeds

    So we have apple disabling rooted phones, Microsoft bugging and nagging them, and Google giving people a simple yes or no button to installing outside apps and allowing people to root if they wish with no repurcussions.

    Guess who comes up smelling of roses =]

    I'll give you a clue, it's the one growing the fastest.

  11. JaitcH

    A more mature outlook but they are still spying on you!

    This Microsoft decision is certainly more mature, not to mention resource prioritising, than that exhibited by a certain California fruit garden. Does this mean MS recognises that you have actually paid for their services?

    Still, once again, MS has revealed that spying on customers, and who knows WHAT ELSE, continues unabated by a company that has certainly shown that it is government-spying friendly before.

    Does this mean that all WinFone7 user activity will be easily ascertained by accessing a database?

  12. Matt Hawkins
    Megaphone

    Windoze Phone

    Still puzzled why anyone would buy a Microsoft phone when they could have an Android device.

    1. Anonymous Coward
      Anonymous Coward

      Windows Phone ads

      I gotta agree. The one Windows Phone commercial I've seen recently that actually talks about any feature, actually mentions something really easy on my droid. They show a couple guys parachuting, and they take pictures with their phone, with the one commenting about no fumbling to use the camera. All I do on my droid is unlock the phone (neccessary for any function except changing volume, or answering the phone) then press and hold the shutter button for half a second. Camera app starts right up. I also can upload the pics to facebook or email them with about 3-4 taps as well. Every other android phone I've tried works the same way.

  13. Simon B
    Thumb Up

    Hat off to both sides for working together

    Hat off to both sides for working together on this, makes such a nice change to the usual tactics companies have of fight fight fight

  14. Anonymous Coward
    Jobs Horns

    Does the windoze phone have....

    a) A ribbon interface using up half the screen?

    b) Does it halt to tell you that:

    i. The file name is too long?; or

    ii. That the folder contains Thumbs.db and did you want to move it too?; or

    iii.... The file is locked and still in use... when it's not?;

    etc., etc....

    So OK the fab folks at MS want you to pay them, so you can hack and improve your own phone, but only after you pay them and report back to them.... and they can monitor all your activities....

    Hmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm

    I think I will become productive and interesting and spend christmas giving discounted VCR's without any instructions... and one of every brand - to all my inlaws, so I can enjoy setting them up for them - for the next two weeks.

    Sounds about as much fun as another MS product and it's crippleware.

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