Alex_B.

Alex Babakhani Technology B.S.G.E 3/16/08 Apple Iphone Criteria Descriptors

Wiki you are reviewing:
** || **Student Reviewer Feedback ** || ||  || ||   || ||   || ||   ||
 * **Criteria Descriptors
 * **Quality of Content**
 * Does the content (writing) make sense? || Yes, it goes into detail of the benefits of wikispaces. It shows how the world connects with one another. ||
 * Can you identify any areas which need clarification? || The author should include the drawbacks of Wikispaces instead of posting all the benefits. I am sure he/she may have found a plausible drawback but did not bother showing it. ||
 * Pose three questions that arise from your reading || What are the drawbacks? Don't you think it is more beneficial to alert the world about the diseases through the media instead of through wikispaces? Would a search on google turn up these wikis? If not what can be done to alert the people? ||
 * **Communication**
 * Look at the Discussion pages of the wiki pages - effective communication? || No there is not a sense of effective communication. The author only thats that he/she has finished writing about their topic. Other than that there isn't any other post that would show a form of communication. ||
 * Do they need more? || Yes they need a lot more ||
 * Are they clear in their messages to each other? || No, There are only two messages, the author needs way more. ||
 * Is there a sense of negotiation and collaboration? || NO, yet again there are not enough posts to show a sense of negotiation and collaboration. ||
 * **Collaboration**
 * Does the work appear to be equally shared? ||  ||
 * Does there appear to be any difficulties by one or more members of the team? ||  ||
 * **Presentation - Layout and Design**
 * Amount and relevance of graphics and media - comment on that ||  ||
 * Recommendations? ||  ||

For quite a few days I have been researching the Iphone software and how companies have been making it possible for people to unlock their Iphones with almost a click of a button. I have been researching whether or not it is actually legal to unlock an Iphone to be used for other cellular networks other than AT&T.

In November of 2006, Under the DMCA [Digital Millennium Copyrights Act] it was legal to unlock your cellular phone for your personal use without making a profit. Therefore all the users out there that wish to unlock their phones would be able to without being afraid of a lawsuit.(DMCA, [|http://www.copyright.gov/1201/)]

Of course, Apple created their own Copyright Act, which states if you unlock your Iphone to add third party applications your Iphone will be bricked. This means that your Iphone will be inoperable, or at least the “phone” part will be disabled. The current Software version is 1.1.4, and when Apple first released 1.1.1, all phones became bricked and inoperable, until the hacking companies released a safe way to update.

Steve Jobs has been playing cat and mouse with developers who are unlocking his masterpiece and he is now releasing the new Apple 2.0, which fully supports SDK [Software Developers Kit]. This allows for developers to design programs and submit them to Apple where they will undergo evaluation, and if they are approved, the software will then be submitted and will be available to download through Itunes, so that customers can buy these applications and transfer them to their Iphones. (Elmer-DeWitt, Philip.,Steve Jobs: Apple Will Open iPhone to 3rd Party Apps in February)

Although you will now have to pay for these applications, the Iphone will be a more “open” hand held device. This doesn’t mean that the hackers will stop and buy the software, they will continue to install it for free. This is how it is with the music Itunes offers, there are people who will always download from Limewire and other P2P [Peer to Peer Networking] and those who download legally from Itunes. The majority of the people will continue to install these applications illegally while some might switch over and actually pay for the applications. I think a step that Steve Jobs could make is to create programs so advanced that people will actually want to pay for applications that are fully supported and advanced. (Elmer-DeWitt, Philip.,Steve Jobs: Apple Will Open iPhone to 3rd Party Apps in February)

I think in the mere future Iphones will have features taken off. For example if you do not apply with AT&T, you will not be able to use the Internet, Youtube, and other features. For example, The T-mobile sidekick does not allow you to use the Instant Messaging Service if you do not subscribe with T-Mobile. This is something AT&T should do and it shouldn’t be Apples responsibility. By doing this it will force users to switch to AT&T to experience the Iphones full potential.

The DMCA put in the cellular unlocking part back in 2006, it will only last for about three years. So in November of 2009, it is most likely that it will be illegal to unlock phones. Therefore AT&T can file lawsuits against the unlocking companies and the will end all unlocking and increase the demand for Iphone unlocking but there will be no supply for it as it will be illegal to do it. People will be afraid and then everyone will be forced to switch to the AT&T network. Once the DMCA’s Copyright Act terminates, it will allow for the AT&T lawyers to crack down on illegal users. (Martellaro, John,DMCA Exemption Attorney Weighs in on iPhone Unlocking) (Patel Nilay, Know Your Rights: Is it illegal to unlock my iPhone?)