It's Snowing in Charlotte!

No - not that kind of global-warming-run-amok kind of snow (sorry Eddy). This is blacksn0w.

George Hotz (aka 'geohot') has gone and released the most elegant of unlocks / jailbreaks for the iPhone 3G and 3GS to date (doesn't work with 2G iPhone - but that's not a big deal). Couple of important points:

1. Do this at your own risk.
2. Doing this will void your Apple warranty.
3. If you have any doubts and/or questions before proceeding, please re-read #1 and #2.
   

So if you have an iPhone 3G or 3GS and 1) you've always wanted to be able to operate it with another carrier or 2) install non-Apple-apps, this is about as easy as it's going to get for a long time.

First - make sure that you're on the latest / greatest iPhone software. If not - upgrade via iTunes to version 3.2.1 (7D11).

Second - go to http://blackra1n.com/ and pick your OS and download.

Third - plug in your iPhone (if iTunes starts just quit iTunes).

Fourth - start blackra1n. Now you have to push a button. There is only one button. It's the button in the middle:

This will "jailbreak" your iPhone, meaning you can now install non-Apple-apps. And here's where it gets interesting. See the black, eye-drop shaped icon in the upper left corner? That's your newly installed blackra1n app.

When you start blackra1n, you'll see the following three options:

Cydia and Rock install applications that allow you to install other applications. Like GoogleVoice Moblie. Which rocks!

Fifth (and finally) - the really magic button is the one called "sn0w". Pushing this one button will "unlock" your iPhone 3G or 3GS and allow it to be used with other carriers.

"AT&T is frightful,
But T-Mobile's soooo delightful,
Thanks to some guy named 'geo'(hot)
Let it sn0w, let it sn0w, let it sn0w."