White House backs celfone unlocking petition, sets welcome precedent

By Gadjo Cardenas Sevilla

A petition in the US to Make Unlocking Cell Phones Legal is getting the support of the Obama government.

A report from VentureBeat notes that "R. David Edelman of the White House staff has responded, saying that “the White House agrees with the 114,000-plus of you who believe that consumers should be able to unlock their cellphones without risking criminal or other penalties” and that “all consumers deserve that flexibility.”

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Rogers to allow unlocking of smartphones after 90 days, cost is still $50

Rogers announced that starting in March, they will allow the unlocking of smartphones purchased under contract after 90 days. This is even if users do not complete their full term.  Here's the statement, "In March 2013, we’ll be changing our policy so that you no longer have to wait until you complete your full term commitment – you can unlock 90 days after activating your device on the Rogers network. We’re also making it even easier for you to have your phone unlocked by bringing it to any of our Rogers retail stores." Cost to unlock the phones is $50.00 plus taxes, same as before. Rogers would only unlock phones through their customer service line.

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Apple: Jailbroken iPhones will be Problematic

By Gadjo Cardenas Sevilla

Apple is cautioning iPhone users who are tempted to jailbreak their iPhone and extend functionality and run non-Apple approved applications that their iPhones and iPod Touches are likely to malfunction. Releasing a recent report, Apple stresses that Jailbroken iPhones will likely not be able to take official OS updates and maybe locked out.  Read the document after the break.

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