[aprssig] Looking for an appplication ?

[Dave Baxter]

Interesting...

Seems the rest of the world has the march on the US re mobile phone systems, and their "reusability friendliness".   It's extremely common here to unlock a phone, I do mine as soon as I get them, even the company phones!   They continue to work just fine on their intended network, but are then usable on any network as and when needed, should you want, just by swapping the SIMs about.   There are websites of the providers too, where you can get them to send a service message to the phone, to create all the needed settings for their network, very convenient.

Nokia's in particular are so easy to do, there are hundreds of websites where you enter you IMEI number, and original network details, and they will generate a collection of key sequences to key in, usually the first will do the trick, in rare cases I've had to make three attempts.  There are even downloadable applications to do that.   I have two!

The scam with stealing mobile phones, is not just for re-sale (next to nil value anyway, unless it's the latest and greatest gadget) but to steal money by dialling a "special" number (often in Hong Kong) and when it answers, lock the phone and throw it in the bushes, or a refuse bin.   It then empties the victims account to the bad guy's coffers (at a frightening rate!)   For as long as the battery lasts, or until the PAYG credit runs' out.   (Pay As You Go, or Pre-Pay)

I've not (yet) suffered that, but I know some who have.   One got a bill for some £300+,  But after a struggle, and proving that she had notified the provider her phone was stolen during the immediate aftermath of a minor car accident (someone just reached in and took it from her car!) that was reduced to some £100.   Still expensive, but...   Of course, the phone was never found, and she had to start a new contract.   Strangely, her biggest worry, was that some bad guy would find the pictures of her children, and come round in person!   Most people (me included) do store an amazing amount of personal info in the things, at least I make backups, and it's not exactly easily understandable to non ham's.

Take care peeps'..

73

Dave G0WBX.


> -----Original Message-----
> From: Rich Osman [mailto:lists at n1oz.net] 
> Sent: 06 May 2009 17:55
> To: TAPR APRS Mailing List
> Subject: Re: [aprssig] Looking for an appplication ?
> 
> Jack Spitznagel wrote:
> > -US SIM cards are taped in under the ID and warranty 
> stickers, and the
> >   
> Not in any phones I'm aware of and I do this for a living. I 
> work for a phone manufacturer.
> > phones have provider specific applications burned into memory. US 
> > phones are somewhat harder to steal and make "disappear" because 
> > system activation is done based on linking the phone ESN to 
> the users 
> > phone number.
> >   
> GSM and UMTS (WCDMA) phones have an phone id number 
> independent of the SIM called the IMEI. While operators have 
> the option of linking these few do. You can use any SIM in 
> any phone unless the operator has locked the phone to their 
> network. Many do this to prevent using a phone they subsidize 
> through a contract going to a competitor's network. This is 
> true globally, though some specific countries ban both 
> subsidies and locking.
> 
> None of this applies to IS-95 CDMA/CDMA2000/IX phones. They 
> are their own world.
> >     In the US, you need to reprogram a "valid" ESN to avoid 
> "permanent
> >     deactivation" of a stolen phone (yah... I know that 
> this is done...
> >     as is stealing of ESN's, but that kind of stuff has to 
> be handled by
> >     a phreaker).
> >   
> Old data. Applied to analog AMPS and D-AMPS phones that are 
> no longer supported by any US network of significance. Even 
> when they were active, phones were rarely deactivated for 
> theft. The dominant cause of deactivation was contract 
> cancellation or past due bills.
> > Elsewhere, you can just buy a SIM from another provider and 
> off you go.
> >   
> This is also an option in the US. Bundling strategies usually 
> make contracts and 'free' phones more attractive.
> > My son who is studying in Australia discovered that the 
> hard way with 
> > a feature rich pay-as-you-go phone he took down with him. After his 
> > got pinched (during a laboratory session!), his Aussie 
> friends (and a 
> > local Telstra agent) told him to get a dirt cheap phone and 
> forgo the 
> > nice features (music players, radios, GPS, etc). Nice phones get 
> > stolen out of backpacks at the local Uni with amazing 
> speed. The black 
> > market for phones is apparently pretty busy.
> >   
> Yup. One reason is that while the operator can track the IMEI, few do.
> They aren't the police, don't have enforcement powers, and 
> real police don't seem to care about things that are 'given 
> away for free.' Even high end phones don't have enough value 
> to interest the police.
> 
> 
> -- 
> mailto:lists at n1oz.net     http://www.n1oz.net       ARS: N1OZ
> Rich Osman;  POB 93167; Southlake, TX 76092 (Near DFW Airport) 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
>