Phone hacker's skill wins him sports car

Phone hacker's skill wins him sports car

A TEENAGE hacker who managed to unlock his iPhone so that it can be used with cellular networks other than AT&T will be trading his reworked gadget for a new sports car.

George Hotz said he had reached the deal with CertiCell, a Kentucky-based mobile-phone repair company.

The procedure, which the 17-year-old laid out on his blog last week, raises the possibility of a cottage industry springing up to buy iPhones, unlocking them and then selling them to people who do not want an AT&T service or cannot get it.

The phone, which combines an innovative touch-screen interface with the media-playing abilities of the iPod, is currently sold only in the US.

Hotz posted on his blog that he traded his modified iPhone for "a sweet Nissan 350Z and three 8GB iPhones.

"This has been a great end to a great summer," Hotz added.

The hacker said he would be sending the three iPhones to the three online collaborators who helped him divorce Apple Inc's product from AT&T's network. It took 500 hours, or about eight hours a day, since the iPhone's 29 June launch.

The youth made the deal with Terry Daidone, co-founder of CertiCell, who also promised him a paid consulting job.

Source: Phone hacker's skill wins him sports car

Sania rises to 44th in WTA Rankings- Hindustan Times

Sania rises to 44th in WTA Rankings
Press Trust Of India, New Delhi, June 25, 2007

Her not-so-impressive build up to Wimbledon notwithstanding, Sania Mirza's ranking improved by a couple of rungs in both the singles and doubles WTA charts released on Monday.

The Indian ace, who crashed out in the first round of last week's Ordina Open, rose to 44th in the singles list while her doubles standing also improved to 40th.

The 20-year-old Hyderabadi opens her campaign at the All England Club against Russian Yaroslava Shvedova.

Though grass remains Sania's favourite surface and she starts as favourite against the 80th ranked Shvedova, the Indian's recent form makes it a tricky opener for her.

Sania would be teaming up with Israeli Sahar Peer in the women's doubles and Mahesh Bhupathi in the mixed doubles.

Meanwhile in the ATP doubles rankings, Leander Paes dropped a rung to ninth, while Bhupathi remained static at 20th.

Paes will continue his partnership with Czech Martin Damm at Wimbledon where the duo has been seeded fifth.

The pair finished runner-up at last week's Ordina Open.

Bhupathi would also continue to partner Czech Radek Stepnak at the All England Club and the combination has been seeded 11th.

Source : Sania rises to 44th in WTA Rankings- Hindustan Times