iPhone 3GS iOS 4.2.1 JB BB 5.13.04 unlocked

So after a few more hours of reading, and some faith that I wouldn't trash my newly Jailbroken (JB) iPhone 3GS...I dove into the iOS 4.2.1 upgrade...

In our previous episode we noted that since I had Baseband (BB) 5.13.04 (which is easily unlockable with ultrasn0w) I should try to keep it.

iOS 4.2.1 is Jailbreakable...so I could simply install it and JB it...

But if I upgrade to 4.2.1, using iTunes the BB will also be upgraded...and if the BB is upgraded, I can't easily unlock it.

So I need to be able to upgrade the iOS without changing the BB.

Enter sn0wbreeze.

There are a couple of tutorials out there, they show what is happening...but leave out some important info.

First, download the normal iOS 4.2.1, plenty of websites have the link for it.

Second, download the current version of sn0wbreeze (2.2.1 is what I used)

So now we run sn0wbreeze (as administrator), click a couple of OKs and load the 4.2.1 .ipsw you got from the internets.

-The program will say it is a valid ipsw. (or you need to download a different file)

-Next menu give you a choice of simply preserve baseband, simple, or expert.

-Believe it or not, we want 'Expert'.

-In the Expert menu, there is really only one thing to select, and that is the 'General' submenu.

--In this menu, you may not need to do anything, depending on how you use your phone.

---If you will continue to use AT&T for your phone service, then UNCHECK where it says 'Hacktivate' on the right column.

---If you will NOT use AT&T, ie. you plan on unlocking later, then CHECK the 'Hactivate'

--That is the only thing you need to do on that menu, select next, and next.

-Now back in that Expert menu, at the bottom you can select create ipsw (or however it is titled...the box at the bottom of the menus).

This takes about 10 minutes or so for it to create a new ipsw.

Now the sn0wbreeze software walks you through putting the phone into recovery mode, make sure it is plugged into your computer before you start.

-it will tell you the phone is ready and for you to start iTunes, and SHIFT select 'Recover' when iTunes gives you the prompt.

It will chug away, and after another 10 minutes or so, the phone will reboot and appear, taa daa.

I had no errors, and no do overs...it worked correctly the first time.

I don't recommend restoring the iPhone from backup at this stage...treat it as a new phone.

I did all that, and when I synced my apps...the ones that need 4.2 to run suddenly appeared on the iPhone.


Whew, no bricks!

iPhone 3GS-Jailbreak-Unlock-Tether-etc

I mentioned before that I find the iPod a very handy device, and with the ability to tether it to my Sprint phone...it is just short of an iPhone in functionality.

But, no camera, no compass/gps, and mine had little memory.

So I got a 16GB 3GS from a friend who upgraded to an Android phone.

He is a trusting person...he sent me the phone will all of his info on it still.

I thought it was Jailbroken and unlocked...but wasn't sure. There is a ton of info out on the internets, and it gets confusing fast...I found three websites that seemed the most useful.

Redmond Pie .com has tons of guides etc on all the aspects of Jailbreaking and Unlocking...so much in fact that it is difficult to wade through.

Mod My i .com has a lot of data also...again so much it is hard to find what you want.

I h8 sn0w .com is a nice site with some helpful utilities. Including one that lets you see the status of your iPhone...and if it can be unlocked or jailbroken.

Here is where it gets confusing...and what buzz words to look for.

All the latest i devices can use iOS4 and most of the variations...some guides and tutorials are for the iPhone 4...not just any device running iOS4.

The 3GS had two versions of bootrom (old and new). Here is an explanation of how to find it...mine is the older and apparently more desireable version.

iOS4.0.1 is the last one that has an (easily) unlockable phone (the phone info calls it "Modem Firmware"-in Settings-General-About) the forums call it Baseband 05.13.04

iOS4.0.1 is also Jailbreakable by going to the website Jailbreakme.com with your iPhone's browser, and 'sliding to jailbreak'.

Once you have the phone Jailbroken, you can go to Cydia and install Ultrasn0w. Poof, phone is unlocked.


Now things get difficult moving up to the later releases of iOS. You want an untethered Jailbreak and keep Baseband 5.13.04.



The only thing additional I did was a restore to clear out the phone and put a fresh install of iOS4.0.1 on.
-First I had to download a version of iOS4.0.1 (Apple supplies it, Redmondpie has links for all versions for all devices.
-Second, I selected the device in iTunes and held the SHIFT key (windows version) while clicking on RESTORE in iTunes.
--that popped up a file browser window, and I selected the 4.0.1 I had downloaded earlier.
The program chugged a way for a bit, and rebooted the phone to a clean 4.0.1.

If you don't push the shift key, and select an iOS, the program will default to loading the newest version...and then you are in trouble.


I will have to update mine eventually...but for now it all works just fine.

B&N Color Nook hack (root it)

A friend of mine bought the Barnes and Noble Color Nook e-book reader and hacked it. (rooted it)

...so after hearing the uses of it...I decided to get one and root it also.

In case you haven't heard, the Color Nook runs Android...with a B&N overlay. So the hack involves getting below the overlay.

There are a ton of instructions on this subject, but I followed these...mine has 1.1

NookDevs -the instructions said that for 1.1 go to this next link...

xda-developers -similar instructions as above...and a link to the current software...

I also viewed this video...seemed the most useful to me. (but allow the nook to power on by itself)

-So I used linux (Ubuntu) on a laptop with a built in SD card reader, ran DD...that one didn't put the nook into root.

--So I attempted win7 and the win32 imagewriter software listed in the instructions...couldn't write to the card.

--Finally I booted the first laptop into XP, ran the win32 imagewriter software...this one wrote to the card.

-With the Nook off, I put in the SD card, then plugged the usb cord into the XP laptop.

--twice, XP showed the new hardware popup...twice I cancelled it...and I waited.

UNLIKE the video, I did not attempt to turn the Nook on...after about 5 minutes, it turned itself on with an ANDROID image.

One thing that I didn't understand was how to find the icons etc...

-I did use the Android Market, and was able to install software

-So I read about replacing the default launcher.

-I installed all the correct software but still saw the default nook home page...

--ah, you have to install Home Switcher...then OPEN it on the Android Market page (at the bottom of the Home Switcher page...then set LauncherPro as the default.


I decided to re-root mine...the mylocation wasn't working...so I used this video to unroot the nook. For anyone who has done firmware hacks on stuff...this is easy...


So all working now! Android takes some getting used to, but the Color Nook works well!

-BTW, right now the Color Nook does not have bluetooth available (being worked on), and the WiFi does not support Ad Hoc networks (there is a workaround, but it is a bit of a kludge)