Apple Pwns iPhone Hackers

I could almost hear the anguished cries of geeks everywhere when the patch was released.  Hundreds of iPhones, hacked by their new owners so they could hook up to their own service provider, were rendered inoperable by a security patch intended to disable such phones.

iPhone says, “Hack me and you fail.”

That’s right, eat it nerds.  You ninnies have cried for years about how evil Microsoft was and how “cool” or “inspiring” Apple was, and you shell out thousands of bucks for every piece of junk that starts with a lowercase “i.”  Apple wants to remind you:  “Who’s Your Daddy?”

From NewsFactor here:

Apple issued a software update on Thursday that puts iPhone hackers in their place. The update renders the devices inoperable.
 
The drama began in August, when hackers found a way to unlock the iPhone and connect to a cellular service other than AT&T, which has an exclusive five-year deal as Apple’s carrier of choice. Indeed, hackers came out of the woodwork to crack the new handset.

In addition, a group operating at iPhoneSimFree.com indicated users could break the iPhone’s SIM lock and equip the phone with a SIM card that allows the operation of the phone on competing GSM networks. In all, five hackers or hacker groups have laid claim to the iPhone-unlocking crown since July.

On Monday, Apple warned iPhone owners to hack at their own risk, making it undoubtedly clear that unlocking programs used to connect the iPhone to nonsanctioned wireless carriers could cause irreparable damage. Apple warned that the damage could make the iPhone inoperable, and it would void the device’s warranty.

Apple made good on its promise Thursday when it released the software update. Gadget enthusiast sites and bloggers are confirming that some of the hacked iPhones no longer worked after they downloaded the software update. Other hacked phones worked, but only with the original SIM card that forces the iPhone to connect to AT&T’s network.

So is there software instruction that can render iPhones inert?  Can that code be injected into iPhones en masse?  I smell an iPhone mass extinction coming from some angry hackers.