jailbreaking an iphone 3G with iOS 4.2.1 is a pretty straight-forward procedure (using redsn0w). unlocking said iphone so it'll work with any SIM card is a different story. apparently when i upgraded to iOS 4.2.1, it also updated the baseband to 05.15.04. this is bad because no current unlocker (i.e. ultrasn0w) works for that baseband. i could try to roll back the baseband to a previous version, but that only works if the iphone has bootloader 5.8; the 3G i was working on unfortunately is 5.9 (verified through f0recast). the only other solution is to update the baseband to a higher version - 06.15.00 - which can be unlocked. side effects? the process is irreversible, itunes won't recognize that baseband so it won't update the iOS (something about an ipad baseband on an iphone), and apparently it kills satellite GPS capabilities.

despite the side effects, i decided to go ahead and unlock the phone. after upgrading the baseband to 06.15.00, it was just a simple matter of installing ultrasn0w through the jailbreak cydia app. after the phone restarted, we put in a t-mobile SIM card which was immediately recognized. i even made a test call, no problem whatsoever. in this way i could see myself with an iphone. once jailbroken/unlocked, i could use it as a simple phone through a cheap SIM card, but could still get online as long as i'm connected to the internet through wifi and not through an expensive 3G+ data plan.

my mother's newfound knitting obsession has gotten everyone wrapped up in her madness. my sister and i went with her to the burlington michael's so she could maximize her columbus day weekend "50% off on one item" coupons. she needed some needles and also bought a basket full of yarn as well. the corner of the store dedicated to knitting was particularly crowded; autumn seems to galvanize knitters to begin their projects in time for the colder weather. berets are so yesterday; fingerless gloves so 5 minutes ago; the new thing she's working on are cowls.

i had my mother give me a haircut after we got back from burlington. my father heard the commotions and came out to help, but ended up shaving off all my hair so i look like i escaped from prison. i went from a head of curls to a styleless wiffle cut. here's hoping my hair will grow back soon.

after dinner i got ready to return to cambridge. once again, i couldn't find my motorcycle key. i went outside to check the bike and sure enough, the key was still in the ignition. not only that, but i must've had the lights on the whole day so the battery was completely drained. my father and i wheeled the bike into the garage, where i was hoping i could jump start the bike, but the battery was just too depleted. so we decided to let the battery charge overnight while i drive back one of the cars.

"whoa!" marco exclaimed when he saw me with my new haircut. it took me a second to realize why he seemed so shocked. he said he liked it, but maybe because it looked like his own haircut, which he trims himself every month. he keeps his hair short because he began losing his hair while in high school and this was the only hairstyle he could have. he said if i needed a haircut he could do it for me.