Think twice before you sell your current iPhone

Here's something all you iPhone owners out there should beware. Apparently, a firmware restore of the iPhone won't wipe clean all your personal data residing on the handset. But it will make you feel like you did.

According to developer Jonathan Zdziarski, "this means that when you do a restore through iTunes, it is only the equivalent of performing a 'Quick Format' on your iPhone. And for those of you who use 'Erase all Content and Settings', this has even less of an effect, as it doesn't even destroy the file system.

"In both cases, all of the personal information that was sitting on the device prior to the erase or restore is still left sitting in the unallocated blocks of the iPhone's NAND memory. To make matters worse, the restore process is likely to restore the original operating system files over the same location as the old ones, meaning very little data is likely to be corrupted at all".

That said, the data that was recovered was done using a forensics toolkit. Although that's hardly within the domain knowledge of most iPhone users, the disturbing part is that anyone with the right set of tools can recover your personal (supposedly) deleted data.

I'm not sure whether this is a genuine issue for those using hacked iPhones because syncing the handset with iTunes is something they know they shouldn't do. Unless they have all intentions to turn the iPhone into a pretty brick.

With the 3G iPhone expected to launch soon and recent reports of the iPhone's upcoming availability in several countries, people will have to start thinking about what they are going to do with their current Jailbreak set. Is this a cause of concern for you? Share your views in Talkback.

Via Engadget | Credit: Jonathan Zdziarski

A Vista theme for iPhone? Yes, really

The latest third-party iPhone app to draw blogosphere buzz this morning is most definitely not Apple-approved.

The object of hilarity and defamation is VistaPerfection 2.0, a theme by developer Spec-Works that plops the Windows Vista GUI onto the iPhone. To run it, you'll need a jailbroken iPhone (see video), the SummerBoard app, and a wicked sense of humor.

Spec-Works reports that the application took "a couple days" to create and includes more than 90 icons, wallpaper, and sounds, including the Vista log-in and log-off chime and a revamped taskbar.

Quite a few tech bloggers have been happily jabbing away at the oxymoronic theme. Technabob, for instance, recommends it for those who are "ready and willing to deface [their] glorious chrome and glass iPhone with Microsoft's bloatware user interface."

The general consensus excuses VistaPerfection as a hack created for its own sake, though Zach Epstein of The Boy Genius Report charitably concedes that it might be useful for "a Vista addict [who has] begrudgingly picked up an iPhone but always loathed its clean UI."

It's true that design currents carry the visual style of Apple products into third-party Windows themes and apps, like ReadAir, ObjectDock, and the Macfox Firefox theme, and not the other way around. But that turning of tables is what makes the theme so deliciously amusing. VistaPerfection 2.0 does not come bundled with an installer, and those who want to play with the stuff of Steve Jobs' nightmares should consult ModMyiFone for the installation guide and tips.

Via The Daily Download | Credit: ModMyiFone

Get Cookin' on your Sony Ericsson W910i

Ever played Cooking Mama on the Nintendo Wii? If you like the virtual cooking game on the console, then the upcoming Get Cookin' title is what you should look out for this July.

Developed by Glu Mobile specifically for the Sony Ericsson W910i handset, the game uses the phone's onboard accelerometer to control specific game functions, such as flipping a steak on the grill or adding seasoning to your cuisine. And since it's all virtual reality, you won't get to savor the final dish even if it looks like a 5-star Michelin course.

Yeah, virtual insanity.

Via CNET Crave

Rumor: Dior phone coming in two weeks

A bunch of blogs were reporting last week that Christian Dior would unveil its first mobile phone last Friday. Didn't happen. Now there are rumors supposedly coming out of the phone industry that it will make its maiden appearance in two weeks instead. Whatever.

All we know is that it supposedly is festooned with Swarovski crystals (ugh) and, according to the ad pictured here, has some kind of built-in remote control. The latter feature could add an interesting twist, at least technologically, to the growing trend of phones emanating from the Europe's leading fashion houses, such as those from Armani and Prada. But we're not holding our breath.

Via CNET Crave | Credit: Engadget

Diamond vs X1: Round one, fight!

The Sony Ericsson XPERIA X1 announced earlier this year at the Mobile World Congress and the recently-unveiled HTC Touch Diamond are arguably the most anticipated Windows Mobile devices at this point in time. When they are both commercially available later this year, surely comparisons will abound. For now, WMExperts has a quick and dirty (by that, we mean full of fingerprints) hands-on with both devices with some photos of them side by side. Both PDA-phones weren't fully operational when the shots were taken, but this should at least give everyone some indication of how different they are in the form factor department.

Via Boy Genius Report | Image credit: WMExperts

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