The over-hyped Apple iPhone has been hacked and cracked, again. Today a free iPhone unlocking tool named iUnlock has been released, including the source code. Releasing the source code might be a safety measure in case Apple starts hunting down the iPhone hackers and closing websites. Some analysts however have presented the idea that perhaps Apple predicted the popular hacking phenomena and perhaps this is the smartest marketing maneuver ever! Interestingly these hacking tools appear at the very same time when Apple aggressively adjusts iPhone pricing with a 200$ discount. Now with a more reasonable price tag and the ability to unlock the device, it may attract the 'geekiest' customer segment more than before. At least the product seems to remain in the headlines week after week - that's something that even Nokia is probably jealous of.

The free software iPhone unlock—the only one that counts— has been finally achieved by the iPhone Dev Team and it has been independently tested. Everyone can now unlock their iPhones for free. The unlock was not achieved by GeoHot, who was credited with the first hardware unlocks.

Details are thin at the moment, but the free unlock appears to have been achieved by the usual suspects according to some of their claims on IRC channels. Apparently some hackers are exploiting the same buffer bug that the iPhone Sim Free people used to achieve their unlocks, but it is their own independent and free unlock. Keep checking back for updates after the jump.

Source & Download: Gizmodo.com