Websites now offering hack-free iPhone unlocking

If the last one is true this is scary shït!! I didnt sign up to be a CIA mule.

it is not as amazing as it sounds. Most phones support remote silently executable codes. Unlocking is just one of these. The difference here is:

apple added a second step to the process.
in order to protect their OS code,
the carrier command gets stored on the phone
but doesn’t get processed by the phone
instead it gets processed by the control program
AKA iTunes

So these companies (such as CutYourSim), have just figured out the process for iPhones and the lock coding algorithm (or even simpler, found a list of the codes).. in this case this is based on the phones IMEI number, and obviously the code is delivered by silent text message.

More interesting would be if they could figure out the remote wiretapping codes. The ones that turn the phone into an infinity transmitter, or silently attach a third party number of the executors choosing to every call. These features allow field personnel to remotely wiretap without the need for any network access or special equipment.

So in closing.. no one has hacked iTunes, or some special apple database. You have now seen behind the curtain.

Well this seems to be a very hot story this days considering that many sources are publishing it, I found a confirmation here that it should work for 3GS as well: http://www.unlockanyiphone.net/2011/04/12/new-imei-based-unlock-for-iphone-4-and-iphone-3gs/
But still I am wondering if somebody has managed to unlock through this technique? Especially 3GS? I still don't see any confirmation from a trusted source that this actually works??
Btw. 170$ is quite a lot for this :(

You can buy an unlocked iPhone from a country that sells them, but there are two problems using them in another country:

1. The iPhone warranty only works in the country of purchase...yes, I know it's hard to believe, but the iPhone is the only Apple product that lacks a worldwide warranty. Go ahead and Google it.

2. Carrieers in countries where the iPhone is locked often do not sell an unlimited or even good data plan for iPhones not purchased directly from that carrier. In Japan, for example, Softbank will not sell you a data plan for an iPhone unless you bought it from...you guessed it...Softbank. And like AT&T, Softbank simply refuses to unlock iPhones at the end of the contract.

They are probably working with a foreign carrier to add it to their list of registered phones. Certain countries have laws requiring all imported phones to be registered with carriers so there is most likely a user friendly maybe even web-based mechanism for doing this probably in conjunction with purchasing a pre-paid SIM for as little as $5 or $10. Once on the list it is probably fairly easy to get flagged as unlocked or off contract.

There is a company on Brazil that provide similar solution (http://www.desbloqueiosalvador.com.br/) which was tested by a friend of mine. He has unlocked his 2 3G iPhones and it still functional and unlocked.
I always think that is possible to get a "back door" on carriers systems to get access to the "official way" to unlock the phones...

It must be absolutely carrier based.
In Brazil, as soon as you buy an iphone you can ask the carrier to unlock it and they are required by law to do so.
Actually, the procedure takes less than a minute. The representative gets your IMEI, puts it in a computer and done!
As I read somewhere, I don't think Apple cares about unlocking the iPhone from the carrier.
It's a shame that AT&T doesn't unlock it even after you gave the an arm and a leg for 2 years of contract! Ridiculous!

You can have AT&T unlock it for you once your contract is up, right?

If these sites are really accessing Apple's databases, you can bet they're going to get sued out of existence. Also, I can't imagine Apple would allow the phones to continue to be unlocked once they find out which phones were unlocked with this method. Wouldn't it be easier to find a hole in iTunes to have it spoof an IMEI number of an unlocked phone? I suppose these numbers would eventually get blacklisted but I'm sure there's plenty of hackers out there that can keep putting out numbers to use.

I think you misunderstood this, TUAW. It's either a "carrier" database, which they can host on their own site, or inside the phone.