Homeless iPhone

Up to iPhone OS version 3.X, there is no official gesture to simulate the "Home" button on the iPhone. A faulty "Home" button will render the iPhone useless. After some web searches, a piece of US$8 software developed by a Chinese Developer known as QuickDo (previously known as mQuickDo) surfaced. There is one catch, the software is available from Cydia Installer and not from Apple iPhone App Store.  Cydia Installer can only run on a "Jailbreak" iPhone.

To get a home for this homeless iPhone, here is what was done to it:

• Use iTune to backup and updated iPhone to OS 3.1.2.
• Download PwnageTool version 3.1.4 (Search).
• Use Expert mode - General Settings to check off "Activate the phone".
  
• Build "iPhone1,2_3.1.2_7D11_Custom_Restore.ipsw".
• Put the iPhone in DFU.
• Use iTune to Restore "iPhone1,2...Restore.ipsw", press and hold [Shift] then click on the "Restore" button.
• Once the "restore" process is completed, reboot the iPhone.
• Use iTune to Sync the iPhone to pull all the contacts, phone settings, etc... back.
• On the iPhone, run "Cydia" and search for "QuickDo". Proceed to installing it.
  
• Start QuickDo on the iPhone. Configure the gestures.
  
• Swipe thumb from left to right on the bottom of the active screen to go home. Wah La ! Found a home for this homeless iPhone.

Another problem, apps will open for about 2 seconds and then close. Solution: Found apps stop working because they are no longer authorized for use, after a syncing with iTunes. Before doing a sync with iPhone, deselect all the applications. Sync(in effect, you're removing all applications from your iPhone). IniTunes, click Store / Authorize Computer, and enter your password.Don't worry, you won't use up any of your 5 alloted activations. Goback to applications and reselect all your applications. Sync. You'redone and EVERYTHING WORKS !

Also noticed some stress crack on the back of the iPhone. Solution: Purchased a cheap US$12 hard ABS molded plastic case to snap over the the iPhone.

History of this gadget:

Got this one year old "hand-me-down" iPhone sometime in September 2009. I bought this gadget for my son on 24 August 2008 after a six hours queue during SingTel iPhone 3G Launch Party.  Singtel participated in Apple's second phase iPhone 3G launch and was targeted to Singtel existing pool of customers in Singapore. By the way, SingTel is Singapore's largest telecommunications company and the largest mobile network operator in the Asia Pacific outside of the People's Republic of China with a combined mobile subscriber base of 185.3 million customers. Singtel have an exclusive Apple iPhone deal for 1 year as the country sole supplier.

This year old phone has started to show aging problem with its "Home" button. Receiving an incoming call will put the phone in the a call mode. To switch to SMS Text mode, the phone need to be reboot to put it into text mode. Each reboot will take about one minute to complete. A "Homeless" iPhone is a "Useless" Phone.