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- By the end of 2026, how useful do you think agentic/multi-agent AI systems will actually be in your daily work or personal projects? Posted on March 11th, 2026 | 25093 votes
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- By the end of 2026, how useful do you think agentic/multi-agent AI systems will actually be in your daily work or personal projects? Posted on March 11th, 2026 | 40 comments
phone? (Score:2, Funny)
I use smoke signals you insensitive techno-modern clod!
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I use smoke signals you insensitive techno-modern clod!
So do I, but they are locked to the Apache network.
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Then I quit the diet...
Initial unlocked numbers a bit surprising (Score:3)
The poll just started but it's at 33% with unlockable and unlocked phones. That's obviously the ideal for a typical slashdot user, but I was under the impression that a lot of people are stuck with locked phones. Perhaps the early numbers are from places besides the US? Or is unlocking more common that I thought in the US? I tried to get my previous dumb/feature phone unlocked and couldn't do it (on AT&T) so I had to buy a cheap unlocked Nokia handset when I wanted a phone to use while in Thailand for a couple months doing research for my master's thesis.
By the way, I now use a Nexus One that was never locked in the first place (and which worked great when I went back to Thailand other times); that wasn't a choice!
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Not everything I have needs to be hacked. I appreciate the stability of the Android OS, and its pretty much open enough for what I use it for. I unlocked my Droid 1, and had problems with CyanogenMod and freezes, so when I got the Droid 2 Global, I decided not to root in unless I needed to.
I am definitely the type of Slashdotter who would ideally root his phone, but I haven't. Stock works fine for me.
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I'm happy with the stock ROMs for the most part. However, there are three programs that make rooting, and even re-ROMming a good thing to do:
1: DroidWall. If an app doesn't need to phone home, it won't get that access.
2: Titanium Backup. This program is a lifesaver. Especially with apps such as the Blizzard Authenticator, where if one does lose/uninstall the app, it means a lot of hair pulling to get access to an account. It also is great for archiving off games that were played, with the save game d
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Even though I am hesitant to trust cloud backups, Titanium Backup supports encryption using public key methods (backups get encrypted, decrypted by your encrypted private key once you key in your passphrase.) I have been using the DB functionality, and it does work, although if one is transferring a lot of data, it can't hurt to use a wi-fi connection for sake of speed.
I use this as a secondary method to offsite data, but packing my own parachute by having the data copied to a computer periodically can't h
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Not everything I have needs to be hacked. I appreciate the stability of the Android OS, and its pretty much open enough for what I use it for. I unlocked my Droid 1, and had problems with CyanogenMod and freezes, so when I got the Droid 2 Global, I decided not to root in unless I needed to.
For me, it's a way to "have" less. Rather than buying a Droid 2 Global, I overclocked my Droid 1 to the point where it was fast enough to keep up. Unlocking and overclocking meant I could happily use a device for an extra year or two after its planned obsolescence, and save a few bucks.
Re:Initial unlocked numbers a bit surprising (Score:5, Informative)
Perhaps the early numbers are from places besides the US?
Maybe - it's almost slack-off time in Australia. Here I always buy unlocked phones which is not a problem if you pay up-front for the phone. They are mostly only locked as part of a subsidised long-term contract. I believe most carriers unlock them for free or a low price at the end of the contract, or you can pay a larger fee to get them unlocked during the contract that essentially negates the subsidy.
Re:Initial unlocked numbers a bit surprising (Score:4, Interesting)
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My phone has never been locked, and I don't know if it is lockable at all. Although as it's 'only' one year old, I guess it would be....
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Yeah same here. I have an iPhone 4, bought directly from apple.com in Australia. Comes unlocked right from the factory (obviously, since Apple have no idea which carrier you will use it on when you buy it from them). So 'theoretically lockable, but unlocked' is the situation for me and probably most people in countries like Australia. 'Unlockable and unlocked' is the closest match, but even that sorta implies the phone was locked at some time in the past, which isn't true.
This is the norm for many people. Y
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That's not the norm in the U.S., unfortunately. In fact, any phone you buy from a carrier, whether you get the contract or non-contract price - usually locked.
Now, many carriers will unlock your subsidized phone if you ask them nicely... although I guess the iPhone is exempt from that.
You can still get unlocked phones... but the subsidies are often too tempting...
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Maybe - it's almost slack-off time in Australia. Here I always buy unlocked phones which is not a problem if you pay up-front for the phone. They are mostly only locked as part of a subsidised long-term contract. I believe most carriers unlock them for free or a low price at the end of the contract, or you can pay a larger fee to get them unlocked during the contract that essentially negates the subsidy.
Actually, most carriers will unlock a contract phone if you ask them (I'll let you guess which one gives you trouble). If they dont you just give the TIO a call, howerver unlocking the phone does not release you from the contract you've agreed to pay (you're bound by law in that regard).
This is for post paid on a contract phones, With pre-paid they are allowed to charge as they expect you to have a minimum spend with pre-paid phones.
Re:Initial unlocked numbers a bit surprising (Score:5, Interesting)
Yeah that'd be us foreigners skewing it. Personally I almost assumed it meant locked down as in closed software. Many countries just plain don't allow phones+plans to be bundled so carrier locking is a strange concept.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/SIM_lock#Laws_and_Practices_on_SIM.2Fnetwork_locking [wikipedia.org]
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Mod parent up. In the vast majority of countries, network locking of handsets is either outright forbidden by law, or allowed with the proviso that if the customer requests the handset be unlocked, the provider must do so (for free).
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I actually voted thinking it was a matter of "locked software". Wasn't until after I voted that it dawned on me that this was obviously a poll by an american and thus "locked" meant "locked to a carrier". We do have a lot of those plans here in Sweden but getting an unlocked phone is by no means hard (and most operators will let you unlock your phone once your 6/12/18 month plan is no longer binding).
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Same here in Norway except our consumer protection agency demanded people should always be allow to terminate the contact for a fee. Quite a few people used it to buy iPhones where Apple had an "exclusive" deal, immidately cancelled the contract then signed with someone else. So in practice there's no such thing as a carrier-locked phone, it's really just a downpayment agreement with the phone as collateral.
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Yeah that'd be us foreigners skewing it. Personally I almost assumed it meant locked down as in closed software. Many countries just plain don't allow phones+plans to be bundled so carrier locking is a strange concept.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/SIM_lock#Laws_and_Practices_on_SIM.2Fnetwork_locking [wikipedia.org]
Some countries embrace Capitalism, rather than Corporate Croneyism, like the USA does.
Rather sickens me when I see a political party get all high and mighty on what they can do for the citizen, then sell out completely once in office. How's that A La Carte cable TV/Satellite program proposal doing in Congress, eh? Yeah. As long as they get their corporate campaign funds they don't give a rat's patoot about the citizen.
if we rebelled, who would provide our no-fly zone?
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Locking seems prevalent in the US, common in the UK, but either rare or forbidden in civilized parts of the world.
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Re:Initial unlocked numbers a bit surprising (Score:4, Interesting)
Over here it's not even allowed to refuse to unlock a phone, it just doesn't get you out of your contract.
I have friends who bought an iPhone with a 2 year contract and then used it from day one with a different provider (the one their employer pays for).
I am puzzled that this isn't commonplace in the USA, which always advertises itself as the champion of free markets, capitalism and competition.
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We only have 2 GSM networks, and they're not 100% compatible: voice, SMS and Edge will work but not 3G. Now the current iPhone provider (AT&T) announced that they are buying the only other GSM provider in the US (T-Mobile US). Bye bye GSM for me.
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I am puzzled that this isn't commonplace in the USA, which always advertises itself as the champion of free markets, capitalism and competition.
Unfortunately, that phrase doesn't mean what you think it means . . .
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It's capitalism, which does not necessarily mean 'free markets.' Companies don't want free markets, they want you to buy their stuff, so they will try to get a monopoly in any way they can.
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Free markets and capitalism don't always gravitate towards situations that are beneficial to consumers.
That pretty much sums it up in a sentence.
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Mine is unlocked and with a different operating system than it came with (WM6.5 -> Android).
I actually liked Windows Mobile, but it is nearly unusable with a capacitive touchscreen.
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I tried to get my previous dumb/feature phone unlocked and couldn't do it (on AT&T) so I had to buy a cheap unlocked Nokia handset when I wanted a phone to use while in Thailand for a couple months doing research for my master's thesis.
This is odd and a bit scary for me to hear; it's been years since I did this last but it used to be that you could call your cellphone provider (I've done it on Voicestream, T-Mobile, Cingular and AT&T) and tell them that you were going overseas and, as long as your account was in good standing they'd go ahead and unlock your phone so you could use other sim cards while traveling.
Is this no longer the case?
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Even for Americans, it's almost trivial to unlock a cell phone. Some carriers will do it free once your contract is up, but even if they won't, you can get an unlock code relatively cheaply from sites like http://gsmliberty.net/ [gsmliberty.net] (no, I don't work for them, but I have used them to buy the unlock codes for 4 different phones). All you need is a SIM from a locked network for a couple of minutes and the unlock code... put the SIM in your phone, it'll say that it's locked and ask for the code. Punch it in, poof,
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I tried to get my previous dumb/feature phone unlocked and couldn't do it (on AT&T) so I had to buy a cheap unlocked Nokia handset when I wanted a phone to use while in Thailand for a couple months doing research for my master's thesis.
I ran into similar issues last year with international travel - had an older dual-band GSM Nokia handset, was on AT&T but well past my contract, and called them to get it unlocked so I could use other carriers internationally. Was told by the second or third CSR with
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In the UK certainly, it's getting harder and harder to find locked phones. Myself and most people I know will provide their own phone (i.e. not from the carrier which means it's unlocked by default) and just buy a SIM-only deal. A quick stroll down any UK high street will take you past at least three garish LED signs loudly proclaiming mobile phone unlocking services for those unfortunate enough to have accepted a locked phone from a particular carrier. TTBOMK you're free to unlock a carrier-provided phone
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But, still under contract..and really no other carrier I could go to with my GSM phone, so I don't see the advantage of me unlocking mine, unless I wanted to see it to someone foreign after I upgrade to another phone.
More than likely..will give it to my Mom to replace her old dumb phone.
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Here in Sweden it's possible to buy an unlocked phone and get a separate subscription that isn't tied to the phone.
In the end the cost for the phone will be the same - or cheaper - if you buy an unlocked phone.
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My GF had a very old little Nokia feature phone, which she recently decided she wanted to give to her parents. The operator had to send it off and post it back to her, because its one of those Nokias that have no unlock code. However to her it was all free, regardless of her being a customer or not!
AFAIK in Italy your not allowed to sell locked phones. A lot of the unlocked iPhones in the EU
You keep using that word. (Score:5, Insightful)
I do not think it means what you think it means!
82.474% of the confusion here is due to the ambiguity of "locked" and "unlocked" - does it mean the keypad is (un)locked, or the phone is (not) locked to a certain carrier company?
The results here might even be more meaningless than normal! wow!
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Maybe the next poll should be:
I thought the previous poll was about..
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It would be a rather useless keypad (and phone) if the keypad wasn't even unlockable. I think for the slashdot crowd, the meaning of unlockable in this is pretty obvious.
Re:You keep using that word. (Score:4, Interesting)
I totally agree. I was first thinking of key-locking myself! Then later I thought "oh no this is /. must be about sim-locking".
Here sim-locking is also non-existent. It's a non-issue. Locking through contracts is much more efficient (that "free" phone means advance payment of the phone followed by a discount on every month's bill - leave early and you have to pay early termination fee and lose the remaining discount).
I miss an option that simply states "unlocked". Instead settled for the second, which is closest to the status. My phone has never been sim-locked. I didn't even buy it from my current carrier. Wouldn't get much discount either - the phone is worth some 2 1/2 years of monthly fees for one of my accounts, and more than five years for the other. For a relatively low-end smart phone.
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My first thought was "jailbroken" but it seemed like an odd word choice.
OS locked? Carrier-locked? Keypad locked? Anymore things that lock on a phone?
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Keyboard locked, but unlockable as an option... really? I actually thought that by "unlocked" they meant "jailbroken" so I voted as "unlocked". Luckily my carrier sold that phone as SIM unlocked from the start, so either way I casted correct vote.
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I assumed it meant "keyboard locked". In my case I swipe to unlock. The phone even says "slide to unlock" - surely that's the "unlocking" this poll is talking about?
My phone would be nearly useless unhacked. (Score:5, Interesting)
I have an Evo, most awesome phone around, but with all the bull shit Sprint puts on there that isn't even removable with normal rooting and insist on running all the time the battery isn't good for more than about 8 hours if I leave it in my pocket and don't touch it factory configed. Once I pulled all of that useless crap off I can get several days of leave it in my pocket and don't mess with it standby, or a day of practical use.
I tried to get my take on it front paged, but I guess it is a little central to myself [slashdot.org]. Really though, the legal aspect can't be ignored (not to mention the ethical one).
Tethered by the power cord (Score:2)
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My old iphone 3g had a similar battery. I didn't find it much of a problem - you plug it in at work and at home, and it always had plenty of charge for trips in between.
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Have you cleared the battery calibration data recently?
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I have a HTC Desire HD. The battery usually lasts almost an entire day, so basically the thing is only "mobile" in the sense that you can carry it from one power socket to another.
That's true for all smartphones. Name me a smartphone that lasts a week just like my old Nokia.
Don't have one! (Score:2)
So neither locked or unlocked. ;)
Phone? Do you mean alarm clock? (Score:2)
So...
The last one?
Huh? (Score:2)
Re:Huh? - Never locked in the first place! (Score:2)
Missing Option (Score:2, Informative)
N900 - Doesn't need to be unlocked :-)
Why bother? (Score:2)
"My Phone" (Score:2)
I've never had a phone that was mine. They've always belonged to my employer. The nice thing is I've never had to pay for service or deal with phone companies. The crappy thing is I've always been given crappy phones on crappy carriers :(
Which phone? (Score:2)
I have a Hard line phone and a Cellular phone, which one are you inquiring about?
Specifics Bob.... Specifics.
Assuming we're talking about carrier lock (Score:2)
To be pedantic I wouldn't say mine is unlocked as there is no lock to lock or unlock. It's "SIM Free". :)
Perhaps a more modern problem is software locking, and yes it's unlocked (jailbroken as people like to call it).
Old reliable (Score:4, Interesting)
I looked for the option that said "Too dumb for a lock". That would be my phone. It's about two years old (ancient in phone aqe), it sends and receives SMS messages, it connects (most of the time) to a network, and its paid for. Every time I consider a smart phone (really? smart phone? Better to call it an App phone. More accurate) I read something in /. or other tech blogs that make me pause. Is it worth the cost, am I getting a better deal then what I got?
The nice thing about my phone is that I don't worry about some company bricking it for some reason, I don't worry about mobile companies changing the data contract on the fly, and I don't worry about getting sucked into apps I don't need. I'll admit that I'm tempted by tools like maps and weather, but the rest is just eye candy, distraction. Y'all can stay on the lawn, just clean up after yourselves when you leave.
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I'd say the Palm V was a high point in usability design. A metal case, a few buttons, the ability to write once you got used to how handwriting was done, and so on.
However, even though in the past, people wouldn't mind carrying a Bat-belt full of electronic gizmos (camera, MP3 player, PDA, pager, cellphone, Blackberry [1], two-way pager, etc.), people are used to one device doing everything. I personally would love a separate PDA with a solid UI like the versions of PalmOS just for the airgap security adv
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No, the iPhone can be had for $100 plus ongoing repayments for the next two years, which include the cost of the service AND repaying the full cost of the phone. That's like saying I bought my house for only the $20,000 downpayment and ignoring the 20 years of mortgage repayments ;)
Take a look at the online Apple Store in a country other than the US (where the phone is sold outright, unlocked and not on a contract) and you will see the ~actual~ cost of the iPhone. For example:
Australia: http://store.apple.c [apple.com]
Personal feature phone's not unlockable (Score:2)
I don't care that much. I'm on Sprint, anyway, so it's not like I can swap SIM cards around.
Work phone isn't unlockable either, but since it's a Droid I could root it. Don't want to since it's not my property, though.
iPhone 4..unlocked! (Score:2)
What's funny is now that ATT has bought T-Mobile, damn near every american GSM phone user, including the unlockers, are now on ATT anyways!
Missing option : none of above (Score:2)
N900 - there is nothing called "lock" on this device. It comes "open" and no carrier can lock it. Fuck them, fuck their contract, fuck iphones, fuck androids.
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I think the N900 must be the only phone out there which is incapable of being SIM-locked or network-locked.
Any others?
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On a side note, what the hell am I supposed to do with my N900 now that T-mobile got bought by Satan in the states, er, I mean AT&T?
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On t-mobile saga, yep - looks like AT&T just included us too in the "fuck you" list - see my earlier comment on a different thread -
http://slashdot.org/comments.pl?sid=2047468&cid=35564572 [slashdot.org]
My stash... (Score:2)
My bin of unlocked (or never locked) phones includes an iphone 3g, Garmin nuvifone G60, two Garmin nuvifone A50s, Garmin nuvifone A10, HTC Dream, Blackberry 7290, Nokia N900. Its really nice to just swap my SIM and go.
ponies (Score:2)
unlockable, unlocked, AND... (Score:2)
with a replaced ROM. Increased performance, much increased battery life, and more customizable. It's all good under the hood.
Missing Option: (Score:2)
"My phone?" (Score:2)
Also known as the "Clouseau" option.
T-Mobile (Score:2)
I assume that this poll came about as a result of the T-mobile buyout.
Indeed, T-Mobile makes it very easy to unlock your phone. I have an old G1 that I decided to keep for just a little bit longer for a trip to Europe until I decide what carrier I want to go with next. Unlocking it was as simple as calling up their help line, giving them my IMEI. They emailed me not just the unlock code but instructions on how to do the unlocking. All for free (I think, I haven't checked my bill yet).
Sadly, I doubt this beh
I can confirm it's $0 (Score:2)
It's definitely for free, if your account is in good standing. I've bought quite a few phones off of Ebay (I use AT&T but like T-Mobile phones better) and the savvier owners ship print-outs of the T-Mobile email saying how to unlock it.
My Phone??? (Score:2)
It's not a phone. It's a handheld computer with a 3g/GSM module and a phone app.
... too old to be locked (Score:2)
My two [wikipedia.org] dumbphones [wikipedia.org] were built and sold before SIM locking [wikipedia.org] was widely used in Germany.
The keyboard lock works fine, though, and the keyboard is locked most of the time to prevent pocket dialing [wikipedia.org].
Tux2000
My phone is ... (Score:2)
I was sold a phone (Score:2)
but it's not mine, it won't do what I want it to or what the MFG says it will.
Verizon Crippled it
happy with my unlockable phone (Score:2)
I use morse code! (Score:2)
You Insensitive Clod!
Unlocked x7. (Score:2)
My tally is 6 unlocked-at-purchase-time phones, 1 unlocked-after-purchase phone, 1 unlockable phone.
2000: Ericsson T28. Sold unlocked on 2 year contract.
2001: Ericsson A3618s: Sold unlocked outright.
2002: Nokia 8310. Sold unlocked on 2 year contract.
2004: Nokia 6280. Sold locked on 2 year contract, not unlockable (telco never bought unlocking code from Nokia)
2008: iPhone 3G: Sold locked on 2 year contract ($7/mo in handset repayments), unlocked for free
2009: iPhone 3GS: Bought unlocked from Sydney Apple Sto
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I have a 3g and was wondering, how did you unlock your phone without jailbreaking it?
It is not that big an issue at this point as I have unlocked it so I can put a China Mobile SIM into it. When I asked how to do it at AT&T, while I was in the states they looked at me blankly, then when I explained the situation they recommended a particular (I do not remember which one it was) for information on jailbreaking and unlocking. It was made pretty clear that they were not advising how to do it, they were "ju
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Also at least two of the three Canadian carriers will officially unlock a carrier locked phone at the end of its contract for a $50 CDN fee.
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The carrier exclusivity of the iPhone only exists in the US (and possibly Japan and one or two other countries, if I recall correctly).
Everywhere else you just buy the phone from Apple and go home and pop your SIM card (from any old provider) into it. Apple don't know or care what provider you use, and hence the phone is unlocked from the moment it leaves the factory.
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I only have a mobile phone. What use is a landline?
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Having a cellphone but not a landline is increasingly common these days. It's often cheaper, and has the added benefit of reaching you even when you travel or move house etc.
I hear these days they even come with a power button, which you can use the turn the phone off when you don't want to be in contact. Imagine that :)
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Right on. I'm one of those fuddy duddys that barely uses my phone, and rather hate using it. Only paid about $30 for it, and only have to dump $100/year onto it to keep it on the air. Works for me.