Van Follow-Up ... & Nerd News

I mentioned in an earlier post that I was going to get the van inspected, and that I was going to go to Port Angeles for to open a US PO Box.

Well, neither happened exactly as planned ...

Oh the van got inspected, and true to their word the Registrar of Imported Vehicles didn't charge us a dime for this. What they didn't tell us was that the van would require a slight modification in order to pass muster up here (specifically, the running lights now have to start up with the engine, and be on when the car is running), which cost $250ish. How we hate those unexpected expenses!

So I'm getting my paperwork back from them and I'm thinking "okay, this wasn't so bad really" when they inform me that there's also a provincial inspection that will have to be done on the van before we can get Canadian insurance/put a tag on it. Oh? How much is that? "$115 or so ..."

Doh!!

Oh well, there went the money for the day trip to Port Angeles/PO Box. I guess we'll do that later.

In the propeller-beanie department, I can report that after waiting months to see if Rogers (the local cell phone monopoly*) was going to get their act together and offer the iPhone (or at least iPhone service) up here, I was finally ready to take the slightly-risky path of hacking the iPhone to both "jailbreak" it (ie install unofficial applications on it) and "unlock" it (ie allow its use on other carriers). I'd been tempted before now, but I wanted something that would let me have it all -- no hassle installation of apps, keep the current firmware and AT&T activation, *and* let me pop in another SIM card for a company up here. Now I have it all. BWAHAHAHAHAHA!

*Rogers isn't actually the only cell-phone company up here, but for all intents and purposes they are. They bought their closest rival and the other companies are just token opposition.

Among the things my iPhone can now do that yours probably can't:
* Play Yahtzee
* Use all the Instant Message networks (Heather *loves* this)
* Stream Internet Radio
* Emulate a Game Boy Advance
* Most importantly, I can pop in a Rogers or Fido SIM card and use it. If I want to go back to AT&T (such as when I'm in the states, or walking along Dallas Road by the sea where I can pickup AT&T via Port Angeles), I use put that SIM card in and bang a boom, I'm back!

So now all I have to do is find a cheap plan or pre-paid option that includes minutes to the USA and doesn't cost a wing and a thigh. Wish me luck.

Coolness.