You are currently browsing the Fixya Blog weblog archives for the year 2010.

Though the very terms “jailbreaking” and “unlocking” sound sketchy, the US government has just issued the final word- jailbreaking and/or unlocking one’s cell phone is legal, and owners who choose to do so will not find themselves in trouble.

The public has long been in the dark about the legality about these issues, and many don’t even understand what they mean. For the record, unlocking is usually done to enable to the owner to receive service from another carrier (ie: not AT&T), and jailbreaking is done to enable the use of “rogue” apps, or to make advanced customizations.

Though some have questioned the legality, the practice of unlocking and jailbreaking has become extremely common. So many iPhone users have switched to alternate carriers that T-Mobile has been providing iPhone support for well over a year now, and it seems that new unlocking services are popping up every day, taking advantage of the fact that this business can be carried out entirely online.

The US Marine Corps operate in the land, air, and sea, helping people around the world. Former US Marine and FixYa Expert, ewebber253’s remarkable life is a reflection of this, often quite literally.

Born at 20,000 feet above the Atlantic Ocean during a flight from Scotland to Boston, ewebber253 entered life at the top of the world. On his 17th birthday ewebber253 joined the Marines, starting his career serving people as soon as he possibly could. In the Marines, his occupational specialty was Motor Mechanics, and he was a 3065 Motor Transport Operator. He served for almost a decade, leaving the Corps in 1981 as a Staff Sergeant.

It’s become even harder to find an automaker who hasn’t issued a major recall this year, as Chrysler and Ford just announced a planned recall of some 54,000 vehicles today.

Ford is recalling over 30,000 2010 Transit Connect vans, in order to replace pushpins that hold the liner above the drivers’ head. According to the company, government testing revealed that it failed to meet federal safety standards. Ford will begin their recall this month.

Toyota Motor Corp has officially issued a recall of some 270,000 Lexus and Toyota Crown vehicles, making good on the plans announced last week. Vehicles will be recalled in the US, Japan, Canada, Europe, Australia, and other countries. The recall is due to potential defects that may lead to engine failures. Small valve springs made of low-quality metal can crack, possibly resulting in the engine stalling.

According to a statement issued by the luxury automaker, “Lexus estimates that the likelihood of a customer experiencing this condition is 0.2%.” If an owner were to have an issue, the automaker says they would experience rough idling or abnormal engine noise.

A recall of 2 million cribs was announced earlier today. According to the CPSC, the drop sides of these cribs can “malfunction, detach or otherwise fail, causing part of the drop side to fall out of position, creating a space into which an infant or toddler can roll and become wedged or entrapped, which can lead to strangulation or suffocation. A child can also fall out of the crib. Drop-side incidents can also occur due to incorrect assembly and with age-related wear and tear.”

Seven different brands are included in this recall- Simmons Juvenile Products, Million Dollar Baby, LaJobi, Jardine, Evenflo, Delta Enterprise, and Child Craft Industries. Consumers who own a crib manufactured by one of these companies can view recalled models and recall details at the following links: