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The cat and mouse game continues between Apple and the Dev Team, a group of guys who are passionate about freeing Apple handheld devices from the company's short leash. The Dev Team has been jailbreaking new Apple firmware for years, and it just did so again--though this time around it seems Apple is still taking the decisive lead.

The team announced Friday the availability of PwnageTool 3.13, which allows for jailbreaking and unlocking the iPhone 3GS running the latest firmware, version 3.1. Currently only a Mac version of the tool is available, but the Windows version will be out soon. (Keep in mind, however, that you download and use the PwnageTool at your own risk.)

A jailbroken iPhone can do a lot more than what Apple wants it to do.

(Credit: Screenshot by Dong Ngo/CNET)

The tool creates a custom firmware from the version 3.1 firmware released by Apple. To install it, you put the phone into recovery mode (turn it off, then plug it in while holding down the Home button) and use iTunes to restore the phone with the custom firmware (hold down the Option key while clicking on the Restore button).

The custom firmware, apart from jailbreaking, will not upgrade the baseband--the chip that connects the phone to a service provider--and therefore still allows the phone to be unlocked.

But there's a catch here. The tool only works with the iPhone 3GS that has been jailbroken with the firmware version 3.0 or 3.0.1. This means if you buy a new iPhone 3GS that already has version 3.1 on it or you have updated to version 3.1 using iTunes, there's still no way to have your phone jailbroken. There's even a rumor that there might never be one, unless a new exploit is found.

If this is true, it seems Apple has finally been able to gain significant ground in stopping the practice it claims could pose a threat to national security. And for thousands, if not millions of iPhone 3GS users who rely on jailbreaking and unlocking to use their phones with the service of their choice, this is sad news.

Like most editors at CNET, I often receive questions from CNET readers about specific problems. Here are a few that were brought up to me in the last month.

It's probably time I went wireless myself.

(Credit: Dong Ngo/CNET)

Q: My laptop's Wireless-N adapter only caps at 130Mbps even though my D-Link DIR-855 can offer 300Mbps speeds. What can I do to boost the wireless speed of the laptop?

A: That might already be the best you can get. Wireless-N (802.11n) comes in different "tiers" with different amounts of streams (also referred to as antennae). Each stream offers a throughput speed up to 150Mbps.

While most routers are dual-stream and cap at 300Mbps (future ones can even support multistream, offering speeds up to 450Mbps or even 600Mbps), a lot of adapters built in to laptop and notebook computers to conserve the battery life use the single-stream standard. This means they cap at 150Mbps (which translates into something around 130Mbps, which is plenty fast, by the way). Also note that the throughput decreases as you increase the range. Generally the optimal range for the Wireless-N is between 15 feet and 70 feet away.

Q: Does my laptop have to have a dual-band adapter to take advantage of dual-band routers, such as the Linksys WRT610n, the Apple Airport Extreme or the D-Link DIR-825?

A: No, it doesn't matter how many bands an adapter supports; wireless networking devices only connect to one another in one band at a time. ... Read more

I reviewed the Samsung SyncMaster XL2370 a few weeks back. (BTW, that monitor is slated to be released at Best Buy on October 12, if you're interested.) Since then, it seems the floodgates have been blown wide open when it comes to LED-backlit monitors.

Thursday, we posted a review of the LG W2486L, an LED monitor that has a similarly minimalist design to the XL2370--albeit with a not-quite-as-sleepy sensibility. Also, I just got the AOC V22 (a 22-inch 16:10 LED monitor) in and will soon be receiving a couple LED BenQ monitors.

So yeah, it's likely that over the next couple of months you'll be seeing more LED monitor reviews than you probably ever realized you needed to see.

Also, check out some close-up shots of the W2386L to see how its thinness compares with the XL2370 by clicking on the pics below. As always, all of our latest monitor reviewscan be found here.

Shots: LG's LED-backlit Flatron W2386L

McAfee Online Backup has a lot of options and a rudimentary interface that could be intimidating for novices.

(Credit: Screenshot by Dong Ngo/CNET)

McAfee, one of the world's largest Internet security providers, wants to go one step further in keeping your data safe. It now offers to store your backup data for you.

The company announced Thursday the availability of its McAfee Online Backup, an online backup service that automatically uploads data from your computer's hard drive to a remote server via the Internet.

While online backup services are nothing new and have been available for a long time from many providers, such as Carbonite, Memeo, or Cuku, the main difference with the new McAfee Online Backup service is that it's one of a few that offer unlimited storage space.

For a fixed annual fee of $60, you can back up as much data as you want. This could possibly the best deal around for online backup, especially for anyone with a lot of important data and a high-speed Internet connection.

Other than the generous amount of storage, according to McAfee, its new service, which is powered by Mozy, is secure and comes with easy-to-use software.

I tried the software out briefly, and it was, indeed, easy to install and get the first backup up and running.

Once you have registered an account with McAfee, you can download the software and install it on your computer, much like you would do with the company's security software. When the install is finished, the software tests the speed of your Internet connection, which later helps determine how long it will take to get the first backup done.

The software offers a lot of options, such as Bandwidth Throttle that limits how much of the Internet connection is used for the data upload, and Backup Speed that lets you choose either fast or slow backups, to lessen the impact on the computer's performance.

McAfee Online Backup can automatically detect and find important data, including bookmarks, e-mail, contacts, documents, photos, and so on, to back up for you. You can also manually back up any folders of your choosing. Once everything is set, the software will take care of the backing up on its own. Depending on the amount of data and the quality of the Internet connection, the first backup can take a very long time (perhaps days), but after that, only data that has been changed will be backed up.

It's worth noting, though, that even when you set the backup speed to optimize for fast backup, the software seems to upload data rather slowly. If you have a cable connection and have tens or hundreds of gigabytes, expect the initial backup to take days to complete. Also, the software's unfriendly interface and the overwhelming amount of unexplained options could be intimidating to novice users.

Nonetheless, overall, this seems to be a decent backup solution and could be the most affordable for those who have a lot of data to back up. If you don't have already have a reliable backup service, consider trying it out, as it comes with a 30-day money back warranty.

The Gorillamobile securely attaches the iPhone to a cycle's driving bar.

(Credit: Joby)

Are you an avid cyclist who wants to use the iPhone as your GPS navigator? Joby has something for you.

The maker of the recently introduced Gorillatorch announced Thursday its newest iteration of something that can stay really well on something else: the Gorillamobile for the iPhone 3G(S).

This is basically a tripod docking station for the phone which, apart from keeping the phone on any surfaces, can help securely attach the phone to object of different shapes, such as the driving bar of a bicycle.

The key to making the tripod work the way Joby claims it does is the ball-and-socket construction that allows for fully articulated movement of the flexible, wrappable legs.

The accessory comes with four interchangeable quick-release adapters for the iPhone 3G, 3GS, and other mobile devices. It also has a custom-engineered, slim-line iPhone case.

In addition to the flexible tripod and iPhone case, the Gorillamobile for 3G/3GS package also includes two removable 3M adhesive clips and a universal camera adapter. This means apart that from the iPhones, the accessory can also be used with other mobile devices, such as mobile game consoles or video players, when you need to keep your hands free for other things.

Though the Gorillamobile weighs just 4.5 ounces and is only 8 inches tall, it carries a rather hefty price tag of around $40. It's available for purchase now.

The light!!

(Credit: NEC)

Energy-efficient computer monitors are seemingly the new black. With each new press release vendors never fail to mention how much power their products use, or more specifically, don't use. Nothing wrong with that, really; I'm just usually skeptical of manufacturer's claims. Which is why CNET does its own power efficiency testing. Check out our green guide to get a glimpse of the lengths we go through.

In keeping with the latest trend, on Thursday, NEC announced three new "energy-efficient" computer monitors. I put "energy-efficient" in quotes 'cause, you know, I've yet to actually test them.

The monitors include the 19-inch AS191 (4:3 aspect ratio), 19-inch widescreen AS191WM and 22-inch wide-screen AS221WM.

According to NEC, each monitor consumes up to 48 percent less energy than their predecessors, their predecessors being previous versions of the Accusync line I'm guessing.

The AS191WM and AS221WM also include ECO Mmdes, which in past NEC monitors has basically capped the monitor's brightness at about 50 percent.

Other features included in each monitor:

• VGA and DVI connectivity
• Up to 1000:1 contrast ratio
• 5ms fast response time
• Touch integratable (AS191WM and AS221WM only)
• Down-firing speakers with headphone jack (AS191WM and AS221WM only)

The AS221WM will begin shipping in October 2009 with an estimated street price of $249. The AS191 and AS191WM will begin shipping in November 2009 with an estimated street price of $199 and $189. Good to see NEC is keeping the prices relatively low.

The displays will ship with a standard three-year parts-and-labor warranty, including the backlight.

Following the finalization of the Wireless-N (802.11n) standard, the Wi-Fi Alliance, a nonprofit group that tests and certifies wireless products to ensure they interoperate, launched on Tuesday its new test program that supports the final specs of the standard.

This certification is still necessary because, according to Kelly Davis-Felner, marketing director of the Wi-Fi Alliance, the final specs include a lot of options and items that vendors could interpret differently, which could lead to products that don't work with each other. "Our certification program ensures that the product conforms with the final standard and interoperates with others." Felner added.

The new logo you want to seek when shopping for wireless networking products in the near future.

(Credit: Wi-Fi Alliance)

The new certification program is basically the same as the one used for the Draft N 2.0, with the addition of a few tests for new optional features, including:

• Test support for simultaneous transmission of up to three spatial streams
• Packet aggregation (A-MPDU), to make data transfers more efficient
• Space-time block coding (STBC), a multiple-antenna encoding technique to improve reliability in some environments
• Channel coexistence measures for "good neighbor" behavior when using 40 MHz operation in the 2.4 GHz band

Davis-Felner also confirmed that all existing Wi-Fi Certified Draft N products will interoperate with the new Wi-Fi Certified N products. The reason for this is because the final standard only adds more options on top of the specs supported by the Draft N 2.0 without any major changes.

This also means most of the existing Draft N products can be upgraded to receive the final specs via firmware. However, once upgraded, they will need to be tested again to be certified with the final N specs.

Currently, there's not yet any Wi-Fi Certified N products on the market but there are a few vendors that have submitted their hardware to be to be used in the interoperability test bed, and their devices will be the first to become Wi-Fi Certified N products with the new testing program. These devices include:

• Atheros XSPAN Dual-band 2.4/5GHz PCIe MiniCard for Computing Designs, Full MIMO Configuration
• Atheros XSPAN Dual-band, Dual-concurrent 2.4/5GHz, Gigabit Reference
Platform for AP/Routers, Full MIMO configuration
• Broadcom Intensifi Dual-Band 802.11n Client Reference Design
• Broadcom Intensifi XLR Dual-Band 802.11n Router Reference Design
• Intel Ultimate N WiFi Link 5300
• Marvell Smart Wi-Fi 802.11n 3x3 450 Mbps Dual-Band Access Point
• Ralink 3x3 AP

It's unclear when any of these will be available but you can expect to buy some by the end of the year.

A young Jeff, nerding it out on at least three fronts.

(Credit: Jeff Sparkman)

We have a very special guest this week, Mr. Jeff Sparkman. Jeff gained notoriety previously by being named CNET's nerdiest employee. Soon after, it was a fast life of drugs, women, and comic books. We discuss at least one of those subjects with him.

Also in this episode, we talk about fighting with the Vulcan nerve pinch, Dong getting beat up by a girl, and Eric crying like a baby while watching "The Lord of the Rings."

Tech this week, we take a look at Lucid's soon-to-be-released tech. Also, Dong schools us on using Windows Media Center as a DVR. Finally, what ICL podcast would be complete without more girl advice? We has it.

More Sparkman inanity: siftin.blogspot.com

To subscribe to this podcast, visit us at our main page and click the podcast link on the right. Don't forget to leave us voice mail at 1-800-947-6399 or e-mail us at insidecnetlabs@cnet.com.

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I got the Jesus phone and a Platinum Plus card. Isn't that enough street cred for you?

(Credit: Dong Ngo/CNET)

I'm not a fan of protective case for gadgets (which, as long as they function, are fine the way they are, even with a few scratches). For this reason, the only things I've put on my iPhone 3GS so far, and only when I travel, are the Mophie Juice packs, which add more battery life to the phone.

I just, however, found a new protective case that I actually am going to use more regularly, for the sake of convenience. It's the Case-Mate I.D. case.

Unlike other protective cases that try to be as slim as possible, the I.D. case deliberately bulks out at the phone's back to create a small pouch that's just large enough to fit two credit cards or, in my case, my driver's license and a library card (yes, I read).

Of course, you can swap these out for any two cards you want. The point is this is very convenient, especially when the iPhone is something a lot of us don't want to be separated from. And I would like to stress the inseparable notion, as you definitely don't want to lose the phone and the two important cards attached to it.

Despite the added functionality, the case actually only adds another 2.5 mm (about one-tenth of an inch) of thickness to the phone, compared with other purely protective cases.

Other than that, the Case-Mate I.D. is very much like most protective cases. It comes with an easily attached protective film for the phone's screen and another protective layer for the back of the phone (so the card won't mess up all the fingerprints you've gathered).

The Case-Mate I.D. works with both the iPhone 3G and 3GS. It comes in eight colors and costs $30, which is a little more expensive than other cases that add no extra usability to the phone.

Case-Mate I.D. case -- photos