Apparently, some of the iPhone “hackers” who tried to modify their iPhone to work with carriers other than AT&T are finding out their phone doesn’t work after upgrading to the latest firmware from Apple. These hacks work by modifying the modem firmware on the device, and some of them do this irreversibly. Oops. The latest firmware is running pretty smoothly on my device.

I tried the iTunes WiFi Music Store today to buy an album directly from the iPhone. I have to say, it was pretty convenient. If you’re away from your main computer but want to pick up some tracks, you can do it from any WiFi connection. If there was only more open WiFi in the Boston area…

There’s a range of reactions to Apple’s recent price drop of $200 off the iPhone. The more spacious 8 GB version dropped in price from $599 to $399, and the low-end 4 GB model was discontinued. Many on-the-fence purchasers have been persuaded to loosen their grip on their credit cards when in the Apple store and push the sales tally over 1 million.

A few early adopters who payed the $599 are upset, saying that they are owed a refund. Some iPhone purchasers may not be used to the ups and downs of living on the cutting edge, but for many of us this is nothing new. It’s the cost of being the first on the block to have the latest and greatest. For me, $200 is the price I pay for owning the iPhone for the past 2 months…and I would do it again. It’s simply not worth suffering with older cell phones and lugging two devices everywhere.

Fortunately, Apple has placated many of the whiners by offering a $100 credit. They didn’t have to do this, but I think it’s a smart move overall to pacify the complainers. To be fair, the price drop did come rather soon after the release, but Apple had no choice. The population who would pay $599 for a cell phone has likely been exhausted, and the $399 price point opens up the market considerably.