George Hotz, a 17 year old from Glen Rock, New Jersey, hacked his way to internet fame and notoriety when he managed to unlock the iPhone via a mix of soldering and software.

Several groups have unlocked the iPhone's previously AT&T exclusive SIM card to work on the mostly compatible T-Mobile network, as previously reported at DailyTech. The groups have typically not revealed their techniques to the general public and some have sought to use their knowledge to create unlocking businesses. In contrast, Hotz’s hack was posted entirely free of charge, in relatively easy to follow steps, on his blog. The steps do require physically opening the phone, and a strong enough stomach to perform a few small solders on a $500 to $600 piece of electronics.

Continuing an unsurprising trend of smart people being rewarded for doing smart things -- even when those smart things are quasi-legal -- the teenager has reaped a pirate's booty for his work. CNN reported that the teenager had traded his unlock phone, complete with a signature faceplate to a Louisville, Kentucky based cell-phone repair company for three new 8GB iPhones and a Nissan 350Z, which the article quotes George as describing as "sweet".

The teenager also landed himself a paid consulting job with the company, CertiCell. He initially made the deal through Terry Daidone, cofounder of CertiCell.

CertiCell is remaining mum about why exactly they want the unlocked cell phone, though it is easy to speculate. Mr. Daidone released a statement that,

"We do not have any plans on the table right now to commercialize Mr. Hotz' discovery."

Whether a company would give $1,800 dollars in iPhones and a car to a teenager as a congratulations gift and as an incentive for future good work leaves one to wonder.

As mentioned, successful hackers have often been rewarded handsomely. In honor of the teenager's success and hot new ride, it is worthwhile to take a look back through time at stories of lucky hackers and pirates getting rewarded, and the less fortunate famous hackers and pirates who were busted, many as featured on DailyTech.

Successful hackers and pirates include:

• Former hacker and Wired magazine editor, Kevin Poulsen, who used a Perl script in 2007 to successfully identify 744 registered sex offenders, including a result which led to the arrest of a predator.
• Unnamed hacker, hired in 2007 by the MPAA to spy on torrent sites, who after receiving his payment, turned double agent and handed over information about his relationship with the organization to the sued party, which launched a massive countersuit, quite possibly yielding more money for the hacker.
• "The homeless hacker" Adrian Lamo who hacked Microsoft and the New York Times. He spent six months in home confinement for his crimes and today is an award winning journalist and public speaker, often writing or speaking about computer security.
• Robert Tappan Morris, inventor of the computer worm, founded and later sold what would become the Yahoo! Store. Morris is currently working as a tenured professor at MIT
• Shawn "Napster" Fanning, creator of the landmark p2p program, Napster, has since moved on to starting his own company and making a cameo appearance in the movie "The Italian Job".

Less fortunate hackers and pirates include:

• Gary McKinnon, extradited this year for $700,000 dollars in damages after hacking into Pentagon and NASA computers in 2001 and 2002. Caught via his girlfriend's email address, currently is facing up to 70 years in U.S. prison for "the biggest military hack of all time".
• French teenager, unnamed, recently arrested for making an unofficial French translation of "Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows", which he posted online. The boy was released soon afterwards, but may face charges.
• VoIP hacker, Robert Moore, currently serving two years in jail.

These are only a few of the famous stories of the hacker community. Whether George Hotz's deserves a place among these talented individuals is questionable, but for now he can at least enjoy the rewards of his work.