To my German friends

Deutsche Telecom, owner of T-Mobile, in response to a German injunction saying it could not force customers to sign a 2 year contract says "sure, just pay another 600 euros for the iPhone and we will unlock it"

The bargain basement price for an unlocked iPhone in Germany is now $ 1,483!

To my friends in Germany: Fly over to NYC for under $ 500 ( likely a bit more in December with the holidays). Make a long shopping list with the euro so strong against the dollar. All your friends are making the trip.

Include in that shopping list a US iPhone for $ 399. Don't hack anything, but don't activate AT&T either. When you get back to Germany, get from your local friends in Stuttgart this Skype application and use it with WI-FI. If you do not expect to use the iPhone to make calls, get an even cheaper iPod Touch (but it does not have a microphone)

And while you are here, why not come down and snap up some Florida real estate? Prices are down 10-20% this year and the dollar weakness sweetens its even more.

Willkommen!