gError 53: Apple remotely bricks phones to punish customers for getting independent repairs

After much stonewalling silence, Apple has confirmed that Error 53 is invoked when the phone determines that it has been serviced by non-Apple personnel, and there is apparently no way to reverse the process. An Error 53'd phone is rendered permanently useless -- and the data on it is permanently inaccessible. - Cory Doctorow, Boing Boing [via/web:http://streaming-tv.us]