A little more than a week after the release of Apple's iPhone 3G, an unofficial development team has announced the release of software that "jailbreaks" the new device, allowing unauthorised third-party applications to be loaded.

In a post titled "Thanks for waiting", the iPhone Dev Team announced the release of Pwnage 2.0, which also allows unauthorised third-party applications to be loaded on older iPhones and iPod Touchs running the iPhone 2.0 operating system. In hacker jargon, to "pwn" means "to compromise" or "to control".

While the tool allows third-party applications not available at Apple's App Store to be installed on the iPhone 3G, it apparently does not unlock the new phone to allow it to be used on unauthorised mobile networks.

However, installation is going smoothly on both the new and older models of iPhone, according to users who posted their comments on the site. One reader told ZDNet.com.au's sister site CNET News that the software "works like a charm. Best thing is you can share your custom firmware with others."

While the Dev Team may not have unlocked iPhone 3G, a Brazilian blog reported earlier this week that the iPhone 3G had been unlocked by using a special SIM card adapter that tricks the phone into thinking it's on an approved network.

Of course, the real trick right now is actually getting your hands on one of the new phones. Apple announced last week that it had sold 1 million iPhone 3Gs during its first weekend on the market. But an AT&T representative confirmed earlier this week that most of the company's stores ran out of iPhones the first day the devices were for sale.