Spaced Out ::

The first steps to getting your San Francisco (aka Blade) to do what you want it to do are:

1. Unlock the device so you aren’t tied to Orange
2. Gain root (superuser) access to the operating system so you can add apps that rally get under the bonnet

So, without more ado:

1. To unlock phone:
Type *#06# to get the phone’s IMEI number. Then visit:
http://www.nextgenserver.com/calculator/
Type in the details and use the phone model SFR-341
Put a non-Orange SIM in to the phone, start it up and enter the unlock code.

(Note: the Orange help pages are actually quite helpful!! And… if you stay on PAYG for at least 3 months you can request an unlock code from Orange. Seems the simplest option!)

2. To root the handset, the simplest option (given the Blade is running Android 2.1) is to use Universal Androot
Download the app
Copy it to the SD card on your phone
Install either Linda File Manager or Ghost Commander from the Market
Use the file manager to install the application on to your phone
Run Universal Androot

All very simple; some useful apps that make full use of root access include Titanium Backup (the best backup app for your Droid) and AdFree (for removing app ads).