If you would like to be one of the few to sneak in behind an unpublished link and download the iPhone 2.0 firmware a day early, you need merely click here! (225MB)

To use the package once it has been downloaded (using the command-line curl or ftp utils, or another downloading application which won’t auto-expand the file after download, is recommended), simply option-click on the “Check for Update” button in iTunes, and select the file.

The update will wipe all data from your phone, so it is wise to ensure that all your bookmarks et cetera are backed up. It is not generally possible to specifically backup/restore your Home Screen icons, so be prepared to start from scratch in that regard.

Because the firmware for the iPod Touch will cost $10 USD, it will presumably not be found in a similar, publicly accessible download — rather, Apple sources confirm that the only way to acquire the iPod Touch update, except for piracy (which may not be an option for a while either, due to protection mechanisms needing time to be broken), will be to go through a secure check-out system on the Apple Store and receive a unique, numbered download URL which will only be valid for a few minutes after purchase.

Stay tuned for much more iPhone 2.0/3G news, including one of the first hands-on reviews anywhere, throughout Friday (the 11th) and the coming weekend! Rumors will be posting frequently, 24 hours a day, as the Apple event of the year unfolds — don’t miss a minute of it!