Unlocking Hboot 2.16 with sabotaged unlock tools/websites

Hi folks --

I am with FreedomPop (aka. FP). FP is forcibly retiring devices that can't run on ICS or
better-- including all unmodified EVO 4Gs. More specifically, the Play Store is refusing to
download FP's lastest app -- the one that provides its VOIP behaviors -- to Gingerbread
devices. However, one user posted to FP's forum as follows: "I updated The HTC EVO 4g rom to
4.0.4 sense. The phones are working perfectly, " with only the loss of WiMax (which is being
discontinued). I don't know what this user means by "perfectly", but I would like to find
out.

I started with my EVO 4G running Android 2.3.5, hboot 2.18, build 5.07.651.6, and radio
2.15.00.01.15. Guided by instructions from HTCEvoHacks (which use Captain Throwback's
Method), I down-dated my phone to Android 2.3.3, hboot 2.16, build 4.24.651.1, and radio
2.15.00.05.02. But I wasn't able to complete the down-dating / re-rooting process because
Sprint/HTC/Google have sabotaged Revolutionary.io. In fact, my research shows that they have
disabled/taken-over all unlock-code-computing tools/websites other than HTCdev. And
unfortunately, I don't believe that HTCdev's code will work for hboot 2.16. In short, I
think that I just shot myself in the face.

Here are my goals. I want to end up running ICS or better -- preferably with a fully
functional camera. Losing 4G is okay. I want to be permanently rooted so that I can run
Nandroid and Titanium backups. Can someone please point me in the right direction? If I end
up having to re-update to hboot 2.18, should I do that by performing a "firmware update" or
an "HTC software update"?

I'm running on WinXp Sp3.

-- Thanks