iPhone v1.1.1 firmware gets the Jailbreak treatment

For all you fanatics on the edge of your seat over the iPhone v1.1.1 hacking situation, there's some good news on the horizon. According to Erica Sadun -- one of the soldiers heading up the fight to break Apple's stranglehold -- the iPhone / iPod touch dev team have indeed managed to Jailbreak the new update. Apparently, the general-use tool hasn't made a showing yet, but baby steps have been taken, and the goods are sure to follow. So what can you expect? Third party apps are working, but will probably need to be recompiled due to the new frameworks, Springboard won't recognize DisplayOrder.plist (included apps now seem to be hard-coded into the Springboard app), you can activate the phone with third-party workarounds, and the Mobile Terminal and BSD suite work, as well as ARM-compiled command-line utilities. Of very interesting note: Erica says that the new firmware references both Nike and a radio, and that the devs are taking up a fund to buy a cake and deliver it to Apple, courtesy of "the Crazy Ones." She says the Jailbreak isn't "ready for prime time," and based on this info we tend to agree, but if you really want the full scoop, truck over to TUAW and check out the info for yourself.

[tony valentine @ Oct 8th 2007 1:03PM]

sweet...

[peternj @ Oct 8th 2007 5:47PM]

Hang on Apple can do no wrong. This is unfair to Jobs, he needs to be in control. We should be happy to pay and pay Apple for stuff that this evil Jail break woman would give us for free!

Seriously I am so happy. I wish all you iPhone owners the same apps that have been available with ease on Windows Mobile... I wonder if she could activate the Asian keyboard. It's already installed on the iPhone but Jobs needs to play pocket pool with his options. Hate to think how sticky his phone screen gets.

[tony valentine @ Nov 11th 2007 2:29AM]

it's about time...

[nate @ Oct 8th 2007 1:04PM]

i want some cake...

[Ike Turner @ Oct 8th 2007 1:06PM]

Plays Lucas Arts' Full Throttle after editing some Excel sheets and using TomTom to navigate to my current location, etc...wooo gotta love my HTC Trinity

[rob @ Oct 8th 2007 1:06PM]

Anyword on the modem baseband reflash?

[Mehdi Cheddadi @ Oct 8th 2007 1:06PM]

I DON'T HAVE AN IPHONE SO I DON'T CARE! this is not iphonefanboy.com so STFU with it already!

[Tony @ Oct 8th 2007 1:15PM]

Go play elsewhere peasant. Or better yet; get a job so that maybe you can afford a decent phone.

[Argot @ Oct 8th 2007 1:23PM]

@Tony

"a decent phone"? Like one you don't have to break into to get basic functionality?

[Mindfield @ Oct 8th 2007 1:25PM]

Do you people pay no attention whatsoever? There's an Apple-free RSS feed. If Apple notes piss you off so much, go read the Apple-free RSS feeds. Or don't read the Apple entries. Or piss off. Your comments serve absolutely no purpose here.

[Alexander @ Oct 8th 2007 2:19PM]

but I read the Apple entries to watch the fires burn...

[paloooz @ Oct 8th 2007 3:09PM]

@argot -

Basic features like what?

Making phone calls, checking voice mail, sending and receiving text messages, checking the weather, surfing the internet, playing music and video, checking stocks, making calculations, setting up calender events that sync with your computer, browsing photos, capturing photos, checking your email, receiving rich html emails with attachments such as PDFs, Excel and word documents, iWork documents, taking notes, setting up alarms, finding your way with Google Maps, watching youtube videos, buying music straight from the phone, etc...

Those kinds of basic features? You don't have to hack an iPhone to get those features, they are already on it.

[Argot @ Oct 8th 2007 4:14PM]

@paloooz:

No. Basic like the ability to send MMS, cut/paste, send SMS using lists in your phonebook and not least basic feature like the ability to run whatever 3rd party application you like, and not only those blessed by Jobs.

[Lemmiwinks @ Oct 8th 2007 4:15PM]

Please point your attention (and web browser) to Engadget's Apple-free information feeds.

[CharlieX @ Oct 8th 2007 1:06PM]

I don't know. Is hacking the iphone really that exciting? It's an OK cellphone, plays my music, and I watch movies on the plane. After that I just use my laptop... Or is it just the thrill?

[manfesto @ Oct 8th 2007 1:24PM]

For some, yes, it is a big deal. Some of the third-party iPhone apps are pretty amazing and add functionality many felt were missing from the iPhone originally - file browser, instant messaging, shell and SSH, etc.

/*Plus, Blackjack is pretty awesome - tap the screen to hit, swipe the screen to stay. Fun!*/

Basically, you know whether or not you want to hack your iPhone - if you want that extra functionality, you hack. If not, there's no need.

//Also, until iToner/iPhoneRingtoneMaker get updated, hacking will be the ONLY way to get custom ringtones onto the iPhone

[Rex @ Oct 8th 2007 1:08PM]

Oh man. If these hackers devoted the a tenth of the energy they spend trying to break proprietary software, to beneficial, profitable pursuits, they'd be billionaires.

Can't imagine what this site is going to like if there is ever a Google phone. Guess it's time to find another technology info site.

[Boynamedsue @ Oct 8th 2007 1:45PM]

i love these kind of comments. Yes, rex, thats true, and if you donated all the money you probably spend on gadgets or whatever you could feed kids in africa.

you can one-up anyone and say what they should be doing. how about you forget about what they should be doing and go fucking do it yourself.

[Corndog @ Oct 8th 2007 2:22PM]

Don't let the door hit you in the ass on the way out.

[Mike @ Oct 8th 2007 5:38PM]

Don't forget to write!

[Ryan Karolak @ Oct 8th 2007 1:12PM]

One word: w00t!

[wireless.nemo @ Oct 8th 2007 1:13PM]

OH THANK GOD. now I can sleep peacefully at night....

[Tony @ Oct 8th 2007 1:16PM]

I LOVE the cake idea!! LOL!! Sweet touch!

[JJV @ Oct 8th 2007 1:18PM]

i can almost hear Steve Jobs yelling at his iPhone code writers.

[Lucas Couvreur @ Oct 8th 2007 2:19PM]

Hahahaha You made my day! :D

[JJV @ Oct 8th 2007 2:26PM]

Cool. haha

[John Cavanagh @ Oct 8th 2007 1:28PM]

You've got to give credit to those on the iPhone hacking front, they are some very talented individuals who are very good at what they do. Kudos to them!

[Jed @ Oct 8th 2007 1:38PM]

Where's this bit about the cake and 3rd party activation schemes working?

[Snitch @ Oct 8th 2007 1:46PM]

Well thats it for me no more third party apps, maybe apple is right on this one and web apps are really the way to go for your own security, who would not want that if a virus is unleaded only a server gets hit instead of every unit out there, i dont know but sometimes its true when they say nothing is free

[Hexxeh @ Oct 8th 2007 2:00PM]

Has this been confirmed to work on the iPod Touch?

[bugmat @ Oct 8th 2007 2:28PM]

Don't think the IPDT has focused too much on the Touch...I hope so though as I recall them supposedly having similar security software?! I've been waiting tohear how succesful they are before buying one myself!

[bugmat @ Oct 8th 2007 2:15PM]

Long live the hackers!

*puts iPhone back on Christmas wishlist*

[dang @ Oct 8th 2007 2:20PM]

H*ll yeah!

[rawhead @ Oct 8th 2007 2:21PM]

OK, somebody tell me if my reasoning is flawed.

If some 3rd party apps are ready to go and apparently others will run with but a recompile, can't we not say that Apple, contrary to what people have been saying (and true to their word, although in a convoluted way), isn't doing all they can to stop 3rd party apps running on the iPhone? I mean, as it has been pointed out before, if they really wanted to do that, it would be pretty easy -- authenticating an app with a digital signature before letting it run, for example.

[Ayle @ Oct 8th 2007 4:04PM]

THat's what Sony has always been doing but homebrew apps still run, the program signing is not the way to go if you want to prevent 3rd party apps...

[rawhead @ Oct 8th 2007 4:14PM]

But therefore PSP homebrewers have to rely on custom firmware, which is a LOT trickier and riskier than the current (by which I mean v.1.0.2 and possibly 1.1.1 with a recompile) solution, which is simply "get in the file system, copy over app., boom!". And by making running 3rd party apps that much trickier and riskier, it will effectively discourage many "casual" hackers, which, let's face it, we all know is the best that Apple can hope for; no matter what they do, the hard-core hackers are always gonna win ;-)

[Geier @ Oct 8th 2007 2:25PM]

YEAH Ecrica you rock together with all the others! of course they will break it! Or do apple think they got better coders than the people out there...no gods on earth...only really good people.

[Ray @ Oct 8th 2007 2:51PM]

Can someone please tell me if anyone has managed to hack the iPhone so that it can play flash in safari? If not, is anyone working on this?

To me, it is way more important than unlocking, etc...

[Hans Luijten @ Oct 8th 2007 2:53PM]

We should send the cake casted in transparent plastic ... you can look, want it, and drewl,... but you can't touch it !
:-)

[JkEw @ Oct 8th 2007 3:13PM]

HA HA That's a great idea!

[dagamer34 @ Oct 8th 2007 2:53PM]

Jailbreak status of iPod Touch?

[turn_self_off @ Oct 8th 2007 3:40PM]

with all the effort put into hacking the iphone, why cant they instead get a fic neo and code up some stuff on it?

but then i guess that would not get their "face" on a "important" page like engadget, now would it?

[castleinsider @ Oct 8th 2007 3:42PM]

Just goes to show, the stupid americans will always be years behind the Brits. We're so far ahead when it comes to cellphone technology, not to mention technology in general. When it comes to technology, the british are the best in the world.

[Ayle @ Oct 8th 2007 4:09PM]

Huh? How is this relevant to the article?

[dj-kenpo @ Oct 8th 2007 4:14PM]

....
ya.
when it comes to being snotty assholes ranting about their own self importance, brits are also top o tha world.

[Aman Patel @ Oct 8th 2007 8:18PM]

@ castleinsider

You sir are an ass-hat!

[Matt @ Oct 10th 2007 5:15PM]

that's great that you're so far ahead.
So where are your iPhones?
Actually, more importantly, where are your reasons for saying that?
Especially when the U.S. is obviously ahead of the Brits in technology.
Last time I checked we spend at least 5x more on R&D (don't know how recently though, might be a little off.) And not just compared to the U.S., but worldwide the Brits are definitely not the most advanced. How do you think Britain compares with Finland and Japan?

[madwh @ Oct 8th 2007 3:44PM]

STEVE JOBS KNOW WHAT'S BEST FOR YOU!! STOP HACKING IPHONE OR YOU'LL BE SORRY!!

[john @ Oct 8th 2007 3:47PM]

Allow 3rd party apps + "allow" unlocking = far more sales.

What part of that equation does Apple not understand?

No 3rd party apps + bricking = low sales = competition wins = iphone fades away.

[Don @ Oct 8th 2007 6:13PM]

Exactly. I won't buy the phone until I can load what I want to on it.