iTunes 8 pwns PwnageTool
By Thomas Ricker 
posted September 11th 2008 6:26AM
posted September 11th 2008 6:26AM
Update: The problem seems to occur when you try to restore to an iPwned ipsw from a non-iPwned device. Syncing to an already Pwned device works fine.
Editor's note: The sentence above which states that the Dev Team's efforts are becoming "less relevant" is not an opinion which is endorsed by Engadget. Quite the contrary -- many of the editors here are die-hard fans of PwnageTool and the Team's work, and believe that their contributions to the iPhone community are hugely important. Thomas -- who lives in The Netherlands -- has a point in regards to users who previously had no access to the phone and were forced to import and unlock, or more casual users who likely find the App Store more approachable. Personally? I don't update my phone until the Dev Team has worked their magic, and they have Engadget's full support and respect. -- ed.
I use to have my iPod touch jailbroken. Before the 2.0 firmware was released I decided to get rid of it because there just wasn't anything truly worth having. It was fun to play around with and just to be able to do this stuff, but it wasn't actually useful. There were a few games I liked, but they weren't anything special and much better stuff is available from the AppStore, even the free stuff (there are some exceptions, such as PuzzManiac or whatever it is called, which I would have no problem paying for, but for some reason the developer decided to split it up into a huge number of individual applications which would just clutter up your iPod Touch. I wouldn't even take that for free. Still, none of it was really that great anyway.) Moreover, when updating firmware it was always best to do a restore and set up as a new device, not even recover from backup, which meant you lost all your app data and had to go back and set up your iPod touch how you wanted it again. It wasn't worth it.
3 friends in 3 different states, 3 iPhones, 3 bricked phones.
phone 1 - dock connector stopped working
phone 2 - bottom portion of the screen (dock/ slide to unlock) stopped responding
phone 3 - just stopped working
Problems happened even AFTER RESTORE
The Pwnage tool is very irrelevant.
you are completely wrong when you say "makes PwnageTool less and less relevant with each passing day".
For me the PwnageTool is the most relevant piece of software (besides the iPhone firmware itself) released in the last 5 years.
For as long as phone companies continue to rip everyone off (e.g. o2 in Ireland) with long contracts and hefty data plans the PwnageTool will continue to allow me to unlock and run on alternative providers networks.
It is completely relevant and will continue to be for a long while yet.
HARSH!! You guys used to be in support of Dev Team and now you snub them with this less relevant remark?
Pwnage is as relevant as ever: anyone needing an unlimited contact (girl/guy/spouse) can be on t-mobile in the States and have 5 unlimited numbers for $53 with tax. On AT&T the only way to do this is the everything plan which starts at $99 PLUS TAX. For a poor student like myself this is important. (I realize one can unlock with other tools, but I'm not finished)
Secondly, the appstore lockout. There are plenty of excellent apps out there still rejected by apple's system. Any instant messenger, voip, internet radio, or even games are far improved when you can LEAVE THEM RUNNING if you need to get a call/send a text/set a reminder, so that you can go back and it is still online/still playing/game paused.
And how about the lovely DropCopy? Send any file over to your phone via wifi in seconds and view it in MobilePreview??
I could go on. All I'm saying is that you sound quite ignorant and harsh to say that Pawnage is becoming irrelevant.
hey i have an iphone 3g, and i want to use with my normal sim card from at&t on at&t. But I dont want a data plan etc.. Do I need to jailbreak the phone or do i need to purchase one of those tubro sims?
Why shouldn't we be able to add programs to the iPod touch/iPhone? It has the capability and is continuously been touted as a PDA-like device: email, address book, safari, ect.
The App Store can only go so far because any and all apps have to be approved. Some great apps, such as Winterboard or Categories, will never make it to the App Store and thus if we want these apps we have to go around the App Store.
For anyone that says jailbreaking is unnecessary was missing out on mobilechat before it became an App Store app. IM+, AIM, and mobilechat from the App Store are not always on because they're missing that API for that capability and apple is holding off on the use of said API.
You see, BEFORE the App Store, mobilechat could run in the background and would notify you when you have new IM messages via a badge and number, much like how the current mail app has been doing it.
NOW, in order to use IM via iPhone/iPod touch, you have to leave the program running...
Where's the multitasking in that?
And yes, I know mobilechat can notify you if you get new messages via SMS or email, but its a temporary solution till he gets the API and makes the program work like it did during the firmware v1 days.
So, yeah, jailbreak may seem dumb now because they're still trying to rewrite old apps to work on the new 2.x.x, but I think it is worth it for apps that Apple won't allow.
All Apple has to do for me to keep me from Jailbreaking my iPhone is offer Winterboard as an App in the AppStore, and ColloQ. You give me those two things and I will stop completely.
Ran Pwnage tool 2.0.3 after upgrading to iTunes 8.
Of course i got the error message....freaked out....and solved like this:
1. restored to factory settings in iTunes which left me with an unlocked iPhone 2.0.2
2. downloaded QuickPwn and ran it, so I ended up with an unlocked pawned iPhone
3. alt-clicked the restore button in iTunes and searched for the restore created by Pwnage Tool.
4. Was happily ever after ;)
For more information as to why Jailbreak your iPhone, go and read this nice article:
http://sleepers.net/news/2008/09/06/why-jailbreak-iphone/
The article in a nutshell states:
Reason #1: Winterboard + Customization
Reason #2: Jailbreak to fix Apple’s bugs (App crashing
Reason #3: Cycorder (video) and Snapture (enhanced camera functions)
Reason #4: Launchers (ways to look at your apps and open them)
Reason #5: Cydia + Installer 4
Reason #6: Take Control of Your System
Reason #7: Unlocking
Enjoy
ENGADGET BECOMING LESS RELEVANT.go play toys with gizzmodo and leave the real stuff to the thinkers and tinkers that form our future(hackers and devs)
Hi,
I'm lost considering the options to unlock the iPhone 3G.
What are the software unlocking tools for the latest firmware ?
Thanks/Dany
I don't care I just pwned my iphone and now it says "the cake is a lie" when ever I get a text message + I have a companion cube slider so screw itunes 8 and 2.1 I'm not going back to the app store until apple lets me do things my way.
Yeah, gotta chime in on the whole "pwnage not irrelevant" bandwagon. Dude, when I can record and stream live video from an unjailbroken iPhone I'll think about going back. For now, I'm staying JB'ed.
And pwnage is TOTALLY relevant. Video is just the beginning of other things you can do.
while examining that picture, i couldn't notice the problem. because i was staring at those tits. seriously engadget, never put tits and tech in the same picture. tits ALWAYS win.
This whple substituting p for o thing is getting pld.
You silly, silly people... I live in an area (in the USA, no less) that doesn't have coverage from ATT, so I must jailbreak/unlock in order to be able to use my iPhone. I've also seen reports that the price of second-hand first-gen phones on eBay is going through the roof, which leads me to believe that since most of those phones will need pwnagetool at their final destinations, it's more important than ever. If the buyers were in areas that got coverage from official iPhone carriers, they wouldn't be ordering second-hand first-gen phones, would they?
DISGRACEFUL Engadget... sounds like one point of view, probably someone who doesn't either have an iPhone or even used a Jailbroken iPhone to see the difference.
Please bring a BALANCED view rather than the PRO Apple view which is often targeted at you.
Why Jailbreak??? two words 1) winterboard 2) intelliscreen
After reading this it really changes my opinion about this site and those who write for it. If they cannot see the benefits to jailbreaking they shouldn't be writing about anything computer related.
A bit off-topic, but does anyone know if iBlacklist still works on 2.1 after jailbreaking/unlocking? Does anyone have it running successfully on 2.1? It's one of the most important reasons why I jailbreak my phone. :)
The app store will never replace the jail breaking. Why? Simple, people love their freedom. You can't take that away from us. The app store doesn't give freedom! In fact, I've grown tired of waiting for all the awaited promises of apple.. BTW.. who wants all your "push messages" going through apples servers?? Remember what happened on activation time? Crashes, that's right. Apple just needs to lay down it's claws and open up the SDK so real apps can be developed, not these lame paper weights that are being posted by the groves via the app store.
Im glad there was an outlash of people saying PWNAGE IS NECESSARY, Im sorry but there was a big reason that microsoft, blackberry and palm didnt have a dedicated screening process and one place to buy all apps, THEY DIDNT WANT TO HAVE CONTROL, they didnt want to be BLAMED when a Limewire for WIndows mobile came out, Or A program for it to use it as a modem around sprint/att/etc's guidelines, You had control over what programs you looked for and found/installed.
Pwnage will ALWAYS have a BIG PLACE to all enthusiasts looking to take full UNRESTRICTED advantage of their phone. And its funny because i recall a law going into effect that stated any phone being sold had to have the ability to be unlocked and released by the carrier to be ported to another network, but apple seems to have completely ignored that and instead of solving the problem they are working against their customers in disabling the solutions they have provided for themselves, I would go as far as saying this should be considered just as serious as the Creative deboggle with working Vista drivers etc, If ATT Charges 2000$ to my bill and i get into legal battles with them, I sure as hell dont want to be with them, But id like my warranty to be in tact if possible, Them having no solution for this locks you into their service even further.
Dev Team, Keep on keeping on for as long as you can keep on.
And engadget, Why dont you stop philosophizing over what the iphones future is and get some hard proof or information on if the 2g iPod Touch will be able to be fully pwned ever, So that people who may want to buy it can buy it no worries and await our precious update to freedom.
As a long time Apple user and advocate, i feel a little disquiet at Apple's constant attempts to prevent the jailbreak/unlock community at every turn. This seems to fly in the face of the spirit of Apple's own beginnings (Blue boxes? Alternative OS? Homebrew hardware? Anti-Microsoft monopoly? Is this irony not lost on anyone?) As an owner of a 1st gen iPhone (bought here in OZ long before 3G was touted) I feel the DevTeam and its PwnageTool (for mac, please) continue to foster this original Apple spirit of little guys buried away in some small poorly kitted-out room cleverly fighting against a giant company...and preserving our rights to not be locked into obscenely overpriced contracts. Go guys!
It is amazing how Engadget tries to convince us every single day that the DevTeam is not relevant anymore. Bullshit. The only reason I bought an iPhone is because I knew I could jailbreak it. SSH, video recording, themes, UNIX subsystem... I can't live without these things.
Same, Erick. I use jailbroken apps multiple times on a daily basis.
For Ricker write an article as this one is a demonstration of his ignorance on the very subject matter he is suppose to be covering. So far, over 70% of the readership has responded that they find the fruits of the iphone dev teams labor not only relevant but a key part of what they love about the iphone experience. I will say, though, that if this is the level of competence producing material for Engadget, perhaps the true question isn't whether the PwnageTool is relevant, but if Endgadget is. If Ricker is any indication of what we can expect from Engadget, as much as I hate to say it, I gotta go with Gizmodo, or someone that is connected with world of technology as it exists today . Talk about dropping the ball. Ricker's article cites iTunes 8's ability to "sniff" out the pwnage technique as part of what makes it irrelevant, yet today, when to tool is released (a day after the official firmware release), it works with iTunes 8, and requires no additional hack for support. By the looks of it, I think we should be expecting another article by Ricker, this time on whether batteries are relevant on cell phones, or screens on laptops. Or, better yet, Engadget could pay someone else to publish rubbish thats slightly more relevant that Ricker's.
Without Terminal.app at the very least, I would no longer be interested in the iPhone as a platform.
I was really DISAPPOINTED when I found out that apple would not support my demands for my work in medical science. If that is intended, then let me know and I will never buy any shit from apple again. All I want to do is back up, read and edit my work while on the plane to some conference.
I hope that pwnage will make a convenient fix for that.
Now some more keywords so people will read this:
science pdf eps view buisness vim preview filesystem data storage svn cvs python latex emacs
Why do you guys keep this idiot anyways? You can find a much better guy/gal that will know how/when to shut up or not..
I could live without my jailbreak, but Apple has crippled the iPhone so badly that I can certainly use and want to use some of the features that I can't.
I was very disappointed when I got mine and discovered that a *large* number of the features I just took for granted on my little Nokia were not available on the iPhone or purposely crippled... for that reason alone I'd jailbreak the phone simply as a means of protest.
AppStore? Yah, there are some good apps to be had... but the fact that I can't do more than half the stuff I want to be able to do pisses me off.
Now... I'm off to jailbreak the new 2.1 update.
I just realized that the person who sent in that screenshot was listening to MIT's college radio station, that's the online stream from WMBR. nice.
buzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz marketing!!!
congrats!
In regards to Editor's Note: "Thomas -- who lives in The Netherlands -- "
Is there actually a point to mentioning that? One would assume an Editor's Note is short and concise additional information of which the editor feels it's necessary to convey to readers... what is your point with Thomas being Dutch? Why is that information important to readers? You are implying it has influence on Thomas' opinion, or even on the value or validity of his opinion... while he is so spot on... If you can't see how these type of 'hacking tools' eventually 'will' become obsolete for the majority of iPhone users it indicates a lack of vision on your part, not Apple's.
That said, I rather have the dev team works on proper App store apps instead of 'temporary' and obviously short-term 'solutions'.
"Microsoft didn't add support for PS3 games to the XBOX so it's their own fault and it 's justified it gets hacked to allow more features." "We're just going to continue hacking it till they do". You're basically giving yourself the right to hack any appliance that runs an OS just because it doesn't support all the feature you want. Well... my ATM doesn't offer me all the features and services I want either... In a world where moral values are hard to find I don't expect many to see my point, honestly, but most of the commenters here (and jailbreakers in general) are acting like a bunch of spoiled kids and the Dev team are getting the same type of support just like certain DVD rip / warez releasers. "Thanks for your hard work".... lol... Even the Apple support forums contain extremely long topic of people with crashing/hanging iPhones, mentioning they jailbreaked, and then demand Apple fixes their firmware.
It's easy to destroy something, try to create instead. Register at ADC, download SDK and off you go to really contributing to the iPhone community :D
- Proud "O"wner of jailed iPhone -
Forgive me my ignorance on the first part of my comment. Editor was trying to use the fact the iPhone was released in the Netherlands long after the first versions in the US as an excuse to 'still' hack the iPhone today.
While I'm on it, let me address the other cliche example...err... excuse... to jailbreak iPhones: "I'm too poor...." I.e. "MS Office is a rippoff so I 'need' to download a torrent". "I'm too poor to afford an AT&T iPhone plan so I 'need' a hacked one for another provider." Well, I'm too poor to afford a brand new Mercedes.... but unlike you I'm not going to claim I 'need' alternative methods to get one.
There's clearly some collective wishful thinking going on about this leading to Apple completely opening up the iPhone as you see fit. "Everyone else is doing it so it must be ok" ? And this collective and publicly backing up the Dev team... and how people respond to criticism on the Dev team, it's like you all 'realize' it's important to openly show to Apple how much support the Dev team has from Apple's customers so Apple will go easy on them and give them some space... so they can continue to hack their firmware and iTunes... keep dreaming.