blackra1n
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iPad jailbreak: thanks Geohot, Comex (update: video!)
See that iPad above, notice anything peculiar? Yeah, blackra1n jailbreak as predicted with the Cydia app installed. No details or downloadables yet but it won't be long. All courtesy of Geohot, natch. Update: Though geohot broke the news, looks like @comex was a major contributor. Video of iPad as N64 console and more pics after the break. [Thanks to everyone who sent this in]
Contract-free refurb 8GB 3G $430 with free shipping
TUAW reader Conrad N. tipped us off to a nice 3G iPhone deal this morning. Buy.com is offering an 8GB 3G for just $430 with free shipping. While I wouldn't classify this as a red hot deal (a 3GS would have qualified) it's not bad for anyone who wants to pick up an inexpensive contract-free unit, for generous interpretations of the word "inexpensive". The 3G model works right out of the box with any AT&T SIM, although AT&T encourages you to sign up for an iPhone-specific plan. If you're only interested in basic phone service without data, you can buy a $10 O2 SIM at Best Buy (it's a re-branded AT&T SIM) good for 3 months of use, at 5 cents a text message and 17 cents per minute of airtime. That's great for developers who want to add a telephony-ready unit into their testing arsenal without signing up for a full contract, who don't want to use the phone except for testing and occasional use. If you want to use data, however, your best economy bet probably lies in jailbreaking and unlocking (with a tool like blackra1n or pwnage) and using one of T-Mobile's better-priced data plans. But be aware: because T-Mobile uses a different 3G frequency than AT&T, their data plans can only use EDGE service when accessed on the iPhone 3G. Want to use an existing AT&T data-plan enabled SIM? It should work out of the box but AT&T generally disapproves of that approach, and may (ahem) "encourage" you to upgrade to a (contract-enforced) official iPhone plan. So is the 3G a good iPhone to buy for four-hundred-plus dollars? Recall that the 3G is just a 1st generation system (model 1,2 -- i.e. 1st gen, 2nd iteration) with a few extra bells, whistles, and case design beyond the original model. The 3GS (model 2,1) is a far better system in terms of processor power and features, and we're half a year out from what will likely be the next (model 3,1) iPhone, let alone any (possibly mythical) tablet. I'd call this a "warm deal" at best.
Ven1 vid1 ja1lbreak1: Hands on with blackra1n
When it came time recently to jailbreak an iPod touch, I decided to take a look at George Hotz's BlackRa1n tethered solution. Unlike the Pwnage approach that creates a custom ipsw (iPhone software) bundle that you install via iTunes, the tethered approach communicates directly with your iPod or iPhone via the USB connector cable you use for normal syncing. That makes the tethered solution a very fast and easy-to-use approach, especially for units shipped with the 3.1.2 software installed. Download the BlackRa1n tool for both Windows and Mac from the GeoHot site. Complete instructions are available at his Weblog. If you own more than one iPhone unit, make sure you unplug all but one from the system before you start the jailbreak. Launch BlackRa1n and click the "make it ra1n" button. Then be patient and wait as the software does its job, including replacing your recovery logo (normally a picture of the iTunes logo and the connector cable) with a vanity image of the software's author. Be aware that the blackra1n jailbreak may present issues during reboot, forcing you into recovery mode and requiring BlackRa1n to launch properly. Hotz writes, "If your ipt2/3GS/ipt3 is rebooting into recovery after running blackra1n, this isn't a bug. It's a feature. You need to run blackra1n every time to boot it. This 'feature', called tethered jailbreak, is enabled by upgrades Apple made to the bootrom and the fact ipt3 uses nand flash." I did not experience this behavior on my iPod touch 2nd generation unit. It reboots without problem, and, no, it had not been jailbroken before. Once the jailbreak has finished and your iPhone has rebooted, you can run the on-device version of the BlackRa1n software to install Cydia, the Rock store, and (for iPhones) the sn0w unlock that allows phones to be used with other carriers. I found the whole process extremely easy to perform and would recommend it to anyone who had difficulties using Pwnage. The trade off, of course, is an easier install versus possible long-term reboot issues. It seems that my touch ducked the bullet on that one but that's only one experience among many. Although BlackRa1n is free software, the author asks for donations to support this effort, so he can continue providing tools in the future. A donate link appears on his home page.
Blacksn0w unlock available now for iPhone 3G and 3GS
There's no stopping the eternal tug-of-war between the powers that be and the hackers that will, and for the time being it looks like things are back in the hands of the hackers. As of noon today giddy jailbreakers can take the next step and go full-on with blacksn0w, the unlock for the latest 05.11.07 baseband (with tethering enabled to boot). And if that weren't enough, it looks like blackra1n RC3 is alive as well, with Mac and Windows support. What are you waiting for? Hit the read link to get started, if that's your thing. And the battle for the iPhone's immortal soul continues... [Via On The iPhone]
