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Start 'em young with a jailbroken iPhone toy
Ask any parent, and they will tell you that you need to start your kids young and surround them with toys to stimulate their development. There is no better toy for the next generation saurik or geohot than the not-so-creatively named "Smart Phone" toy fresh out of China. Why is this phone so perfect for budding anti-DRM enthusiasts? The toy cell phone features an array of iPhone application icons, including one for the renegade Cydia application repository, enabling young jailbreakers to get their first taste of unofficial apps even before the apps actually work. Thanks to the good folks in China, this "Smart Phone" has been jailbroken prior to shipment and is available in dollar stores for your child's indoctrination enjoyment.
Toy smartphone jailbreak: top tech trend for 2011?
Not since we ran into Benign Girl at the Dollar General have we been so taken with a toy cellphone. Yours now for a mere 99 cents, Smart Phone (creative name!), proves what we suspected all along: in Shenzhen, even children's playthings are jailbroken. But please be careful, as this thing is only recommended for users over the age of four. Get a closer look after the break. [Thanks, Josh]
Bodega 1.3 available, a fun alternative to the Mac App Store
With most Mac users happily anticipating the availability of the Mac App Store on January 6, many seem to forget that there has been an App Store for Mac for quite some time -- Bodega. Bodega is an app discovery and download gateway from Freshcode. The app can be downloaded by anyone for free, and the store is constantly stocked with new apps from a variety of Mac developers. The update provides bug fixes as well as performance and feature improvements, while maintaining the fun "corner store" look and feel that has been a trademark of Bodega. Ahead of the release of the Mac App Store, Freshcode is pushing Bodega to developers as an alternative with many advantages: No approval process for apps, although they must not be blatantly offensive or contain illegal content or information No restrictions on APIs used within apps Developers keep 93 percent of the sale price as revenue, compared to the Mac App Store's 70 percent There's no need to write a special version of an app to be included in Bodega No developer program charges or costs It appears that the Mac marketplace may soon have a surplus of App Stores, since Cydia's Jay "Saurik" Freeman is also developing a similar store. For Mac users, finding and purchasing apps is going to be as easy as clicking an icon -- or several of them. TUAW readers can get a taste of Bodega by downloading the app here. Editor's note: Bodega is going to thrive with the advent of the Mac App Store.
360 MacDev: Jay "saurik" Freeman on the jailbreak store for Mac apps
When it comes to jailbreaking, there's probably no name as familiar to the development community than that of Jay "saurik" Freeman. Jay is the brain behind the Cydia App Store, and this morning he gave the attendees of 360|MacDev an overview of his upcoming jailbreak store for Mac OS X, cycript, and Cydia Substrate. Currently, Cydia Installer has been used by about 10% of all iPhone users, or about 10 million devices. There are well over 30,000 packages available for iOS, and a lot of open source material can be downloaded from Cydia. He refers to Cydia as a store for things that are not apps, but extensions of what iOS devices can do. Freeman felt that the same type of store would be useful for Mac OS X devices; the result is a Mac Cydia, which will be available "within weeks." With today's news that the Mac App Store will not support in-app purchases, something that is critical to the freemium app model that is so successful in the iOS world, a Mac Cydia might be just the web store for a number of Mac developers. Before discussing the Mac Cydia, however, Freeman spent quite a while taking Apple to task for their horrible developer documentation and for the restrictions that are common in the Apple development world. He foresees many of Apple's restrictions moving to the Mac App Store. Developers who are interested in getting their products into Mac Cydia were told to contact an employee at patrick at saurikit.com for further details.
AirVideoEnabler ready for jailbroken iPhones/iPads, streams video to Apple TV
Apple's much-awaited AirPlay service disappointed a lot of users when it shipped without API access for third-party apps -- you can only send video from iOS devices out to the Apple TV from Apple-blessed apps like Video and YouTube. But that hasn't stopped hackers from trying to figure out how to share more video across that AirPlay connection, and here they've gone and done it. Above, you can see a jailbreak app called AirVideoEnabler in action, that will push out video from any iOS app (including Safari) to the Apple TV. The app was supposed to be for sale in the Cydia store, but the creator, TUAW commenter Zone-MR, says he's decided to make it free instead. You can add it from his repo, or look for it on your favorite repository soon. Of course, the catch here is that you'll need to be running a jailbroken iOS device, which means it can't really be a mainstream patch in terms of fixing Apple's AirPlay deficiencies. And if, like our own Victor Agreda, you wanted to stream this video to anything other than an Apple TV (like a MacBook or any other connected device), this solution won't help you there, either. But it's a sharp demonstration of what the hacker community can do, even over Thanksgiving weekend. Maybe if it's this simple for Zone-MR to pull off, Apple will see fit to bless the AirPlay APIs for use in App Store apps soon.
AirVideoEnabler hack brings AirPlay video to the rest of your apps
Apple's new AirPlay video streaming functionality is great... unless you want to use it in a non-Apple app. For whatever reason, Apple is restricting AirPlay video to just its first party apps right now, and not even all of those (Safari is left out, for instance). Interestingly, Apple actually built the functionality in, it's just not enabled. Thanks to some "spelunking" work by TUAW's Erica Sadun, it was discovered that a single line of code is all that's necessary to spread the feature to any app that relies on Apple's MediaPlayer framework, including VLC, AirVideo, and even Safari. Now Zone-MR has built a hack called AirVideoEnabler and put it on Cydia, allowing you to bring this functionality to your own jailbroken iPad. For the hack-averse, let's hope Apple catches up in functionality soon. Check out a video of AirVideoEnabler and Erica's original hack in action after the break.
iOS 4.2.1 Jailbreak hits with updated redsn0w
The Dev-Team Blog was just updated with a new redsn0w version 0.9.6b4 jailbreak (based on Geohot's Limera1n bootrom exploit) for iOS 4.2.1. Unfortunately, iOS device owners won't find jailbreaking as easy as navigating to a website. And the 4.2.1 jailbreak is currently "tethered" so owners of the iPhone 4, iPad, and newer iPhone 3GS and iPod touch models will have to reattach to a PC or Mac to boot into a jailbroken state each time your device loses power or needs a reboot. Those of you who rely on the ultrasn0w unlock should hold off for now -- good advice for anyone not comfortable with terms like "SHSH blobs" or "Cydia." Everyone else can hit up the link below with a detailed how-to provided by Redmond Pie.
FaceIt-3GS brings FaceTime to your jailbroken 3GS
Ah, the beautiful, ever-useful jailbreak and the developers that make it worthwhile. It's already unlocked the magic of FaceTime over 3G, and now it's making FaceTime capable with any old iPhone 3GS handset (thanks to the iPhoneIslam Team, who did the heavy lifting). Of course, lacking a front facing camera, the resulting video chat might be a little short on faces, but the functionality certainly isn't hurting anybody. Right, Apple? Hit up the app on Cydia and start streaming to your heart's content, and if you're wary there's a demo video after the break. [Thanks, Moe]
iPhone 4 Mobile Spy lets you keep an eye on employee iPhone usage
For corporations who want to make sure that employees are following Acceptable Use Policies or parents who want to make sure that their kids aren't texting while driving, there's now a solution. Florida-based Retina-X Studios has announced Mobile Spy for iPhone 4, a combination of an iPhone app and a service that allow anxious parents and business owners to track usage of the phone without the user's knowledge. According to Retina-X, you install the Mobile Spy app onto the phone you wish to track. It reloads at every restart, and has no icon or screen -- it's running completely in background. While it's running, Mobile Spy captures call activity, SMS text messages, the location of the user (updated every 30 minutes), contacts stored and added to the phone, all inbound and outbound email activity, all websites visited, and all photos and videos taken by the phone. All of that information is then uploaded stealthily to the Mobile Spy servers. The customer can log in and view the activities in almost real time.
Hack to defeat Middle East FaceTime block
After a sudden disappearance, it has been confirmed that many Middle Eastern carriers do not support FaceTime. Now, the team at iPhoneislam.com has offered a hack to get the service working. To make it work, you'll need a jailbroken iPhone 4 and the Cydia app. Once you've added apps.iphoneislam.com to Cydia, grab FaceTime Hacktivator. From there, you should be good to go. Keep in mind that you jailbreak your iPhone at your own risk. If you're comfortable with that process and adding apps via Cydia, then have at it. [Via The Mac Observer]
SwirlySMS brings free SMS app to iPad 3G
Released today, "SwirlySMS free for iPad 3G" offers a free SMS solution that allows you to send and receive messages from your iPad 3G. This is a jailbreak-only solution. Available from the Cydia store, the new app uses your iPad's SIM to introduce native texting without having to hack your way into command-line solutions. The application should work with any supported SIM that offers SMS features. You will be charged for SMS text messages according to the plan associated with your SIM card. I do not believe it's possible to add SMS packages to the native plan, so if the app works at all, you'll likely be charged $0.25/text at the standard US AT&T a la carte rate. The app has been tested primarily in Sweden on the Telia network, but its developers have been doing SMS apps for three years now -- so it's a good bet that things should work out of the box with standard AT&T SIMs for United States users. Given that the app is free, if you have any problems, I'm sure the devs will offer a full money-back guarantee. After thoroughly testing the software with your equipment, you can upgrade to a no-ad version for five bucks, or a full-featured MMS/SMS app (SwirlyMMS) for twelve. %Gallery-105095%
Cydia merges with Rock, becomes your one-stop jailbroken iOS app shop
4.6 million installs later, Rock Your Phone is no more -- but over the next few days, it will join with rival Cydia to form what will surely be the largest alternative iOS app store. Not simply a merger of platforms, the deal will apparently see Cydia and Rock's software teams merge as well -- meaning not only should Rock users have all their software licenses transferred over, but that Rock-exclusive features (like backups) are now on the roadmap for Cydia, too. We'd recommend that jailbreakers the world over take to the streets to celebrate the joyous news, but sadly there's still some work to be done.
Alliance of the jailbreakers: Cydia acquires Rock
It's official: the two largest jailbreak app stores for the iOS platform, Cydia and Rock, are getting together. ModMyi is reporting that Jay Freeman (AKA Saurik) and Mario Ciabarra (AKA psuskeels) have been working through an acquisition of Rock Your Phone, Inc. by SaurikIT, LLC for several months now. That deal became official last night, and over the next 10 days there will be a transition from Rock to Cydia where users can continue to purchase and download apps from the Rock app. After that time, users will need a Cydia store login to continue buying apps. Many of the themes and apps on Rock are already found on Cydia; the remainder will be transferred to Cydia as soon as possible. According to the post, Ciabarra will continue producing the Intelliborn line of jailbreak apps, which includes such big titles as MyWi, Tlert, MyProfiles, My3G, and Intelliscreen. At a recent "geek lunch" in Denver that Erica Sadun and I attended, Ciabarra noted that Rock Your Phone has been quite successful, with total revenues from startup in March of 2009 accumulating to over US$3 million in August of 2010. Ciabarra's comments in the post indicate that he prefers doing app development to enhancing platform functionality, so the acquisition will let him get back to doing what he does best and loves the most. Although the two stores have both had their supporters and detractors, the merging of Cydia and Rock should be a win for the two companies and for the jailbreak community as well.
Expose on jailbroken iPhones with Multiflow
This app requires a jailbroken iPhone, but it's pretty neat. Multiflow brings Expose-like functionality to iOS 4.0.1. Installation should be familiar to anyone with a jailbroken iPhone. Enter Cydia and search for "Multiflow." It is a paid app, so bring your US$4.99. Once installed, you'll want to select an activation method. There are several options, like a double press or press-and-hold of the home button, singe or short press of the headset button or sleep button or shake. Once you're set, try it out. Four windows will be displayed at a time representing running apps. Tap anyone to bring it up front, or hit the "X" to quit it entirely. It's a nifty alternative to Apple's fast app switching. If you've got a jailbroken iPhone and 5 bucks you'd like to part with, check it out.
iCade-like "Freekade" iPad arcade cabinet up for auction
Last April -- as is their recent tradition -- ThinkGeek put on its show of April Fool's Day items. Most of these fake items are of the "OMG I need to have that!" variety, like the Tauntaun sleeping bag from a past year. This past April's list included the "iCade" iPad gaming cabinet, which would have allowed you to slide your iPad into a wood-vaneer, classic-looking mini arcade cabinet. Just because it was a fake item doesn't mean someone else could take a stab at it, and that's just what happened. You can now bid on the pictured item -- dubbed the "Freekade" -- to have your very own iCade-like iPad mount. The controls work via Bluetooth and require a jailbroken iPad and emulated games provided via the Cydia store. Check out the video demo after the break (just turn your volume down -- the clackety-clack of the arcade buttons is annoying as hell). If you're not one to go bidding on something like this, it'll reportedly be available on an online store in the future. I half wish someone would just make a cheaper, non-functional version of this thing just to serve as an iPad dock.
Celebrity Nerds: Justin Long jailbreaks his iPhone like a PC guy (video)
Celebrity Nerds confirms what you always knew, deep in your heart of hearts: that stars are nerds like us. Send in your own confirmations of this fact right here. With his contract to Apple now a thing of the past, we guess Justin Long's not the smug, overconsuming Mac archetype we'd always assumed. We've gotta give credit to a man who sticks it to his former employer by busting out of the walled garden as demonstrated by the Cydia icon's appearance on Long's iPhone during a visit to Jimmy Kimmel Live. Then again, jailbreakme made the process so easy even a hollywood actor could do it, so who knows. Update: Video embedded after the break. Skip ahead to the 7:04 mark for the evidence. Update 2: A theory has emerged in comments that the show's producer, not Justin, is responsible for the jailbreak. The idea is supported by the fact that Cydia and the TVOutTuner apps are sitting in what would typically be the most recently installed app positions (assuming all other screens are full), with the latter app required to mirror the iPhone's display on that big monitor. [Thanks, Riyan and SeanL9941]
Older Apple iOS devices must jailbreak to be secure -- oh the irony
Remember that nasty PDF bug that allowed potentially malicious code to be executed on your iOS device? Right, the one that Apple recently patched with the iOS 4.0.2 software update, slamming the door on jailbreakme.com. Well, if you own the original iPhone or iPod touch you're still at risk since Apple's update isn't compatible with those devices. Hell, many iPhone 3G owners are also at risk after rolling back their handsets to iOS 3.1.3 due to sluggish (to put it mildly) performance running iOS 4. So what can you do to protect yourselves? Jailbreak. As counterintuitive as that sounds, Jay Freeman (aka @saurik) just released a patch onto Cydia (search for "PDF Patch") for all iOS devices, no need to update to 4.0.2. Of course, jailbreaking presents its own set of risks, so be careful -- and for crissake be sure to change the root password if you install SSH.
'Signal' jailbreak app for iPhone maps out your towers, turns death gripping into a pastime
If you're familiar with Android apps like CellFinder, you've got a good idea for what this is -- and the name "Signal" is a pretty accurate representation, too. Basically, iPhone Dev Team member planetbeing has thrown together a neat little app that shows you signal strengths of your phone's connections to nearby cell towers along with their position relative to you (if the positions can be determined), an especially welcome utility considering that you can't access Apple's old "field test mode" in iOS 4. Our favorite part, though, has to be planetbeing's desire to turn this from mere information into entertainment -- and to hopefully take the edge off your pain and deep-set resentment over the signal strength and call dropping issues in your iPhone 4 -- by adding a mode where your goal is to get the signal to drop completely, at which point you'll hear the voice of Spock announce a Vulcan death grip. Who knew an engineering defect could be so much fun? If you're jailbroken -- or you're willing to jailbreak -- you can score Signal in Cydia for a five-spot. Follow the break for video of the app in action. [Thanks, Pytey]
iPhone 4 unlock available now (update: video!)
var digg_url = 'http://digg.com/apple/iPhone_4_unlock_is_now_available'; It's the moment that many of you have been waiting for: the Dev-Team's ultrasn0w carrier unlock for iPhone 4 is out. You'll find version 1.0-1 of ultrasn0w in Cydia on jailbroken devices. If not, just add the repo666.ultrasn0w.com repository. It works for iPhone 4 baseband 01.59 and 3G/3GS basebands 04.26.08, 05.11.07, 05.12.01 and 05.13.04. If none of this makes sense then you've got no reason unlocking your device in the first place, buddy. Update: No-nonsense video embedded after the break showing how to jailbreak and unlock. Easy peasy. [Thanks, Adam]
hacksugar: Move past FieldTest with Signal
Missing FieldTest? It was a "secret" iPhone application that used to report all kinds of basic signal and connectivity details for your phone. You could access it by typing a special sequence (*3001#12345#*) into the Phone app. Field Test would list your local cell towers, their ids, relative strengths, and so forth. Apple ditched Field Test in iOS 4, which made a lot of people sad. Having that information in-hand can really help with certain diagnostic uses of the phone, not to mention assist with home brew location calls. (Core Location has not been available from the command line, making home brew workarounds a handy asset.)
