Jailbreak

Catch-up time: QuickPWN for Mac was released a few short days ago. This go-around is for all of the Mac peeps out there looking to jailbreak the 2.0.2 firmware.  Still no software solution for unlocking, though...  sorry folks.  

It is important to note:

We had mentioned the prototype of iControlPad more than a couple months ago, but it has popped up again looking a little bit more finalized and a lot BIGGER. Back in May, I had compared the original model to a PSP, but I think this edition looks more like the Sega Game Gear from years back. This thing is huge!

Cool. Who else loves this cat and mouse game that Apple and the iPhone dev team have with one another? First one goes and the other quickly follows, you gotta admit, at the very least it makes for good theater. At best? Well, a jailbroken iPhone of course!

This time around 2.0.2 has been pwned and is available to us via Pwnage Tool 2.0.3. It's Mac-Only so Windows users will have to use QuickPwn. PwnageTool 2.0.3 includes the newest build of Installer.app. Heads up to those waiting for QuickPwn to come to the Mac (I am), they state that it's about a week away.

But bad news for those still looking for a baseband unlock of the iPhone 3G since there are no significant updates on that front. Well, I guess we can't have everything right?

Obviously, this tip won't apply to everyone. The 'killswitch' is there to remotely remove potentially malicious apps on your iPhone. Apple has stated before that to not have a 'killswitch' would simply be negligible on their part. So if Apple is activating the 'killswitch' they'll have good reason. But for those who would rather keep all the Apps that may not be okay by Apple's standards, this is the easiest way to disable the 'killswitch'.

So for those with jailbroken iPhones, you can sleep a little easier at night knowing that you've turned Big Brother off. Simply point your jailbroken iPhone to Cydia and download BossPrefs and you'll see the switch to switch off the 'killswitch'. Viva La Revolucion.

This is fun. It's like a game of cat and mouse between Apple firmware and the jailbreaking community, Apple launches an update and the iPhone-dev team works feverishly to jailbreak said update. This time, they are said to be putting the finishing touches on PwnageTool 2.0.2 which will be able to jailbreak the "snappier" 2.0.1.

Excited much? Well, there still won't be Installer.app because Installer 4 isn't ready for the primetime yet but a new version of Cydia will be there so you can still get some apps. There still is a lot of catching up to do on developing jailbroken apps and it still won't unlock the iPhone 3G, but all in due time. We'll follow up with a link to PwnageTool 2.0.2 when it is released.

While most of us have installed the 2.0.1 update (or, ahem, are still waiting for a backup we started last night to finish so we can install it), there's a key group of folks that should stay away: Jailbreakers and unlockers. As is always the case when a new update comes out, our advice to these users is to wait and see how the iPhone hacking community responds. Right now, according to iphone-dev , they appear to be responding with a teensy bit of bravado:

So a new employment opportunity popped up at Apple's job listings the other day and Apple is looking for an experienced iPhone Security Engineer to create "proof of concept" attacks on current security mechanisms and provide risk analysis of potential security threats. Basically, Apple needs an iPhone Hacker to prevent future jailbreaks, unlocks, and security breaches.

So if any of you are good at what you do and want to work for the "good guys", go give it a try. Apple is trying to ramp up security to protect enterprises who are adopting iPhone 2.0 and more selfishly, protect their own App Store from competition ahem Cydia & Installer. Either way, Apple is getting serious about security and the iPhone.

Installer.app, the app store before that other app store, is coming back for firmware 2.0 and being re-fashioned as Installer 4. Currently, jailbroken 2.0 iPhones are using Cydia as their main app pipeline but when Installer 4 is released, well, they'll likely play nice with one another and especially nice with that other app store.

The RiP Dev Blog has a lot of complicated, programmer's type language describing the updates for Installer 4.0 so I'll try to translate to more understandable, layman's terms: It's going to be faster, safer, and more integrated. Bang.

Tired of the three-percenter Mac population hogging all the iPhone Unlock/Jailbreak/Pwnage goodness for their eye-candied, single-button'ied selves? No longer!

The Windows version of the iphone-dev team's Pwnage tool, WinPwn, is now available:

Support for both 1.1.4 and 2.0, Custom Image Support, Custom Payload Support, 3g iPhone support

So, if you really want to Pwn your iPhone and haven't already hunted down that turtle-neck wearing snob at the sushi bar and commandeered the aluminum sliver that passes for his laptop, your Microsoft compatible version awaits...

Depending on your carrier, their terms of service (TOS), and your willingness to break said terms and face possible consequences including death-by-over-billing, you can now tether you newly pwned/jailbroken iPhone 3G to your laptop to share the mobile 3G internet connection anywhere and everywhere you go (your coverage area, of course, may vary).

The process is a little involved, according to Macrumors (via Cre.ations.net):