Just get iOS 5 beta 2 and already wondering how to Jailbreak it? We recently showed you how to jailbreak iOS 5 beta 1 with Redsn0w. Fortunately, the process for beta 2 isn't much different. You'll simply need to use the beta 1 IPSW in order to jailbreak.

As always, betas are already buggy to begin with, and iOS 5 is no exception. The Dev-Team and many jailbreak devs are really only encouraging developers to jailbreak iOS 5 beta as of now. So if you are a developer (or a ninja who is afraid of nothing), follow along for a short walk-through.

Devices Supported

• iPod touch 3G
• iPod touch 4G
• iPad 1
• iPhone3GS
• iPhone4 (GSM)
• iPhone4 (CDMA)

And I can't say this enough times, if your device is not listed above, please do not attempt to jailbreak it on iOS 5!

What you need

• iOS 5 beta 1 IPSW from Apple's Developer Portal
• Redsn0w 0.9.8b1 - Mac Link, Windows Link

After you have iOS 5 beta 2 installed on your device and your version of iTunes upgraded to 10.5 beta 2, follow the steps below to jailbreak.

1. First launch Redsn0w.



2. It should ask you to navigate to a firmware file. Simply navigate to the iOS 5 beta 1 firmware file instead of beta 2.
3. Once you click next, Redsn0w will take a minute to do it’s thing. You should see a patching kernel message and that Redsn0w successfully recognized your firmware.



4. Next select the options you’d like Redsn0w to perform. I typically only select Install Cydia. It’s worth noting that this is where you will perform a tethered boot if needed as well. You will just select Just boot tethered for now if you need to do this or your device reboots or dies.



5. Redsn0w will now walk you through putting your device into DFU mode



6. After you’re successfully in DFU mode, simply let Redsn0w do its thing and you’re done!

That's it! The process is pretty much the same as the first time around. But if you do run into problems or have questions, make sure you check out our TiPb Jailbreak Forums. We've got tons of great members more than ready and willing to help!

Tips of the day will range from beginner-level 101 to advanced-level ninjary. If you already know this tip, keep the link handy as a quick way to help a friend. If you have a tip of your own you'd like to suggest, add them to the comments or send them in to news@tipb.com. (If it's especially awesome and previously unknown to us, we'll even give ya a reward...)

There have been some significant UI changes to Notification Center in iOS 5 beta 2, specifically, the way notifications are handled on the Lock Screen. In beta 1, notifications would simply appear as line items, with new notifications stacking as new line items, one after the other. In beta 2, if a single notification comes in, it now gets its own, newly styled popup.

In both cases, you could and can drag the associated app icon to unlock and be taken directly to the app, only the appearance of the first notification has changed. I addition, Apple has added a visible "window shade" UI element, complete with a little "gripper" handle, to the lock screen, above the single notification, so you can pull down the full list of recent notifications.

For alarms, the change is even more striking, as the addition of the "snooze" button seemed bitsy in the beta 1 UI but is now big and bold in the beta 2 UI (see above).

The most interesting part of this is that Apple is still working on, or experimenting with, the notifications user experience during the beta process. During previous iOS releases, the user experience for cut, copy, and paste, and for the multitasking fast app switcher and folders remained relatively unchanged during the beta process. (Though significant changes were made prior to the beta period, when it was still internal to Apple).

We know Apple hired the father of webOS notifications over a year ago, but also hired the developer of Jailbreak notifications just prior to the iOS 5 beta release. What, if any, impact that might be having on the betas is unknown, but it's tremendous to actually "see" Apple's design iterations on such a major new feature release.

Apple has just released iOS 5 beta 2 (build 9A5248d) for iPhone, iPod touch, iPad, and Apple TV, and iTunes 10.5 beta 2 for Mac. It's a rare Friday release for a company that, in the past, has typically released every second Tuesday.

It's also a large release, the iPhone 4 version weighing in at over 817MB (hey, those notifications gotta sit somewhere!).

As always, you need a paid developer account with Apple to get it (don't fall for those UDID slot sale scams!), and installing via Xcode is usually your safest bet.

If you're downloading now, be patient. Apple's servers are no doubt being slammed. When you get it, let us know what you think! And don't forget to head on over to our iOS 5 Forum for the latest discussions!

Update: iOS 5 beta 2 gallery

Apple has just released iOS 4.3 beta 2 for iPhone, iPod touch, iPad, and Apple TV to developers. This comes just one week after iOS 4.3 beta 1 was seeded, well ahead of Apple's usual every-two-weeks beta schedule.

Registered developers can grab it via the link below and if anyone notices any new features or other changes, drop us a line or let us know in comments!

[developers.apple.com]

Like clockwork Apple has released iOS 4.2 beta 3 for iPhone, iPod touch, and iPad for developers, along with the requisite SDK and iTunes 10.1 beta 2.

As always, this is pre-release software meant for developers to test their applications and Apple warns it might prove too buggy or unstable for daily use on your main device. If you don't need it, wait for the general release.

If you do need it, grab it from developer.apple.com and let us know what secrets you find lurking inside! For more, check out our complete iOS 4.2 beta walkthrough.

UDPATE: Some of the changes we've heard about so far:

• More sounds have been added to Text Tones for SMS, still nothing custom though, and they're only showing up on iPhone 4, not iPhone 3GS.
• New Settings > General > Restrictions now allows you to turn off Game Center friend requests
• More wallpapers

We'll add more as they come in.

[developer.apple.com]

Apple have silently changed the details of AirPrint support since the release of iOS 4.2 Beta 2 last week. Originally the AirPrint capability was listed by Apple as supporting the iPod touch 2nd Generation when it was announced back on the 15th September:

AirPrint will work with iPad, iPhone 4, iPhone 3GS and iPod touch (second generation and later).

After the release of the latest iOS Beta the press release has now been changed to read:

AirPrint will work with iPad, iPhone 4, iPhone 3GS and iPod touch (third generation and later).

So it looks like if you have an iPod touch 2nd Generation, printing will be out of reach for you. A bit sneaky to change a press release a few weeks later.

[9to5Mac]

This is an official entry by chrisoldroyd in TiPb’s next top blogger contest. Think you have what it takes to join Team TiPb? Bring it!

iOS 4.2 beta 2 for iPad, when used on some European carriers, is popping up Internet Tethering settings similar to those on iPhone. Since it's not showing up everywhere, and certainly not in the US, could this mean only certain geographies will be getting the feature, or is it just some accident in the firmware or carrier file update that's causing it?

Either way, it does show the panel is built into iPad, so why isn't it already there and for everyone, like on iPhone? We pay for the bits, we should be able to use them when, where, and how we see fit. (And we should be able to tether iPad to iPhone -- just like BlackBerry's doing with the PlayBook -- but that's rant for another day).

Apple should just flip the switch and turn it on and let the carriers scurry around in the harsh light of day and explain to us, their customers, why it should be blocked or surcharged. (And no, paying an extra $20 a month to share a $30 data plan -- $50 total -- is not a viable option, carriers).

For more on Apple's latest iPad software beta, see our complete iOS 4.2 walkthrough.

Apple has released iOS 4.2 beta 2 for iPad, iPhone, and iPod touch to registered developers, once again keeping to their typical every two weeks on a Tuesday patten.

No word yet on what new surprises lurk in beta 2, or in the code deep beneath it, but we'll update as we learn more. In the meantime, head on over to developer.apple.com and start your downloads.

And for more, check out our complete iOS 4.2 beta walkthrough.

[developer.apple.com]

Once again keeping to the every-2-weeks cycle, Apple has released iOS 4.1 beta 2 for developers. If you've got an account, head on over to developer.apple.com and update your SDK and firmware.

We're guessing Apple plans on doing what they've done in year's past -- keep releasing betas until they hold a fall Special Music Event and show off the final version along with a new iPod touch G4.

If anyone notices anything new in beta 2, we'll update!

[developer.apple.com, thanks to everyone who sent this in!]

The evidence that iChat video is coming with the 4th generation iPhone continues to pile up with iPhone OS 4 beta 2 released just last week.

More code reveals that the iPhone must be registered for video conferencing along with the possibility of the feature only being used via Wi-Fi and not 3G data. So those who had hoped for video chat using their networks 3G connection may be a bit disappointed.

ACCOUNTNOTREGISTEREDMESSAGE = "This device has not been registered for video conferencing.";

IMAVCHAT

COULDNOTCONNECTNOREMOTEWIFI = "The video call could not connect because a remote Wi-Fi connection could not be established."; IMAVCHATDISCONNECTEDNOLOCAL_WIFI = "The video call disconnected because the local Wi-Fi connection was lost.";

And as an added bonus it seems as if Apple is working on integrating video chat with "tentpole" number 6, Game Center. From the code below it appears that you will be able to initiate video chats with other Game Center users.

IMAVCHATERRORNOSUCHPLAYERID = "No Such Player ID"; IMAVCHATERRORNOSUCHACHIEVEMENT = "No Such Achievement"; IMAVCHATERRORUNRECOGNIZEDGAMEDESCRIPTIONHEADERS = "Unrecognised Game Descriptor Headers"; IMAVCHATERRORNOSUCHGAME = "No Such Game";

iPhone OS 4 looks to be more promising than we originally had thought. Any of our readers excited just yet?

[Mac Rumors]

iPhone OS 4 beta 2, released yesterday, has introduced a new, circling, side-switching animation for multitasking fast app switching. The new animation occurs when you switch between two apps either via the new, double-click-Home to trigger to launch the multitasking UI, or when one app calls another app (i.e. when you're in Contacts and you tap to send a contact an SMS, as noted by @ranger_bill, when clicking on a link in Mail to open Safari, etc.).

Launching or leaving an app retains the same, zoom-based effect as always (though the wallpaper in iPhone OS 4 zooms slightly as well, like on the iPad -- gotta love those little details Apple puts in).

Check out our complete iPhone OS 4 preview and feature walkthrough for more and hit up the video after the break!

YouTube link

Apple has just released iPhone OS 4 SDK beta 2 on developer.apple.com for developers. Update: Here's the official word:

iPhone SDK 4 beta 2 and iPhone OS 4 beta 2 are now available from the iPhone Dev Center. The new iPhone SDK introduces an auto-provisioning feature that allows you to add a new device in a single step from within the Xcode Organizer, making it even easier to enable a device for testing your applications. View the Xcode 3.2.3 Read Me for more details on this feature.

It's great to see the 2 week schedule is being kept up, which means there should be several more leading up to a final, gold master seed at WWDC in 2010 and public release sometime to follow -- probably alongside the 4th generation iPhone.

For more on iPhone OS 4, see TiPb's complete iPhone OS 4 preview and feature walkthrough. No doubt code-diggers are already at work looking for even more in the newest release, so we'll update when the finds come in.

If you notice anything, let us know in the comments!

All iPad/iPhone developers out there will be happy to know that if you head over to the Apple Developer site you'll notice that the iPhone 3.2 SDK beta 2 is now available for your downloading pleasure. The servers are still getting flooded at the moment but you might as well try to get your download on.

Of course this SDK is under a NDA so if you want to know about all of the changes from the previous beta, you'll have to check it out for yourself. And feel free to share your finding with us in the comments below!

[Via TUAW]

Apple has just informed developers that a new version of iPhone 3.1 Beta firmware and SDK have been released:

iPhone SDK 3.1 beta 2 and iPhone OS 3.1 beta 2 are now available on the iPhone Dev Center. These versions are for development and testing only and should be installed on devices dedicated to iPhone OS 3.1 beta software development. Please read the iPhone OS beta Pre-Install Advisory and the iPhone SDK 3.1 beta 2 release notes before downloading and installing.

Use the Apple Bug Reporter if you discover compatibility or functionality issues while testing with the iPhone OS 3.1 beta 2 release.

Registered developers can, as stated, grab it via developer.apple.com.

UPDATE: Ars Technica reports iPhone 3.1 Beta 2 allows developers to send apps to test devices via Wi-Fi, rather than having to tether via USB as in previous releases.

According to WhenWithApple, minor changes include new language for the video editing options, now called "Trim Original" and "Save As..." Screenshot after the break!

When/if we come across anything else, we'll update and add it to our ongoing iPhone 3.1 Beta Walkthrough...

UPDATED: According to the screenshot we just received, looks like Apple has, for the first time, re-jiggered the order of Apps on the Home Screen (previously they just added iTunes and then App Store). Now Voice Memo takes Clocks spot, Notes switches with Calculator, Clock goes where Notes was, and Calculator bumps Settings to the bottom row along with iTunes and App Store, which move left a slot to make room. Not sure about this new arrangement, what do you think?

Also, there's apparently a new Settings panel for Store, although it sounds like it's blank right now.

ORIGINAL: Sneaking in just before the end of March, Apple has released iPhone OS 3.0 Beta 2, both SDK and firmware to developers. If you're spinning apps for this summer's big release, head on over to developer.apple.com and get your download on.

TiPB has already done a fairly extensive iPhone 3.0 walkthrough of the front-facing elements of Beta 1, but we'll have to wait for the usual deep-code divers out on the internet to let us know if there's anything new surfaced in Beta 2.

Hot on the heels of all the iPhone 2.2 firmware Beta 2 goodness from Google, which included Street-View, Transit and Walking Directions, and Location Sharing, comes word on a couple more features for us to rumor over. TUAW says:

A tipster shared with us some screenshots of the new firmware, including what appears to be the ability to download podcasts directly to your iPhone (and presumably your iPod touch)

TUAW says this could explain Apple's rejection of PodCaster, but an explanation still does not a justification make. Still, this would be awesome functionality for those who don't always have a chance to tether and sync for their podcasts. We're guessing it will still be limited to WiFi only, however, like the iTunes store, to limit carrier data load for 50MB+ sound files -- and even them will the (typically much larger) video podcasts be enabled?

MacRumors (via iPhoneHellas), meanwhile, shows off a new alert box that asks users deleting an application to rate it prior to deletion. Valuable metrics, or Just Another Annoying Pop-up?

MacRumor'd yesterday and confirmed today, Apple has indeed released iPhone firmware 2.2, beta 2 to "select developers".

Google Street View, previously reported, is now enabled, and new finds seem to include SDK support for line-in audio accessories.

Anything else? We'll know when the coders get through digging!

Back when Apple dropped the [redacted] NDA on Oct. 1, a newer, freer version was promised in its place. Now, some three weeks later, Apple makes good on that promise according to MacRumors:

You agree that any Apple pre-release software (including related documentation and materials) and any information disclosed by Apple to you in connection with Apple Events or Paid Content (defined below) will be considered and referred to as “Apple Confidential Information”.

MacRumors also suggests some developers may already be getting Beta 2 of iPhone firmware 2.2. This triple-two'd code follows on the Beta 1 release from Oct. 6, which featured Google Street View, the Setting to disable Auto-Correct, as well as Japanese Emoji icons -- but no Push Notification Service, which was removed from a previous 2.1 Beta so Apple could "get it right".

With RIM promising the same feature this week, will Apple sacrifice on quality for speed-to-market? Should they? And what else might appear in 2.2?

Hopefully hip developers will scour the code and let us know!

iPhone SDK and Firmware 2.1 Beta 1, released to a very small group of developers just last week brought us rumors of direction and speed based GPS (turn-by-turn?), Notification Server API's, and the holiest of holy grails, cut, copy, and paste. Now Ars Technica reports Apple has dropped Beta 2, and while the hints hold true on the Notification "Push" technology, what else will our deep diving developers discover in the coming days? (I'm hoping for video recording!)

While Apple went through 8 betas for version 2.0 between March and the July 11 release, two updates for 2.1 in two weeks is a brisk pace, probably necessitated by Apple's pledge to have the Notification Service -- which allows developers to "push" alert badges, sounds, and popups -- out to users as a way to prompt applications that aren't running, simulating multi-tasking but without the negative impact of task management or resource obliteration that have plagued WinMob and Palm (though BlackBerry's NOC outages and Apple's own MobileMeltdown are harbinger that no scheme goes unpunished).

Also over night, Apple seeded the first beta for Mac OS X 10.5.5 to developers, which may portent further 2.1 related news, and for security conscious Mac users (and that should be all Mac users), Apple released Security Update 2008-005, which among other things patches the nasty DNS vulnerability that's been all over the news recently, and the more Mac-specific ARDAgent issue. Rev up Software Update now.