The iPhone Blog

How to turn on Wifi Hotspot / Tethering in an iPhone 4 or iPhone 3gs

2011-10-13T18:09:00.006+05:30

With the iOS4, its now possible to turn on the wifi tethering in an iPhone 4 and iPhone 3GS. The best thing is, Apple Developers have retained the Wifi Tethering feature.

What is Wifi Tethering or Wifi Hotspot?

Ans : Converting the GPRS or 3G internet from your mobile service provider to Wifi signal so that your laptop or another smart phone can connect to and use internet.

Image : Wifi tethering visual example

What is the use of Wifi Tethering or Wifi Hotspot?

Ans : You do not need to carry a datacard with you everywhere. Easily convert your iPhone to a wifi hotspot, connect your laptop to the iPhone and start using internet right away.

How do I enable Wifi Hotspot / Tethering in an iPhone 4 or iPhone 3G?

Non Jail Broken iPhone

1) With AT&T and Verizon, you need to purchase a tethering plan. The Dataplan is : DataPro 4GB which costs $45 for 4 GB. If you finish off using the 4GB then you can get 1 GB for $10.

2) Turn on the Wifi tethering in the following sequence

Setting--> General--> Network--> Setup internet tethering

You can choose Bluetooth, Wifi or USB tethering.

Important Update : iOS has officially disabled Wifi tethering via a Software update. The reason might be probably that the device gets heated up a lot while behaving like a Wifi tethering device.

Jail Broken iPhone

The only way left for a official Wifi tethering (without datacable or other tethering) is by following the Jailbroken way..

Method

1) Tap on the "Cydia" icon on the homescreen.

2) In the search bar, type "MyWi". There will be 2 apps displayed. Select the app that does not have "No Rock" next to it.

3) Tap on "install" and then confirm the installation.

4) After the installation is over, tap on "Reload SpringBoard"

5) Launch the App. The app will look like below.

6) Turn on Wifi tethering. Enter an access point and an (optional) password. And Voila, you're ready to use it.

PS : Sometimes, the application doesn't launch properly. You might have to restart your mobile iphone if in case the app hands.

I am unable to share 3G data via Wifi tethering / Hotspot. What should I do?

Ans : Resetting network setting solved the problem for me. Settings --> General --> Reset --> Reset Network Settings. Reboot the iPhone if need be.

How can I transfer files via bluetooth in iPhone 4, iPhone 3GS

2011-09-27T19:01:00.005+05:30

As an iPhone 4 user, I've been irritated by the fact that my iPhone does not allow me to directly transfer the files/images/videos and music via bluetooth to other phones. The sad thing is, iPhone has a BLUETOOTH + WIFI chip from Broadcom. But it has not enabled the Bluetooth chip.

Why hasn't Apple enabled the Bluetooth chip?

Ans : Not a definitive answer but Apple does not want people to transfer the copyrighted music from phone to phone.

Can I enable bluetooth to transfer files/photos and music from phone to phone?

Ans : Yes

How can I transfer photos and files via bluetooth?

Ans : As of now, you can transfer files and photos within smart phones like iPhone to iPhone and iPhone to Android phones (Samsung Galaxy S, Samsung Galaxy Ace, Samsung Galaxy S2, HTC Wildfire etc). That is because you have to install a specialized app for that.

The app is called BUMP.

Method :

1) Download the app from iTunes into your iPhone (Click here for the link)

2) Open the App. The interface is as shown below.

3) Choose Contacts or Photos or Music that you want to share.

4) Just BUMP the phone with another phone with the same App.

How to transfer files, music and photos from iPhone to Android using Bluetooth?

Ans :

1) Visit the Android Market (Click here to open the Android Market)

2) Download the Bump App

3) Send from iPhone to Android and Vice Versa

How do I transfer files, Music and photos from a jailbroken iPhone via Bluetooth?

Ans :

1) Open Cydia and search for iBluetooth, Install it

2) Open the iBluetooth App, press "Information" button

3) Select "Get License". You're good to go.

Here is the video demo for the same.

Hope you liked the post. Post a comment if you liked it.

Limera1n vs Greenpois0n vs PwnageTool

2011-05-02T16:07:00.011+05:30

There are too many digit embedded iPhone jailbreaking tools and the uninitiated guys are definitely ought to get confused.. Limera1n, Greenpois0n, Blackra1n, PurpleSn0w, RedSn0w.. Sheesh, quite a few..

In this post, I am going to post about 3 of the popular tools, the Greenpois0n, the Limera1n and PwnageTool

PwnageTool

PwnageTool is the first ever iPhone jailbreaking tool that was developed by a group called iPhone Dev Team. What started as a iPhone only jailbreaking tool has now diversified into iPod Touch, iPad and Apple TV too.

PwnageTool works only with the MAC OS.. The Windows users cannot use PwnageTool. There was a tool called WinPwn but the development was stopped due to the lack of interest..

The latest version of of PwnageTool is 4.3.2. PwnageTool 4.3.2 jailbreaks iOS 4.3.1 for iPhone 3GS, iPhone 4 (GSM), iPod Touch 3G, iPod Touch 4G, iPad, and Apple TV 2G. Basically, it jailbreaks everything except the iPad 2.

Disadvantages : Not a tool for Windows Users..

Tethered or Untethered : Untethered

Click here to download the PwnageTool (Torrent Link)

Greenpois0n

This is a tool by Chronic Dev Team which is used to jailbreak all iOS devices, the latest being for the firmware 4.2.6 of the iOS.

Initially developed as an exploit by p0sixninja of the Chronic Dev Team, the Greenpois0n was to exploit a low-level bootrom exploit called SHAtter discovered by pod2g for iOS4 devices which is supposed to pwn all supported iOS devices for life. The claim is this exploit can’t be patched by a simple firmware update by Apple . This would require a revised version for the hardware of iOS devices in order to patch the loophole.

Sounds WOW right??

But just before the launch of Greenpois0n, George Hotz, the GeoHot, came back from retirement and released Limera1n, another jailbreaking technique (Discussed below).

So the Chronic Dev Team delayed their launch of Greenpois0n and used the Limera1n exploit for the Greenpois0n tool giving the reason that releasing the original SHAtter-based Greenpois0n would be "a complete waste of a perfectly good bootrom hole in light of Limera1n, and so it can be held until Apple closes Limera1n’s hole."

Latest Release : The latest Greenpois0n release is Greenpois0n RC6.1 which supports iPhone 3GS, iPhone 4 GSM & CDMA, iPod Touch 2G, 3G, 4G, iPad, Apple TV 2G. Basically, everything except the iPad 2 (as on 2nd May 2011)

Tethered or Untethered : Untethered

Click here to download the RC6.1 version of Greenpois0n for Mac OSX

Click here to download the RC6.1 version of Greenpois0n for Windows

Limera1n

Geohot, or George Hotz, a American Hacker, known for hacking Sony PlayStation3 (and was sued by Sony), released this iOS jailbreaking tool called Limera1n.

History

In April 2010, GeoHot announces Limera1n, a all device jailbreaking tool. After a lot of hype and expectations, GeoHot announced his retirement from the jailbreaking scene on July 13, 2010. This led to the speculation that Limera1n was all hype and no worth.

He came out of his retirement, on October 9, 2010, just before the Chronic Dev team scheduled to launch Greenpois0n and launched Limera1n. It was initially a Windows only tool, he launched the Mac OSX tool on October 14, 2010.

Current Version :RC1b

Tethered or Untethered : Untethered

Click here to download the Windows version of Limera1n

Click here to download the Mac OSX version of Limera1n

Read my post about Blackra1n vs Sn0wBreeze vs RedSn0w by clicking here

Read my post about YellowSn0w vs RedSn0w vsUltraSn0w vs PurpleSn0w by clicking here

How to make Google Chat (gTalk) Video Calls from iPad 2 ?

2011-03-03T10:54:00.011+05:30

The newly released iPad 2 (with 2 cool cameras), the latest iPod Touch and the iPhone 4 which has a front facing Camera. We are so tired of hearing the neologism, "the FaceTime" for Apple's latest application for Video chatting with your peers owning an iPhone 4 or an iPod touch or even a MacBook Air (Fall 2010) which has the FaceTime application.

Now with the release of an iPad 2 with 2 cameras and iPhone 4 with an extra front camera, we have a major question here..

Can I make a GTalk or Google Talk Video call using the front facing camera?

Updated : 28th April, 2011

The answer is YES. Its now possible for the iPad 2, the 4th gen iPod Touch and iPhone 4th generation to GTalk Video using the front facing cameras.. The App is called VTok.

VTok App, a free app in App Store does the following..

Allows you to login using your GTalk/google account and see all your Google Contacts
Make video call call to your contact
You can make a call using either 3G or WiFi.

The Video Demonstration of the VTok App

Where to Download

Click here to open the App Page in Apple iTunes webpage..

Can we expect Google (GTalk) to support chatting using Front facing Camera?

Ans : Unlikely in the near future but again, its Google. They can go miles to get things working their way. So anything's possible.

What are the alternatives?

We hope that just like the Fring and Yahoo Messenger app for iPhone and iPod touch supports video chat using the iPhone camera, we are optimistic that they will launch an iPad app.

Will I be allowed to use the Apps purchased for iPhone with Macbook?

2011-01-10T00:37:00.004+05:30

If you've downloaded Mac OSX 10.6.6 you will have realized that your Mac (iMac, Macbook Air, Macbook Pro or simply Macbook) will have the All new APP Store for OSX. This means that you can now browse, download and use Apps in your Macbook like you were for iPhone. This opens a myriad options for developers to design and showcase the Apps for even the Mac OS X.

For ex : Angry Bird Game App by Rovio Mobile Ltd. The App is available in App Store for iPhone as well as App Store for Mac.

Now which this comes the major question

How can I use the Paid Apps that I bought for iPhone or iPod Touch with Macbook?
Can I download the Apps free of cost for my iMac or Macbook that I've already paid for in iPhone?

For example : Can we buy the Angry Birds game for iPhone or iPod touch and then use it in Macbook also??

The answer is NO. You are not allowed to download the Paid Apps that you've paid for for iPhone to be used with any of your Macbook, Macbook Pro, Macbook Air or iMac.

Explanation

The Apple website (http://www.apple.com/legal/sla/) says :

Single User License. This License allows you to install and use one copy of the Apple Software on one Apple-branded desktop computer and one Apple-branded laptop computer so long as both computers are owned and used by you.

This means that if the OS is the same, you can use the Apps bought for one gadget with the other one. For example, App bought for iPhone can be used with other iPhone or iPod touch and Apps bought for Macbook Air can be used with iMac. The Operating System must be SAME for using it in other personal Apple product. Since iPhone has iOS and Macbook has Mac OS X, it can't be downloaded.

So the Angry birds game bought in iPhone can be downloaded to your iPod Touch or iPad (with certain restrictions) but you cannot use the same Angry Birds purchase with Macbook Pro. You need to buy it separately..

Will I be able to download paid iPhone App to Macbook in future?

Ans : Its highly unlikely. Unless of course, the Operating System of iPhone and Macbook becomes the same (futuristic)

How to wirelessly share music within iPhone or iPod Touch?

2010-12-25T17:57:00.005+05:30

Isn't it cool to share music, photos, contacts etc wirelessly from one iPhone to another iPhone without using the iTunes or a computer in general? And that too for a non-jail broken iPhone or the iPod Touch..

It is possible, thanks to an App available in the App store. The App is called BUMP.

You can select the following things to share using the BUMP App

Contacts
Music
Photos
Social Network Connections

Is Music sharing possible in iPod Touch also?

Ans : Yes, install the App from iTunes and start sharing.

Where can I download Bump Application?

Click Here to open the Application download page in Apple.

How to make Video calls to a PC Desktop using iPhone 4 or iPod Touch 4th Generation?

2010-11-30T23:22:00.006+05:30

With Apple Inc launching the iPhone 4, iPod Touch 4th Generation with a front facing camera (an excellent addition if you ask me), a whole lot of options have opened to the end user. The launch of Apple's own face chatting application called FaceTime has made video calling simpler than ever. Everyone's gonna be video chatting and phone calls are going to be thing of the past..

But hey, you can call your friends with a new iPod Touch or an iPhone or a MacBook (as of now, only MacBook Air) supports Facetime..

What if I wish to video chat with my friend with a web cam and using a PC desktop or a laptop?

Will I be able to do a Video call to a PC Desktop or a Laptop using my new iPhone 4 or iPod Touch 4th generation?

Ans : YES, you can use the front facing camera to make video calls to Desktops and Laptops.

How can I place a video call to a desktop or a laptop using the front camera of iPod touch 4 ?

Ans : You can use one of the 2 applications described below. Install the app in both the iPhone and your PC and get going.

1) Yahoo Messenger 2.0 for iPhone

Along with unlimited text messages, VOIP Phone calls, you can now make Video calls using iPhone 4 and iPod touch 4G front camera. Install the Yahoo Messenger App 2.0.

Download the Application by clicking here.

2) Fring

A new version of Fring has been approved for the App Store. This new version, Fring 3.2.0.5, allows two-way video calling using the front camera and a 3G connection. This also means that you can use the new iPod Touch 4G to make video calls using the front camera. But fring is Phone to Phone only.. They haven't yet released the desktop client.

Download Fring from iTunes by clicking here.

3) Tango

Tango is another amazing iPhone to iPod Touch 4G (i mean, handheld to handheld) video calling solution. Good Video quality. They are yet to have a Desktop Application

Click here to download Tango

Skype

We are still waiting for a Front Camera Video solution from Skype. We really hope to see Skype video because of the great quality.

How can I make a Google (GTalk) video call using iPhone 4?

2010-11-30T22:55:00.011+05:30

The newly released iPod Touch (with 2 cool cameras) and the iPhone 4 which has a front facing Camera. We are so tired of hearing the neologism, "the FaceTime" for Apple's latest application for Video chatting with your peers owning an iPhone 4 or an iPod touch or even a MacBook Air (Fall 2010) which has the FaceTime application.

Now with the release of an iPod Touch with 2 cameras and iPhone 4 with an extra front camera, we have a major question here..

Can I make a GTalk or Google Talk Video call using the camera?

The answer is YES. Its now possible to make iPod Touch or 4th generation iPhone to GTalk Video call using the cameras. The App is called VTok

VTok App, a free app in App Store does the following..

Allows you to login using your GTalk/google account and see all your Google Contacts
Make a video call to your contact
You can make a call using either 3G or WiFi.

Click here to Find the Find the VTok App in Apple App Store

Watch the Video of how VTok App works

Can we expect offical Google (GTalk) application in iPhone to support chatting using Facebook Camera?

Ans : Unlikely in the near future but again, its Google. They can go miles to get things working their way. So anything's possible.

Any Alternative Solutions to make Video calls to a Desktop PC?

Skype and Fring allows you to make VOIP video calls to any mobile device in the world, your PC at home and everything that supports Yahoo and Fring software. Read More here..

How to turn your iPod Touch into an iPhone which uses Mobile network?

2010-08-14T23:35:00.007+05:30

There are a million blog posts by lakhs of technology blogs on turning iPod Touch into a phone. But the truth is All those techniques make use of Wifi and VOIP.

Here comes 2 innovative solutions from China, named Apple Peel 520 and tPhone, which can actually convert your iPod Touch to an iPhone. These allows us to attach a sim card (Yes, a sim card) and place calls and send sms using iPod Touch.

Apple Peel 520

China based Yosion Technology, which is based in Shenzhen, has developed the Apple Peel 520 protective case, which will be available online for about $57 with a one-year warranty

It is powered by Infineon chip. What more, it comes with

dock connector
built-in 800mAh battery (rated for 4.5 hours of talk time and five days on standby)
SIM card slot

Issues (as on 14th September 2010) :

Impossible to adjust Voice level
Quirky SMS delivery
(Probably) unable to identify missed calls.

But what the heck, I think this small sacrifice is ok considering that this concept is revolutionary..

The tPhone

Yet another Chinese solution by a Chinese company SINA which has hit the market on 12th August 2010, the tPhone is going to convert you iPod touch into an iPhone. It is expected to cost about $103 and comes with

Dock connector
SIM adapter
Mini USB for power charging
1200 mAh battery
Plastic Case

Cons :

About $ 30 expensive than Apple Peel 520
Super duper thick

Videos of tPhone converting an iPod touch to iPhone is not available yet.

Conclusion :

We are going to have more solutions coming up for sure in future.. My iPod touch is just waiting to place its first mobile call..

How to run Flash on iPhone 4?

2010-08-14T23:08:00.005+05:30

One of the biggest complaint by an iPhone user : I am unable to use flash with my iPhone? What do I do?

Well, we you might think it shouldn't be long for Apple to officially support Adobe flash. But trust me, I personally believe that Apple's not gonna support it atleast in next 2 years. Apple is here to kill "Flash" apparently. But how long can they could they stop people from using it?

Flash for iPhone (iPhone 4 too)

This program is called "FRASH" and allows us to run Flash on iPhone 4. Of course, this requires a jailbroken iPhone 4 with Cydia.

Who designed the Frash?

Ans : Our amazing Comex, the guy who gave the world the Spirit jailbreak for iPhone 4

What is the technique?

Ans : Comex has ported the Flash 10.1 available for Android to run on jailbroken iPhone 4

Installation Guide (Source : Redmond Pie)

Warning Note: Follow it on your own risk. I’m not responsible for any loss of important data or malfunctioning of your iPhone.

Step 1: First up, you will need to jailbreak your iOS device. Jailbreak your iPhone 4 with JailbreakMe.

Step 2: Next installation is OpenSSH. Open Cydia, press “Search” tab and then search “OpenSSH”. Install this app, reboot your iPhone and cross your fingers that it works

Step 3: Connect your iPhone with your computer. Make sure iTunes is not running.

Step 4: Download and install Cyberduck for Mac or WinSCP for Windows. Enter the following details to login to your iPhone:

Cyberduck

Server: The IP address of your iPhone/iPad/iPod touch. Settings –> WiFi –>
Username: root
Password: alpine
Protocol: SFTP (SSH File Transfer Protocol)

WinSCP

Hostname: The IP address of your iPhone/iPad/iPod touch. Setting –> WiFi –>
User name: root
Password: alpine
Protocol: SCP

Step 5: Download Frash-0.02.deb file by clicking here.

Step 6: Browse to /var/root/Media directory and create a folder named “Cydia”. Inside this folder, create another folder and name it “AutoInstall”.

Step 7: Copy the Frash-0.02.deb file to this “AutoInstall” folder.

Step 8: Restart your iPhone and you are done. Now enjoy any Flash based site, click on the “Flash” text to play the Flash content.

Watch the Video to see how flash is run..

Enjoy

Is my iPod Touch 3rd Generation or 2nd Generation

2010-07-01T14:15:00.006+05:30

With the release of much awaited iOS4, Apple's iPod/iPhone Operating System, version 4, there are a lot of new and amazing features that would make way into your iPod touch. And more than anything, iOS4 is FREE for iPod Touch also.

To be precise, your iOS4 has the ability to add the following new features to you iPhone/iPod touch:

Multi-tasking
Folders
Home Page Wallpaper Enable
iBooks
Bluetooth Keyboard Support
Automatic Spell Check

and many more minor useful features. Isn't this awesome? I mean, my iPod touch multi-tasking and allowing me to change the home wallpaper? Well, it isn't as cool as it looks..

Feature Difference between iPod Touch 3rd Generation and 2nd Generation

Multi-Tasking

Multi-tasking, a feature which enables us to use multiple apps together, without having to close any of the running app, does not work with iPod touch 2nd Generation.

No multitasking for iPod Touch 2nd generation !!

Home Screen Wall-paper Change

If you own a iPod Touch 2nd Generation, you cannot change the Background wallpaper. You iPod Touch will have the same "Black No Wallpaper" background.

If you own a iPod Touch 3rd Generation, you can change the wallpaper by doing the following steps :

1) Press the "Settings" in the homepage

2) Select "Wallpaper"

3) Choose the Album (Wallpaper, saved photos etc)

4) Select the Photo

5) Press "Set"

6) You get 3 options : "Set Lock Screen", "Set Home Screen" and "Set Both"

Now you select whatever option you want and enjoy the new wallpaper

Is my iPod Touch 3rd Generation or 2nd Generation?

How to know if my iPod Touch is 2nd Generation or 3rd generation?

Well, there are 3 simple checks you can do.

1) Date of Purchase : If you've bought your iPod touch prior to Late 2009, your iPod Touch is definitely 2nd Generation. Else, goto next step.

2) Capacity of iPod Touch : If your iPod touch is 8 GB or 16 GB, its definitely a 2nd Generation iPod Touch. Apple has released iPod Touch 3rd Generation only in 32 GB and 64 GB model. If you have passed Check 1 and 2, goto next check

3) Serial Number of iPod Touch :

Turn your iPod Touch and check the model number below the engraving.
After "Designed by Apple in California Assembled in China" there is a model number.
If the model number is A12188, its 2nd generation
If the model number is A1318, congratulations, its a 3rd generation iPod Touch. Hurray !!

Post your comment if you know any other way to determine if its a 3rd gen iPod touch or not.

How to jailbreak MC version iPhone / iPod Touch 3.1.3 ?

2010-05-13T00:02:00.011+05:30

Frequently asked Questions :

What is a MC version iPhone / iPod touch ?

Ans : The iPhones and the iPod Touches shipped post October 2009 have their Model numbers beginning from MC instead of MB.

The Model starts with MC

How do I check if my iPhone / iPod Touch is MC model or not?

Ans : Follow the following procedure

Goto Home by clicking the home button
Select the "settings" icon
Select "General" in the option
Select "About"
Browse down to "Models". You can see if you iPhone is MC model or not.

What is the fuss about jailbreaking MC model iPhone / iPod Touch ?

Ans : MC model iPhone and iPod Touch has the bootrom which checks for the Boot Image if its Apple's authentic firmware or not. If it does not find an Apple firmware, it does not boot the iPhone. So for a long time (about 4 months), there was no good method for jailbreaking the iPod touch with MC model.

How to jailbreak MC model iPhone / iPod Touch with firmware 3.1.2 or 3.1.3 ?

Ans : Spirit Jailbreak method is the ultimate solution for ALL the latest iPhones and iPod Touches. It can provide you the "untethered" jailbreak as well.

Spirit - The Ultimate untethered Jailbreaking solution

2010-05-06T22:57:00.007+05:30

If you own an iPhone 3GS or the iPod Touch 3G that you bought after October 2009, you might very well explain the world what Frustration is.

Reason

You CANNOT do untethered Jailbreak on iPhone and iPod touch running 3.1.2 (or 3.1.3). To be precise, Apple engineers patched the bug in the iBoot which was vulnerable to 24kbpwn hack in versions 359.3 and before (More Explanation here)

Sn()wBreeze jailbreak looked like a plausible solution when George Hotz announced that his jailbreak works on every "i" Device. At least for me and my friend Nishant, both of who own MC model of iPod Touches running 3.1.3 firmware, the Sn0wBreeze jail break did not work.

Spirit - The ultimate Solution

A person who calls himself COMEX has come out with a miraculous solution called Spirit.

It works on

Any iPad, iPhone, or iPod touch on firmware 3.1.2, 3.1.3, or 3.2 (3.2 is the OS version for iPad)
Any Version of iTunes

Method to Jailbreak using Spirit

1) Download the Spirit Jailbreak software for Windows (Click here) and Mac OS X (Click Here)

2) Run the program, You will see the following UI

3) Press the button "Jailbreak", Wait for 15-20 seconds and Voila !!! Your device is Jailbroken.

Screenshots of Nishant's jailbroken iPod Touch 3rd Gen MC model with Firmware 3.1.3

Watch the Video here for more details of how to do Spirit Jailbreak

What is tethered and untethered iPhone / iPod touch ?

2010-05-06T21:55:00.007+05:30

We have been hearing a lot about jailbreaking tethered iPhone or tethered iPod Touch jail breaks. Ever wondered what the heck is tethered and untethered iPod touch or iPhone jailbreak?

Tethered Jailbreak

Since the launch of iPhone and iPod touch OS 3.1.2 (to be precise, iBoot version 352.3.2), there is a different way in which an iPhone or iPod touch has to be jailbroken due to a change that Apple engineers got into the booting process

iPhone / iPod touch Booting process

Power on --> Low Level Bootloader (LLB) --> iBoot --> Firmware (I believe)

RedSn0w and other jailbreaking mechanisms made use of an exploit in one of the feature of iBoot 2.1.1 which was found in 2.2 also. So RedSn()w loads itself into iBoot and gives the user the jailbroken iPod or iPhone every time he boots his system.

The Twist

From 3.1.2, the Low level Bootloader does validation of whether the iBoot is Apple made or not. Since the RedSn()w does not have the Digital Image Signature of Apple, it is refused to be loaded and hence we get the White Screen and firmware does not load.

Tethered Jailbreak : You then have to connect your iPod touch /iPhone (which has the white screen of death currently) to the laptop and run the RedSn()w firmware patch in 2.1.1 iBoot to make it run.

FAQ on Tethered Jailbreak

1) Would you lose the data due to Tethered Jailbreak

Ans : No, since we are only dealing with the bootcode (iBoot), data is safe

2) Why is it called Tethered Jailbreak

Ans : Because you need that iPod /iPhone to be bonded to the computer everytime.

3) Do we need to run RedSn()w patch if the iPhone is in sleep mode?

Ans : No

Untethered Jailbreak

The iPhone would not need the user to connect the iPod touch or iPhone to laptop and run the patch everytime he reboots the iPhone / iPod touch.

This is possible is your iBoot version is 359.3 or below. The hack method was called the 24kbpwn hack where the hackers intelligently made the iBoot crash at boot point, introduce 24kB of their own code and make iBoot believe that everything was normal.

Apple smartly blocked this exploit in 359.3.2 version of iBoot. So that is when the RedSn()w failed to do the untethered jailbreak.

FAQ on Untethered Jailbreak

1) iPhone and iPod Touch shipped from what time frame has blocked untethered Jailbreak?

ans : Since October 2009

2) Sn()wBreeze supports untethered Jailbreak. What is the problem?

ans : It does not work on MC models

3) Is there no solution for untethered Jailbreak for the latest iPhone / iPod touch 3.1.3 ?

Ans : Spirit is the answer. Click here to read more about Spirit Jailbreak

RedSn0w vs Sn0wbreeze vs blackra1n

2010-04-07T23:37:00.007+05:30

We all want our favorite gadgets iPhone and iPod touch to be jailbroken. We like installing apps we want and we want to run flash in our iPods and iPhones. But gosh, there are way too many tools to achieve the same. Which one to choose?

Various Tools

The 3 major tools I am going to write about to jailbreak the iPod touch/iPhone are :

RedSn()w
Sn()wBreeze
Blackra1n

RedSn0w :

RedSn0w

RedSn0w is an easy to use, multi-platform, multi-device jailbreaking and unlocking (iPhone 2G only) tool for the iPhone 2G (original iPhone), the iPhone 3G (but not the 3GS) and also the iPod touch (first and second generation). RedSn0w is from the iPhone Dev Team, special mention to MuscleNerd.

RedSn0w is more like Pwnage Tool. While Pwnage Tool is for Mac OSX only, RedSn0w is a multi-platform jailbreaking and unlocking tool on Windows and Mac OS X for iPhone 2G (original iPhone), the iPhone 3G, the iPhone 3GS and also the iPod touch (first, second and third generation). It is soon going to support Linux also.

Read more about RedSn0w by clicking here.

Advantages :

Official iPhone Dev Team launch, so most trusted, downloaded and tested
Change the boot logo and enable verbose mode without restoring again
It's a standalone program that doesn't use iTunes

Sn0wBreeze

Sn0wBreeze, designed for Windows Operating system, is a jailbreaking tool from ih8sn0w. It also helps us setup custom boot logos, activate our iPhone, root partition size, build custom IPSW, boot neuters (unlock for iPhone 1st Generation) and more!

Devices Supported:

iPhone 2G

iPhone 3G

iPhone 3G[S] (old bootrom)

iPod Touch 1G

iPod Touch 2G - non MC

Advantages :

This method is usually more secure than the quick exploits (redsn0w, Blackra1n)
Disable baseband updates to take care of all using unofficial carrier for e.g. T-Mobile by offering us a choice to preserve our baseband while updating to latest firmware.

Blackra1n

Blackra1n is yet another jailbreaking tool from a 20 year old guy named George Hotz. This is a 30 second All Device jailbreak. It achieves this by patching the firmware of the device "on the fly" - meaning it edits the firmware located on the device whilst in DFU (recovery) mode.

It allows users to install Cydia, Icy and Rock though the support for Icy is removed in RC3 of Blackra1n. This allows the user to access tweaks, homebrew applications, the root directory and the file system.

Advantages :

Blackra1n can do a tethered jailbreak on the iPod Touch 3G and the iPhone 3GS running OS 3.1.3 (Added in RC2)
George Hotz mentioned that he found an untethered Jailbreak for iPhone OS 3.1.3 and that it will most likely work with the iPad !

A video on Differences between these 3 tools should help..

Verdict :

All 3 serve different purposes. Depending on what iPod iPhone firmware you have, what operating system you have, choose the jailbreaking tool. In the end, what matters is the freedom and all 3 offers them.

Go for :

RedSn0w : As they are the most used and tested jailbreak tool

Sn0wBreeze : If you want a slow and trust worthy jailbreaking system like Pwnage Tool

Blackra1n : If you want the untethered jailbreak for firmware 3.1.3

New features in iPhone OS 4.0

2010-04-06T17:53:00.007+05:30

Apple will be launching its new OS for iPhone on Thursday, April 8th, 2010. This is surprising as this news would be taking our eyes off the new buzz in the "i" world, the iPad.

Expected new features in iPhone OS 4.0

Multi Tasking

Oh yes, the most important thing that our dear iPhone lacks is the multi-tasking feature. Some of the core apps has been supporting multi-tasking. For example, one can listen to music while browsing internet or composing mails. But what the heck, I must be able to seamlessly switch between apps and not close an app before opening another one.

It is rumoured that iPhone OS 4.0 will be supporting the multi-tasking feature as in the Mac Expose feature, where a combination of keys, like hitting the Home button twice perhaps, will trigger an Expose-like interface that brings up a series of icons representing the currently running apps, allowing users to choose the app they want to switch to. On clicking the icon, the iPhone OS zooms out of the Expose task manager and transitions to that app.

Mac Expose interface

Flash support ??

As a fan of both flash and iPhone, I hope at least in iPhone 4.0, there is some rudimentary support to flash. Atleast, iPhone 4.0 is hoped to support Flash lite if not the full pledged version of flash.

The chances are meagre since folks at Apple want to believe that flash spoil their "closed nature". Allowing Flash, which is a development platform of its own, would just be too dangerous for Apple, a company that enjoys exerting total dominance over its hardware and the software that runs on it. Apple developers' Terms and conditions prohibits usage of flash since the release of SDK.

No Flash even in iPad (Courtesy: The On Button)

Enhanced use of Camera

It is expected that the usage of the iPhone camera would be enhanced. This is particularly in favor of organizations which would want their executives to be anywhere ready for video conferencing.

Enhanced Syncing with PC/Mac

Its about time that we started syncing our iPhones with the itunes in our PC/Mac via bluetooth and not the wire. Bluetooth syncing will seriously enhance the usability of the iPhone as one would love his/her iPod touch or iPhone to be sitting comfortably in the 3rd party docking station and yet allow them to sync up with the iTunes of the PC and download songs.

It is also rumored that there will be a brand new syncing ability for contacts and calendars.

Dump Google Maps??

It somehow became the public knowledge that in November 2009, Apple was looking for a Full-Time employee who is an expert in Maps program. It is said that Apple wants to take the Maps program to "The next level". We know how successful Apple in changing the paradigm of human machine interaction.

Placebase in action (courtesy : Geeky Gadgets)

This rumor is supported by the fact that Apple acquired a mapping company, Placebase. Placebase, in addition to the features offered by Google maps, would offer features which involves the aggregating of different data sets onto maps. Apple can theoretically take advantage of this feature combining with details aggregated using GPS.

Other Rumors

Unified inbox for Multiple email accounts
Ability to place contacts directly in the home screen

Now we all know how secretive Apple is about its releases. We hope Apple includes all these in the new iPhone OS 4.0. This is going to take iPhone close to a complete gadget.

YellowSn0w, RedSn0w, UltraSn0w and PurpleSn0w

2009-07-24T12:22:00.007+05:30

Like everyone else, I too got lost a million times dealing with iPhone Dev Team's naming of their jailbreaking and carrier unlocking tools. So I'm dedicating an article to distinguish between YellowSn0w, RedSn0w, UltraSn0w and the newly popular term PurpleSn0w

You need to know the difference between unlocking a CARRIER and Jailbreaking the iPhone. Read one of my previous article about the difference by CLICKING here.

YellowSn0w

YellowSn0w is a set of applications to CARRIER Unlock the iPhone 3G. This unlock works exclusively with baseband 02.28.00. This is not an unlocking solution for iPhone 3GS. Currently, 0.9.6 Beta is available for iPhone 3G unlocking.

I have written an article about using YellowSn0w to unlock iPhone 3G. Click here to read it.

UltraSn0w

UltraSn0w is the hottest and the most happening carrier unlocking tool as on the date of blogging. UltraSn0w 0.9 version is out which has the following features.

Works on both iPhone 3G and iPhone 3GS
Works on hacktivated devices also
Works regardless of how you jailbroke your device (QuickPWN, RedSn0w etc)
Doesn’t require a separate patch as each new firmware comes out.
Doesn’t install any additional daemon (in case we're worried of background processes)
Has no race conditions
No popups about “Missing SIM”, no network issues
Is almost 7000 times smaller than its nearest competition (as claimed by iPhone Dev Team)
Is available now via Cydia

iPhone 3GS Unlock Demonstration

You can find the torrent files of latest UltraSn0w by clicking here.

RedSn0w

Redsn0w is an easy to use, multi-platform, multi-device jailbreaking and unlocking (iPhone 2G only) tool for the iPhone 2G (original iPhone), the iPhone 3G (but not the 3GS) and also the iPod touch (first and second generation).

RedSn0w is more like Pwnage Tool. Read more about RedSn0w by clicking here.

The above 3 products is from the iPhone Dev Team.

PurpleSn0w

PurpleSn0w is from a freelance developer named George Hotz. He ain't the part of iPhone Dev Team. PurpleSn0w claims to be a better unlock compared to UltraSn0w and the YellowSn0w. But according to Dev Team, PurpleSn0w uses 6900 times more RAM than UltraSn0w .

Possible Problems :

1) Hotz's exploit overwrites an arbitrary block of memory one megabyte in size. This means that eventually the area of memory PurpleSn0w uses will be corrupted and 1 MB of baseband code will be corrupted until next reboot.

2) purplesn0w uses 6900 times more RAM than ultrasn0w and doesn’t let the OS know that it’s using it, so the Operating System of iPhone thinks it’s still free to use. When it does use it, the baseband will crash.

Upgrade to iPod Touch 3.0 legally for free

2009-06-19T13:25:00.011+05:30

We all ought to upgrade our iPod Touch. But, like me, there are many others who don't want to pay for the upgrade. For God's sake, we've bought the iPod and we deserve free upgrade !!

There are quite some websites which has posts on upgrading the iPod touch firmware without paying anything. Surely, they are illegal and unethical. An ethical and a legal way to get free upgrade doesn't come freely. After all, there is no free meal in this world.

How to Get iPod Touch 3.0 upgrade for free?

There is a website that you take a couple fun fast survey and gifts you a Free itunes Gift Card. You will get this free itunes gift card without giving your address, or personal information. They will just e-mail your code to your valid e-mail address. So complete your first step and confirm your e-mail address if you want that free itunes gift card.

This itunes gift card is of many denominations : $15, $30 etc. I opted for the smallest denomination, the $15 one, answered the survey for 20 min. I am proud now that my new iPod touch is genuine and not stolen. I HAVEN'T CHEATED.

I could have spent some more time, say 30 minutes to get $10 more. But surely not greedy. I'm happy with $15.

Click here to to goto the website

Make sure you read the "Beginner's Guide" to prevent abuse of your email ID. I hope this helps. Congrats for the new 3.0 firmware for your iPod Touch. Start cut-copy-paste in iPod also !!

How to get the screenshot / screen capture in iPhone?

2009-05-08T16:03:00.005+05:30

As a iPhone blogger, I always wanted to take snapshots of my iPhone screen and upload the photo to my blog. It was recently that I found how to take the LIVE screen shot of my iPhone screen. In other words, I can now do iPhone screen capture.

We can do this without jailbreaking, without using any hack or even without installing any app. iPhone hardware itself supports screen capturing.

How to take the screenshot?

Run the App who's screenshot you want to take.
Press the Sleep/Power Off button and Home buttons simultaneously.
The iPhone screen gives the Photo Snap effect. You're Done !!

How to get this screen capture?

Connect the iPhone to your PC using the data cable.
In a Windows PC, the iPhone appears like an external storage device.
Browse to this Device from "My Computer" and find the screenshot there..

The screenshot of Map App

Copy and Paste now natively possible in iPhone OS 3.0

2009-03-21T12:50:00.008+05:30

As a proud member of the iPhone family, I love to flaunt my gadget everywhere I go. As an avid iPhone follower, I always felt, there are some features, missing in an iPhone, which when natively included, shall make the already user-friendly gadget, more user friendly.

I had a wish-list for the next firmware upgrade of iPhone :

Natively support cut, copy and paste of text
Support Stereo Bluetooth coupling with the Stereo wireless headphones.
Multimedia Messaging in iPhone
Landscape Texting and Typing

Well, it seems like Apple has received about a million similar wish-lists from iPhone users around the world.

Unveiling iPhone OS 3.0

On March 17th 2009, Mr Scott Forstall, the head of iPhone software Development team unveiled iPhone OS 3.0 which has 100s of new features for its iPhone users in an event in Cupertino California.

Some of the main features

Cut, Copy and Paste :

This is one major inclusion to the iPhone which will stop atleast a million people from whining. You can now drag the GRAB POINTS around to select the text for editing. When you finish selecting the text, 3 options pop put, making editing literally a cake walk.

Spotlight on Unified Searching

Now you can use a single app to make unified searching of your entire iPhone. You can search like the way you search your PC. Spotlight Searching is one major valued addition!

Multimedia Messaging (MMS)

You can now attach photos while chatting with your friends, record your voice and MMS it across to your friends. Another major feature addition according to me.

Attach a photo from your camera!

Landscape Texting/Typing

For all of you who found the Landscape mode to be comfortable to text, now iPhone 3.0 has native support for Landscape texting. Life is simple now!

Stereo Bluetooth and Peer to Peer networking

Finally, iPhone now supports Stereo Bluetooth pairing. Grab your bluetooth headphones and seamlessly pair up with iPhone. Also, you can now detect your friends playing similar games in your network and seamlessly connect to them. No pairing required! Bonjour is the back-end technology that's used here.

Improvised iPhone SDK with more APIs

Apple has added more than 1000 APIs for the developers to make the better use of the gadget. In-App email, Battery API, UI table view, Map support etc to name a few.

Core Location, the GPS Technology
Voice Memo feature
Shake to Shuffle feature
Parental Control for Videos
Youtube Account feature
Auto Fill option
Anti Phishing
WiFi autologin etc etc

Some FAQs :

When is iPhone OS 3.0 Available for users?

ans : This summer. The release date is not announced yet.

Is the upgrade free for iPhone users?

ans : Yes

Is the OS upgrade free for iPod touch users?

ans : No ! They have to shell out $ 9.95 for the upgrade. This is keeping in account the different accounting treatment for iPhone and iPod. Grrr!!

How can iPhone stream Youtube Videos without Flash?

2009-03-12T19:51:00.001+05:30

We all know that our favourite Apple doesn't support Flash and as few technologists predict, will never support Flash natively in iPhone/iPod Touch for some strategic, technical and practical reasons. This clearly meant that all the online flv videos of Youtube, the most popular online Video Sharing site, would never run in iPhone. If that was the case, I would never buy an iPhone. Its practically impossible to imagine a rich internet browsing experience without Youtube!

How can iPhone play Youtube Videos?

But now that we've seen iPhone playing Youtube videos, its a general question, how can this be possible? Has Apple allowed Flash only for the Youtube videos?

The answer is NO. iPhone supports H.264 video compression standard. H.264 is an equivalent to MPEG-4 part 10 or MPEG-4 AVC (Advanced Video Coding). YouTube has encoded the plethora of videos available in the site and iPhone can play that format. The audio encoding is in AAC.

Some facts to interest you:

The compression is more in EDGE network than in the WiFi network. The reason is very obvious.
iPhone is the first handheld/smart phone to support H.264 video encoding.
Apple and Adobe are "supposedly" working very hard to make Flash available in iPhone. Until now, no significant development is observed.
There was a rumour that Flash Lite 2+ would be supported in iPhone. Almost all big players in smartphone industry like Palm Pre, Windows Mobile, Symbian etc supports Flash Lite (some even support Flash Full version) but not Apple iPhone.

Shantanu Narayen, the CEO probably has itched the modified version of this famous statement by Martin Luther King Jr. in Adobe's lobby, "I have a Dream that one day, my kids and his (Steve Jobs) kids would be playing multiplayer Flash Games in their iPhones without knowing the pain that we had to undergo, I HAVE A DREAM"

Does iPod Touch 2.0 have Bluetooth Chip?

2009-02-10T21:40:00.000+05:30

Now, I was one of the first Indian buyers of iPod Touch 2.0 in September 2008 when one of my friend working in Chicago, USA bought me one when he flew to India. I was looking out for the latest features of iPod Touch 2.0, browsing the websites and I was surprised to come across a discussion: "Does the latest iPod Touch have Bluetooth chip?" !!

Some rich buggers from USA dissected the iPod Touch 2.0. This is how it looks.

Dissected iPod Touch 2.0

Surprised??

Photo Courtesy : Engadget, Gizmodo

Facts :

iPod Touch 2.0 indeed has a Broadcom BCM4325 Bluetooth 2.1+EDR chip. This is a single chip from Broadcom which has WiFi, Bluetooth and FM.

The Nike+iPod feature (for Technojogging), which is based on a proprietary low-power 2.4GHz communications protocol called ANT, works on 2.4 GHz frequency, awefully close to Bluetooth's Bandwidth (which is 2.4 Ghz as well).

The Bluetoooth feature is DISABLED in the iPod for obvious reasons. They don't want people to share music illegally.

Probably, they will enable the Bluetooth, the day they figure out how to enable file sharing without violating the DRM.

Apple might probably never enable Bluetooth or FM. Or even if they do, it is definitely with one of their 10$ firmware updates. What a business tactic!!

Activate iPhone 3G from home now

2009-01-31T00:44:00.000+05:30

When Apple announced iPhone 3G, no one expected Apple and AT&T to discontinue the in-house activation of the iPhone. Although their motive to discourage iPhone unlockers, it was seriously a pain in the ass for the rule-abiding customers.

Problems :

Long lines for buying and delays in activation.
Failures of Apple servers due to the overwhelming response to the launch of iPhone 3G.
First Generation iPhone owners trying to update the firmware amidst this chaos

In-Home Activation :

On 11th December, AT&T decided to decided to get back the in-home activation again. You can get it delivered at your home (if you're in USA) and then activate it via iTunes. You have to sign an online (digital) agreement before ordering.

Features :

It is available only to new customers. Current customers wanting to upgrade have to goto stores for that
One has to sign up for the iPhone Data Services online before completing the sales.
If the buyer doesn't activate the iPhone 3G in a stipulated time, he / she is subject to an early termination fees.

End Note :

If people expected this to be a easy way to unlock iPhone, I would say, they are more than wrong. With online dataplan activation and early termination fees, its gonna be shit expensive.

LucidTouch - Microsoft's answer to iPhone?

2009-01-25T18:31:00.000+05:30

I stumbled upon a new research product / prototype from Microsoft which, in my rightest opinion, is expected to be a direct competition to Apple iPhone.

What is LucidTouch?

LucidTouch is a Microsoft Research Product which allows users to interact with the screen by touching the back of the gadget as shown in the photo below.

Features :

The users get the visual feedback which has the "pseudo translucency" effect. By touching the back of the gadget one can "see" their fingers images on screen which let them interact with the display.
It has multi touch interaction where the user can interact with all his/her 10 fingers (logically only 8 fingers!! Thumbs are used to grip the gadget).
Pseudo transparency lets users to accurately acquire the target without occluding the screen with their hands (which are now behind the gadget).

Here are some of the conceptualizations of LucidTouch by some Tech Artist. Images are from the Ziff Davis Network website.

Browsing menu in LucidTouch

Multitouch Map Interaction

Playing Warcrafts 3 Game in LucidTouch

One thing is for sure. The next generation is going to grow up with devices like LucidTouch, iPhone etc. I can see an end of Paper books and School Bags.

Apple iPhone versus Cisco iPhone

2009-01-20T10:56:00.000+05:30

Are you confused about the title? If yes, this is the article you MUST read. If you're not, then I believe you're an ardent Technology Follower. If you aren't both, you must be a Laywer who loves law-suits (kidding).

Have a look at these photos :

Yes, Linksys iPhone is a series of internet appliances from Cisco. The first of the Cisco iPhone was launched in 1998 by a company named InfoGear Technologies which combined "a Regular phone and a web-terminal. So the 'i' in the iPhone obviously stands for the internet. Cisco acquired InfoGear and thus owned the iPhone trademark.

But from 2001 to 2006, no new product was launched under that name. On December 18, 2006, Cisco rebranded its Linksys VoIP-based phones under the name, shortly before Apple released an iPhone of its own.

What Followed?

Shortly after the announcement of iPhone on 7th Jan 2007 Cisco initially announced that Apple was in negotiations with the usage of iPhone brand-name for their new cool Phone.
The next day Cisco announced that they were filing a lawsuit on Apple for infringement of Trademark.
On Feb 20, 2007, both the companies settled their dispute. Both the companies agreed to use the 'iPhone' brand in exchange for exploring "Interoperability" between Cisco and Apple Technologies.

Had Cisco Lost rights on iPhone trademark by 2007?

According to Ziff Davis's blog, Apple had lost the rights to iPhone trademark in 2006 itself.

To quote the blog :

"The Cisco iPhone trademark was registered 11/16/1999 (Reg. No. 2293011). In order to keep a trademark registration active, you have to file a Declaration of Use on or before the sixth anniversary of the registration date, in which you state, under penalty of perjury, that you have been using the trademark continuously during that period. The sixth anniversary would have been 11/16/2005. "

Not-So-Fair Game from Apple ?

Cisco's official blog clearly tells the openness of Cisco on how badly the trademark had been infringed. Apple clearly valued their Intellectual Properties (they announced a list of patents filed for iPhone in MacWorld 2007). Would Apple allow someone to blatantly infringe on their rights like the multi-touch display? How would Apple react if someone launched a internet podcast device by the name iPod (internet + podcast) ?

Hilarious iPhone Concept Designs

2009-01-17T22:21:00.000+05:30

I couldn't help but publish these 4 iPhone concept designs which are not just hilarious but also are "True-Artist's Design". It might look like one of the Nokia Phones or that old dial phone or probably like the Timex Watch that you'd had owned. But definitely far from the real Apple iPhone looks.

iPhone Concept #1

Designer : Unknown

iPhone Concept #2

Designer : Unknown

iPhone Concept #3

Name : iSpoof Round

Designer : Unknown

iPhone Concept #4

Name : iPhone 7610 probably (LOL)

Designer : Unknown

iPhone Concept #5

Name : iTablet

Designer : Unknown

Designers, Please note this. I have no intensions to laugh at your designs as I know, I wouldn't even have come close to this. This is just to present how differently you guys think. No hard feelings.

You might want to look at my previous blog entries on iPhone concept designs :

iPhone Concept Design 1 - Ordinary designs
iPhone Concept Design 2 - Nice designs
iPhone Concept Design 3 - Brilliant Designs

OpeniBoot - Linux Kernel 2.6 runs on an iPhone

2009-01-06T19:50:00.000+05:30

Apple is always particular about which software must run on their amazing hardware. To be more specific, they prefer only "Pure" softwares, developed by Apple to run on their devices, may it be an iPhone or Apple Mac. Recently with the release of App Store they seem to be a bit soft, letting general enthusiast developers to write Apps for iPhone/iPod Touch but only after the team scrutinizes it and then testify its worth.

But Guys, this is truly a world without Fences, Gates, Windows and Walls right? Everyone wants freedom! Some crazy linux developer nick-named PLANETBEING has succeeded in developing Open iBoot, a iPhone Linux distro. YES, Linux Kernel 2.6 has been ported into our lovely iPhone!

Facts :

PlanetBeing is a member of iPhone Dev Team which has developed the Yellowsn()w, Pwnage Tool etc for jailbreaking and unlocking every version of iPhone.
iPhone Dev Team's project is independent from OpeniBoot project.

iPhone Linux Demonstration Video from planetbeing on Vimeo.

These are the features enabled in the current version of OpeniBoot :

Framebuffer driver
Serial driver
Serial over USB driver
Interrupts, MMU, clock, etc

Almost Acheived :

NAND Writing is semi-reliable
Most of the NAND Reading support is available

Hasn't been Achieved till date :

Wireless networking
Touchscreen
Sound
Accelerometer
Baseband support

Resources :

To read the README file which tells us how to go about installing Linux, click here
To download the files for installing Open-iBoot, click here
To downloadthe files to uninstall the Open-iBoot from your iPhone, click here

With PlanetBeing and his pals in iPhone Dev Team working relentlessly working for Achieving the wish-lists for OpeniBoot, we can definitely expect a successful and fully functional Linux Distro running on iPhone. Hurray Everybody!!

Difference between Jailbreaking and unlocking an iPhone 3G

2008-12-26T17:58:00.000+05:30

A lot of us would have heard of the terms like jailbroken iPhone, unlocking the iPhone etc. I was not aware of the difference between the two terms. In-fact I used to use the terms unlocking and jailbreaking in the same context. I am sure many of us have still not realized that these are two different terms serving 2 different meaning.

1) What is jailbreaking an iPhone / iPod touch ?

ans : Jailbreaking is unlocking the FIRMWARE, which allows us to install 3rd party applications, customize graphics, appearance etc in iPhone/iPod touch. These applications are not the ones you can download using App Stores.

Jailbroken iPhone 3G running on AT&T

2) Can you jailbreak iPhone 3G?

ans : Yes, it can be jailbroken. Jailbreaking was never an issue at all!

3) How can I jailbreak the iPhone 3G?

ans :

If you own a MAC, use Pwnage Tool. The latest Pwnage Tool 2.2.1 can be available for torrent download. Click here to get it.
If you don't own a MAC, i.e. if you own a PC, you can use QuickPwn. To read the step by step method to jailbreak iPhone 3G, click here

4) What is iPhone unlocking?

Ans : This is the method of making your iPhone work with any Mobile carrier other than AT&T say TMobile. Unlocking also means that you can use it with an AirTel/Idea sim in India!

5) Can you unlock iPhone 3G?

Ans : Yes. The Dev Team has succeeded in unlocking the carrier. It will be packaged in user-friendly GUI and will be available for download by the New Year 2009.

6) How can you unlock iPhone 3G?

Ans : You can use Yellowsn0w to unlock it. Read my blog entry on unlocking iPhone 3G. Click here to read it.

Yellowsn0w is ready to unlock iPhone 3G - Video Demo

2008-12-26T14:36:00.000+05:30

As I had mentioned in a post a week back, (click here to read the article) the our Dev Team has succeeded in unlocking the iPhone 3G. The and are packaging it up in the user-friendly GUI App like the Pwnage Tool.

The team has called this iPhone 3G unlock, the yellowsn0w.

Fact : It is to note that the 'O' in sn0w is not alphabet 'O' but the digit zero '0'.

The first public demo of unlocking the iPhone 3G is now available.

Video of unlocking iPhone 3G

Video Credits : Musclenerd, Dev Team

In this video he shows the command line method of unlocking iPhone 3G using yellowsn0w but then by december 31st, the team is confident of coming out with GUI software to ease the procedure.

Official Dev-Team post about the successful breakage: Click Here

For all those who loved iPhone 3G but were not so happy with its service or its tariff, ITS TIME TO REJOICE

Microsoft launches SeaDragon for iPhone. Indeed Hell Froze over

2008-12-19T22:12:00.000+05:30

It all started on June 11, 2007 when Apple launched Safari for Windows platform.

Apple had always been very reserved when it came to the word PC. Until very recently, it seemed Apple was very confident it can get the world into its proprietary Computer platform, "The Mac" from the Open PC world. But then I really think it all changed because one fine morning, Steve Jobs wakes up saying, "Hey Wait, if monopoly doesn't work, lets try having Synergy" and then there was Safari available for everyone!

Steve Jobs jokingly said, "Hell Freezes Over" in the key-note. It made real sense, didn't it?

Microsoft Launches Sea Dragon for iPhone

Its Microsoft's turn to say, "Indeed, hell froze over". Microsoft Live Labs has launched its first App for iPhone in the form of Sea Dragon. The main feature of Sea Dragon is Deep Zoom where a huge picture, say a Giga Pixel image can be easily viewed in a HandHeld or a PC.

Deep Zoom gives us the effect of Infinite Zoom where we can zoom into a simple-looking image to a very high level.

Example : Let us take the example of "Running the number" art by Chris Jordan. Here Chris creates an art using 106000 Aluminum Beverage cans. According to statistics these are the number of cans consumed by Americans in 30 Sec. I have tried to capture the snapshot of Deep Zoom using Sony Ericsson W810i.

I know, its AWESOME. If you want to try the similar effect in you can visit the HardRock Website. Note that you need to have Silverlight installed to view it.

Get the App in iTunes Click on the AppStore icon -->

The Sea Dragon App also supports Photosynth where Custom created PhotoSynths can be viewed in iPhone.

I have experienced 2 small problems

Browsing the Photosynth photos had failures
When I turn the iPod Touch upside down, the controls invert. That is, when I try to pull the photo down, it goes up and so is the case with left n right.

One thing is sure, the big players have realized the importance of co-existance!!

"I am Rich" says smart Armin Heinrich through his iPhone App

2008-12-18T14:54:00.000+05:30

If you ask me which is the killer App for Apple iPhone, I would say, "App Store", no doubt. All the developers who wanted to utilize the iPhone platform to develop Web Apps (or otherwise) were given SDK by Apple itself and were allowed to publish their Applications in "Apple App Store".

We know that the eco-system around Apple is pretty crazy and rich with enough "vitamin M". People are ready to shell out good bucks for the ease of use of technology and for the Sheer craze of technology. Smart coders made good money selling their Apps for as low as $ 0.99.

But here came one of the Smartest developer who had this weird idea of checking how crazy the Apple world was. His name is Armin Heinrich and he is quite in the radar these days for his (in)famous App, "I am Rich". This App cost just $ 999.99 because that was the maximum that any App could cost in App Store as set by Apple. Oh Boy!! If you wanted to see what it did, its screenshot is below.

Screen Shot

The moment you activate this App, it glows on your iPhone/iPod Touch screen as shown in the snapshot. Thats it for One thousand Dollars!

I know what you'll think right now.

The Author of this App is crazy to expect people to buy this
The Author should be appreciated for his Guts to publish such an asinine App.
There would be no buyers for this App forever.

But here goes the fact :

Apple obviously took out this App from the App-store within hours of publishing because this concept was ridiculous.
Before it was taken off the shelf, EIGHT rich, crazy aristocrats bought this App!! 6 from USA, 1 each from Germany and France. Beat this !!
A couple of them reported later that they thought it was a kind of joke and accidentally clicked it. So Apple refunded those guys.

Now, you might think, people were very furious after buying this App. Armin Heinrich later said "I've got e-mails from customers telling me that they really love the app, and that they had "no trouble spending the money". NOW CAN THINGS GO MORE CRAZIER THAN THIS?

Armin is glad that the 2 guys got the refund for accidental click because he didn't want the money from those who didn't intend to spend crazily. Apple keeps 30% of the money earned through any App sold for "Store Upkeep" which earns him $ 3600 (from 6 customers).

Its Armin's turn to say "I am Rich". What say?

iPhone 3G now unlocked. Hurray everybody.

2008-12-16T20:43:00.000+05:30

The iPhone dev-team which is responsible for releasing the software for the famous iPhone days within it was launched in June 2007 has succeeded to unlock the iPhone 3G from AT&T's clutches !

For all those who don't admire AT&T service but love iPhone 3G, it was a long wait indeed. Apple had rendered the old/popular method of unlocking useless; changing the processor of iPhone 3G was one of the changes.

Today, the Dev Team has confirmed in its official blog that iPhone 3G has been successfully unlocked! The team claims they want to make this holiday, A real jolly holiday by releasing the user-friendly software version of the software, packaging it up in the user-friendly GUI App like the Pwnage Tool.

Expected Release Date : 31st December 2008.

Update : PwnageTool 2.2.1 is released. The link for the torrent can be found here.

Official Dev-Team post about the successful breakage: Click Here

The Dev-Team has a few cautions for the eager iPhone hackers :

Quote from the Dev-Team Blog

GOLDEN RULE:

If you have a 3G iPhone and want potential soft unlock in the near future do NOT use QuickPwn, and do not use the official ipsw or the iTunes update process without using PwnageTool.
Read item 1 again and again. "

To read the full sets of rules Click here.

Apple has subdued many user's urge to get their iPhone jailbroken by releasing App Store. I can say it is one Killer App for iPhone. So jailbreaking is not at all as hot as before. The only problem was with the unlocking carrier and making it available for all non-AT&T fans. Not that it was bad but now, with the successful unlocking of iPhone, we can clearly expect MORE OPTIONS.

iPhone Futuristic Concept designs part 3

2008-12-16T18:02:00.000+05:30

I am sure by now you'd start appreciating the efforts of Apple fans who spent hours designing the look of how iPhone would look like. But Shouldn't we appreciate Apple more for its success in concealing the actual design of the iPhone since none of the concept designs came even close to the actual design which revolutionized the way People interact with an electronic Gadget.

Presenting before you a couple of wonderful concept designs of Apple iPhone. These designs looks technologically superior and really artistic. These designs are some of the top designs according to me..

iPhone Concept # 1

Designer : JOHN PSZENICZNY

iPhone Concept # 2

Designer : FOLLETTO MALEFICO

iPhone Concept # 3

Designer : Thomas J Mrokon

iPhone Concept #4

Designer : Mark Dhand

Finally, to end this series of designs, I would want to present a ridiculously futuristic concept design of iPhone. This one was obviously designed after iPhone was released.

Is the future literally visible?

End Note :

Apple has done really well in energizing the designing community and giving them the food for thought. Can I boldly ask, this is how Apple has planned its future?

iPhone concept designs Part 2

2008-12-15T21:01:00.001+05:30

As I had promised earlier, I am posting iPhone Concept designs Part 2.

These iPhone concept designs are neat.
These are innovative.
They involve more usage of creativity and professional design.

iPhone Concept #1

Designer : Luca Morandi

iPhone Concept #2

Designer : Matt Hoffman

iPhone Concept #3

Designer : Unknown

iPhone Concept #4

Designer : Isamu Sanada

iPhone Concept #5

Designer : Unknown

Concept Name : iChat mobile

iPhone Concept #6

Designer : Unknown

As you see, these iPhone concepts are elegant and has definitely involved more Photoshop work.

Coming up :

iPhone Concept designs : Futuristic Designs

iPhone concepts designs Part 1

2008-12-13T22:01:00.000+05:30

I really love the way Apple Inc. works. Every MacWorld is a riddle to technologists and businessmen alike. Attendees of MacWorld are sure to either witness the release of some of the spectacular products from Apple's stable or they are sure to see some re-structuring of their Organizational/Business model.

It was a known fact that Apple's going to launch a mobile phone (preferably a Smart Phone) in MacWorld 2007 and that Steve Jobs would release it in a keynote as usual. But how would it look like and what would it be the design based on was a riddle to everyone (I would bet even to around 70% of Apple's employees as well). Apple technologists themselves played a vital role in misleading the technologists outside Apple from predicting how the product would look like and what would it be called. Apple filed a lot of patents (most of them were not for iPhone) to misguide people. They were very successful in doing so, if you ask me.

In my next 3 blogs, I'm going to publish the iPhone concept designs of various artists. I have done considerable research online from the day the buzz of iPhone is going around (From last 27 months - to be precise). I have collected a lot of these concept designs from God Knows which websites. I am proud to present to you the 1st set of iPhone concept designs.

These designs are a mixture of existing designs of mobile phones convoluted with famous iPod Classic's design.

iPhone Concept#1

Designer : Unknown

iPhone Concept#2

Concept Name : iContact

Designer : Unknown

iPhone Concept#3

Designer : Unknown

iPhone Concept#4

Designer : Unknown

iPhone Concept#5

Designer : Unknown

iPhone Concept#6

Designer : Unknown

iPhone Concept#7

Designer : Unknown

iPhone Concept#8

Designer : Unknown

As you can see, these designs are minor modifications of already existing phones in the market with the signature "White Earphones", "Dial browser", an "Apple Logo in the rear"etc.

Note : I am not aware of the original designers of many of these. If you think your name is missing in the credits list, please feel free to contact me or post a comment in my blog. I would love to give a reference to you. I am using these designs for "Knowledge Sake" only.

Coming up :

iPhone Concept designs Part 2 : Elegant Designs
iPhone Concept designs Part 3 : Really cool futuristic Designs

Costs of iPhone 3G in different part of the world

2008-12-12T12:00:00.000+05:30

I have done quite some surveys to find out the costs of iPhone in a few countries and compared them with the cost of iPhone in India.

Country : USA

Device Cost : $ 199 for 8 GB and $299 for 16 GB

AT&T Tariff : $ 30 for 3G data service plan + Voice + SMS Charge ! (Click here to see AT&T plans)

Addition : My bro, who stays in USA informed me that the cost would range from $ 80/ Month (iPhone 2G) to around 100$ (iPhone 3G). Again this is just the starter/medium level package.

Unlocked iPhone : $ 599 for 8GB and $ 699 for 16 GB

source : Zit Seng

Country : Hong Kong

Unlocked iPhone : HK$ 5400 (INR 33,962 )for 8 GB and HK$ 6200 (INR 38,959)

Source : Apple Stores Hong Kong

Quoting Apple website : "iPhone 3G purchased at the Apple Online Store can be activated with any wireless carrier. Simply insert the SIM from your current phone into iPhone 3G and connect to iTunes 8 to complete activation"

Country : Singapore

Provider : Singtel

Cost : Really a WIDE range of choices here. Some tariffs gives you a 16 GB iPhone for FREE!

For Tariffs :

Official Singtel Website
Lesterchan Blog

Country : India

Provider : Airtel and Vodafone

Cost : Rs 31000 (8GB) and Rs 36100 (16GB)

Datarates :

Airtel - 1st 500 MB free. Then 30p/50KB (Source : Airtel website)
Vodafone - Wide variety of pricing. But all of them are more expensive than Airtel. (Source : Vodafone Website)

End Note :

After this very lengthy research on costs of iPhone, one thing is for sure. iPhone is not everyone's baby! Definitely not mine (as of today)!

Disclaimer : All the logos, photos, references etc used here are for the purpose of knowledge only and are right to the best of author's knowledge. The info in this blog is from online research and the author cannot guarantee the validity of any of the information. The author doesn't wish to take the responsibility for any losses whatsoever that you might incur referring to this blog.

Why does iPhone 3G run Slower than iPod touch?

2008-12-11T22:35:00.000+05:30

If you had followed iPod touch from the day it was released, you'd have realized that a lot of things have gone down in 2nd Generation iPod touch compared to 1st generation counterpart

weight - 120 Grams to 115 Grams
cost - 299$ to 229$ (8GB model)
Possibility of a scratch on screen ;)

But there is one not-so-prominent hardware improvement that we must observe. The new iPod touch has a better and a faster processor powering it.

400 MHz (1st Gen) to 533 MHz (2nd Gen)

For a day-to-day usage, the 133 MHz increase of speed seldom matters. But for Apps, especially games, the increased speed in a blessing now that they can look "More Realistic" and can deliver some impressive 3-D rendering.

Now, Apple promotes iPod Touch as "Funniest iPod ever" and iPhone as "Internet connected Next Generation Multimedia Smartphone". But according to TouchArcade Website iPhone still runs on a 412 MHz CPU while iPod has 533 MHz CPU. Isn't it funny?

Watch it yourself to believe

Now, I didn't want to believe this. I couldn't stop exploring more about this anomaly. I had a very interesting discovery..

iPhone 3G has a 620 MHz ARM 1176 processor underclocked to 412 MHz ! Now this looks really fishy but I don't think I know the reason as yet.

Source : Engadget

Edit :

One of my valued reader, Mr Sean commented on this issue :

"The main reasons to underclock a cpu is to save power, and reduce heat. An underclocked cpu can usually run on a significantly lower voltage. Most people want their cell phone battery to last as long as possible... and that is the most likely reason for the underclocking. As for your iPod being better than an iPhone, consider that your iPod would get the same benefit of a longer battery life if it was underclocked."

End Note : One thing is for sure, I have more than 1 reason to be happy about my decision to go for an iPod Touch over iPhone!

Thank you Jonathan Ive

2008-12-11T12:28:00.000+05:30

I think, I am right in thinking that the first entry in this blog ought to be dedicated to Mr Jonathan Ive without whom we would never have had the luxury to play with some of the coolest gadgets on Earth..

Name : Jonathan Paul Ive

Occupation : Senior Vice President of Industrial Design, Apple Inc.

Famous as : Principal Designer of the iMac, iPod, iPhone etc

Salary : £1 million a year (Source : Guardian website)

Before you even wonder (and probably be jealous of) why the heck does he gets paid so much, read this article completely..

Apple iMac : iMac was neither the first computer in the market nor the top performing computer of the time. It was unique in the sense that, for the first time, a Desktop computer looked "tasty" and "non-geekish". Jonathan Ive was wholly responsible for its new Candy Looks!

↓

iPod : iPod has revolutionized the Music world from its release in October 2001.

It is definitely not the first portable music player in the market but its unique designs: Dial browsing, integrated podcast, game support and mainly the "iTunes Stores" which weaved the legal music eco-system around iPod made a huge impact. Due to its popularity the word 'iPod' is synonymous with the word music player.

I keep explaining my friends its rediculous to ask, "Which company's iPod is better?" or worse, "My 2 GB Transcend iPod is not working dude!". But I know, its not their mistake completely.

iPhone / iPod Touch : Ive and his design team were pivotal in designing the revolutionary iPhone and the subsequent iPod touch. This gadget defeats any other gadget in the world hands down because of the ease of Human-Machine interaction, its intuitiveness and the features it has to offer us.

I am going to stop writing on iPhone and iPod touch because all my subsequent entries are on the same.

Now we know why Mr Ive draws such a handsome salary. He deserves it and more, doesn't he? Johnny, you rock.. Keep up your good work..