Limera1n

Limera1n is live! According to the devs, it will jailbreak all idevices and is fairly easy to use. It is unpatchable and untethered. Of course, today's release of Limera1n means that the release of Greenpois0n is delayed, but it is well worth it. And to clarify one thing, Limera1n is for iPhone 3GS, iPod Touch 3G, iPad, iPhone 4, iPod Touch 4G, 4.0-4.1 and beyond. You can go HERE to download it and free your idevice. This was done by Geohot so you know it will be good. Please keep in mind that it is in Beta and that means that it is a great idea to read into it a little before you go jailbreaking.

GreenPois0n on 10/10/10

Greenpois0n is claiming that it will be released at 10:10 A.M on 10/10/10. This, of course, is just an estimated time, but they developers are saying that they will be doing everything they can to ensure that it is released without fail or bugs at that time. They are also hoping that they servers don't crash.....we'll see.

Still waiting on 4.1 Jailbreak

It has been a while, but the iphone Dev Team is still working on the jailbreak for all of the newest devices. So far they are making good progress and it should be any day now. If you are on a Mac then you are able to jailbreak, but Windows users aren't quite ready yet. You can go to the link on my page for the Dev Team blog and get the download for jailbreaking if you are on a Mac.

Physical Keyboard Case

 If you are an iPhone user who misses the tactile feel of previous smartphones, then this case may be for you. I say that it may because i'm not completely sold on it yet. It works as a physical case for the phone with a flipout keypad for typing. It is somewhat similar to phones like the T-Mobile Sidekick, among others. In theory, this is a great idea for many reasons. First off, it will help protect the iPhone from scratches and drops, which we could all probably use. Another reason it is a good idea is that it returns that "tactile" feel to the iPhone. I know, for me personally, the biggest hurdle when i got the iPhone was typing on a glass screen and just hoping I got it right without the QWERTY feel. For a new user, typing on the touchscreen is a little akward so this could be an improvement if you are just unable to adjust. One of the catches on this case is that it will only be compatible with the iPhone 3GS and the iPhone4. Why? Because it uses Bluetooth connectivity rather than hooking in through the data port, which leaves your connection open for charging, syncing, in-car connecting, etc without having to remove the case. It is called the TK-421 case and will be released in November by ThinkGeek. At a cost of $49.99, I will probably just save my money, but that is not to say that the TK-421 won't serve a viable purpose for quite a few people out there. To pre-order go HERE and also check out a couple more pictures below.

Greenpois0n

For all of you on the 4.1 Firmware, whether it's the 3G, 3GS, or iPhone4, stay tuned. The chronic dev team is working very furiously on their jailbreak for 4.1. As of now there are no updates coming from chronic, but they have assured everyone that it is going well. As soon as it's out, I will put the download link up with instructions on how to perform the jailbreak.

iOS 4.2 will pack some great new features

It's about time Apple. We have been asking and you have finally come through....at least on a couple of things. iOS 4.2 is still in Beta, but we were able to get a look at some of the new features. And, for anyone who has not Jailbroken their iPhone yet, some of these new features will be a welcome respite from the same old features that the iPhone has been packaged with for quite a while.

SMS/Text Messaging Tones: Yes, it's here (at least in the Beta), you will be able to customize the Text tones for individual contacts. Oh the bliss this will bring. You can have a different text tone for different people, that way you will know who is texting you before you look. The one drawback? (there's always at least one) You will be limited to the default text tones. However, almost undoubtedly, there will be a Winterboard theme to solve this for those of you who are free from Apple's restrictions.
Also, for the lucky iPhone4 owners out there, Apple will be adding a shortcut button inside the SMS app to initiate a call over Facetime, making it alot easier than closing out of the app and locating the contact, then initiating the call from there.

New Features/System Changes: Apple finally added some new features for managing your iDevice. One addition will be the option to place restrictions on Adding and Deleting Apps from the phone. Also, you will be able to lock changes to Email and Location Settings.
 One small, but seemingly useful change, is the ability to disable adjusting ringtones using the volume buttons, which will allow you to set a ring volume and have it never change.
 Safari will now have the ability to search for text on a page, which is great when you are looking for a certain item and trying to comb through all of that information on a small screen
The Youtube app has the ability now to Like and Dislike videos right in the app, saving you quite a bit of time if you are a heavy video watcher
Voice Memos gets a new icon, not gound-breaking but anything new on the iPhone is cool
One small change that I personally like is that the Alerts will have a slight silver shadow, putting more focus on the alert. Again, it's not major, but any changes like that help enhance the iPhone experience.

Now the question of all the time, the one you are all asking yourselves: Now that Apple is throwing all of these new features in iOS 4.2, is it worth updating and losing your Jailbreak? The answer.....wait for it........NO! It's not worth breaking your Jailbreak to land these few seemingly awesome features on your iDevice. Why? Most, if not all, of these features are already/will shortly be available through Cydia. The biggest impact this newest update will have on Jailbroken iPhones is the ability to actually set different text tones per contact, and I know that personally I can wait until the 4.2 Jailbreak comes out to have that.

4.2 Beta

Alright, in standard Apple fashion, iOS 4.2 has already hit it's Beta Release for developers. I'm sure it will bring on a host of new fixes, and probably will mess up some things that work just fine now. The ability to print over WiFi should be coming with 4.2 as Steve Jobs mentioned at the big fall event though. I will keep an eye on how this one develops.

Fields of Fantasy

Fields of Fantasy, the newest, greatest, and easiest to use Online Fantasy Football game ever! Do you like money? Who doesn't, but the real question is this, do you like to win LOTS of money? If the answer is yes, then you need to go HERE, and now. We are only in week 2 of the season, still lots of time to get in on the fun, and the money. Here is how it works: You pay $10 and get one team. You have a salary cap of $5000, and each player is valued based on their real life value. As the players that you pick play their games, you start racking up points. The person at the end of the week with the most points wins! And man, do you win? 1st place EVERY week wins $2500!!!! Yes, that is TWO THOUSAND and FIVE HUNDRED dollars EVERY week. 1st through 10th place all pay out, and 11th through 100th place all get a FREE play the following week. See the payout chart below for the full breakdown.

This is the break down of the MINOR investment to get started on the path to lots of fun and LOTS of money!

And this is the prize list. Look at that! $2500 for first place EVERY week. How can you go wrong? You guessed it, you can't! Get in now! Go sign up HERE, it will take you straight to the sign up page, why delay?

There seems to be a lot of mystery surrounding the idea of "Jailbreaking" one's iDevice (iPhone, iPod touch, and iPad). Hopefully, this article can help to clear up some of the smoke and mirrors associated with it.

The first part of the process is to truly understand what the definition of Jailbreaking is. Jailbreaking is defined as a hack that allows users access to the root files of their iDevice, therefore freeing users from the limitations placed on the device by At&T and Apple. What this means is that it removes the constrictions placed on the iDevice allowing for more freedom in your choices as a user.

Upon performing a jailbreak on an iDevice, you are then given access to an app (application) called Cydia. Cydia allows access to a number of other apps and installers that give the user many options, the least of which include changing system icons, backgrounds, themes, fonts,and much more.

Disclaimer: Jailbreaking an iDevice voids the warranty

UPDATE: 9/13/2010- The 4.1 Firmware was released, however a Jailbreak is not available as of this moment, but it is being worked on, so stay tuned.
UPDATE: As of right now, 8/17/2010, if you have updated your iPhone to 4.0.2, then there is not a jailbreak available yet. If you already jailbroken your iPhone on iOS4, then there is a PDF Patch that you can install to fix the PDF exploit that Apple's 4.0.2 fixes. That patch can be found on Cydia if you have already jailbroken.

On July 26,2010 the U.S. Copyright Office handed down the decision stating that using computer programs to run lawfully obtained programs on your phone that you would otherwise not be able to use, is in fact legal. Note that is states "lawfully obtained". This means that hacked or pirated programs are still illegal. They also stated that "unlocking" the phone for use on another carrier is legal as well, though I don't advise this to be done for a number of reasons. Mainly the fact that the iPhone already has minor performance issues on it's primary network, At&T, so putting it on another network magnifies those same performance issues.

While Jailbreaking is now considered legal, is it advised? The answer to that depends on you, the user. If you are the type of end user who likes to have a nice, sleek phone that makes and receives calls, allows access to your emails, gives you games and music, and allows HTML rich web access, then the "stock" iDevice is for you.

If, however, you are the type of user who likes a little more flexibility, freedom, and customization options, then Jailbreaking is the way to go. Here is a small list of the things you are able to accomplish on your iDevice by Jailbreaking it: Custom wallpapers, icons, fonts, ringtones, text message tones, etc. It also allows for full system customization in the form of themes, widgets for time, weather, notifications, and many more. There are many more things that you are able to do with a jailbroken iDevice (like enabling multitasking on a 3G), however the list is very long, and it is more fun to discover the endless possibilities on your own.

There are a few drawbacks to be aware of prior to jailbreaking. The most important thing to remember is this; prior to beginning any jailbreak procedure, BACKUP your device in iTunes. That way if it "bricks" (doesn't work), you can restore from that backup. Another thing to keep in mind is that it helps to be somewhat computer savvy to do it. There are many step by step tutorials available, however, a good, full understanding of exactly what they say is highly recommended before you start. Jailbreaking your phone can cause performance issues, depending on what programs are installed, so it is a good idea (especially at first) to install programs one at a time to "test" their performance. Doing so will ensure that if you run across performance issues, you will know exactly what to uninstall.

Overall, jailbreaking your iDevice is an enjoyable experience, if you don't mind messing up along the way and have the patience to do it over again when this happens. It will open up a whole new world of Apple's mobile operating system that most users aren't aware of, and it will allow for limitless customization. If you have a little bit of tech savvy, the patience, and the motivation, it is a very easy process and has many benefits. If you are happy with your iDevice the way it is, then I wouldn't mess with it at all.

The root of the debate is all about the choice to jailbreak or not, but remember, jailbreaking gives you more choices than you knew you had. For more information on just how far the iPhone has come, read about The iPhone Revolution

Rock App is dead

It has officially been announced! Cydia will acquire Rock Your Phone. The two have had a long history of competition and this merger marks the end of that rivalry. In the beginning, there was Cydia which was created by Saurik(Jay Freeman). And then along came Rock Your Phone. Rock was designed to put a more user-friendly interface to Cydia. Rock was created by Intelliborn, the company that brought products such as Intelliscreen and MyWi. What followed the creation of of the RockApp was a fierce competition to dominate the Jailbreak world. Both companies were extremely successful in doing so, however neither truly took over. Why? Because both had great things that were put forward, and two different camps of followers. Rock brought what it had set out to accomplish, a much more user-friendly experience. But, according to Saurik from Cydia, this was at the sacrifice of stability. Many Rock users found that one of the latest updates actually forced them to restore their iPhones and start over. Rock was faster, however that was again at the expense of security and stability. Cydia is slower to load, and according to Saurik, this is because it is more secure. The user interface isn't as pretty, but it still gets the job done.
So, the question is, what happens now? Well, Saurik and Intelliborn are working together to make the transition as seamless as possible. Cydia is going to be working on updating their interface, as well as the speed of their loading times, and attempting to minimize crashes. Most of your apps and programs, as well as license purchases, that were on Rock are already moved over to Cydia. I went into my Cydia just a little while ago and found all of my packages and sources already moved over. That does help to relieve the stress of having to start over.
What does this mean for the future of Jailbreak? Well, it depends on how you look at it. If you are a hardcore Rock fan then you may have a difficult time adjusting. But, one of the best parts of this is the fact that Intelliborn will now have more time for developing apps and Saurik will have more time to focus on Cydia. Keep an open mind, follow the changes, and this could be the best thing to happen the Jailbreak community in a long time.

Go HERE to see the Q&A with Saurik about the merger

9/11, Twin Towers

Extremely off topic here, but a small discussion about 9/11. It was nine years ago. I was driving into work and I always listened to CD's instead of the radio. After putting in 25 minutes on the road, I got to work. Just your normal day, lots to do. When I got there I was in my office and one of my co-workers called me into their office and told me that an airplane had just flown into the Twin Towers. How horrible I thought. And, quite honestly, that was the first time I had ever heard of the Twin Towers. I, admittedly, didn't ever pay much attention to things like that. I was young and that was definitely on my list of top priorities. Where I worked at the time we had TV's for our patients to watch while they were getting their treatments, so I went out on the floor and turned one of them on to the news. Right as I was turning it on, the second plane hit. What a horrific sight it was, to see all of that destruction happen so quickly. There were so many people right there, not to mention the people in the planes. And then news came in that there were more planes in the air, and one was headed for the Pentagon. How could this be happening? That was all I could think. There was no way in the world that we, the United States of America, was being attacked on our own soil. We are too strong, secure, and powerful for that to happen. Unfortunately, the truth of the matter is, we were being attacked. Terrorists, extremists, had hijacked OUR airplanes and used them to kill our own people. And then we had the rescuers. How can we ever forget those people who gave their lives that day? New York firefighters, police officers, and many, many others gave their lives that day to try and save the people who were in the towers when the planes hit. Both towers fell, many people died, a war has been raging on since that day, and none of us will ever forget. Watch this video, it is a tribute to the people who lost their lives that day, and it is powerful.

iPhone and Blackberry Funeral

Ok, so this is kind of funny. Very funny actually. Microsoft is getting ready to release the Windows Phone 7 on various carriers. They are celebrating, as they should. The Windows Phone 7 will be a huge hit. They will get snatched up quicker than they are manufactured for sure. And, in the spirit of celebration, Microsoft employees saw fit to hold a funeral parade for the iPhone and Blackberry devices. It was a magnificent production, consisting of hearses, costumes, and mock up coffins designed to look like the iPhone and the Blackberry devices. The reason behind this "funeral"? The WP7 is being added to a list of phones considered to be "iPhone Killers". If I were Steve Jobs, I would see this term as a huge complement. Everyone is trying to outdo the iPhone. Really, how can you beat it? It's is small, easy to hold, very versatile, adds productivity, and the list goes on. However, Apple still has it's resistance, so Microsoft and others can attempt to move in on the market. But, the one thing that always seems to hold Windows Phones down is their lack of true stability. Windows phones usually like to "crash" at fairly regular intervals. This is not to say that the iPhone is 100% reliable all of the time, however, that fact is outweighed by it's good points (and it's VERY strong cult following). In my opinion, it probably would have been a good idea for Microsoft to spend the time it took to put this little funeral production together on something more rewarding......like making sure WP7 doesn't crash every other hour. Go HERE for the full story, and see below for a pic.

Flash for iPhone

So, for anyone who hasn't been following the Apple/Flash battle, it has raged on. Flash is not permitted on iDevices per Apple. Well, it was just announced that Flash would be allowed through Apple, that they have backed off of their limitations. Before you go and try watching Flash-based movies or playing Flash games on your iPhone, bear in mind that it is being allowed only as part of installer packages, not as an actual App on the device. For more information go HERE.

iOS 4.1 order up

iOS 4.1 is live and eagerly awaiting your download. It's not the biggest update, but it does bring with it the release of Gamecenter (on some devices). it also provides the Proximity Sensor fix so that your iPhone 4 will quit ending your calls because it thinks you laid the phone down. The one drawback? There is no jailbreak for 4.1 yet. however, for everyone that upgraded to 4.0.2 and have been waiting for a jailbreak, you can expect one for 4.1 soon. The Devs were waiting on 4.1 before getting to work on it. I will not be testing 4.1 as I do not want to give up my jailbreak. I will update on how it's going though.

[Posted with iBlogger from my iPhone]

Updated pages

I put two new pages up, My Screenshots and Funny Pictures. Go check them out. Also note that 4.1 should hit soon, maybe as early as this Wednesday the 8th, but they haven't come out with the jailbreak yet, so be patient. It will be here soon and I will tell you guys how to do it. I will be adding a walkthrough page before long which will help talk people through the Jailbreak process and also point you in the right direction to get the software needed to successfully pull it off.

iTunes 10

Alright, I just got done downloading iTunes 10. There are quite a few differences over previous versions. One of the most notable, and obvious, differences is the user interface. It now seems more refined and easier to read. iTunes has always looked, to me at least, like it was built using Lotus. It was very "blocky" and choppy and somewhat difficult to follow. Now when you pull up music, for instance, it has your songs in more of a list format, arranged alphabetically by artist making it alot easier to read. Another vast, and way overdue, difference is the icon. It no longer is the CD with the music note on it. Apple finally made the icon look like it was not designed on an Amiga. But, the biggest difference so far is the newest feature, Ping. This is found after you go to the iTunes store. Ping is nothing more than a social networking platform for iTunes. With Ping, you can follow certain artists that you choose. This gives you the chance to be more on top of what they have coming up. It also lets you follow your friends and other people with the same musical tastes. This can give you a heads up on new music and artists you may have missed. Overall, I think iTunes 10 is a vast improvement over the previous versions. So, take a moment, go download the newest version of the world's most popular music player/media organized/(and now) Social Networking platform

iOS 4.1 announced

At the Apple Fall Event today, iOS 4.1 was finally announced. As is the pattern with Apple, they just released iOS4 a couple months back. They then started immediately preparing updates 4.0.1 and that was shortly followed up with 4.0.2. Well, here we go with 4.1, and it boasts quite a few updates. And here they are:
Some updates will be to fix the proximity sensor issue with the iPhone4, the functionality of Bluetooth, and iPhone 3G performance, which surprises me that they would do anything at this point for the 3G.
iOS4.1 will also include a list of new features:  High Dynamic Range photos, HD video uploads over WiFi, TV show rentals, and Game Center. Of course, it is advised to wait for the 4.1 update until a jailbreak is available for it. And, on a side note, it is glaringly obvious that Apple is not including any type of "antenna fix" with the newest update. This points to the fact that they know it is a physical design flaw and that there is nothing they can do about it.

Themes page

Hey everyone, don't miss my Themes page in the tabs at the top. There is only one theme so far, and it is by FreeApple, a very talented theme creator. I will add more soon. Check it out and enjoy

Apple Fall Event

Apple's Fall Event is tomorrow. it's everyone's chance to see the latest and greatest that Apple has to offer the world. Maybe they will announce a universal fix to the devastating iPhone4 antenna issue, or an update for iTunes. Who knows, maybe they will announce that they have had a team living on the moon fit the last 5 years.....you can never tell with them. But, either way, it should be an interesting time. Engadget will have full day coverage of the event so that you won't miss a beat.

Engadget's live coverage

Cool custom battery charging lockscreen

One of the best, and most popular, reasons for Jail Breaking an iPhone is the limitless amount of customizations available. Once you are free from Apple's limitations, you can do what you want. There is an awesome Jailbreak community to point you in the right direction. One of my favorites, and most helpful, is ModMyi. There you will find endless information on how to get started with jailbreaking, and where to go once you do it.

Themes are a huge part of jailbreaking. Most theme creators are people who do it as a hobby and share their art with the community. Some themes are free and some are paid. But the paid ones are always worth supporting. Heck, more work is put into the themes for jailbroken devices than Apple ever has put into the appearance of the stock phone.

On the left here is a screenshot of my iPhone 3G. That is my lockscreen while plugged in. Notice the round battery level indicator. Another part of it that is really cool is the Slide to Unlock text.....on the phone it "shimmers". This is just a small example of what can be done.

What is Jailbreaking?

There seems to be a lot of mystery surrounding the idea of "Jailbreaking" one's iDevice (iPhone, iPod touch, and iPad). Hopefully, this article can help to clear up some of the smoke and mirrors associated with it.

The first part of the process is to truly understand what the definition of Jailbreaking is. Jailbreaking is defined as a hack that allows users access to the root files of their iDevice, therefore freeing users from the limitations placed on the device by At&T and Apple. What this means is that it removes the constrictions placed on the iDevice allowing for more freedom in your choices as a user.

Upon performing a jailbreak on an iDevice, you are then given access to an app (application) called Cydia. Cydia allows access to a number of other apps and installers that give the user many options, the least of which include changing system icons, backgrounds, themes, fonts,and much more.

Disclaimer: Jailbreaking an iDevice voids the warranty

UPDATE: As of right now, 8/30/2010, if you have updated your iPhone to 4.0.2, then there is not a jailbreak available yet. If you already jailbroke your iPhone on iOS4, then there is a PDF Patch that you can install to fix the PDF. The next jailbreak will not be handed down until 4.1 is released, which is currently in it's 3rd Beta release with Dev's so it should be within weeks.

Is Jailbreaking your iDevice going to land you in jail?

On July 26,2010 the U.S. Copyright Office handed down the decision stating that using computer programs to run lawfully obtained programs on your phone that you would otherwise not be able to use, is in fact legal. Note that is states "lawfully obtained". This means that hacked or pirated programs are still illegal. They also stated that "unlocking" the phone for use on another carrier is legal as well, though I don't advise this to be done for a number of reasons. Mainly the fact that the iPhone already has minor performance issues on it's primary network, At&T, so putting it on another network magnifies those same performance issues.

While Jailbreaking is now considered legal, is it advised? The answer to that depends on you, the user. If you are the type of end user who likes to have a nice, sleek phone that makes and receives calls, allows access to your emails, gives you games and music, and allows HTML rich web access, then the "stock" iDevice is for you.

If, however, you are the type of user who likes a little more flexibility, freedom, and customization options, then Jailbreaking is the way to go. Here is a small list of the things you are able to accomplish on your iDevice by Jailbreaking it: Custom wallpapers, icons, fonts, ringtones, text message tones, etc. It also allows for full system customization in the form of themes, widgets for time, weather, notifications, and many more. There are many more things that you are able to do with a jailbroken iDevice (like enabling multitasking on a 3G), however the list is very long, and it is more fun to discover the endless possibilities on your own.

There are a few drawbacks to be aware of prior to jailbreaking. The most important thing to remember is this; prior to beginning any jailbreak procedure, BACKUP your device in iTunes. That way if it "bricks" (doesn't work), you can restore from that backup. Another thing to keep in mind is that it helps to be somewhat computer savvy to do it. There are many step by step tutorials available, however, a good, full understanding of exactly what they say is highly recommended before you start. Jailbreaking your phone can cause performance issues, depending on what programs are installed, so it is a good idea (especially at first) to install programs one at a time to "test" their performance. Doing so will ensure that if you run across performance issues, you will know exactly what to uninstall.

Overall, jailbreaking your iDevice is an enjoyable experience, if you don't mind messing up along the way and have the patience to do it over again when this happens. It will open up a whole new world of Apple's mobile operating system that most users aren't aware of, and it will allow for limitless customization. If you have a little bit of tech savvy, the patience, and the motivation, it is a very easy process and has many benefits. If you are happy with your iDevice the way it is, then I wouldn't mess with it at all.

The root of the debate is all about the choice to jailbreak or not, but remember, jailbreaking gives you more choices than you knew you had. For more information on just how far the iPhone has come, read about The iPhone Revolution