What you’ll need

All you need is any iOS device; this works with all versions of iOS, and only uses a website to set up the icons on the home screen. The only thing to keep in mind is to make sure you only add icons for settings your device actually has; for example, using the website, it’s possible to set up a shortcut to the Siri settings page, but only the iPhone 4S has that settings page, so the link will break on other devices.

Method

1. To get started, use your iOS device to open the IconSettings page, over on iPhoneZA. Scroll down and you’ll see a long list of links with the names of pages from the Settings app.
2. Tap one of the links to open a new page. A pop-up will appear asking if you want to open in Settings; tap cancel, because you still need to be in Safari for now.
3. Tap the Action icon in the toolbar, which looks like an arrow coming out of a box, then tap Add to Home Screen. A new sheet will slide in, allowing you to rename the shortcut if you wish. Wait a couple of seconds, and an icon will appear in the square to the left of the text field.
   
4. Tap Add at the top of the screen, and the icon will be added to your home screen. It can be moved and deleted in the same way as a regular app icon. Tap the icon, and you’ll be taken to the corresponding page in Settings. You can add as many of these to your home screen as you wish.
   

Things to consider

First of all, don’t worry about breaking any rules doing this; it’s all above-board, since these icons are simple links using Apple’s “prefs:” URL scheme. It’s the same as when a developer uses a custom URL scheme, so Apple is fine with people using it.

It’s also worth noting that although these shortcuts can make it easier to access buried settings pages with one touch, this isn’t quite the same as the popular jailbreak app, SBSettings, which actually toggles settings when you tap the icon, not just take you to the Settings app. However, short of jailbreaking, this is the best alternative.

Finally, you may notice that some of these don’t save much time over simply opening Settings. For example, Wi-Fi is right at the top of Settings, so it only takes a few seconds to open it manually. However, some of the other available icons are quite handy; for instance, Bluetooth is buried under General, and so takes a few taps to open. Using IconSettings makes accessing the Bluetooth settings a lot faster.

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Allegra is responsible for JailbreakMe 3.0, a web-based jailbreak tool released in July and designed to be used on iPhones, iPad and iPod touches running iOS 4.3.3. Before that, he created Spirit, which was an untethered jailbreak for iOS devices running iOS 3.1.2 to 3.2, and he was also a Nintendo Wii homebrew software developer.

Allegra has been described by other iPhone hackers and Forbes as somewhat of a prodigy, and he’s been compared to some of the most advanced computer systems security experts in the world.

Apple probably thinks it’s better to have Allegra working with it rather than against it. In theory, his ability to quickly and easily locate exploits in iOS code will give Apple advance notice of problems before they arise, so that it can patch holes before software updates hit the public. In practice, it’s unlikely to stop the cat-and-mouse game of jailbreaking altogether, but kudos to Apple for trying a solution that doesn’t involve civil suits and generally draconian behavior.

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There isn’t a specific timeline for when the update will be released, but when it does arrive, it’ll also shut down the ability to jailbreak iOS devices using the most recent JailbreakMe browser-based method. The jailbreak takes advantage of the same exploit which poses a potential security threat and involves the way in which Safari and Mail manage PDF file downloads.

Apple will likely be quick with an update, considering the nature of the German IT agency’s warning. The organization called the flaw a “critical weakness,” and one which is “sufficient to infect the mobile device with malware without the user’s knowledge.” It affects users running iOS 4.3.3, and possibly older versions as well, according to the German agency.

While users await a software update to patch the hole, the best way to avoid any potential security threats is to avoid downloading PDF files from any untrusted sources, either via email or mobile Safari. As mobile web access becomes more popular, it’s generally a good idea for users to practice the same kind of safe browsing that helps avoid malicious attacks on desktop computers as well, part of which means not downloading content when its origin is at all suspect or hazy.

A similar flaw was discovered in August 2010 that also allowed for web-based jailbreak, and also caught the attention of the German government. Apple took about a week to issue an iOS update to patch the problem at that time, so it’s reasonable to expect a similar timeline for release with a 4.3.4 update.

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According to the site, Toyota contacted advertising agency Velti, which it had charged with running the campaign, and asked them to take down the theme. The reason given was that Toyota wanted to “maintain their good relationship with Apple,” according to ModMyi’s Velti contact. Attempts to contact both Velti and Apple for official comment so far haven’t been met with a response.

It shouldn’t surprise anyone, Toyota included, that Apple wasn’t happy about this arrangement. Jailbreaking is something the company still does its best to counteract, and any attempts to make it look like a legitimate alternative to the approved App Store distribution process are not going to go over well. If Apple didn’t nip this in the bud, it might’ve paved the way for other major advertisers to look at the viability of jailbreak campaigns, which could conceivably cut into to Apple’s own iAds revenue, as well as convince more users that jailbreaking in general isn’t as taboo as the company wants to portray it.

I doubt many will be sad to see the theme itself go, since it was basically a poorly designed, garish mess. But this does go to show that Apple has very specific limits when it comes to what it will tolerate in the jailbreak community, and threats to its growing mobile ad business definitely exceed those boundaries.

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Granted, jailbreaking is clearly not something Apple approves of, and the company hasn’t been as aggressive as others (like Sony), which is pursuing legal action against PS3/iPhone jailbreaker Geohot) in going after those responsible for cracking open its platform. But jailbreaking isn’t illegal, according to a recent ruling, and Apple is messing with people’s ability to enjoy their legitimate purchases in this case.

The problem doesn’t affect all jailbroken devices, but if you’re using the latest greenpois0n jailbreak code and running iOS 4.2.1, built-in checks put in place by Apple will prevent iBooks from opening DRM-protected books on your device. Opening content legitimately purchased from the iBookstore results in a message being displayed that reads “There is a problem with the configuration of your iPhone. Please restore with iTunes and reinstall iBooks.”

Ars Technica points out that Apple may be required to prevent DRM-protected contents from being opened on jailbroken devices under its agreement with book publishers, but even so, it’s not going to change the fact that users will interpret it as a punishment aimed squarely at them, as if iPhone owners needed another reason to seek the refuge of Amazon’s larger library, multi-platform support and more feature-rich app.

Between this move and Apple courting the ire of content producers with its new in-app subscription and e-book sales rules, I’m worried the company is on the verge of damaging its relationship with consumers in irreparable ways. Of course, this isn’t the first time Apple has run afoul of its content partners. But with Android providing an increasingly tempting alternative delivery platform, might it be the last?

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Though only in the “concept client” mode (untested and complicated to install) as of right now, the jailbreak app shows the true, unlocked potential of the new Apple TV. Plex allows you to stream nearly any kind of video directly to your device from your Mac, not just the content in your iTunes library. Despite being an early build, the app does have a clean interface that fits right in on the Apple TV and allows for easy navigation.

Plex also introduces various other sources from which to draw media, in addition to those provided by your Apple TV and files on your local network. It can act as a media center for streaming content from the web, and is compatible with sources like FoxNews.com, MLB.com and BBC iPlayer. Perhaps most useful of all, Plex also supports Hulu. Essentially, an Apple TV running this new jailbreak app nears content parity with the much more expensive Google TV offerings.

Some limitations of the application include how Plex must re-encode videos rather than play them back in native form, using more device resources, and how it still isn’t very easy to install or jailbreak your device.

If you’re looking to try it out in the current un-tested mode, visit the Plex forums. For non-advanced users, it’s probably best to wait for a more stable (and more easily installed) version to emerge. As always, remember that jailbreaking your device can create various problems, to the point of making your device unusable and/or voiding your warranty.

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Though a slightly complicated process, jailbreaking allows the use of apps and other software outside of Apple’s highly controlled App Store. The benefit is that you have more freedom to choose whatever you’d like; the downside is software isn’t necessarily held to the standards you’re used to in App Store offerings.

Redsn0w was developed by the Dev-Team, the people behind most jailbreak releases. The Dev-Team Blog mentions two new features in the update that will please advanced users. First, the software offers custom “bootlogos” for iPhone3G/iPhone3GS/iPod2G users. Second, they’ve added the DFU option when interacting with PwngeTool. Additionally, jailbreak developers can take advantage of the new iOS 4.2 seed, by using the 4.1 IPSW with this redsn0w version.

To be clear, jailbreaking (opening your device to new software) is not the same as unlocking (opening your device to different mobile data services/carriers). Software such as PwnageTool allows for unlocking and interacts with redsn0w, and it’s recommended that you wait to update your device to iOS 4.1 before attempting to unlock it.

Also, jailbreaking only applies to the current software update, so if updates happen in the next few months, you’ll be waiting for the next corresponding jailbreak update before you can take advantage of any new iOS additions in the future.

As always, remember that jailbreaking your device can create various problems, to the point of making your device unusable and/or voiding your warranty.

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In case you haven’t heard, jailbreakme.com is the resurrected version of the original website, which allowed you to jailbreak devices running iPhone OS 1.1.1. It’s back again, and this time, it’s ready to take on iOS 4.0 and 4.0.1 on all iPhone and iPod Touch devices, and iOS 3.2.1 on the iPad. It all happens from your device’s Safari browser, without requiring a computer at any stage during the process.

The new jailbreak process comes via comex of the Dev-Team, and I can attest from personal experience that it makes things impossibly simple. I have an iPhone 4 and an iPad, but there’s no way I’m risking the warranty on those two beauties just yet, so I dusted off the old iPod touch 1G that got me started on iOS devices and put that to the task.

On the iPod touch, I booted up Safari and pointed the browser at http://www.jailbreakme.com. You should see a screen that looks like this if you’re in the right place (shot is from my iPhone 4, since it changes after you finish the process):

After that, I followed the directions on-screen and left the house to run some errands. I was probably gone for about an hour, so I’m not sure how long the process took, but it was done by the time I returned. My iPod touch was plugged in at the time just in case, but the battery is quite old. I think it should be fine to leave newer devices unplugged.

After the process is complete, you’ll see a message congratulating you and informing you that the Cydia store app is now on your desktop. Finally, launch Cydia and allow it to update its repositories and sources, then browse for the apps you want to install. Backgrounder, SBSettings, BossPrefs and ProSwitcher are good places to start if you’re not familiar with the jailbreak landscape.

The new jailbreak method uses an exploit in the way iOS handles Adobe PDF files, of all things, so basically you can thank the Flash maker for your newly jailbroken device. If anything goes wrong during the jailbreak process, you can restore using your computer, or by putting the device into DFU mode if all else fails, and try again. Cydia has been running a little slowly the past few days, presumably because so many are using this method, so be patient if you’re experiencing problems post-jailbreak in that area.

Anyone else done it yet, or planning on doing it? What about on newer devices? Still worth it?

Not only is jailbreaking now okay no longer a violation of copyright, but ripping DVDs and cracking video game or software encryption is allowable too, in certain special circumstances. It doesn’t exactly mean it’s open season for any and all piracy, but it does relax things quite a bit, and will probably make it much harder to prosecute those kinds of violations.

The new rules designate six classes of work that are now exempt from prosecution under the DMCA. Here’s the categories, briefly explained:

1. Movies on DVD, when used for educational, non-commercial purposes. Bypassing encryption on said videos is now legal. NewTeeVee has more on this portion of the rule changes.
2. Applications that allow for the use of legally obtained software on platforms that otherwise wouldn’t allow it. For instance, jailbreaking iOS so you can run Backgrounder or Wi-Fi Sync.
3. Applications that allow for the use of cellular devices on networks for which they weren’t originally designed. Case in point, unlocking an iPhone so that you can use it on Sprint T-Mobile instead of AT&T.
4. Video games can be cracked when the reason behind it is to promote, investigate or test for security of a computer, computer system or network.
5. Hardware-dongle protected software for which the dongle is no longer available or is obsolete, rendering the software otherwise unusable.
6. Enabling text-to-speech in ebooks which contain methods to prevent those read-aloud features, since, presumably this limits access by those with disabilities, though that isn’t specificly stated in the rule itself.

[inline-ad align="right"]Now, as you might have guessed, that doesn’t mean there aren’t any consequences for jailbreaking. Apple is still well within its rights to void your warranty, or even to suspend your Apple Store account if it manages to discover that you’re using jailbreak software. But not having to fear the long arm of the law is yet another argument in favor of jailbreaking still being worth it.

I’ve been leaning heavily towards jailbreaking my iPad, mainly because Apple seems not to be in a hurry to get iOS 4 on the device. This ruling pretty much cinches it for me, though I think I’ll do some more research about the effect it has on battery life before I commit. Anyone else motivated to jailbreak because of this news, or was the threat of legal action never much of a scare tactic to begin with?

While we’re patiently waiting for our friends over at the iPhone Dev-Team to finish up the new jailbreak for iPhone 4, I thought It might be fun to have a look at some of the cool apps available for those willing to crack open their magical devices. Please keep in mind that by jailbreaking your phone you’re totally voiding your warranty, so proceed at your own risk.

If you’re willing to take the chance, modding your phone can really add a lot of new functionality to those little computers we’re all carrying around. Want to quickly create your own Wi-Fi hotspot? There’s an app for that. Would you like to sidestep Apple’s 3G restrictions? There’s an app for that. Ever thought it would be nice to wirelessly sync with iTunes? You get the idea.

Here’s a few I plan on installing once the new jailbreak drops and they’ve all been updated to work with the latest version of iOS.

• 3G Unrestrictor lets you get around all those draconian restrictions Apple places on how you can use your 3G connection by tricking the phone into thinking it’s on Wi-Fi. Watch high quality videos, download applications or podcasts, maybe even use FaceTime.
• Wi-Fi sync lets you cut that USB cable and sync your music, apps, photos, contacts, calendars, and more with iTunes over the air at the touch of a button.
• snes4iphone is an emulator that lets you relive those heady days of Super Nintendo fun right on your phone. F-Zero on your phone? OMG.
• MyWi creates a Wi-Fi hotspot for connecting laptops or other mobile devices to your iPhone’s internet connection. You can also use it to enable USB and Bluetooth tethering as a bonus.
• Action Menu adds some additional handy buttons to the usual copy/paste menu you see when selecting text on the phone. Send the text to your Twitter app of choice, look it up in the dictionary, access clipboard history and more.

Jailbreaking your brand new phone is always a risk. You void your warranty and start down a path of SHSH blobs, root passwords, and SSH connections. Oh my! The Dev-Team and app developers have done a great job at making things as easy as possible, but if you’re not willing to spend some time troubleshooting your own issues, you’re probably better servedleaving your phone factory fresh.

Still, I think it’s well worth jumping through all those hoops in order to pick up the kind of added functionality you see above. What do you think, is it worth it? What apps are you looking forward to adding?