GigaOM » Apple

How to quickly access settings from your Home Screen

Josh Sunshine — Tue, 15 Nov 2011 22:30:24 +0000

For a while, iPhone owners who jailbreak their devices have been able to add icons for changing settings to their home screens. Now it’s possible to do the same thing without jailbreaking, using a handy website and mobile Safari’s “Add to Home Screen” feature. Here’s how.

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

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.
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.
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.
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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If Apple can’t beat jailbreakers, it’ll recruit them

Darrell Etherington — Fri, 26 Aug 2011 12:21:59 +0000

For Comex, a 19-year-old iPhone hacker whose real name is Nicholas Allegra, jailbreaking the iPhone comes easy. He’s a member of the iPhone Dev Team, the group responsible for continually frustrating Apple’s attempts to keep iOS a closed system. Apple must be tired of all this frustration, since the company has apparently offered Allegra an internship beginning in September.

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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Apple working on a fix for potential iOS security threat

Darrell Etherington — Thu, 07 Jul 2011 14:57:12 +0000

Apple is already working on a fix for a security flaw reported by the German Federal Office for Information Security Wednesday. The Mac maker said in a statement that it “takes security very seriously,” and is “aware of this issue and developing a fix that will be available to customers in an upcoming software update.”

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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Apple Does Not Approve of Toyota’s Jailbreak Campaign

Darrell Etherington — Tue, 05 Apr 2011 19:22:49 +0000

We reported Monday that Toyota was trying out a unique advertising campaign for jailbroken iOS devices on the Cydia store with a Scion-branded theme. At the time, I suggested that Apple wouldn’t be too pleased with the idea, and it looks like I was right. ModMyi reports that Apple asked Toyota directly to take down the theme pack.

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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Only Apple Loses With iBooks Jailbreak Block

Darrell Etherington — Tue, 15 Feb 2011 20:53:45 +0000

Apple’s latest efforts to counteract jailbreaking are more likely to hurt the company, its reputation, and its revenue than to prevent iPhone owners from going out-of-bounds with their device software. I’m talking about recent reports that iBooks stops working on jailbroken devices.

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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Apple TV Gets More Versatile With Plex

Josh MacDonald — Thu, 04 Nov 2010 14:52:00 +0000

For those tired of playing within Apple TV’s (s aapl) limited bounds, Plex provides some new freedom for jailbroken current generation devices. You may have already seen this media center application on your Mac or iOS device. Plex is based on the open-source XBMC (also the basis for Boxee) and provides a free alternative to sticking with only what Apple has provided.

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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Redsn0w Jailbreak for iOS 4.1 Released

Josh MacDonald — Tue, 02 Nov 2010 14:15:48 +0000

Thanks to the release of redsn0w 0.9.6b2, you can now upgrade the majority of your Apple mobile devices to iOS 4.1, on either Mac or Windows. The new version is compatible with the iPhone 4, iPhone 3GS, iPhone 3G, Apple TV (2nd generation), iPad and iPod touch.

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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Jailbreakme.com: Jailbreaking Made Absolutely Painless

Darrell Etherington — Tue, 03 Aug 2010 20:17:30 +0000

I admit to being pretty spineless when it comes to using unauthorized software on my iDevices, but recent posts regarding the continued value of jailbreaking such devices had me thinking about getting over my fear and making the leap. As if on cue, Jailbreakme.com 2.0 comes around to make it easier than ever to indulge that particular whim.

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?

Updated: Jailbreaking Your iPhone No Longer A Matter for the Copyright Police

Darrell Etherington — Mon, 26 Jul 2010 17:40:19 +0000

UPDATED: Feel like jailbreaking your Apple iOS device? Fearful that Apple will set the law on you if you do? Fear not, because a decision just rendered by the U.S. Copyright Office now allows you to ~~legally~~ jailbreak your device for a number of purposes without violating Apple’s copyright. The alterations to the way the Digital Media Copyright Act (DMCA) are enforced are huge news for both Apple and Apple users alike.

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:

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.
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.
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.
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.
Hardware-dongle protected software for which the dongle is no longer available or is obsolete, rendering the software otherwise unusable.
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?

Is Jailbreaking Still Worth It?

Bryan Schuetz — Fri, 23 Jul 2010 22:00:35 +0000

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?

Apple Rejects Wi-Fi Syncing App

Chris Brandrick — Fri, 14 May 2010 17:30:52 +0000

Apple has rejected an application which promised to bring wireless synchronization to the iPhone.

Developer Greg Hughes first revealed his Wi-Fi Sync app last month, demonstrating how the application would work via a video. His video shows a simple process in which upon launching the Wi-Fi Sync app for the first-time a required pairing exercise is completed. Following pairing with a near-by Mac, iTunes quickly opens and begins to complete a full typical sync as normal – all with no tethering required.

Following the applications submission to Apple, sadly but by no means surprisingly, the application was rejected. Greg detailed that an Apple representative explained the reasoning behind the applications rejection over the phone:

While he agreed that the app doesn’t technically break the rules, he said that it does encroach upon the boundaries of what they can and cannot allow on their store. He also cited security concerns.

Due to the application being denied access to the official iTunes App Store, as predicted Greg has since decided to offer the app to jailbreakers via alternative app store Cydia. In order to get the application working you will first need to have a jailbroken iPhone or iPod touch, have downloaded the Mac pairing client and have bought the app.

Joining the ever growing list of attractive jailbreak only apps, Wi-Fi Sync is now available to buy for just $9.99 (Cydia).

Jailbreakers: Will you be grabbing Wi-Fi Sync? Tell us in the comments if you plan to sync without wires!

Estimate Places Total App Store Piracy Cost at $450M

Darrell Etherington — Wed, 13 Jan 2010 15:45:13 +0000

An interesting article at the financial blog 24/7 Wall St. today estimates the total cost of pirated apps to the App Store, for both Apple and developers, to be somewhere near the $450 million-mark. That number depends on a revenue estimate of between $60 million and $110 million per quarter, which is probably less than the actual number since those figures are based on a slightly older report by Bernstein analyst Toni Sacconaghi.

The article also notes that finding good solid numbers related to both the number of jailbroken iPhones that are out there, and the number of those devices that are actually pirating games is difficult to do. After reviewing numerous sources of information, 24/ Wall St. arrived at the conclusion that an estimate of 75 percent piracy rates for paid apps was most accurate.

That means that for every paid app download, there have been three pirated downloads of the same app that result in no revenue. Given that the researchers behind the report also estimated that around 17 percent of the 3 billion app store downloads, or 510 million, were paid apps (though we found 1 in 4 in December, so that number seems to be growing), that means that the number of pirated apps is somewhere in the neighborhood of 1.53 billion apps. Not a number you’ll see Apple using in its promotional material anytime soon.

Even considering that only around 10 percent of those who pirated apps would’ve purchased them instead if the illicit option was not available, this represents a loss of around $459 million for both Apple and the app developers working with the Mac maker. Doesn’t seem like an insignificant number.

Insignificant or not, Apple isn’t doing much to quell piracy rates, either. Sure, it counters the most recent jailbreak exploit every time a new model of the iPhone is released, but those countermeasures are usually pretty easily overcome. Apple could do more on the software side, with apps themselves, but that would only spark another arms race-type situation between the company and the hacking community, and allowing users to jailbreak and pirate frankly helps Apple sell hardware, which is the real cash cow.

It’s a troubling report for developers who can’t afford to just eat these kinds of losses the way Apple can. But it also makes the assumption that piracy will continue to grow, which I think is a false one. Yes, it’s easier than ever to jailbreak your iPhone, but as Apple continues to work on the operating system behind the platform, there is less and less reason to do so.

Many users only jailbreak to get some extra functionality out of their device that already exists there, rather than being set on trying to get software for free. As long as iPhone 4.0 introduces true multitasking, I think we’ll see overall jailbreak rates fall off considerably, and likely piracy numbers will follow, too.

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There’s (Not) An App for That: 10 Apps Only Available for Jailbroken iPhones

Dave Greenbaum — Fri, 11 Dec 2009 19:00:56 +0000

Where does a wayward app go after being rejected by the Apple? Sometimes it valiantly tries to meet Apple’s approval, constantly guessing Apple’s whim and fancy. Other times, a developer doesn’t even try. They know their app won’t get approved and ignore the App Store entirely.

Where do these rogue apps go? On jailbroken phones everywhere! Of course, jailbreaking is not without some serious risks and security holes. While there may be some bad apples on jailbroken phones, here are the plums I’ve picked out of Cydia. Apple should take note of some of these features and incorporate them in the next version of the iPhone software. Of course I’ve only heard about these apps from friends. I’d never dream of jailbreaking my iPhone…

GV Mobile (Free)
GV Mobile lets you easily make outgoing phone calls from Google Voice, listen to Google Voice voicemails, and send and receive SMS messages. While most Google Voice functionality is available from the website in Safari, having a native app makes using Google Voice much easier. This is the app that’s so much in demand, it inspired an FCC inquiry.

SBSettings (Free)
SBSettings places many common iPhone settings, such as toggling Wi-Fi, Airplane mode, and 3G a single tap away, no matter what you are doing on the phone. Why should it take six taps to turn off Bluetooth? It also makes it easy to hide the icons for built-in apps that you never use, freeing up space on your iPhone screen (does anyone really use the Stocks app?)

Rotation Inhibitor (Free)
With all respect to Dead or Alive, sometimes you don’t spin me right round baby right round. Anyone who has tried to use Safari on his iPhone while laying down in bed knows the frustration of having the iPhone’s screen rotation go crazy, switching back and forth repeatedly. Rotation Inhibitor does one thing: it locks the screen into your preferred orientation and prevents the screen from rotating when using Apple’s built-in apps, like Safari and Mail. Finally, you can surf in peace when you are lounging on the couch!

QuickReply for SMS ($2.99, Cydia store)
The way the iPhone currently works, when you receive an SMS message, you can view the message but not reply without quitting what you are doing and opening the SMS app. QuickReply for SMS allows you to reply to incoming SMS messages from anywhere on the iPhone without switching apps. A small “Reply” button is added to the normal SMS message window; tap it, type your reply, and send! This is an elegant and amazing time-saver for anyone who frequently uses text messaging.

3g Unrestrictor ($2.99, Cydia store)
The iPhone OS restricts you from doing many tasks when you are on the 3G network, including download apps or podcasts larger than 10MB, as well as using many IP telephony or streaming video apps. 3G Unrestrictor essentially “fools” the iPhone into thinking it is on a Wi-Fi network, even when it is not, allowing Wi-Fi restricted functionality to operate normally. Of course, 3G is slower than Wi-Fi, so you can’t expect identical performance, but the key is that this app gives you the choice.

ToneFX ($4.99, Cydia store)
The iPhone lets you pick your own ringtone, but you are not permitted to customize the sounds for things like SMS message received, new mail message, and new voicemail message. This has always struck me as an odd omission since even the cheapest throwaway cell phone lets users customize these sounds! Riding to the rescue is ToneFX, which has a great GUI allowing you to customize every sound the iPhone makes. Finally, you won’t be the one reaching into your pocket when you hear the iPhone SMS sound because yours will be different.

Winterboard (Free)
Winterboard is the premier iPhone skinning application, allowing you to customize the look and feel of the iPhone. Winterboard can be used to change iPhone icons for installed apps, as well as changing the look of the lock screen, app screens, dock, and more. You can choose from hundreds of tasteful and not-so-tasteful themes contributed by designers around the world, or if you are technically inclined and artistic, try your own hand at making themes.

AutoSilent ($2.99, Cydia store)
AutoSilent is like an intelligent secretary for your iPhone who will automatically place your phone into silent mode when you want it to. AutoSilent integrates with your calendar and knows to place the phone into silent mode during meetings. You can also set repeating “do not disturb” periods, for example, from 10PM to 8AM, guaranteeing you won’t get woken up by a wrong number in the middle of the night. AutoSilent also has selective silencing, for example it can turn off SMS sounds, but allow phone calls to ring through. This is my vote for the next feature to be blessed by Apple.

Intelliscreen ($9.99, Intelliborn)
Intelliscreen makes your iPhone lock screen useful, by displaying various pieces of information that you choose, such as forthcoming appointments, weather forecasts, and incoming email messages. It can also display a complete missed call list. These are great enhancements over Apple’s use of the lock screen, which is limited to showing a single missed phone call or incoming message. Intelliscreen gives you the ability to quickly glance at all your important information with a single tap and without unlocking your phone. Rumor has it this will be in the next iPhone OS.

Inspell ($3.99, Cydia store)
Inspell provides the same type of “inline” spell checking that you are familiar with from the Mac OS. As you type, misspelled words are highlighted with a red underline; tapping on the misspelled word brings up a menu with suggested corrections. It works seamlessly and feels like something that is built in to the phone’s OS, and is a great enhancement to the normal suggestive typing. As a bonus, you can edit the dictionary, making is easy to add custom terms — a feature Apple’s built-in suggestive typing doesn’t offer.

I hear from friends that these rogue apps make an iPhone a lot more useful and fun to use then it was without them. Jailbreaking the iPhone isn’t something every iPhone user will want to do, but for those who take the jump, there are some really cool apps out there. Have you jailbroken your iPhone? If so, what are your favorite unofficial apps?

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Crime Doesn’t Pay, Except When You’re Rick Rollin’

Liam Cassidy — Thu, 26 Nov 2009 15:24:11 +0000

iPhone Malware has been getting an awful lot of coverage lately, hasn’t it? I’m sorry to add to it, but sophos.com reports that the author of the Ikee iPhone worm has (somewhat predictably) earned himself a nice new job for his troubles.

Ashley Towns is twenty one years of age, Australian, sports a fair bit of lip-and-nose-metalware and is also the latest employee of mogeneration, a company that specializes in iPhone application development.

The Ikee worm was widely reported as the world’s first iPhone worm. It affected only iPhones that had been jailbroken, replacing their wallpaper with an image of 80s pop sensation Rick Astley and the headline text “Ikee is never going to give you up.” (Whether that makes it malicious or not depends entirely on your opinion of that coiffed crooner.)

While Ikee didn’t do anything too nasty, an understanding of the precise security weakness the worm exploited was shared quickly on the Internet via widespread reporting in the tech press. Only a matter of days later, the Duh worm (also known as Ikee.B) was found in the Netherlands. Researchers discovered the Duh worm was based largely on Ikee, exploiting the same weak-password method; however this variant of Ikee was much more sinister, acquiring iPhone owners’ online banking information.

Of course, Towns’ can’t be held responsible for the Duh worm, but would Ikee.B have existed if not for Ikee? Didn’t Towns open the door for opportunistic malware authors looking for a way to take advantage of less diligent iPhone jailbreakers? Furthermore, is it appropriate he has been rewarded for his actions?

It’s that age-old argument; should malware authors be punished with heavy fines and jail sentences, or should they be gainfully employed by security companies, where their mad programming skillz can be used to benefit society?

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The Worm Has Turned: iPhone Exploit Gets Nasty

Liam Cassidy — Tue, 24 Nov 2009 14:16:53 +0000

Last week the news about yet another non-belligerent iPhone worm did the rounds and people responded by saying things like “How silly jailbreaker’s are for not changing their SSH root passwords,” and “It’s only a matter of time until a worm appears that’s not so friendly…” OK, yes, geeky people said those things. Normals will likely never know that jailbreaking is something you can do to a phone.

Well, the predictions of gloom have proven true. Over the last few days, and reported by The Mac Observer, a new worm has been identified. This one, (so-far limited to iPhone owners in the Netherlands), takes advantage of the exact same SSH-exploit as the previous worm. Once on a user’s iPhone, it circumvents Mobile Safari’s anti-phishing technology to present a spoof of a popular banking website. Users are tricked into handing over their online banking authentication details. The worm spreads from iPhone to iPhone, but is limited to jailbroken handsets connected to the same Wi-Fi network.

Apple has weighed-in with its own sage wisdom and advice on the matter. Speaking to The Loop’s Jim Dalrymple, Apple spokesperson Natalie Harrison said:

The worm affects only a very specific set of iPhone users who have jail broken their iPhones and hacked it with unauthorized software. As we’ve said before, the vast majority of customers do not jailbreak their iPhones, and for good reason. These hacks not only violate the warranty, they will also cause the iPhone to become unstable and not work reliably.

If you live in the Netherlands and have jailbroken your iPhone and installed SSH, you need to change the default password to protect yourself from this particular exploit. Just don’t think you’ll be safe — Apple might keep the iPhone platform locked-down tight, but you can’t argue against the obvious security advantages of doing so. To date, there have been four confirmed worms “in the wild” on jailbroken iPhones. How many confirmed worms have appeared in the wild that affect non-jailbroken iPhones? There you have it.

The Real Question Is…

But the real question, as I see it, is this; who jailbreaks any more? I mean, really… who? Why? The single biggest reason people originally went to the trouble of jailbreaking their iPhones was due to frustration at the lack of native apps. (Back in the early days of iPhone ownership, and before the app store existed, only Apple’s own home-grown apps were locally installed on the device. Every third-party apps ran inside Mobile Safari and, therefore, required access to the Internet.) I did a lot of travel back then, usually by air and train, so I didn’t always have a reliable Internet connection; this rendered most of my web apps useless. That annoyed me, and I very nearly did the whole jailbreaking thing just so I could install applications locally that would work irrespective of an active Internet connection. (Ultimately I wussed-out, too afraid I’d permanently mess-up my precious — and expensive — iPhone.)

But that was then, and times have changed.. What other compelling reasons were there to void Apple’s iPhone warranty? MMS, video recording, exchange server support, multitasking and Copy & Paste were the “most missed” features. Today we have more apps than you can shake an iPhone at. We have MMS and video recording, exchange support and copy & paste.

The only thing missing is “true” multitasking, but for the vast majority of iPhone owners (for whom multitasking is another way of saying “I want instant messaging!”), Apple’s Push Notification Service does a decent job of balancing productive multitasking with preserving battery life.

So… why jailbreak? Is it a form of protest against Apple’s broken application approval process? Is it because you absolutely must replace the default icons with something far less classy? Perhaps you can’t live without tethering? Tell us in the comments the (few) remaining reasons for jailbreaking an iPhone.

Just please don’t say it’s for geek cred… I might cry!

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“ikee” iPhone Worm Progeny Not So Harmless

Darrell Etherington — Thu, 12 Nov 2009 16:45:51 +0000

Earlier this week, we reported that the first iPhone worm had been created. It was called “ikee,” and all it did was change the default wallpaper on devices to an image of Rick Astley with “ikee is never going to give you up” printed across the top. It was relatively harmless, if annoying, and the hacker responsible claimed that it was more of a warning than anything else.

Hopefully many heeded that warning, since now a new virus has surfaced that uses the same M.O. as ikee, but that has a much more malicious intent and effect. Specifically, the new malware mines personal data from your device, using the very same exploit ikee revealed earlier in the week.

The new worm, dubbed “iPhone/Privacy.A” by digital security firm Intego, affects only jailbroken iPhones, and grabs things from your device like address book contacts, text messages, photos, music, video, calendar entries and email messages. Basically, almost anywhere it can look for sensitive data, it will. The virus doesn’t seem to be able to access information stored by other applications on your iPhone, like password managers, but if you’re affected, the only safe course of action is a full wipe and restore.

Theoretically, according to iPhone security researcher Charlie Miller speaking to Computerworld, attacks based on the same exploit could do more than just mine data. Running up your phone bill, sending out bulk text messages and spamming your contacts are all well within the realm of possibility. Miller goes on to describe how easy it would be for a hacker to infect a device:

This could easily be installed on a computer on display in a retail store, which could then scan all iPhones that pass within the reach of its network. Or a hacker could sit in an Internet café and let his computer scan all iPhones that come within the range of the Wi-Fi network in search of data.

In order to secure your device against this kind of attack, there are a few options. First, change the default SSH password if you haven’t already. So far, that appears to be the easiest way to foil attempts to infiltrate your jailbroken device. The best way to prevent this and any kind of future attack along the same lines, however, is to not jailbreak your device in the first place, or to restore it to factory settings if you’ve already jailbroken. Of course, for many who use their devices with carriers who don’t officially offer the iPhone, that isn’t an option.

Miller suggested that Apple may want to consider re-engineering its security measures to account for jailbroken devices, but as that would mean tacitly acknowledging and even accepting a practice it stridently disapproves of, I think the best bet for jailbreakers is just to shut down all SSH access, if possible.

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