iPhone Application Key Leaked

HighWizard writes with word from Engadget that the iPhone SDK Key has been leaked early. "We're not exactly sure how this all went down, but we trust Erica Sadun over at TUAW when she says that it appears that the iPhone's SDK key — which will probably be required by all 'official' third-party apps — has been leaked. Two different sites currently have the key posted, but it's all just for show until next month, when the SDK hits for real — and the code is undoubtedly changed."

Comments

Bummer :-(

[Whiney Mac Fanboy]

If you find something like this, you sit on it until after release. Now, Apple will probably update the release version of the SDK with a tighter authorisation system.

Regardless, it's fruitless for Apple to try & stop free third party apps. If enough people are interested, there will always be someone able & willing to crack Apple's DRM.

Oh, and here's a special message for any Apple Fanboi's in the house. (not my site)

Re:Bummer :-(

[TubeSteak]

Now, Apple will probably update the release version of the SDK with a tighter authorisation system. What makes you think that crackers got the key from the SDK's "authorization system" and not from an Apple insider?

Re:Bummer :-(

[Jeff DeMaagd]

Game consoles aren't sold as general purpose computers. The hardware is purely a means to an end, what they're really trying to sell is the games. With the Wii, they're still hard enough to get in many places, I don't think they want to sell them to people that aren't going to be buying the games. With the other two consoles, they're sold at a loss with the intent that it will be made up for in licence fees, so it's not necessarily in their best interest to let you do just anything with them.

Re:Bummer :-(

[DeepZenPill]

They're only sewing the seeds of their own destruction by introducing more restrictions to developers.

Re:Bummer :-(

[enoz]

if I get a computer, I should be able to run whatever program I want on it, change the OS, overclock it ETC. You mean like you can do with your cellphone, GPS, microwave, digital watch, and PlayStation 1?

I do however agree with your sentiment in relation to general purpose personal computers, I dislike having TrustedComputing forced onto us as much as the next nerd.

Re:Bummer :-(

[Anonymous Coward]

I think you're arguing with something that he didn't say.

Re:Bummer :-(

[Whiney Mac Fanboy]

Forgive me if I misunderstand you, but where does it say that Apple is not going to allow free app downloads?

It's not that Apple not going to allow free app downloads - the issue is how much Apple will charge to sign your app.

If the charge is anything other than $0, it becomes impractical for third party developers to offer their apps for free.

Re:Bummer :-(

[penix1]

It has little to do with the user's protection. Let's face it, they don't give a crap about users that break their phones. After all, they are there to sell new phones to the one that breaks their old phone.

It has everything to do with protecting the phone network which *IS* their responsibility to repair when trashed. Users be damned when it comes to breaking the phone but break the network, we can't have that!

Re:Bummer :-(

[amorsen]

It has everything to do with protecting the phone network which *IS* their responsibility to repair when trashed. Users be damned when it comes to breaking the phone but break the network, we can't have that!

It is quite difficult to break the phone network with a phone, especially when you can't mess with the actual GSM/EDGE chip but only the one running programs. If that's the excuse to lock the phone, it's a seriously bad one.

Re:Bummer :-(

[LKM]

This is kind of a hard problem. In principle, I agree. I bought the damn machine, now let me do whatever the hell I want with it. It's kind of insane that I have a PS3 sitting next to my sofa and pretty much all I can do with it is play games. I could install Linux, but then I'd have to cope with the hypervisor... It would be great if I could just run unlicensed third-party apps inside the normal PS3 interface. Stuff like VLC would be really useful on something like the PS3.

On the other hand, you can't have unlimited third-party development, while at the same time prevent piracy. There were many reasons why the Dreamcast died, but one of them was piracy. You could buy the whole library of DC games for the cost of a single legal game. Most people I know who owned DCs had tons of copied games for them, and few legal games. If the hardware manufacturer intends to subsidize the cost of the hardware by selling software, piracy can kill the platform.

And there lies the solution, possibly: If the hardware you buy is subsidized, I don't think you have much of a right to complain. You got the hardware for less than it cost the manufacturer, so maybe you should put up with the restrictions the manufacturer put in place. You pay in party by accepting these restrictions.

If, however, the hardware is sold for profit, it's probably okay to complain about restrictions.

Re:Bummer :-(

[el_nino]

Actually, you can mess with the iPhone's GSM modem, called the baseband. SIM unlocking involves changing the baseband software which is run on the actual GSM chip.

This is totally unrelated to jailbreaking the OS to run homebrew apps, though. And it's still a poor excuse.

Re:Bummer :-(

[dreamchaser]

The restrictions on third-party apps is always done in the interest of the user.

That is utter drivel. If there IS any benefit to the end user it is secondary to keeping the platform locked for profit reasons. Neither Apple nor AT&T care about the user's best interest except where it correlates to sales and profit.

Re:Bummer :-(

[Tony Hoyle]

Other phones seem to have no problem allowing 3rd party apps on them.. even ones by independent developers.

The iphone is locked down for a single reason - to stop people breaking out of the AT&T monopoly. Apple don't give a crap about a jailbreak or 3rd party apps really.. you wanna break your phone, they'll happily sell you another one. The do care about the kickbacks they get from their chosen provider in each country.

but it's all just for show until next month....

[clambake]

... when the SDK hits for real -- and the code is undoubtedly changed. ... and re-leaked.

I like the iPhone....

[PolarBearFire]

I like the iPhone because it's fun but why are we fighting so hard just to make it run programs that we want? Does anyone see something totally wrong with this? Sure DRM will always get broken but Apple also has a history of screwing users who do. I'm in the market for an iPhone but this constant back and forth is giving me pause. I don't Apple to nickel and dime me for every little thing that I put on the iPhone, especially since I would be stuck for 2 years with it.

Re:I like the iPhone....

[pimpimpim]

That's why I, who never ever buys first generation hardware, bought the EEE the day it came out here in Europe. They made a few mistakes in the beginning, concerning making the source available, a "warranty void" sticker on the RAM lid, but immediately improved in this. Mine had just a neutral "eeepc sticker" on the RAM lid and the source is available on the front page of their eee service site.

The idea is simple, buy this machine and do with it what you want. They support only their part, but the rest is easy enough to change. With an attitude like that, it was clear to me that this would be a safe buy. And, damn this machine is fine. I will even keep the base system on it, because it works so smoothly, and still allows me to neatly install any compatible debian-etch based package.

And that is why I didn't buy an apple. Their combination of unix power and a quality GUI is their most appealing mix, but for my low hardware demands, Asus managed the same without the poo-ha that comes around it when apple does it. If no one had come with the idea to make such a specialized small-form-factor linux laptop, I would have decided to by the ibook. Now I'm just glad not to be stuck with jobs' masterplan.

Re:Does It Really Matter?

[fangorious]

Since you asked, I've seen plenty. Including two people I work with (a Java developer and an InstallShield developer), one unlocked for Tmobile. Seen a few at grocery stores and hockey rinks. Also know of at least one person at Harmonix who has one. I want one myself (but I'm waiting for the final word on first telecom immunity and second the current lawsuits against AT&T and friends). I like the interface. Everyone I know who has played with one agrees that it has the best interface. I've tried to use other similar features on nokia, samsung, and motorola phones, and even manage to convince myself of their adequacy. Until I pick up an iphone and realize the sad truth that for the market segment it targets, nothing else I've tried out comes close to the iphone.

Re:Does It Really Matter?

[NalosLayor]

Seriously? You're sneering at 1 in 100? Selling one copy of your product to every 100 Americans in half a year? That's staggeringly successful. I'm no apple fanboy, but come on, that's freakin' impressive.

Meh

[MrCopilot]

I wish I cared, I tried extra hard but still nothing.

If I want a phone I can modify I should buy a phone that allows it.

Is the iPhone sleek and sexy? Of course, but so are a host of supermodels that I would not want to get into a 2 hour conversation with let alone a 2 yr relationship.

I feel the same way about the iPhone, I'd like to play with one for a little while, but thats about it.

Slashdot - rumours for nerds

[enoz]

We're not exactly sure how this all went down, but we trust Erica Sadun over at TUAW when she says that it appears that the iPhone's SDK key -- which will probably be required by all 'official' third-party apps -- has been leaked. Next month, when the SDK comes out, apparently this key may or may not work. Fantastic!

Here's another SDK key that was apparently discovered on a blog so is probably true:
47 6F 47 65 74 41 46 69 72 73 74 69 4C 69 66 65

"It's true, a blog confirms it!"

Re:Does It Really Matter?

[Anonymous Coward]

... which is ironic knowing the vendor lock-in Apple does.

Yeah, total lock-in. I just wish that, when the time comes that I start to feel the lock-in, it would be possible to install Windows XP, or Vista, or one of those many x86 Linux distros on my MacBook. Oh wait, I can install any one of those. I could even run all of them at the same time along with Mac OS X and run any application I feel like.

Dang Apple and their lock-in.

Re:Symmetric key used to protect iPhone?!

[BitZtream]

Its far more likely that its simply an md5 fingerprint or something silly. One of the blogs listed in the summary is for a guy who loves stringing people along in an extremely retarded way. Definately some attention issues. Either way, I'm not aware of any public/private key systems that would be considered very secure with a 128 bit key since you need a considerably larger key size with public/private key systems because large your limited to using prime numbers and stuff like that. While I'm not sure of the exact time involved, but since 1024bit certificates are considered 'weak' now days, I doubt cracking a 128 bit private key would be extremely difficult, especially with the possiblity of using distributed computing over the internet. Its either a hash or a symetrical encryption key used to obsfucate something to have the hax0rs waste some time, or a horrible implementation. You pick

Re:Does It Really Matter?

[RulerOf]

It is awkward to hold.
It is awkward to talk into/listen to.
It too big/bulky compared to the better phones out there.
...
It is overpriced.
It has a shitty contract.

Fixed that to make it sound more like you just described my Blackberry 8830. However, unlike an iPhone owner, I was attracted to the Blackberry because of the convergence it offered me. I've had the device for two months now and I'm about an order of magnitude more organized than I was before I got it. Of course, that doesn't mean that everyone in the world is going to be attracted to my phone's sleek features... Er, I mean Exchange integration, but that one feature alone makes it better than any other phone I've ever used. Including the iPhone.

It's about market and desire. Some people will never see that. And Steve Jobs will keep getting richer because he can.

Breaking the network is easy

[LKM]

It is quite difficult to break the phone network with a phone

It's difficult with a phone, but it becomes easier when you write software that runs on hundreds of thousands or millions of phones. Write an e-mail client which checks mail every hour. Forget to randomize when that occurs every hour. Next time the check triggers, millions of phones access the network at the same time. And that was that.

Re:Breaking the network is easy

[John Whitley]

Don't sell those users an unlimited data plan then! Here's a clue for you and the mod that marked you "+1 Insightful": Limiting data plans has ZERO effect on a DDOS. None of the individual phones in the scenario described will come anywhere near a bandwidth cap. It's only the conjunction of all phones acting simultaneously that hose the network and/or services on the network.

answer on the 3rd party apps question

[SethJohnson]

I like the iPhone because it's fun but why are we fighting so hard just to make it run programs that we want?

The main reason Apple wants to control 3rd-party apps on the phone is because they've got a commitment to AT&T not to allow users to circumvent their traditional cell phone profit centers. This is: Ringtones, SMS, and cell phone minutes. If the thing were an open platform, the first thing people would install would be a VOIP client and an SMS app that uses email addresses instead of SMS phone numbers to send messages.

I got an iPhone 2 weeks ago. Best thing I've bought in years.

Seth

Re:That's not what lock-in is.

[aesiamun]

No you can't export it, but you can copy all your photos, all of your music to another machine and just get on with life.

I'm not sure what the problem is here.