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New iPad Jailbroken Already
An anonymous reader writes "Just hours after the new Apple iPad was released, it was jailbroken in three (how appropriate!) separate ways. This means that hackers have already found and exploited security holes to run custom code on the new iPad with iOS 5.1. The tools for jailbreaking your new iPad aren't yet available, but this first step means the software will be developed sooner rather than later."
I have to admit it, I got caught up in the hype and I bought an tablet. The novelty wore off after a couple of days. Since then, it has sat on my desk, almost completely unused. In fact, it's one of the worst purchases I've ever made.
Tablets in general are rather pointless devices. They're far bulkier than my smart phone, so they're not very good on the go. They're much less comfortable to use than my netbook or my laptop, especially when I have to do a lot of typing. They're so vastly underpowered relative to even an old desktop that they're not usable for anything computationally intensive. My Kindle is a much better e-book reader.
I learned the hard way that the usefulness of tablets is purely a marketing creation. They look like they have potential, but in practice they're just the combination of the worst of every other type of computer or computing device.
Hopefully the jailbreaking community will only use one exploit at a time so that when Apple patches the first, they can use the next and so on. What I would like to know is whether there are multiple groups working on this, and if so, do they communicate their exploits so that no more than one is revealed to Apple at a time?
'The tyrant will always find pretext for his tyranny.' - Aesop's Fables
This is all speculation... but perhaps Apple purposely leaves the holes in the OS to allow this type of circumvention. Hear me out if in for a good conspiracy theory...
I imagine there might be three areas of pressure to keep the OS closed:
1. I'd speculate the main pressure on Apple to keep the OS closed is to prevent the piracy of app store apps to keep application authors happily creating apps for the device and not having to worry about the general population being able to copy and install them. More applications = more iPad sales to the general public.
2. Since many iOS devices are enabled on mobile network not owned by Apple, I'm sure the networks "encourage" Apple to do their best to limit the ability of a user to use the network in unauthorized ways, such as tethering when not paying for the plan.
3. A tertiary focus on keeping the OS closed to keep support costs down. Limiting options = easier troubleshooting.
However, there is a contingent of users who will not buy the device unless they can do whatever they want with it / jailbreak it. Whether it's to load non-approved software or to pirate App Store applications or circumvent carrier restrictions in the mobile network enabled models. As far as I know, Apple doesn't take a loss on hardware sold, so Apple still wants their money and market share, so they leave these exploits available for them. This gives Apple the plausible deniability to the App Store application authors and the mobile network carriers ("Sorry, these dang HACKERS keep breaking through our security... we're doing our darndest but they keep getting around it... but don't worry, it's a pretty complex process and the average user doesn't bother.") and allows them to completely cut off support to people who have voided their warranty by performing the jailbreak.
It's genius if you think about it.
The App Store offers many apps for free, and charges for others. Cydia offers many apps for free, and charges for others.
It's not the free software that makes jailbreaking attractive, but rather the ability to customize otherwise locked-down aspects of iOS and to evade Apple's regulations.
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In reality, I could give up my tablet, probably give up my laptop, and maybe give up my desktop - but you can have my smartphone when you pry it from my cold, dead fingers. Despite the horrendously expensive plans they require, even with minimal data or phone usage (I use about 200 minutes and 50-60MB of cell data in a typical month), it is indepensable and the most efficient use of space I own.
It is my media player, holding most of my 8000 audio files and a couple of audio (and print) books. It's my emergency communication line - my iMessage account is only shared between me, my daughter, and my wife. It is my business office - I have my business line as a Google Voice number, giving me access to call from my work number and get transcribed emails anywhere. It's my general notebook, with Evernote keeping all the stupid slips of paper I used to keep in my wallet. It's my personal phone, with a separate number from my work one. It's my contact book. It's my GPS. It's my general answer machine (Google, not Siri). It's my calendar - no, it's my planner for the entire family. See, we each have a Google calendar - and with Pocket Informant I can bring in all three, plus the calendars for the three boards I sit on - all in their own color. When I find out I might have to have a meeting in the evening or on a weekend, I know instantly if there's a conflict. Just as great, when I put that oddball meeting in, my wife knows I'm going to be late for dinner, or that I won't be around Saturday afternoon.
There are so many things, and so much efficiency, wrapped up in that little device which - since I don't jabber on the phone much - will last a solid three days between charging if needed.
Could I live without my smartphone? Yes, but I would have to replace it with 3-4x the devices or items, and I would be far less efficient. It's not something I would do voluntarily.
Is it just my observation, or are there way too many stupid people in the world?