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Untethered iOS 6.1 evasi0n Jailbreak Arrives For iPhone, iPad, and iPod Touch

Posted by Soulskill on from the freeing-software dept.

An anonymous reader writes "The jailbreak tool evasi0n for iOS 6.x, meaning currently iOS 6.0 and iOS 6.1, has finally been released. It can perform an untethered jailbreak of the iPhone, iPad, iPad mini, and iPod touch running either of those two mobile operating systems. Most of Apple’s latest devices can run iOS 6.0, 6.0.1, 6.0.2, and 6.1: iPhone 3GS, iPhone 4, iPhone 4S, iPhone 5, iPad 2, third-generation iPad, fourth-generation iPad, iPad mini, fourth-generation iPod touch, and fifth-generation iPod touch. Unlike previous jailbreak tools, this one should work on all of them as long as they have been updated to iOS 6.x. The tool won’t work for other Apple devices. Aside from your iOS 6.x device and the tool on your computer, you’ll also need a USB cable to connect the two. Backup first to ensure you won’t lose any data if something goes wrong, disable the lock passcode, and “be patient while the jailbreaking process is running.” That means don’t start iTunes or Xcode while it’s running; in fact, the creators recommend that you don’t touch the computer until the process is complete.."

75 of 112 comments (clear)

  1. Hardware or software exploit? by Darkness404 · · Score: 2, Interesting

    Is this a hardware exploit (which can't be patched) or a software exploit (which will most likely be patched within the week)?

    --
    Taxation is legalized theft, no more, no less.
    1. Re:Hardware or software exploit? by irving47 · · Score: 4, Insightful

      Since they were waiting deliberately for 6.1 instead of "burning" the exploit they found in 6.01, I would assume it's software.

      --
      I had a sucky sig.
    2. Re:Hardware or software exploit? by Khyber · · Score: 3, Insightful

      "This is a software issue and will be patched shortly, making ios even stronger"

      Your name truly indicates your ignorance. The larger and more complex a system gets, the more holes you're bound to find to exploit.

      Man makes it, man will break it. It's that simple.

      --
      Still waiting on Serviscope_minor to wake up to fucking reality and realize that Jessica Price isn't going to fuck him.
    3. Re:Hardware or software exploit? by gmhowell · · Score: 4, Funny

      Your name truly indicates your ignorance. The larger and more complex a system gets, the more holes you're bound to find to exploit.

      But Apple isn't innovating any longer, so how could their system(s) get larger and more complex?

      --
      Jesus was all right but his disciples were thick and ordinary. -John Lennon
    4. Re:Hardware or software exploit? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 1

      It's not completely harmless. Some people jailbreak simply so they don't have to pay for anything from the app store.

    5. Re:Hardware or software exploit? by Stalks · · Score: 2

      Thats a side-effect from the way I see it. No longer being tied to the Apple store allows me to use the apps that Apple has banned.

      Sumptuous, Glorious, Magnificently Beautiful XBMC. How I love my ipad4 now :)

    6. Re:Hardware or software exploit? by fwice · · Score: 1

      replying to remove incorrect moderation...sorry!

    7. Re:Hardware or software exploit? by Khyber · · Score: 1

      Don't hate because I get laid by both genders more often than you've masturbated.

      --
      Still waiting on Serviscope_minor to wake up to fucking reality and realize that Jessica Price isn't going to fuck him.
    8. Re:Hardware or software exploit? by netwarerip · · Score: 2

      If I had mod points I would mod this (+1) Threw Up In My Mouth A Little Bit

    9. Re:Hardware or software exploit? by gmhowell · · Score: 1

      replying to remove incorrect moderation...sorry!

      Thanks.

      --
      Jesus was all right but his disciples were thick and ordinary. -John Lennon
  2. Yippee. by irving47 · · Score: 4, Informative

    I just want to take a moment to say thanks to the team that did it.

    Also want to shout out to Apple, if you'd open things up a bit more, you'd have a lot less people thinking about switching over to Android. I need "Wifi Analyzer" for work, but Steve or Tim decided it's a "Hacking tool" to see db, channel, and MAC addresses, so it's been locked out of the App store for years... It prevents me from updating my iOS versions.

    --
    I had a sucky sig.
    1. Re:Yippee. by Nerdfest · · Score: 1, Troll

      Apparently a non-Apple keyboard or default browser 'hacking tool' as well. At least they gave up on allowing compilers, etc to be installed.

    2. Re:Yippee. by Going_Digital · · Score: 4, Insightful

      In the future people will look back saying that Apple lost their lead in the market because they refused to open up. Hmm nothing new there then, refusal to license MacOS is why windows became the de facto standard on the PC and Apple nearly disappeared. Seems they are set to repeat the same cycle, take a lead and then blow it all away by being stubborn.

    3. Re:Yippee. by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 1

      How many non-geeks do you know who have said they chose Android because of the apps available for it that aren't on iOS? And I don't mean people that you've proselytized into picking Android.

    4. Re:Yippee. by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 1

      In the future people will look back saying that Apple lost their lead in the market because they refused to open up.

      I REALLY hope you are right. But most people don't seem to care about openness.

    5. Re:Yippee. by noh8rz9 · · Score: 1, Informative

      Late 90s, apple licensed their OS and nearly disappeared. The first thing sj did was break those contracts. So check yourself before you wreck yourself, eh?

      --
      let's have a conversation! let me know what you think.
    6. Re:Yippee. by H0p313ss · · Score: 2

      That must be why the PC market is in decline and the OS X market has been growing double-digit percentages since about 2005.

      Until now: "The Company sold 4.1 million Macs, compared to 5.2 million in the year-ago quarter."

      Meanwhile: "Apple also sold a record 22.9 million iPads during the quarter, compared to 15.4 million in the year-ago quarter."

      Some are saying that Apple is cannabilizing the Mac market with sales of iPad. Note they sold four times as many iPads this quarter as Macs last quarter and five times as many than this quarter. The question is what will the ongoing trend be? I would imagine that eventually the tablet market will be semi-saturated so that most sales are upgrades, sort of like laptops are now. That's when things will get interesting.

      --
      XML is a known as a key material required to create SMD: Software of Mass Destruction
    7. Re:Yippee. by CodeBuster · · Score: 2

      but Steve or Tim decided it's a "Hacking tool"

      That's ironic considering that Steve himself offered for sale a blue box device, produced by Wozniak, for no other purpose than "to make money". Those who benefited from the hacking culture and heritage ought not to be so quick to pull the ladder up after themselves or slam shut behind them the doors through which they themselves passed.

    8. Re:Yippee. by smash · · Score: 1

      Yeah, due to inability to supply. the iMac was only available for 6 weeks of the quarter.

      --
      I run: Windows, OS X, Linux, FreeBSD. Just because you have a hammer, doesn't mean everything is a nail.
    9. Re:Yippee. by RyuuzakiTetsuya · · Score: 1

      Other than Samsung, who else is making money on mobile? Certainly isn't htc or RIM.

      To say that Apple can't win without a plurality of the market forgets the fundamental truth of business which is to make profit, not market share.

      This is why the pc industry is in such shit right now. Short sighted shitty attitudes towards consumers and the commoditization of technology. Android is quickly going the same route if not already there.

      Who cares if you're selling big if you aren't going to be around in six months?

      --
      Non impediti ratione cogitationus.
    10. Re:Yippee. by DarkOx · · Score: 1

      refusal to license MacOS is why windows became the de facto standard on the PC

      I don't buy into that argument. Maybe had apple licensed MacOS around like 1983-88; it could have found a home on other platforms and become dominate. Much after '89 or so licensing it would have done no good at all; because Windows 3.0 for all its warts changed the game.

      The fact is Windows 3.0 was good enough, for most situations and most people. It was much better than MacOS at the time in most respects; except when evaluated by the most ardent fanboi; or very specific types of users like desktop publishing and CAD folks who needed the real WYSIWYG MacOS could provide rather than the WYSIA(alot)L(like)WYG the windows GDI offered at the time. For everyone else Windows of the day did more, looked nicer, and was more flexible than anything the Mac platform had to offer.

      --
      Repeal the 17th Amendment TODAY! Also Please Read http://www.gnu.org/philosophy/right-to-read.html
    11. Re:Yippee. by theurge14 · · Score: 1

      People pass on iPhone because they don't want to jailbreak it to make it useful, and therefore they go to an Android phone so they can jailbreak it and put Cyanogen on it to make it useful?

      I don't follow.

    12. Re:Yippee. by Aqualung812 · · Score: 2

      I jailbroke for the first time with 6.1 just to get "Wifi Analyzer" as well, and also to perform the duties of my job better.

      I was hoping to find a whole exciting new world after jail-breaking, but most of it is boring (themes) or broken.

      So, if Apple would quit the moral judgement of apps, and focus just on usability & stability, I'd have no reason to jailbreak.

      --
      Grammer Nazis - I mod you "troll" unless you actually add something on-topic. Yes, I know I have mispellings in my sig.
    13. Re:Yippee. by squiggleslash · · Score: 1

      You don't need to jailbreak an Android phone. Unless the carrier has deliberately locked it down (very, very, rare - AT&T did this with some Motorola phones) the phone will allow you to install software of your choice.

      You may be confusing Jailbreaking with rooting. Rooting simply means getting access to certain kernel features that aren't normally available for security (your security) reasons. In general, Google's done a decent job keeping up with legitimate uses of root and providing APIs and subsystems to non-root users to implement things that once required root, such as tethering. I rooted my old Android 2.1-2.3 devices, I haven't needed to use root since ICS (4.0) however.

      As far as CyanogenMod, do you even know what that is? It's a custom ROM. It has nothing to do with jailbreaking or security or any other crap. It's a custom version of Android modified to include features not normally included with Android, such as replacements for the shell (the Launcher in Android speak), better audio controls, etc.

      You don't need it, but it's a bonus that CyanogenMod is available. Something like that is impossible in the iOS world - because iOS is a locked down system. CyanogenMod is only available because Android is open. So people can want an Android phone because they want an environment in which custom ROMs are possible.

      I appreciate the concept of an open phone with an open operating system is hard to understand to many iPhone users, but that's what you get with Android. An arbitrary Android device will run arbitrary Android apps. You can develop them yourself, download them from the Internet, buy and install them using the Amazon app store - which you download from the Internet and install yourself, or use Google Play to buy and install them. You don't need the rotting corpse of Steve Jobs to give you permission. You get to enjoy your phone, the way you want.

      --
      You are not alone. This is not normal. None of this is normal.
    14. Re:Yippee. by Uberbah · · Score: 1

      In the future people will look back saying that Apple lost their lead in the market because they refused to open up.

      To the .000002% of the population that are Stalmanites, as opposed to the 99.9999998% of the population that doesn't give a rats ass and just wants something that works?

      Hmm nothing new there then, refusal to license MacOS is why windows became the de facto standard on the PC and Apple nearly disappeared.

      And be a OS juggernaut like OS/2, Be, Amiga, and Commodore? Or, maybe you're ignoring the fact that Microsoft is a software company that was bundling an office suite, and Apple is a hardware company that made money by...selling hardware.

      Most of all, pay no attention to that clone experiment in the 90's that only cost Apple marketshare and money....

  3. Untethered + USB? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 1

    So which is it?

    1. Re:Untethered + USB? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 5, Informative

      Both. Untethered refers to the post-jailbreak state. It requires USB to install, but after that you can reboot your iDevice away from the computer. A tethered jailbreak requires plugging in everytime you restart the device.

    2. Re:Untethered + USB? by Darkness404 · · Score: 4, Informative

      A tethered jailbreak is one where you have to re-jailbreak your device every time it boots up. An untethered jailbreak is one that stays jailbroken even when you reboot your device.

      Untethered != wireless.

      --
      Taxation is legalized theft, no more, no less.
  4. Cydia server is a bit slow by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 1

    to D/L the package files under load tonight, but otherwise fine. The evasi0n utility was quick and well polished.

  5. Does what it says by TheRealQuestor · · Score: 3, Interesting

    Works like a charm on my Ipad 3. I've been waiting for this FOREVER....well since I accidentally upgraded to 6.0.1 without backing it up first :(

  6. Android / dual-boot / X-windows? by Richard_J_N · · Score: 1

    Is there any chance to put another OS on the iPad?
    It would be a great way to get an Android tablet with a proper 4:3 display and good speakers. Or why not run X11 on it, and LOCAL applications (or VNC and a local install of android or a regular Linux).

    Also, once jailbroken, is there a way to make the Music/Video/Photo apps recognise files that were loaded on using SSH rather than iTunes?

    1. Re:Android / dual-boot / X-windows? by H0p313ss · · Score: 3, Interesting

      Is there any chance to put another OS on the iPad?
      It would be a great way to get an Android tablet with a proper 4:3 display and good speakers. Or why not run X11 on it, and LOCAL applications (or VNC and a local install of android or a regular Linux).

      Also, once jailbroken, is there a way to make the Music/Video/Photo apps recognise files that were loaded on using SSH rather than iTunes?

      A) You need to crosscompile for the CPU, probably not that hard given the existing cross compilers, but still a non-trivial task.
      B) You need drivers for the Apple hardware. Not impossible, but then neither was getting to the moon. Good luck pulling this off in an open source project where most of the developers would rather be hacking android, or doing the insane like trying to put KDE Plasma on a tablet.
      C) You need to reflash the device. Not sure of the difficulty of this, not my field.

      So short of a team of rocket-scientist quality linux gurus with money to burn on hardware I don't see it happening, not when there are more interesting things to do with Android.

      (That said, I've had the same sort of fantasy for the past three years... sometimes I cry myself to sleep at night wishing Apple had learned from being too closed for so long... well not really, but you get the picture. N.B. While I'm typing this on my Mac with an iPad on the couch next to me, my Win7 game machine is humming away happily in the corner and without moving I can see three old laptops with various linux distributions lying around. I try not to be a zealot for any camp and I believe in using the best tool for the job. Apple builds some awesome hardware, but sometimes I think their heads are so far up their asses they have not seen the light of day in years.)

      --
      XML is a known as a key material required to create SMD: Software of Mass Destruction
    2. Re:Android / dual-boot / X-windows? by Richard_J_N · · Score: 1

      I see why it's hard to run another distro natively. But why not run a small Linux inside a VM, and connect to it fullscreen with VNC or X? That would be almost as good, and shouldn't be that hard to do - the compilers already exist for the apps, and both VNC client and X11 client (technically, server) programs exist already.
      If I were Samsung, I think I'd fund such a porting effort out of pique!

    3. Re:Android / dual-boot / X-windows? by H0p313ss · · Score: 1

      I see why it's hard to run another distro natively. But why not run a small Linux inside a VM, and connect to it fullscreen with VNC or X? That would be almost as good, and shouldn't be that hard to do - the compilers already exist for the apps, and both VNC client and X11 client (technically, server) programs exist already.
      If I were Samsung, I think I'd fund such a porting effort out of pique!

      No corporation would touch it with a pole, it violates the terms of use for the device. So that leaves it up to the hackers / open community who spend their time on useless root hacks.

      --
      XML is a known as a key material required to create SMD: Software of Mass Destruction
  7. Man make, kid break by davidwr · · Score: 1

    Man makes it, man will break it. It's that simple.

    If you grew up in my house, the rule was "man makes it, the kid will break it." :)

    --
    Knowledge is how to play a game, intelligence is how to win, wisdom is knowing what game to play.
  8. Too bad it doesn't work on the Apple TV 3 by Foresto · · Score: 2

    I'd buy an Apple TV in a heartbeat if there was an untethered jailbreak for it.

    1. Re:Too bad it doesn't work on the Apple TV 3 by cant_get_a_good_nick · · Score: 1

      I have both a RaspPI (revB) with XBMC and an AppleTV2 jailbroken to run XBMC.

      The AppleTV is rock solid, and pretty easy to use. The RasbPI gets hung sometimes, and requires a power-cord out powercycle (no power button, like the ATV2). The RaspPI also doesn't have a real remote. I have iOS remotes for it that work, and my TV can talk to it over HDMI, but it's still a little wonky. Having real USB on the PI is a plus, but the ports are unused in my house at this point.

      So, the AppleTV is nicer looking, more solid under XBMC, has builtin WiFi, has a paired remote, and is easier to use. For some people (my wife for example) this is a better solution, worth the $40 or so price difference between the original price of an ATV2 and a PI with case and power supply. People spending $200 for a used ATV2 strike me as slightly odd at this point, with some other non-branded solutions probably better than either a $200 ATV2 or the PI revB.

    2. Re:Too bad it doesn't work on the Apple TV 3 by Foresto · · Score: 1

      A Raspberry Pi can handle good quality 1080p h.264 + 5.1 DTS playback? That sounds great, but I have trouble believing it. Links, please?

  9. It's that simple by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 5, Interesting

    Just run a closed source undocumented binary tool released by anonymous people against your iPhone and you can install more closed source undocumented binaries by people with no names right on your phone with all security features disabled. What could go wrong?

    Seriously, this is like driving out the Apple with the Chinese. Yes, I jailbreak. Still, I hate it. There's no source, there's no docs, there's nobody responsible. It's like you're freeing your phone from Apple by allowing every hacker in the world to run binaries on it.

    Be cautious and curious.

    1. Re:It's that simple by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 2, Insightful

      So buy a device you are allowed to own.
      Buying this says you are OK with someone else deciding what programs you are allowed to run.

    2. Re:It's that simple by smash · · Score: 2

      Exactly. Code-signing and a curated app store is a FEATURE. If you don't want the feature, buy an open platform (and deal with the associated app curation, increased malware risks, etc. yourself).

      --
      I run: Windows, OS X, Linux, FreeBSD. Just because you have a hammer, doesn't mean everything is a nail.
    3. Re:It's that simple by Xemu · · Score: 1

      Just run a closed source undocumented binary tool released by anonymous people against your iPhone and you can install more closed source undocumented binaries by people with no names right on your phone with all security features disabled. What could go wrong?

      Seriously, this is like driving out the Apple with the Chinese. Yes, I jailbreak. Still, I hate it. There's no source, there's no docs, there's nobody responsible. It's like you're freeing your phone from Apple by allowing every hacker in the world to run binaries on it.

      Be cautious and curious.

      It would be so much better if only signed binaries were allowed to run, but I could choose which signatures (app stores) I would trust.

      There is middle ground here.

      --
      Tell your friends about xenu.net
    4. Re:It's that simple by hovelander · · Score: 1

      How dare you offer sensible compromise, Sir! (I'd mod you up if I could)

      Personally, I jailbroke once and was unimpressed, so updated to iOS 6. Quite happy there until I bought a Nike+ dongle for my shoe and then found out I couldn't use it on the iPad. Stupid little edge case denials like that have brought me back to jailbreaking just so I have more control to do what I want to do.

      Oh running apps, why do you hate us treadmill desk owners with iPads?

      Researching the Nike+ on iPad issue as we speak now that I have control of the iPad back...

    5. Re:It's that simple by hovelander · · Score: 1

      Ugh. Now I remember why I hate Nike. Still no joy in finding out how to get the Nike+ sensor to work with the iPad. I may have to roll my own. (Not to mention I will go back to never buying anything Nike. Still deciding if I should open the sensor up or just fucking smash it with a hammer while I piss on a Nike Swoosh...)

      Yes, I was dumb enough to think the sensor would with the iPad before fully researching.

      If the Evad3rs uncovered the weather app with a simple plist entry, the same may be true for Nike+iPod integration for the iPad.

      Looking...

    6. Re:It's that simple by Uberbah · · Score: 1

      So buy a device you are allowed to own.
      Buying this says you are OK with someone else deciding what programs you are allowed to run.

      Riiiight. Because every Android user audits the full source code of every app they install, as opposed to trusting the software developer. Seems legit.

    7. Re:It's that simple by hovelander · · Score: 1

      http://www.thoughtgadgets.com/2012/08/game-over-nike-sensors-may-soon.html

      Yep. Even worse than I thought...

      Too bad Stallman isn't a runner.

    8. Re:It's that simple by hovelander · · Score: 1

      Ah. I see what happens to all the projects now. Out comes the hammer...

      http://hacknikefuelband.com/news.html

      Open Source BT Pedometer project to start soon.

      And Nike? Could you please cough up a turd and die?

      Grazie...

  10. But does it unlock??? by englishstudent · · Score: 1

    No unlock, no love.

    --
    We'll never make it.......oh! we made it! http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SWf3iJjqYCM&list=FL7kKrE4eTs17mQl7eyvJIOg
  11. Re:I switched long ago by countach · · Score: 1

    Wow. A different way to turn off data. Count me shocked and amazed. That might save me one button press.

  12. Re:The logic makes no sense by FictionPimp · · Score: 1

    Honestly, I was torn on my latest phone upgrade. I like my iphone. I own a iphone 4 and it is 'good enough'. I love the size and weight of the device, it has good battery life, the screen is nice, and the device is stable and solid.

    But I'm starting to take acception to how mobile devices are sold, updated, and the walled gardens that I'm forced into. I refuse to jailbreak my device (for security reasons and ethical ones) and there are things I want my phone to do that apple does not. It was a tough call to leave my iphone even with those complaints, because it has been a rock solid phone. What finally drove me over the edge was mostly the carriers.

    I won't buy another carry locked phone, I won't spend $500.00+ on a phone (My freaking computer was only slightly more) and I'm sick of being tied to a carrier. I wanted unlocked and I wanted the freedom to do what I wanted to do with my phone. The nexus 4 fits what I want. It was exceptionally cheap, sufficiently powerful, and provides a unlocked, rooted experience that lets me do basically anything I could want to do. This will let me break free of AT&T and allow me to give voice to my beliefs that apple is 'too closed'.

    There are downsides, battery life appears to be less, the phone is too big imho (although all phones made after the iphone 4 are too big to me) and I do lose my app investment (fortunately this is minimal). I still feel it was time to put my money where my mouth is and leave a company that I feel is hurting innovation. My next step is seeking out a suitable laptop to replace my aging mac mini.

  13. Re:I switched long ago by sdsucks · · Score: 1

    ...he pulled down this amazing notification slide and right there, RIGHT THERE he could turn on or off wifi, change brightness, turn on or off data - it was amazing.

    Regardless of the rest of your tirade, what you describe is exactly how SBSettings works. Swipe the status bar, and you can toggle all you desire...

    Yes, you must be a troll.

  14. Re:The logic makes no sense by sdsucks · · Score: 1

    I'm curious... What is your "ethical" reason(s) for not jailbreaking?

  15. Re:The logic makes no sense by FictionPimp · · Score: 2

    They are not amazing ethical considerations, but I knowingly agreed to apple's terms of service (even if I didn't read it) and also the law of the country I live in. While I'm not going to have any consequences for violating my agreements, I still have to violate the law and violate a contract to jailbreak. I find this unacceptable when there are products on the market that do not require me to make such choices.

  16. Re:err... by Eightbitgnosis · · Score: 1

    You want the phone to update from a jailbreak program on a computer without having to connect the phone to the computer running the jailbreak program?

  17. Re:dont have an account here by HybridST · · Score: 1

    Restore from the itunes backup you took before you ran the jailbreak. You DID backup right?

    --
    Ever notice that Cobra Commander sounds an awful lot like Star scream?
  18. I gave up jailbreaking by Pausanias · · Score: 3, Insightful

    Got an iPhone 5 when it came out. No jailbreak for months and months. Guess what? All those tweaks I thought I couldn't live without? Don't miss them one bit. I don't miss the crashes and random unscreened application running as root on the iPhone either. All that theming and tweaking was just one big waste of time.

    1. Re:I gave up jailbreaking by Custard+Horse · · Score: 1

      I agree with you up to a point. The iphone works because it is tied down which is what Apple wanted to achieve. Take away software control and you introduce deficiencies - a situation which runs contrary to Apple's philosophy.

      However, what some people want is an option to "Allow installation of apps from sources other than the Apple store" under "Security > Unknown Sources" which is what android devices have.

      I don't think this is a large concession and Apple could put up warning messages such as "allowing installation of unsigned apps could damage your phone and invalidate your warranty" which would get Apple off the hook. Further, you could have the phone send a message back to Apple to issue an authorisation code to allow the unlock to make doubly sure that the user knew what they were getting into.

      Of course, Apple is still within its rights to say "we designed it and you agreed to the terms and conditions. If you don't like it, you shouldn't have bought it" but they could increase their user-base and boost innovation by allowing the chosen few to go off the beaten path. Brave new world and all that...

    2. Re:I gave up jailbreaking by unixisc · · Score: 1

      I don't think this is a large concession and Apple could put up warning messages such as "allowing installation of unsigned apps could damage your phone and invalidate your warranty" which would get Apple off the hook. Further, you could have the phone send a message back to Apple to issue an authorisation code to allow the unlock to make doubly sure that the user knew what they were getting into.

      Of course, Apple is still within its rights to say "we designed it and you agreed to the terms and conditions. If you don't like it, you shouldn't have bought it" but they could increase their user-base and boost innovation by allowing the chosen few to go off the beaten path. Brave new world and all that...

      Problem w/ the above idea is that while legally, Apple would be off the hook, it would be a public relations nightmare if they decided that the warranty was void and that they owed such users squat. Since we have a much whinier society now than ever before - demanding something for nothing in unprecedented numbers, Apple factored that in and decided that rather than allow users to damage their devices and then come to them, regardless of whether they owed anything or not, take away that right for real.

      Besides, when one considers that the overwhelming majority of Apple customers are not geeks who want to jailbreak their devices, but rather, average users who simply want the thing to work w/ no disruptions, Apple's decision makes sense. They are not compelled to cater to the minority of their users who want to jailbreak their devices and do all sorts of funky stuff. Let them get an Android, or the cheapest Chinese knock-off that they can find, and monkey w/ that. As always, if one doesn't like Apple's policies, then don't buy them - get an Android phone or tablet and be done w/ it.

    3. Re:I gave up jailbreaking by jgtg32a · · Score: 1

      I agree but there are still a good number of tweaks that are must haves for me. SBSettings I use airplane mode constantly, and keep WiFi off when not in use; 5 Icon Dock it's just very nice to have; NoSpot I don't use spotlight ever and all my apps on on 1 page so no swiping; Categories apple folders have too limited number of apps allowed; Hide Icon 2/3 of the stuff that can't be uninstalled I hide.

    4. Re:I gave up jailbreaking by Sigg3.net · · Score: 1

      That's because you jailbroke the phone _with the aim of running_ trivial tweaks.

      There are legitimate reasons for jailbreaking. Yours is hardly one, by your own statement, and consequently off topic.

      --
      Defining Statistics and Social Research
    5. Re:I gave up jailbreaking by dfm3 · · Score: 1

      Hold on, let me get this straight... you set up a straw man, then use it to accuse the very-much-on-topic GP post of being off topic? If I decide that I don't need functionality that I can only get through a jailbreak (say, I don't need to unlock the baseband and I don't want any apps from outside the official app store), then I may decide that it isn't worth my time to jailbreak. I installed the jailbreak only because I wanted SBSettings and Activator. Trivial? sure. A legitimate reason? It's my device, so I shouldn't have to justify my reasons for choosing to jailbreak or not.

      Oh, by the way, thanks for posting instead of modding them offtopic ;-)

    6. Re:I gave up jailbreaking by Sigg3.net · · Score: 1

      I understand that, of course, milage varies. But having read the threads above this about IT pros _depending_ on jailbreaks to get the job done is a bit different. This is why I have an Android btw, but not everyone has a BYOD policy.

      I am not constructing a straw man. The man (?) said he didn't miss the themeing and tweaks. Compared to the former these are trivial, or better superfluous. This is exactly what he discovered after months and months.

      A function that you need however (like network surveillance) does not go away after months and months, but will require an ad hoc solution. This is why I correctly asserted that there are other more legitimate reasons for jailbreaking besides themeing. I should have avoided the use of 'legitimate', because what I meant was 'necessary', or pertaining to the value you get from your device. Themes added little of value and little of value was lost. Say you really need an app to get the job done, then a lot of value was lost.

      Straw man is the attacking of a position someone doesn't have. This is not it. I should have referenced the threads above, apparently.

      --
      Defining Statistics and Social Research
  19. Billions don't miss voting either by dutchwhizzman · · Score: 2

    This may be a bit of a far stretch, but I believe there is a fair comparison here. Billions of people don't miss their right to vote, or have to choose between two evils. Does that mean democracy is useless and you don't need the right to decide what software you want to run on devices you own? I think not. You make up your own mind. I'm sure the people that don't get to make a fair vote curse their government just as much as the people that do have a proper democracy, just like the jailbreakers are left with the burden of allowing others to run binary code on their device. The difference is they can put their trust in others than just Apple. That may cost them a bit, but it also benefits them because they get more options. Free choice is a double edged sword and it requires care and attention. Would I want to miss it? Never, but I do realize that I have to use it wisely.

    --
    I was promised a flying car. Where is my flying car?
    1. Re:Billions don't miss voting either by Uberbah · · Score: 1

      This may be a bit of a far stretch, but I believe there is a fair comparison here.

      Other than conflating core civil liberties with....consumer products? I'm sure Pete Hoekstra would approve, anyway.

      Next up...a look back on how New Coke was just like COINTELPRO! News at 11....

  20. Re:err... by smash · · Score: 1

    No. My point is un-tethered means UN-TETHERED. As in via a web exploit you can go to through the in-phone browser. As per the prior definition of un-tethered, and as per previous un-tethered jailbreaks that have previously been available.

    --
    I run: Windows, OS X, Linux, FreeBSD. Just because you have a hammer, doesn't mean everything is a nail.
  21. Re:err... by Eightbitgnosis · · Score: 2

    I've always heard untethered\tethered used in the sense that an iphone could, or could not, reboot jailbroken without having to connect back to your jailbreak application.

  22. How many upgrades this week? by xushi · · Score: 1

    I'm interested to see Apple's statistics on how many will suddenly upgrade to iOS6 this week or two..

    This can be interpreted in many ways.. For one, how many just really don't like their way of restricting - excluding those who accidentally upgraded btw..

    1. Re:How many upgrades this week? by jgtg32a · · Score: 1

      I tried to do that last night, but the download was taking too long, I jailbreaked instead. Looking at the change log I'm a bit indifferent; the lock screen media controls sound like they could be nice ...

    2. Re:How many upgrades this week? by tlhIngan · · Score: 1

      I'm interested to see Apple's statistics on how many will suddenly upgrade to iOS6 this week or two..

      This can be interpreted in many ways.. For one, how many just really don't like their way of restricting - excluding those who accidentally upgraded btw..

      Typically,just over a million devices jailbreak, going by the jailbreaker figures. This is more accurate as a bunch of devices already came with iOS6.

      If we scale it per sales of devices, you would expect around 1.5M or so devices to have downloaded it over the week. Not insignificant, but not a huge number either when you consider that Apple sold probably a good 100M or so iOS devices since iOS6 was available.

      Typically the jailbreak community comprises around 10% of the entire iOS population, as a rough estimate.

      Of course, I'm sure a big chunk of those jailbreakers were really looking for a patched version of mobile-installer so they can run unsigned apps (aka, cracked/pirated ones). With Hackulo.us shut down, the question is whether or not it will be revived now that it's "relevant" again (lack of jailbreak on iOS6 was a part of the reason why it shut down), or if competitors like AppCake will take over (the latter has the advantage it also supports Android).

      Otherwise the only way to run patched iOS6 apps was get a dev cert (a couple of companies were selling provisioning files that did this).

  23. Re:err... by richy+freeway · · Score: 2

    Considering you've been doing this shit for money since 1995, you've not learnt much have you? An untethered jailbreak in the IOS world has ALWAYS meant that it doesn't require a USB connection to a computer to work when you restart the phone. How the initial jailbreak is carried out is irrelevant.

    Hope this clears things up for you.

  24. Re:I switched long ago by Custard+Horse · · Score: 1

    Really? My brother had an iphone then swapped to Android. I asked him his thoughts and he said "the screen and touch sensitivity is better on the iphone" but other than that he was happy with the Android device (an HTC Desire HD).

    Now that you have heard of a person going from iphone to Android and not going back, will you reflect on your errors and possibly the approach that you adopt in life? Probably not...

  25. Re:The logic makes no sense by trewornan · · Score: 1

    I knowingly agreed to ... the law of the country I live in

    Really? No one ever asked me, which is why I don't regard the laws of my country as binding on me and make my own decisions about what's moral or not.

  26. Re:I switched long ago by scubamage · · Score: 1

    So proudly, in fact, that you posted as an anonymous coward. Your pride, sir, is astounding.

  27. Re:jailbreak problems by tburke261 · · Score: 1

    Cydia is getting slammed and is having problems keeping up with demand. Be patient.

  28. Re:I switched long ago by Custard+Horse · · Score: 1

    Well if my claim is unverifiable then so is yours at which point we are back to square one.

    I wasn't saying you were lying but I was demonstrating that your experience is not a fair representation of society. By saying that my claim is unverifiable suggests that you are unwilling to believe me which leads to the conclusion that you have made up your mind and that mind is not for changing. This approach is similar to a person with an unimpeachable religious faith which normally leads to incarceration on mental health grounds or criminal charges for sexual assault on a minor (unless you are Catholic in which case you get a promotion).

    You claim to have an active social life but 'active social life' is subjective. Your version might sound relatively mundane to me. As for meeting new people "all time", whoop dee doo, are you a ticket salesman?

    My opinion, which you will claim means nothing to you, is that you are an iphone zealot with no interest in comparisons and you dislike those who disagree with you no matter how valid their views, rather than welcome those competing views . You are entitled to your own opinion but you can be a little less...mental...when expressing it.

    Thank you for reading and be careful with the self-harm when you are composing your response.