The now famous image of the first Nexus One found in the wild!

I’ll keep this one short and sweet, go watch the commercial for the new Google Nexus One here:
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/technology/8442205.stm?ls

I will say; WOW! This is the first phone that looks exciting to me since the first generation iPhone hit the market! I think I’ll be getting one of these as soon as my contract is up… sorry Apple!

Oh a side note… Phillip K. Dick fans might recognize the name of this device. Interestingly enough, Dick’s daughter is not happy about this. I say take it as a tribute to the man, not a rip off… after all, it’s just a name and I am pretty sure it was meant to pay homage, not disrespect. Read more here:

http://sffmedia.com/films/science-fiction-films/445-google-phone-nexus-one-annoys-philip-k-dicks-daughter.html

Just a few weeks ago, Snow Leopard started shipping. Those with a new Mac who was promised to have the “upgrade package at $9.95″, it came a few days later (You can’t blame them, they said it’ll only be available in September). Just before that even happened, though, developers and hackers alike found a glaring mistake by Apple: the Flash Player included in Snow Leopard was an obsolete version. While mayhem and hell hasn’t exactly broken out, Apple has swiftly provided OS X Update 10.6.1, now available through Software Update. My update is at a tiny size of 9.8MB, but if you’re going to install it on multiple computers, or Software Update doesn’t give you that option yet, you can always download the package here (DIRECT LINK) at a whopping 71.47MB.

According to Apple’s site, the updates are as follows:

• Improves compatibility with some Sierra Wireless 3G modems
• Addresses an issue in which some printer compatibility drivers might not appear properly in the Add Printer browser
• Addresses an issue that might cause DVD playback to stop unexpectedly
• Addresses an issue that might make it difficult to remove an item from the Dock
• Resolves an issue in which the Command-Option-T keyboard shortcut would sometimes bring up the special characters menu in applications such as Mail and TextEdit
• Addresses instances in which auto account setup in Mail might not work
• Resolves issues when sending mail with certain SMTP servers
• Addresses an issue in which Motion 4 could become unresponsive
• Includes an update to Adobe Flash Player plug-in version 10.0.32.18

All Snow Leopard users are advised to update as soon as possible to fix the gaping hole Apple has left. But for iPhone 3GS users, that’s another thing.

As you guys might have known, the iPhone OS 3.1 is out. The iPhone Dev Team has reminded us that the iPhones might never be unlocked again if you update it, because the baseband might not be jailbreakable. And reports around the Internet have confirmed that the iPhone cannot be restored to 3.0 anymore. So while iPhone 2G and 3G users have to wait patiently, here’s something to do for your iPhone 3GS if you haven’t done it yet. Get the iBSS and iBEC files now before you update to 3.1.

It’s important because this is a security procedure. It was mentioned in one of the earlier posts, and if you still haven’t done it yet, the wonderful guys at Modmyi.com have come up with a very useful guide:

3G[S] Users Capture Your iBSS and iBEC BEFORE 3.1 [Reminder]

For the rest of the iPhone, iPhone 3G and iPod touch users, why not grab yourself a cup of coffee and wait? Jailbreak should be on the way, and so is the unlock. Go, Dev Team!

It’s D-Day! Well, not exactly, but Apple’s gotten creative this year by making the event coincide with the 090909 mark of the century. And boy, Steve Jobs is back! He’s the keynote speaker of the event. I’m sure some of you might have missed what has happened in the past hour, so why not make a summary?

Photo courtesy of gdgt

• iPhone and iPod touch OS 3.1. (duh)
  • Genius function in iTunes now applied to App Store: It suggests what apps you might like based on your current inventory.
  • Ringtones will be sold at $1.29.
  • Free for iPhone users. Only iPod touch users who have OS 3.0 will get to download OS 3.1 for free.

• iTunes
  • iTunes 9 released.
  • Genius mixes (something like your iTunes DJ, but Genius technology incorporated)
  • Home sharing. Songs, movies and shows can be copied to 5 different authorized computers.
  • Redesigned iTunes Store.
  • iTunes LP for music, Extras for movies.
  • Sharing to Facebook & Twitter now possible.
  • Apps can be managed through iTunes.
• iPods
  • iPod touch pricings: $199 for 8GB, $299 for 32GB, $399 for 64GB
  • 32GB and 64GB versions will have OpenGL.
  • iPod classic will be bumped up to 160GB for the same old price: $249.
  • iPod shuffle will not be kicked! In fact, there’s now the “nanochromatic” version of the shuffle for 2GB at $59, and a stainless steel version (4GB) at $99.
  • iPod nano will have 2.2″ display, camera, mic and speaker built-in. FM player built-in as well. Voice recorder app and pedometer is also in that small little thing. Amazing.
  • iPod nano will be draining your wallet of $149 for 8GB, or $179 for 16GB.

That’s all the announcements. I’m sure many of you guys out there have been expecting much more things from Apple, including a camera for the iPod touch. But cheer up, at least there were other improvements! And oh, jailbreakers: 3.1 is not jailbreakable yet. ;)

It’s been very long since Gadget Cracker has updated anything at all. We’re very sorry for this. In any case, if you haven’t heard about it in other sites, the Apple Rock n’ Roll event is coming up! You can count on Engadget updating frequently here. There are plenty of rumors flying around this time, with none confirmed yet. Here’s a few that we’ve gathered over the course of the last few weeks. Again, nothing is actually confirmed, so please do not shoot us if we’re incorrect!

• This event will solely revolve around a music theme, i.e. there will not be any updates on Mac or the Apple TV, as speculated earlier.
• The iPod touch and iPod nano will be getting built-in cameras. So far, photos seem to show only that of the iPod touch, and the camera is located just beside the WiFi patch on the top-left corner of the back of the device. (this is further supported by some of Belkin’s casings for the iPod touch leaked out early)
• The iPod touch will have a 64GB model.
• The iPod classic range will be discontinued, effectively killing off Apple’s HDD-based music players.
• The App Store will be getting an upgrade in view of the 65000+ applications the App Store has.
• The new iPod range will not be available so soon, in view of some defects. (aww.)

Whatever it is, the event will start at 9am PDT, so check the Engadget link above! The event will start at GMT 1700hrs. Remember to count in the DST hour if you’re affected by the areas. (UPDATE2: You could always refer here, though.) Let’s hope this will be interesting…

EDIT: I almost forgot about this, but the iPhone OS 3.1 will be coming out soon, and it doesn’t seem that far-fetched to say that it might coincide with the event. Needless to say, the iPhone Dev Team has posted here that jailbreakers who have jailbroken their iPhones should NOT update to 3.1, or you will risk losing your unlock forever. Heads up!

"I knew that!", says the navigator.

Let’s face it: we’re all waiting for the day when our iPhones and iPod touches start identifying the hunk beside that bar or that chick walking on the street by just taking her photo with a camera. While that won’t be possible in the near future (though the Twitter app above allows a bit of room for that), there’s of course the augmented reality (AR) apps in the up-and-coming iPhone OS 3.1, slated to arrive this September.

To put it simply in the context of the iPhone, it combines the usage of the camera, the all-new magnetometer (a.k.a compass), GPS and an Internet connection to give you real-time information on what you see. For instance, you can point at one location and that will give you the nearest road. There are many uses for it, and the possibility is endless.

According to the LA Times post here:

Apple told Acrossair, developer of the Nearest Tube train finder, that the app will be approved for distribution after Apple releases version 3.1 of the iPhone software, which the developer expects will land in early September.

Augmented reality apps can only be used by iPhone 3GS users, though. Boo.

And the iPhone Dev Team has answered: redsn0w 0.8 now officially supports jailbreaking of the iPhone 3GS. saurik has also updated the MobileSubstrate and WinterBoard packages for use with the 3GS, according to the iPhone Dev Team’s post here. However, the same old warning applies to all 3GS users to obtain the iBEC and iBSS files. They are now looking for more holes to exploit considering 3.1 would probably have a fix, and that would mean (temporarily) bad news for soon-to-be owners of the 3GS. To quote the Dev Team, “For those of you without 3GS phones, it’s a race against the clock to use this particular hole. There’s nothing we can do about that, but we will always be looking for new holes.”

ultrasn0w 0.8 has also been released which will support the iPhone 3GS. However, it is crucial that you do not upgrade to anything beyond 3.0, including the 3.1 beta software. Quoth the Dev Team: “Apple has gotten very serious with the latest baseband — they’ve removed 180 (!) commands in an effort to cut down their exposure to holes. So please always stay away from stock Apple IPSWs and instead use our tools as we release them. These tools let you update your firmware without updating your baseband.”

And good news for those using Linux: redsn0w has also been released for you guys as well. (: Get your redsn0w while it’s, er, cold! And obtain ultrasn0w by adding repo666.ultrasnow.com to the list of repositories in Cydia.

It was bound to happen… Apple users have long enjoyed a relatively smooth ride with regard to virus’ and malicious attacks, but this morning xaminer.com posted info on this serious iPhone expoit, discovered Charlie Miller:

It’s well-known that binary code can be sent to mobile devices using SMS. Normally the sent code isn’t executed, but Miller found that the iPhone operating system automatically processes the code without any user intervention. Not good. Knowing this, Miller developed code using the principle of Sulley Fuzzing, a method of injecting random data into program after first forcing the operating system to trust the new code.

And they go on to confirm the worst:

Another vulnerability that Miller found was the ability to use the SMS function to gain root access to the iPhone, more or less giving an attacker the “keys to the kingdom”.

On a positive note, Apple appears to already be working on a patch for this serious security vulnerability. We all know Apple’s history with timely updates though, so don’t hold your breath.

Get the full scoop here: http://www.examiner.com/x-14651-Minneapolis-Information-Technology-Examiner~y2009m7d3-Apple-iPhone-SMS-exploit-allows-attacker-to-control-phone

So… who’s gonna beat Apple to the punch with a security patch that jail broken iPhone users can apply? :)

After the long and grueling wait, iPhone 3GS users can finally rejoice: the jailbreak for the iPhone 3GS has been released first by geohot with his software, purplera1n, which only runs on Windows for now (with the Mac version coming later). He was originally in the Dev Team before he got kicked out. According to his blog post dated today,

Normally I don’t make tools for the general public, and rather wait for the dev team to do it. But guys, whats up with waiting until 3.1? That isn’t how the game is played. We release, Apple fixes, we find new holes. It isn’t worth waiting because you might have the “last” hole in the iPhone. What last hole…this isn’t golf. I’ll find a new one next week. Also your purplera1nyday files ensure that you can always get back to a jailbroken state, so if you have it it’s just a matter of tools.

The iPhone Dev Team is still keeping mum on this issue. Whatever it is, the jailbreak program is posted here. Either that, or you can get the file from the official site. Apparently, it is “it’s smaller than C++ hello world” and there will be no need for the IPSW files. Kudos to you, geohot!

[UPDATE] According to saurik (one of the iPhone Dev Team members) in his few tweets, “The PurpleRa1n 3GS jailbreak (like the unofficial 3.0 beta QuickPwn jailbreaks) is missing critical patches required for WinterBoard (etc.)” He continued: “ADDITIONALLY, WinterBoard /will/ need work on the 3GS (new instructions), but I can’t even begin looking at that until we get fixed patches.”

So hold your horses folks! It’s better if the iPhone Dev Team makes an official release and we wait until 3.1 comes out. That’s when other developers will start developing and modifying code for the 3GS for several programs that might have compatibility issues with the 3GS.

Yep, you heard it all right. According to the iPhone Dev-Team website, they are holding the jailbreak back from its release until 3.1 is coming out. According to them in their blog post here, 3.0 is really buggy and bugfixes should be out real soon, so if Apple mends the hole in the exploit they found in 3GS, then the effort would be futile in the first place:

We can jailbreak the 3GS right now. But making our jailbreak public at this point in time would benefit relatively few people. It would in fact be detrimental to many more people than it would help. So we feel it’s best to keep our version of the jailbreak out of Apple’s sights for the time being.

In the meantime for eager iPhone 3GS users, geohot posted in his blog about the new security Apple has put into the iPhone 3GS:

Apple has added a new layer of security to the iPhone 3GS. I mentioned it several posts earlier; it’s the ECID field. When iTunes starts the restore process, they contact Apple servers to generate signatures just for your device. It’s important you get these signatures for your phone before a new version of the software comes out.

So to obtain these signatures, the great guys at iClarified have posted two guides as to how to obtain the ECID of your iPhone 3GS: one for the Mac and one for the Windows. Make sure you do this before you upgrade it next, or otherwise your iPhone 3GS might be permanently unjailbreakable!

Other than that, why not make yourself a cup of coffee and do some work whilst waiting for Apple’s 3.0.1 release?

[UPDATE: 2ND JULY]

The iPhone Dev Team has found another way to obtain the exact same thing you’re looking for, and more when using purplera1n with a simple restore thru iTunes, if you’re using the 3GS of course. Apparently, the team at Apple has stored those extremely valuable information into the temporary folder. If you’re using the Mac, the folder would be at /tmp/, and it will be at %TEMP% for Windows. Not really the smartest thing to do, but hey, at least we benefit from it. Better not complain!

The great folks at ModMyi.com has already come up with a nice guide to obtain these files here, though this only applies to the Mac. We’ll be updating the post again once we find another guide for the Windows!

[UPDATE 2]

Thanks to GC reader DR, some searching and sniffing around was done and apparently purplera1n provides only the iBSS when you input the ECID. The restore method can be used to obtain both the iBSS and iBEC for future use.

UPDATE: Still awaiting a QuickPWN release? Maybe you got punked! Did QuickPWN.com Rip Off The Dev Team’s iPhone Jailbreak? Just some food for thought. On with the show…

Like many of you, I counted the days until Apple released OS 3.0. I knew the Dev Team had been churning out the jailbreaks for the beta versions of OS 3.0, so I was pretty confident it would be released quickly, but just to be safe I went and glanced at the QuickPWN blog. Yep. It’s out. All set.

Oops… Yeah, so I went ahead with the OS 3.0 update only to realize that in my excitement and haste I had misread the blog and there was no QuickPWN for OS 3.0 yet!!! This was disheartening, but I was sure it would be available any day. Well, to make a long story short, it isn’t out and it isn’t coming, atleast not from the Dev Team. Although QuickPWN’s blog says they will have something out soon, I can’t wait any longer… I’m going in to deep jailbreak withdrawals and need a fix ASAP! So, here’s the result of my digging around to figure out a solution…

Here’s the usual disclaimer… you could turn your iPhone inside out and upside down and maybe make it poop on itself. That said, you’ll probably be just fine if you follow these instructions. And if not, it’s highly probably that a restore in iTunes will fix your problem and get you back to normal. What fun would gadget cracking be if you couldn’t potentially brick you expensive high tech toys? THIS IS NOT FOR IPHONE 3GS! Only 3G. I will verify this on my girlfriends iPod Touch 2G later and let you know if I had to buy her a new one or not :P I don’t mean to make this sound so risky, it really isn’t, but I don’t want angry iPhone users pissed at me because something went awry.

Step 1 – Preliminary Work (read: boring stuff):

Go to this entry on the Dev Team’s blog and READ the entire post. Make sure you understand what they’re saying (okay, this basically more disclaimer). While your there download RedSn0w for your OS of choice (I am jailbreaking mine on a PC). As of right now I think everyone running OS 3.0 is using revision 7A341, but to make this article future proof I need to tell you how to check this on your iPhone to be sure. It is very important to use the correct firmware for the jailbreak! Don’t worry, it’s easy and doesn’t merit a sub-totorial. Just go to Settings > General > About. You will see the firmware version at the bottom of your screen, like so:

See it downthere at the bottom? That was simple enough.

Step 2 – Select the right firmware:

Run redsn0w. The first thing it does is ask you to locate the iPhone firmware. This must be the same version that you are running on your phone! It will have the file extension .ipsw and on my Windows XP system it resides in:

C:\Documents and Settings\YOUR_WINDOWS_USERNAME\Application Data\Apple Computer\iTunes\iPhone Software Updates\

Notice the full path and filename of the appropriate file!

Take care to make sure you select the proper .ipsw file! If in doubt run a search for *.ipsw. or download it directly from Apple here [this file is for 3G only!]. If your using OS 3.0 (Which I presume you are) make sure to select the file ‘iPhone1,2_3.0_7A341_Restore.ipsw’!
It is important to note the 7A341 part of the file name, this is the revision of the OS 3.0 firmware and it must match the version we looked at on your iPhone during Step 1!

Okay, so you’ve selected the proper firmware file for RedSn0w, and you should be able to hit the ‘Next’ button now!

Step 3 -The fun and scary stuff:

If all went well in Step 2 you should see a screen like this now:

Okay? Good. Hit ‘Next’!

Oooh, sounds important! Better make sure you ‘Click next ONLY when your device is BOTH off and plugged in’! But wait! Don’t click ‘Next’ just yet! It makes this next step easier if you know whats about to happen. If you’ve used QuickPWN before this is the stage where you have to hold down buttons for the right amount of time and in the right sequence. If you haven’t used QuickPWN before, well… this is the stage where you have to hold down buttons for the right amount of time and in the right sequence.

It all happens kind of quick, but if you mess up you only have to try again. You can’t brick your iPhone just yet, so be patient :P

Don’t do this yet, I’m just priming you!

1. Hold down the Power (corner) button for 3 seconds
2. Without releasing the Power button, also hold down the Home (bottom center) button for 10 seconds
3. Without releasing the Home button, release the power button BUT KEEP holding the Home button for 30 seconds

Again, this is just a procedure to get the phone in a sort of debug mode, same as they would do at the Apple store, so just relax. If you do it wrong just hit back and try again! Here is what it looks like in RedSn0w:

Whew, you made it through that, right? Now you can release your clutch on the Home button and sit back & enjoy the pineapple show!

I apologize for the crap picture... I ran frantically looking for the camera, snapped a quick pic, and it finished! So it is what it is...

This is the part where your precious iPhone could brick in the very unlikely chance something goes wrong here! That said, I’ve gone as far as accidentally unplugging the USB cable in this step and seemingly bricked my phone, but it was an easy fix! I just put it back in DFU mode and let iTunes restore it to health (Google is your friend!). No problem!

I'm also using a cable that looks like this... I ain't scared! :P

Okay, so its probably done by now, huh? You can breath a sigh of relief and pat yourself on the back, because now your iPhone is  way more kick ass than most anyone else you know! At least for the moment… Wow, you know, that really was just as easy as QuickPWN, wasn’t it? Who needs QuickPWN…

Here are a few screen shots to prove I’m not just playing with your hopes and emotions here:

I hope you enjoyed this tutorial! Please share Gadget Cracker with your friends and follow @gadgetcracker on Twitter!

Notes and sources:

1) Relavent Dev Team Blog & RedSn0w download – http://blog.iphone-dev.org/post/126908912/redsn0w-in-june

2) iPhone 3G OS 3.0 firmware – http://content.info.apple.com/iPhone/061-6578.20090617.VfgtU/iPhone1,2_3.0_7A341_Restore.ipsw