Fantastic news today from the Electronic Frontier Foundation (EFF).  After a lot of hard work and mountains of paperwork, JAILbreaking your IPHONE is now explicitly a permitted fair use under the DMCA! The first of EFF’s three successful requests clarifies the legality of cell phone “JAILbreaking” — software modifications that liberate IPHONEs and other handsets to run applications from sources other than those approved by the phone maker. More than a million IPHONE owners are said to have “JAILbroken” their handsets in order to change wireless providers or use applications obtained from sources other than Apple’s own iTunes “App Store,” and many more have expressed a desire to do so. But the threat of DMCA liability had previously endangered these customers and alternate applications stores. In its reasoning in favor of EFF’s JAILbreaking exemption, the Copyright Office rejected Apple’s claim that copyright law prevents people from installing unapproved programs on IPHONEs: “When one JAILbreaks a smartphone in order to make the operating system on that phone interoperable with an independently created application that has not been approved by the maker of the smartphone or the maker of its operating system, the modifications that are made purely for the purpose of such interoperability are fair uses.” The EFF also successfully renewed the existing DMCA exception for carrier unlocking.  More on the ruling by the Library of Congress is here and here (and many other places, since this is huge news!). The full ruling is here, and EFF’s history with this case is here (EFF’s servers are understandably getting hammered today!). This doesn’t mean that Apple will stop their technical attempts to thwart JAILbreaking, but it does mean that our IPHONE JAILbreaks and unlocks are now unambiguously legal under the DMCA. Great job, EFF!

Source: IPhone Dev

Those of you with JAILbroken IPHONE3G and ipt2G devices may now have noticed Cydia starting to save your SHSH blobs too, just like it does for IPHONE3GS, ipt3G and later devices. That’s because starting with 4.0, Apple started putting a “soft” SHSH blob check in the firmware. The SHSH blob check is very real in the sense that if iTunes can’t get your blobs (because the Apple signing window has closed), the iTunes restore will error out. But it’s “soft” in the sense that those devices can always use redsn0w or PwnageTool to get past the error (the bootroms themselves for those devices don’t require blobs to be in the firmware files, unlike the newer bootroms). So, Cydia is doing this to allow you to continue to use iTunes to restore to 4.x on IPHONE3G and ipt2g outside of Apple’s signing window without needing to use redsn0w or PwnageTool to get around Apple’s annoying new restriction.

Source: IPhone Dev

Those of you who follow @MuscleNerd or @planetbeing on Twitter probably already know that the team has had initial success with the carrier unlock on IPHONE4.  We’re fine-tuning the payload to make it as quick to load as possible (and making sure it remains crash-free of course!). As usual before a public release, there are lots of fake Twitter and Facebook accounts trying to capitalize on the public’s eagerness to get the unlock.  For those who only want to know when it’s released, either of these two official accounts will do.  All other variations of these account names are fake! @ultrasn0w @IPHONE_dev If you want to be kept up to date on progress as it’s being made, you can also follow: @planetbeing @MuscleNerd And of course, our comment section below is a great place to ask general questions! There are lots of knowledgeable people able to respond, including our great moderators @confuciousmobil and @angiexpangie P.S. If you want to help prevent more people from being fooled by the fake accounts, here are a few examples of them: fake#1 fake#2 fake#3.  Feel free to tweet them, so that others following them realize they’re fake.

Source: IPhone Dev

Around an hour ago the new version of the IPHONE Operating System (now called ‘iOS’) was released.  iOS 4 is a huge release for Apple with many many changes and those changes offer slick additional features. These new features are being offered by Apple as a free upgrade to qualifying devices. We are working hard on a release to our tools that will JAILbreak your device (or give you iOS 4 via the JAILbreak train) and provide you with a carrier unlock. Until these tools are released you should hold off on updating your device until we have fully tested our tools with all the relevant devices. If you rely on hacktivation or a carrier unlock (ultrasn0w) then you should not  upgrade until we have fully tested and released our tools. Don’t be tempted with unofficial PwnageTool/redsn0w bundles or releases, just check here or our team twitter for real time release information. Remember, we risk our devices so you don’t have to (but this time anyone who has made a mistake upgrading their baseband firmware at 3.1.3 or 4.0 should be OK real soon  Now!

Source: IPhone Dev

At some point after (don’t ask when!) the IPAD 3G is actually in customers’ hands, the first “userland” JAILbreak since firmware 1.x will be released by @comex.  It’s called “Spirit” and was first demonstrated working on an IPAD by @MuscleNerd within 24 hours of the IPAD’s release on April 3. Userland JAILbreaks are more troublesome for Apple since they expose security weaknesses that exist even for non-JAILbroken owners.  As such, Apple is likely to close them soon after they’re made public. One recent example of this is the SMS vulnerability exposed at Blackhat last summer.  Apple released new firmware to close that hole within a day. The Spirit JAILbreak is most useful for newer devices: IPHONE 3GS, iPod Touch 3G, and the IPADs.  Unfortunately those devices are the same ones that Apple can prevent you from downgrading unless you’ve got a backup of your personalized SHSH blobs.  Unless you’ve backed up your SHSH blobs for vulnerable firmware versions, you’ll lose the ability to use the current Spirit JAILbreak if you accidentally upgrade. Please take the steps now to backup your SHSH blobs.  Use either Firmware Umbrella to create a local copy, or go through saurik’s server.  If you are getting an IPAD 3G, it’s safest to backup your blobs using Firmware Umbrella, in case saurik’s server gets bogged down with requests. Other things about Spirit that are useful to know: Spirit is an untethered JAILbreak. Spirit works on all devices.  (However, the redsn0w and PwnageTool flows will continue to work on those devices they’ve always worked on) Spirit does not include a carrier unlock.  (Please don’t bug @comex about that) Spirit requires your device to be activated or hacktivated Please make sure you have your SHSH blobs backed up!  While @comex has indicated he’s not going to release the very minute the IPAD 3G is out, there’s no telling what Apple might do anyway.

Source: IPhone Dev

Some interesting features were revealed in today’s preview of IPHONEos 4.0.  We’ll use this post as a placeholder for discussion about these features and how they relate to the JAILbreak. Also, it seemed like a good idea to move away from our last post, which was made on April 1 for a reason

Source: IPhone Dev

The IPHONE DevTeam has been passed confidential internal information relating to the next version of the tablet computer the ‘iPad’. An upcoming redesign of the iPad tablet computer will miniaturize the device so that it will be able to be carried on the user’s person (such as a pocket or small bag). Also a radical move to add a minimum of a 13 kbits/s speech codec to the miniaturized tablet variant is planned. The inclusion of the voice codec will allow the user to directly utilize the GSM nomadic network, allowing person to person communications directly using your mini-iPad from anywhere dramatically speeding up the usual typed email or instant messaging capabilities that the iPad offers today. It is the plan of the IPHONE DevTeam to target this device as soon as it is released. 

Source: IPhone Dev

While Apple’s 3.1.3 firmware was minor in terms of new features, it’s had the side effect of opening up a huge market for scam sites.  These sites will promise you a 3.1.3 JAILbreak for newer devices like the iPod touch 3G, or a baseband 05.12 software unlock.  Those desperate enough to “just give it a shot” will find, 100% of the time, that they were misled.  After money has changed hands they’ll be told “well the 05.12 unlock is coming, in the meantime here’s the 05.11 unlock” (of course the 05.11 unlock was intended to be free, as you all know).  They’ll hold your money until one day the 05.12 unlock does come out, even if that’s months later (and of course it’ll be released for free).  In the meantime they’ll be able to claim they gave you part of what they advertised, and keep at least part of your money (in actuality they’ll usually keep all of it). Don’t fall for these scam sites!  None of them have a 05.12 unlock, none have the 05.11 unlock working on 3.1.3, none have a 3.1.3 JAILbreak for newer devices like the ipt3G.  They’re trying to capitalize on your upgrade mistake, and they only need a very small percentage of people to fall for them to make their money and run. Those following twitter may have seen some recent very early developments in the 05.12 unlock situation.  One of our more helpful commenters sherif_hashim (at a rating of 84p you know he’s helped others much already!) found what looks like a very promising crash in the new baseband.  He’s put in a lot of work looking for crashes over this past year, and he’s still looking for more!  We’ve started to look at his crash but it’s a long road between any given crash and a fully working unlock, and we couldn’t put an ETA on it even if we wanted to.  It’s not even guaranteed that an working unlock will come from this particular crash — it’s just too early to tell. In the meantime, please stay vigilant against these scam sites.  Don’t be part of the small percentage of people that fall for them because that small percentage is all they need.

Source: IPhone Dev

WARNING! At 10.30AM PST on February 2nd 2010 Apple released the 3.1.3 version (7E18) of the IPHONEOS. If you care about your JAILbreak and unlock, don’t update your device – 3G and 3G(S) owners should pay particular attention to this warning. PwnageTool and redsn0w are not yet compatible with 3.1.3 There is no estimated release time for compatible tools (please don’t bug us about this). Any information we have regarding this update will be posted here. You can also follow us on twitter – @IPHONE_dev Update 1:  [Don’t go near this if you have 3GS, newer ipt2G, or any ipt3G] Thanks to daring experimenters in the comments, we can confirm that yesterday’s redsn0w works for today’s 3.1.3 update for IPHONE 2G.  Just point it at the 3.1.2 IPHONE 2G IPSW after doing update or restore to 3.1.3.  So far we’ve only confirmed this for IPHONE 2G.  (Note that if this does work for IPHONE 3G too, you can *only* use it if you don’t care about the unlock.) Update 2: [Don’t go near this if you have 3GS, newer ipt2G, or any ipt3G] Can confirm that this method works for IPHONE 3G and iPod touch 1G too.  Don’t do it for IPHONE 3G if you need an unlock though (really, don’t!). For older iPod touch 2G, we’ll need a small (1-character) change in redsn0w source.

Source: IPhone Dev

It sure has been a while since we last saw a firmware update from Apple.  (And by the way, which will come first…the iPad wifi, FW version 3.1.3/4.0 for IPHONEs, or the new IPHONE itself?)  Anyway, while we’re waiting, we updated redsn0w to be compatible with FW 3.1.2.  We also added a few new features! It’s actually been in “open beta” for a while now, and those of you who already follow @MuscleNerd on twitter may already have tried the new redsn0w.  You can read all about it and download it from our our wikee.  Compared to our last release, we’ve given you the ability to quickly change your boot or recovery logos and enable “verbose” booting.  And for those of you who want to experiment with your internet tethering options over cellular, try version 0.9.3 in the extra links at the bottom of that wikee page. After reading the brief Q&A on our wikee, feel free to ask any questions below in the comments.  Briefly though, if you’re already happy with your current JAILbroken system (whether it’s via PwnageTool or blackra1n), and if you don’t want boot logos, then you can safely ignore this post and we’ll continue the wait for Apple’s next release together Otherwise go ahead and try some new boot logos using redsn0w, or use it for fresh JAILbreaks.  If you use it on an already JAILbroken phone, be sure to checkmark “Already pwned” and don’t reinstall Cydia again (doing so will probably make Cydia lose track of what it has installed). Caution: if you’re using the ultrasn0w or yellowsn0w unlocks then don’t be tempted to update to official 3.1.2 just to use redsn0w (and remember, redsn0w still works at 3.0 anyway).  If you update to official 3.1.2, redsn0w will still work but you’ll lose ultrasn0w and yellowsn0w.  There is geohot’s blacksn0w for those who updated to official 3.1.2 but there are still wifi problems with the unlock at that firmware in a small number of cases.  IPHONE 2G unlockers don’t need to worry about any of this, since BootNeuter handles all that regardless of firmware version (BootNeuter is installed for you by redsn0w if you have an IPHONE 2G and choose “unlock”). This version of redsn0w does not provide an untethered JAILbreak for those of you with brand new IPHONE 3GS, iPod touch 2G, or any iPod touch 3G.  redsn0w will JAILbreak those but it will still be a tethered JAILbreak until some new exploit is found and released. As always, redsn0w does not update your firmware version.  You use it with whatever firmware is already running on your device (and you point redsn0w to the IPSW corresponding to that firmware already running on your device).

Source: IPhone Dev