Apple Modifies Boot ROM on Revised iPhone 3GS Models to Hinder Jailbreaking

[blackcrayon]

Methinks this ad firm apparently has access to way too much information from your phone.

While I could see them getting some info about which app is accessing their ads, seems like they'd have to dig pretty deep to get whether or not an iPhone was jailbroken. Knowing if an app was pirated would also mean they are tracking who is using apps viewing/accessing their ads, even if you don't tap on the ad.

If you even use an app that displays ads, big brother is watching you.

Ironically, there is an app available for the evil JAILBROKEN phones called PrivaCY that blocks some of the information gathering features of some of Pinch Media's apps...

Here is what Pinch Media is able to ascertain from their ads in their apps:

http://www.pinchmedia.com/blog/pinch-media-user-privacy-and-spyware/

 

[wschutz]

I'm done with the iPhone. So much potential lost...

Horrible Carrier -

A 3 year old UI (for those of you who haven't seen the things being done on WebOS and Android/SenseUI, you won't get it.

Anal control issues

Ignoring user feedback

A HORRIBLE Carrier

and last but not least - A horrible carrier - WITH A RENEWED EXCLUSIVITY CONTRACT!!!!


Android here I come.

Agreed!

I bought the iPhone because I knew in advance I could customise the L&F... and install applications that I thought useful for me but Apple didn't allow.
But day after day, I realised that it's the worst idea I've ever had given Apple policies. I love their computers and Mac OS X because I can do anything I want and it's very stable, but I don't like the idea of being controlled with their iPhone. I bought it. Period. Leave me alone, I'll do whatever I want with it...

Right now, I'm seriously thinking about re-selling the 3GS, cancel the contract and get the HTC Hero with Android... not only I won't lose a penny but also earn some money though I won't do it for the money but for these stupid policies.
Sorry Apple, you failed with this one.... we're not all pirates, many of us want to use the iPhone as a portable disk, as a ssh client, have some background applications running (not just the ones you decide...), customise the l&f, install some other cool applications that enhance the usability of your os...

Thanks for these 30 days of iPhone but I was wrong, very wrong. I guess Telia won't care to lose a client as long as they get their money, but your moves are very stupid, Apple, very.

 

[Hunts121]

jailbreakers dont understand that .

most of the iphone users are coming from a windows world . where they have their pirates copies ,and all programs are copies, and cracked programs, and most was free, except the hardware.

their jailbreaker mentality is like the ghostnet .
-hackers are cool etc, i do this and that bla bla bla.
-until they rip your bank account ...look how cool they are , seing you broke....

um....gonna go with no on this one. Didn't anyone ever tell you profiling is wrong.

 

[bruinsrme]

Sweet !! How many dishonest people make an attempt to and successfully get a replacement phone from Apple when theirs gets bricked on a jailbreak attempt ?

It was a question, not a comment. ????????????????????

I apologize for assuming your comment phrased as a question was actually a statement and that you might have some interesting data to share.

 

[Parky]

Are you sure?

It is a little strong to assert that Apple has made this change simply for the purpose of stopping hackers. In fact you do not know why the change was actually made, but have jumped to an assumption.

There may be very valid technical reasons for the change, that as a consequence now prevent hacking.

I for one don't mind, if it makes the platform more secure and prevents theft then so be it.

 

[Mattie Num Nums]

Anything which stops/hinders app piracy is ok in my book.

Theres more to jailbreaking than just that. This is just Apple grabbing us by the neck again.

 

[samcraig]

You can't 'brick' a phone from a failed JB/ Just DFU it back to life. (And I can't stand the word 'brick' used that way...)

I say, I bought the phone, it's mine, I can do anything I want to it, to better its functionality and my personal enjoyment.

It goes back to the arguments of GM telling you, you can't get bolt-ons after the same has been made. Want a new FM/XM/GPS/touchscreen radio for you car? NO - you're stuck with the 8-track AM/FM we put in. kinda, like that.

I bought the car, I would like to add a fancy radio, GPS, alarm system, etc, etc, to make ownership fun.

Ok. to your point. Do you think it's legitimate that if you jailbreak your phone, it would invalidate any rights to repairs under warranty? And if Apple put in ways of determining that a phone has ever been jailbroken - would you object?

Playing devils advocate here. Apple designed the product one way. Should they be liable - whatever the reason - if an end user alters the functionality of that device and then something goes wrong with it?

I'm guessing people want it both ways. They want to be able to do whatever they want to their device AND still have Apple fix them when something goes wrong. Regardless of whether the modification is responsible for the device failure.

 

[bruinsrme]

Ironically, there is an app available for the evil JAILBROKEN phones called PrivaCY that blocks some of the information gathering features of some of Pinch Media's apps...

Here is what Pinch Media is able to ascertain from their ads in their apps:

http://www.pinchmedia.com/blog/pinch-media-user-privacy-and-spyware/

There is an interesting reading on what Saurik did with that app and how the agencies were very cooperative.

 

[Mattie Num Nums]

Ok. to your point. Do you think it's legitimate that if you jailbreak your phone, it would invalidate any rights to repairs under warranty? And if Apple put in ways of determining that a phone has ever been jailbroken - would you object?

Playing devils advocate here. Apple designed the product one way. Should they be liable - whatever the reason - if an end user alters the functionality of that device and then something goes wrong with it?

I'm guessing people want it both ways. They want to be able to do whatever they want to their device AND still have Apple fix them when something goes wrong. Regardless of whether the modification is responsible for the device failure.

Restore the phone take it to Apple, problem solved. People act like Jailbreaking a phone changes the entire physical makeup. Its funny because Apple doesn't cover software under their warranty or user data however, they will limit what you can do with said software/user data.

 

[ed724]

I apologize for assuming your comment phrased as a question was actually a statement and that you might have some interesting data to share.

Nope, just an assumption on my part. Absolutely no data to back it up. Would you say that this possibility doesn't exits ? That last one was a question.

 

[xhambonex]

I love jailbreaking (customization) but hate anyone who pirates apps. jeesh, it's $3 for christ sake!

I know people with $300 in Navigation apps alone...

When the phones JB'd the same arguement goes through that persons head...its only $3 whatever. But then they look at TomTom for $99 and say screw that I'll take it for free.

I'd rather just have some more customization options, but I don't even use my iPod touch hardly at all considering I almost always at my computer and educational discounts make software practically free anyway.

 

[couto27]

jaibrokers

how many of the jailbrokers think.... theres no free apps from cydia, that are trojans or meant to be ????

do jailbrokers think that will never going to exist trojan apps on the web ??

do jailbrokers fell safe when acessing to your bank account with jailbroken and unknow apps??

imagine a world with free apps ,it would be a total anarchy,with no control of safe apps and trojan apps

thank good we have apple....

 

[samcraig]

Restore the phone take it to Apple, problem solved. People act like Jailbreaking a phone changes the entire physical makeup. Its funny because Apple doesn't cover software under their warranty or user data however, they will limit what you can do with said software/user data.

You missed the point completely. Based on the car customization scenario - I am equating it back to jailbreaking.

If you jailbreak your phone - do you not open up your os to potential threats like security issues, viruses, battery and memory drains?

Do people return phones for poor battery life?

Forget for a moment that you CAN restore "seamlessly". I know you can. Thats not the point. If Apple made it so you couldn't - or had some sort of element to their OS which would indicate that the phone has been jailbroken and restored. When that same device is brought to the store or sent in for repair and it's DENIED servicing because of that - would you agree that's within apple's rights? Or would you be bitching about that?

Seems to me you can't have it both ways. You can't bitch that they don't let you alter their device but demand they service it after you've made said alterations. Which, as I said - I suspect people feel entitled to do.

 

[bruinsrme]

Nope, just an assumption on my part. Absolutely no data to back it up. Would you say that this possibility doesn't exits ? That last one was a question.

I know it has happened. Just the same as the person standing in line at the apple store that swore up and down the iphone didnt get wet, as the genius opened it up in front of her and lo and behold, liquid. her reply maybe the liquid display leaked.

I have screwed up several jailbreaks but DFU has always worked.

 

[Parky]

I dont know anyone with an iphone who ISNT jailbroken. apple wont be selling nearly as many iphones, so they better hope the dev team hurries up and releases the new jailbreak. also, so many people here are advocating apple, and i really wish apple would lock down their OS X and only let them use apple approved apps just to make sure they dont "pirate".....douches

On the other hand I know lots of iPhone owners and non have been jail broken, so Apple will still continue to sell many phones.

The average user does not jailbreak their iPhone!

 

[HLdan]

wow...I jailbreak and I don't pirate apps...but I still must be a bad person from this blanket statement

Go back and re-read what I wrote since you felt the need to post ignorant statements. Nevermind, I'll make it easy for you since you ignored my last line.

I said and I quote,
"This pirating crap needs to stop, you can't just modify it for the "good" people, the whole outfit needs to stop."

Where did I say that all jailbreakers are bad people. But while we are on the subject, please don't try to play the poor victim here, you ARE still doing something against Apple policies for your hands aren't clean buddy.

 

[IBradMac]

Apple could have went a completely different route in preventing people syncing cracked apps if that is the main objective here. All they would have to do is change the way itunes recognizes apps.

The way they are going about it, is asinine. They are stopping the whole process. This will hurt saurik and the jb developers.

I really hope the dev team can find an exploit, cause as others have stated, I enjoy the tweaks and customization that jb'ing has to offer.

 

[thejadedmonkey]

...with 38% of those using at least one pirated application. Among iPhone applications that have been cracked and made available for pirating, Pinch Media notes that about a third of the total installations of those applications are pirated copies.

How much you wanna bet that if Apple had made a way to install non-apple programs without having to jailbreak, there'd be no way to crack the app store DRM at the present?

I feel bad for the app store developers, but not for Apple.

EDIT: I bet that a year from now, Apple will announce the ability to install any program from anywhere as a "new" feature for their 4G iPhone, and everyone who's ever used anything other than an iPhone will groan at Apple's marketing BS...

 

[pmjoe]

Ironically, there is an app available for the evil JAILBROKEN phones called PrivaCY that blocks some of the information gathering features of some of Pinch Media's apps...

Here is what Pinch Media is able to ascertain from their ads in their apps:

http://www.pinchmedia.com/blog/pinch-media-user-privacy-and-spyware/

Thanks. "None of this information can identify any individual." LOL!

None of that info can directly identify any individual, but it certainly can be inferred from it.

 

[bruinsrme]

how many of the jailbrokers think.... theres no free apps from cydia, that are trojans or meant to be ????

do jailbrokers think that will never going to exist trojan apps on the web ??

do jailbrokers fell safe when acessing to your bank account with jailbroken and unknow apps??

imagine a world with free apps ,it would be a total anarchy,with no control of safe apps and trojan apps

thank good we have apple....

I feel safer accessing my bank account on my jb phone than I do sending a credit card bill through the mail system with my check enclosed.

Please tell us the free apps that are trojans. Even one example would be interesting to hear of.

Free apps? Are you saying every jailbreaker is pirating? Or are jailbreakers going to overthrow the world, take over cell towers, and become drug dealers.

 

[hitekalex]

Which is why we should all petition Apple to please reimpose DRM on all of the iTunes music downloads. Or implement features in the iPhone, since it has a persistent network connection, to contact the RIAA every time a song is played... Maybe put a challenge/response code you have to type in before each song... Because if one person is a pirate, we're all pirates! And anything done to stop piracy is a good thing!

It must be very dark where you head has been stuck over the last 10 years..

Edit: never mind, sarcasm detector went on too late

 

[ThunderSkunk]

How far will Apple push before a competing OS makes its way onto the iphone?

So far, the Dev-team has gone to great lengths in their jailbreak routines to not tread on apples copyrighted works in the process.

Apple should expect that forcing the issue will only backfire on them, as it is the inherent nature of forward-thinking people to work toward freedom and independence. ...doubly so when they feel they're being oppressed.

 

[Detlev]

Humor me this. What other reasons might there be to change this setting? You know, other than Apple is an evil empire out to ruin everyone's fun.

 

[couto27]

Or are jailbreakers going to overthrow the world, take over cell towers, and become drug dealers.

im sure 98% of the hackers and jailbreakers their intention is not profit.
but the other 2% they could create the trojan apps, and virus apps.

if apple allow any software run in the iphone , imagine 20 millions iphones ,everyone is not a expert to see whats a fake app or not , what safe and is not.

 

[Master Chief]

The part of the story that bothers me is not that Apple is locking down the bootloader, or that people are hacking the iPhone to jailbreak or unlock it. The part that bothers me is:

Recent data from mobile advertising firm Pinch Media reveals that it has seen nearly four million jailbroken devices on its ad network, with 38% of those using at least one pirated application.​

Why does Pinch Media get such a deep look into the devices that it can tell not only that the phone has been jailbroken, but what apps are on the phone and whether they are pirated or not!? This is way beyond reasonable and, in my mind at least, constitutes a serious privacy breach. If they can see the pirated/not pirated status of all the apps on the phone, how do I know they can't see into the apps - like contact lists, email, etc? Even if they can't, how would you feel about a website that gathered information about all the software (and the licensing) on your computer when you visited?

This is Apple's fault. And don't forget that they have your GPS data as well!

I am going to demand, by law, the rights to install software on my iPhone, starting with a content blocker (mine preferable). In fact the letter is already out.