Hackulous Shuts Down, Taking Down Popular Pirated App Source Installous

[Macman45]

I'm sorry to have to say this, and will no doubt get flamed, but goodbye and good riddance. It would seem that most people had already voted with their feet prior to the closure. The end of the whole JB thing?

Probably.

 

[freeskier989]

If you're a thief, as you've admitted to being, you don't deserve a respected response.

Thief by whose standards? Yours? America but not Europe? Really, grow up.

 

[92jlee]

That's a shame, was a great way to get emulators on my 3gs years ago. Have a couple of cracked apps on my Android now and a couple I've paid for.. Doesn't matter, there will always be a way for the people who don't want to pay, you can't stop that.

 

[Compile 'em all]

There are still sites that serve up cracked apps. All you have to do is drag them into iTunes and sync your phone. There is a simple mod in Cydia that allows them to sync.

That is cool but given the fact that there is no jailbreak for iOS 6 and iOS 7 is coming out already this year, cracking apps will become even less attractive. For example, the current version of my app TodoMovies requires iOS 6. So all cracked versions will never be the latest until a jailbreak is available, which will put crackers in a dilemma once iOS 7 comes out: Should you miss out on two iOS milestones to run a 1.99 app for free or simply buy it and get all the latest iOS features?

 

[H2SO4]

Thief by whose standards? America but not Europe?

What does this mean pls?

 

[Cod3rror]

That is cool but given the fact that there is no jailbreak for iOS 6 and iOS 7 is coming out already this year, cracking apps will become even less attractive. For example, the current version of my app TodoMovies requires iOS 6. So all cracked versions will never be the latest until a jailbreak is available, which will put crackers in a dilemma once iOS 7 comes out: Should be miss out on two iOS milestones to run a 1.99 app for free or simply buy it and get all the latest iOS features?

 

[Paradoxally]

Screw developers, is what the pirateers say.

"Charge a fair price and I'll buy it. My max is $1 for iPhone/iPad games/apps - if higher, I'll pirate it. Blu-ray/DVD max ill pay is 14.99 - if higher I'll pirate it. Once an app I pirate goes on sale for a dollar I buy it. I have purchased more apps than most of you and my DVD/bluray collection is second to none. I'm not paying for any companies mismanagement or poor planning or forecasting. Give me a fair price and I'll buy it."

Says the pirates.

*I in no way condone pirating apps or movies

I totally agree with this. I know I'll get flamed for 'hoisting the colors', but I've pirated apps before. Installous helped, yes. It was a great platform to test apps too without having to buy them. Most (big?) developers offer a free version of their app, and that is highly recommended because then I don't need to go to Installous, but some don't and I tend to go for them to try it out. If an app I like goes on sale, I will buy it, no questions asked.

An example: Tweetbot is a great twitter client, as you may know. I was using the pirated version and it started locking me out and asking me to buy it, which caused frustration (good job developers) and so I ditched Tweetbot (was hoping it will go on sale soon) and started using Echofon free. Perfect for my needs. Sometimes people will pirate the most expensive app because they think it's the best, but Echofon has served really well for me and honestly I don't even want Tweetbot anymore (or pirate it). And $20 for their desktop app is too much. I've used Echofon desktop (now discontinued, but perfectly working) for free for 2+ years and I'm not switching.

My point is there should be a fairer price. In my case, I ditched Tweetbot - and you'll probably be saying 'oh you didn't pay for it anyway', true - but now I'm happy with Echofon free and reluctant to even switch back if it was on sale. And I'm sure I'm not the only one.

 

[northernbaldy]

What does this mean pls?

It means he doesn't understand that downloading and using people's hard work, without paying for it, is theft
Which basically means he is an imbecile

 

[Paradoxally]

It means he doesn't understand that downloading and using people's hard work, without paying for it, is theft
Which basically means he is an imbecile

It's not theft. Piracy is not stealing, it is copying. Theft removes the original, piracy makes a copy.

 

[GermanyChris]

It means he doesn't understand that downloading and using people's hard work, without paying for it, is theft
Which basically means he is an imbecile

Or doesn't view the other persons work as valuable as the person doing it, or would like make a statement.

Pirating will never go away nor should it. One site down more will pop up.

 

[Paradoxally]

Or doesn't view the other persons work as valuable as the person doing it, or would like make a statement.

Pirating will never go away nor should it. One site down more will pop up.

People should understand that pirating opens up doors to potential customers. If someone pirates an app, song, book, movie, whatever, and if they like it, they might buy it in the future whereas if they had never known said entertainment, the odds would be much, much higher.

There are many indie bands that have put their music - for free - up on torrent websites because they simply want to gain more fame. Yes, I get it, they're indie, but that's not the main thing. It's because they WANT people to listen to their music, and then if they like it buy their album. I mean, a $9.99 album or free music? I'd rather listen first - fully - to see if I like it and then possibly buy it if so. But what people do with their hard-earned money is not for me or anyone to dictate but them.

 

[northernbaldy]

It's not theft. Piracy is not stealing, it is copying. Theft removes the original, piracy makes a copy.

I'm going to copy your identity and use it for my own purposes
I'm sure you don't mind, I'm only copying you

 

[thewitt]

It's not theft. Piracy is not stealing, it is copying. Theft removes the original, piracy makes a copy.

I create it. I own all rights to it. I determine the price and I sell it.

You have it on your device, and you did not purchase it.

You stole it - call it anything you want, it's just semantics.

 

[northernbaldy]

People should understand that pirating opens up doors to potential customers. If someone pirates an app, song, book, movie, whatever, and if they like it, they might buy it in the future whereas if they had never known said entertainment, the odds would be much, much higher.

There are many indie bands that have put their music - for free - up on torrent websites because they simply want to gain more fame. Yes, I get it, they're indie, but that's not the main thing. It's because they WANT people to listen to their music, and then if they like it buy their album. I mean, a $9.99 album or free music? I'd rather listen first - fully - to see if I like it and then possibly buy it if so. But what people do with their hard-earned money is not for me or anyone to dictate but them.

I agree that we should be able to take things for a test drive
Maybe on iTunes you should be able to download an album that you can only listen to once or twice before you choose to purchase
But I know too many people who's attitude is "why should I pay for it when I can download it for free"

 

[thewitt]

People should understand that pirating opens up doors to potential customers. If someone pirates an app, song, book, movie, whatever, and if they like it, they might buy it in the future whereas if they had never known said entertainment, the odds would be much, much higher.

But that's MY choice as the owner of the work, not your choice as my potential future customer.

 

[theanimaster]

Though I used to jailbreak my own iPhone (and iPod Touch before it), once the AppStore became available in Thailand, I ditched Installous entirely. Even while jailbroken, I only purchased and installed apps from Apple's App Store. JB'ing was for the additional Cydia utilities only.

In three years I must have spent well over 500 USD on apps and games from Apple's App Store -- but the peace-of-mind and security are well worth it -- as well as the support that goes to the developers so that they can improve and maintain their products.

Good developers deserve end-user support.

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Or doesn't view the other persons work as valuable as the person doing it, or would like make a statement.

Pirating will never go away nor should it. One site down more will pop up.

The real problem with piracy is the amount of dodgy software that has been injected with backdoor viruses or trojans. I realised this long, long ago -- despite using a mac -- I don't trust anything that's not from the original source.

 

[MrT0ad]

Somewhat indifferent to this particular community vanishing into oblivion, but sad that jailbreaking has become increasingly difficult (which is ultimately what drove me to Android)

The list of minor niggles in iOS grew too long for me, for instance the absence of delivery receipts on the stock SMS app, or the inability to time stamp individual SMS, just to mention some. Pretty much every phone has been able to do this since the dawn of SMS, except the iPhone. Or the obnoxious partnership with iTunes.

Could go on, but I suppose it just boils down to whether you are happy to conform to the "my way or highway" approach or you want that extra bit of functionality and choice jailbreaking offers. In other words, you are happy to adapt your usage habits to what the handset can offer rather than making the handset behave the way you would like it to do.

Jailbreaking has never been about piracy for me, it has been about choice. One would see that there is a certain wisdom in locking completely the OS so piracy is not longer a choice because there are no means to do so, but there is also a certain wisdom in lobotomizing the vast majority of humanity to reduce drastically crime rates...

 

[GermanyChris]

But that's MY choice as the owner of the work, not your choice as my potential future customer.

And MY choice as a potential customer is to take it.

 

[NewAnger]

While I use my jailbreak only for tweaks like FolderEnhancer and IntelliScreenX there are already several superior Installous-alternatives available. They don't even depend on a jailbreak.

There will always be a way to install cracked apps. Hackulous/installous was never needed.

 

[theanimaster]

That's a shame, was a great way to get emulators on my 3gs years ago. Have a couple of cracked apps on my Android now and a couple I've paid for.. Doesn't matter, there will always be a way for the people who don't want to pay, you can't stop that.

But you CAN make it more inconvenient. The thing about Installous was that it was nice, simple, and convenient. Now, all the cheapskates out there will have to scrounge around for alternatives.

By the way however... not everyone who 'pirates' is a cheapskate. I used to do this before, when the App Store simply wasn't available in the country I'm in. The only pain-less alternative was Appulous/Hackulous/Installous. When the App Store became availably however, I ditched these and bought all the apps I had. Well -- almost all. There were some that I didn't bother purchasing/re-installing.

Now I tell all my friends not to pirate. The apps are well affordable. If it's available in your country -- it's easy to get, for a great price -- and you get all the updates for free -- and without the hassles that Installous had.

 

[WeegieMac]

I'm not fussed that Installous/AppSync is gone, I don't jailbreak nowadays and the last time I did was to get Siri on my iPhone 4 (I now own a 4S), although I'm sure some people are gutted at this news. I do know some people who use it for ALL their apps and are quite smug that they can get 69p games for free. I currently own 400+ apps, amassing over 80GB, and all are paid for.

In fact, I just bought FieldRunners 2 for my iPad and iPhone (no Universal app ... ) in the Christmas sales.

 

[theanimaster]

Somewhat indifferent to this particular community vanishing into oblivion, but sad that jailbreaking has become increasingly difficult (which is ultimately what drove me to Android)

The list of minor niggles in iOS grew too long for me, for instance the absence of delivery receipts on the stock SMS app, or the inability to time stamp individual SMS, just to mention some. Pretty much every phone has been able to do this since the dawn of SMS, except the iPhone. Or the obnoxious partnership with iTunes.

Could go on, but I suppose it just boils down to whether you are happy to conform to the "my way or highway" approach or you want that extra bit of functionality and choice jailbreaking offers. In other words, you are happy to adapt your usage habits to what the handset can offer rather than making the handset behave the way you would like it to do.

Jailbreaking has never been about piracy for me, it has been about choice. One would see that there is a certain wisdom in locking completely the OS so piracy is not longer a choice because there are no means to do so, but there is also a certain wisdom in lobotomizing the vast majority of humanity to reduce drastically crime rates...

Dude... all those things are now available on iOS. You must've been on Android for quite some time!

Still, you do have a point. I myself would LOVE to be able to JB my iPhone 5 so I can save SSH blobs in case I want to revert to the original iOS that came with it! I've taken a video "capsule" that shows how smooth and fluid my iPhone 5 is now... just so I can compare it with what it'll be like in the future! I wish I had done this with my 3Gs because I swear my 3Gs was as smooth and fluid as my iPhone 5 back when it was straight out of the box.

 

[Compile 'em all]

Image

Genius!

 

[MrT0ad]

Dude... all those things are now available on iOS. You must've been on Android for quite some time!

Yeah, I switched camps quite a while ago... When the iPhone 4S came out. Once I realised that the much hyped Siri a) Would not understand my accent and b) Would not give any information relevant to the UK whilst none of the existing niggles had been addressed or even acknowledged I saw little reason to stick with it. It may as well had the legend "You are not made to be my user, please desist" written on the lock screen.

Still, you do have a point. I myself would LOVE to be able to JB my iPhone 5 so I can save SSH blobs in case I want to revert to the original iOS that came with it! I've taken a video "capsule" that shows how smooth and fluid my iPhone 5 is now... just so I can compare it with what it'll be like in the future! I wish I had done this with my 3Gs because I swear my 3Gs was as smooth and fluid as my iPhone 5 back when it was straight out of the box.

Well, I do get the impression that "planned obsolescence by diminished user experience" is part of the product strategy, but I have nothing but anecdotal evidence on the subject, so I never preach this psalm without my trusty tinfoil hat.

 

[Paradoxally]

I'm going to copy your identity and use it for my own purposes
I'm sure you don't mind, I'm only copying you

Identity theft has nothing to do with piracy, please do not go offtopic.

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I agree that we should be able to take things for a test drive
Maybe on iTunes you should be able to download an album that you can only listen to once or twice before you choose to purchase
But I know too many people who's attitude is "why should I pay for it when I can download it for free"

That's why I've recently ditched iTunes, and went to Spotify. I can listen to music anytime I want, anywhere I want (if premium, if not I just listen on the desktop), and I just have to put up with ads once in a while. Not too bad. BUT I get to listen to the full album without having to pirate anything.

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I create it. I own all rights to it. I determine the price and I sell it.

You have it on your device, and you did not purchase it.

You stole it - call it anything you want, it's just semantics.

Didn't steal it. Stealing implies the rightful owner had something. For people to be able to pirate your app, either:

1. Someone had to buy the app and crack it and distribute it.
2. I had to buy it and crack it and give to whoever I wanted for free.

In either way, it's not stealing because it implies that somebody already paid for the app. You could say it's circumvention of copy protection, that I would agree. But theft, no sir. Did you lose out on sales? Yes, but you can't pull out the theft card for something to which you have never had (money from people who download pirate apps).