Posts Tagged ‘jailbreaking’
First Windows Phone 7 jailbreak tool released
Microsoft’s fledgling mobile operating system, Windows Phone 7, managed to be live for little over a month before somebody released a jailbreak tool for the OS. , as Rafael Rivera, Chris Walsh and Long Zheng put out the ChevronWP7 yesterday, an executable file that allows users to sideload apps to a Windows Phone 7 phone – making it possible to install software on the devices without going through ’s official Windows Marketplace.
Previously, only people with developer accounts on the Marketplace were able to do this. Now anyone with a Windows Phone 7 device, Windows XP SP2 or higher, and a USB cable connecting the phone to a PC can do it.
According to the men behind the software, that would never be published on the Marketplace, such as software that makes use of private or native APIs (application programming interfaces), further encouraging development on the platform. The creators of ChevronWP7 claim they do not condone piracy and that their application is not an enabler for piracy. The jailbreaking of a device using this tool is also completely reversible, they say.
We reported previously that Windows Phone 7 is picking up interest from developers, as . In a way, the release of a jailbreak tool also testifies to an interest in the operating system. Jailbreaking operating systems became popular with ’s iPhone OS and is still a major activity among hackers, keeping up with the release of new versions of the software: Apple’s iOS 4 was jailbroken within hours after its June 21 launch this year.
And interest is something that Microsoft sorely needs. Right now, there are only about 3,000 apps available for Windows Phone 7, but the number should be on a pretty steep rise, as the operating system is just beginning to pick up steam. Still, compare that with Apple’s 300,000 applications available in the App Store and roughly 100,000 apps available for Android devices, and you’ll see Microsoft has its work cut out for it.
The ChevronWP7 tool was first reported by .
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Apple applies for patent to kill jailbroken iPhones
evidently wants to have a . That could piss off users of the popular method for running unauthorized software on an iPhone.
The company has applied for a that covers a variety of security measures to automatically protect iPhone users from thieves and other unauthorized users. But one of the uses of the patent would be to protect Apple’s interests, which may be in conflict with those of users.
The patent appears to cover technologies that would detect and circumvent “jailbreaking,” which refers to running software that lets a user gain access to wider capabilities than Apple allows. With jailbroken phones, users can unlock their phones so they can use carriers that are not authorized by Apple. Jailbreaking is often the only resort for users who want to use iPhones in countries where Apple doesn’t have an authorized carrier. as a fair use right for users.
The application was published Thursday. Apple filed it in February. It describes the identification of “hacking, jailbreaking, unlocking or removal of a SIM card” so that measures can be taken to counter the user. Responses to such actions could be to activate the iPhone’s camera, geotag the image, and then uploading it to a server. Or it could transmit sensitive data to a server and then wipe it from the device. This is effectively a kill switch, but Apple describes it as a way to protect users from unauthorized users.
The patent application suggests that Apple could detect unauthorized users by voice-printing the owner and activating an accelerometer to see if a phone thief is in transit. Essentially, the system allows Apple to wipe out the memory of a phone from afar if it deems a user is under attack. But the system may not be able to distinguish thefts from cases when a user is simply trying to escape from Apple’s rules about jailbreaking.
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Hacker jailbreaks the iPad less than a day after release
A lot of people complained about the iPad’s closed-off software. But no one did anything about it — until now, apparently.
A well-known hacker of the iPhone, who previously defeated Apple’s restrictions on developers, to have hacked the iPad. Just a day after release, the hacker, who goes by “MuscleNerd” online, said that he has gained root access to the iPad, a process known as “.”
“Jailbreaking” is a technical term which refers literally to and more figuratively to the feelings developers have about such restrictions. An Apple device that’s been “jailbroken” can run any code, not just company-approved software available through its online stores. But such jailbreaking is a violation of Apple’s terms of service, which may mean Apple Stores will refuse to fix broken devices.
The iPad jailbreak technique is similar to an exploit of the iPhone operating system Hackers have shown time after time that they can break into Apple’s security software for new iPhones, often within a day of release. One motivation: getting access to pirated software. It’s not known how much piracy happens as a result of jailbreaking, but it’s believed to be considerable.
Here’s MuscleNerd’s account:
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