Month: August 2010

The Art Of iPhone Customization

Guest Author ∙ August 3, 2010

Customization is probably one of the biggest reasons people jailbreak their iDevices, I know personally I love the ability to make my iPhone mine. There are endless possibilities for customizing you device starting from the smallest things such as battery themes to full blown all out UI custom themes. There is a plethora of themes to choose from on Cydia and all of them are beautiful in there own right. Some of them are free and some you have to pay for. In my experience the paid themes are usually worth the money because they are 100% original and are normally a work of art.

I have recently got into building themes which started of as just graphical but I soon realized that it went a lot deeper. I started learning a little HTML and .css (style sheets that simplify HTML) and springboard strings, just to name a few non graphical modifications that can be made. I soon had created my own complete theme, Carbon OS which has a lot of extras (and is available in Cydia).

I thought I would share some easy and effective methods for learning to build these themes in case you guys want to get into doing it too. I have compiled a small list of things you will need to do so and some pointers to help you get started. First things first though lets make sure we have a jailbroken device with Winterboard installed and have the ability to SSH into your device. If you need help with any of this check out our forums or our jailbreak section on this blog. Now on to what you need.

Fanboys Headed to Jail(break)…

Guest Author ∙ August 3, 2010

Let me preface this with saying that I'm as much of an Apple junkie as the next fanboy. After all, I do find time to write, tweet, & discuss all things Apple, all for the satisfaction of it.

However, it has come to my attention through various forums, tweets, and other internet media, that many iPhone owners (and some not), plan to march into their nearest Apple store and jailbreak the displayed iPhones, iPads, etc. This of course is in lieu of the recently released jailbreak via Safari at Jailbreakme.com. Didn't we learn at age 5 not to disturb other people's property?

PDF Loading Warner Protects Your iPhone From this Nasty Security Hole

Sébastien Page ∙ August 3, 2010

Yesterday we told you that the exploit used by JailbreakMe to jailbreak your iPhone was a major security issue as it can download pretty much anything to your iPhone, including some malicious code, via a PDF glitch. We gave you a manual fix but there is now an easier way to patch this bad exploit that puts your iPhone at risk.

You can simply go to Cydia and download PDF Loading Warner. It's a free app that will display a warning before allowing your iPhone to download a PDF file. This will avoid you being duped by a malicious software.

While this app gives you another layer of security, you're in no way safe from having your iPhone compromised, at least until Apple officially patches this exploit. On the safe side though, chances of you being hacked are very thin so don't stress out too much over it.

How to Watch Netflix Movies on Your iPhone 4

Sébastien Page ∙ Updated January 24, 2016

A few weeks ago we learned how to watch Netflix on a jailbroken iPhone. Unfortunately this hack doesn't work for the iPhone 4 but some smart guy over at ModMyI figured out how to tweak it so you can watch Netflix on an iPhone 4.

UPDATE: This post is outdated. Netflix now has its official iPhone app in the App Store. Click here for more info.

Step 1: Download the Netflix app for iPad to iTunes.

Step 2: Right click on the Netflix app you just downloaded and select 'Show in Windows Explorer' if you're on a PC, or 'Show in Finder' if you're on a Mac.

Step 3: Rename Netflix 1.0.4.ipa to Netflix 1.0.4.zip and extract the zip file to your desktop.

Step 4: Look for the Payload folder inside the extracted folder. In there you will find the Netflix.app folder.

Step 5: SSH into your iPhone and copy the Netflix.app folder to /private/var/stash/Applications/.

Step 6: Change the permission on the Netflix.app folder to 755.

Step 7: Reboot your iPhone.

Step 8: Now go to the App Store from your iPhone and download Perfect Browser. Open the app, go to the settings and select Safari iPad under Desktop Rendering.

Step 9: Still in Perfect Browser, navigate to Netflix.com, login, and find a movie to watch instantly. Perfect Browser will close and QuickTime will start playing your movie.

Done. That wasn't too hard, was it?

[ModMyI]

Signal Maps the Cell Towers Your iPhone is Connected to

Sébastien Page ∙ August 3, 2010

Signal is a new jailbreak app by Dev Team member PlanetBeing that lets map the cell towers your iPhone is connected to and displays detailed cellular information from the baseband. I can't see much use for this app unless you're the kind of guy who really wants to know where is cell phone signal is coming from.

The app is available in the Cydia Store for $4.99, which I think is a bit pricey for such an application. The good thing is you support PlanetBeing and keep it motivated to work on baseband-related stuff (ie. iPhone unlock).

If you download this app, please let us know what you think about it.

JailbreakMe Puts Your iPhone At Risk. Here is How to Be Protected

Sébastien Page ∙ August 2, 2010

JailbreakMe was released yesterday and as we said, it is one of the easiest and quickest jailbreaks. However, it is also one of those jailbreaks that really puts your iPhone at risk.

The way JailbreakMe works is that it takes advantage of a vulnerability in iOS, and more specifically the fact that iOS downloads PDF documents automatically. Comex managed to inject the jailbreak code in a PDF document that is downloaded and executed once you "slide to jailbreak" on JailbreakMe.com.

Now that this very simple exploit has been revealed, there are chances some bad guys out there might want to take advantage of it and potentially steal data from your iPhone. Before you start panicking and running around the house screaming, let's be clear that the chances of this happening are actually very thin, but you never know...

MacStories published a fix for that earlier today:

Tweeted by @cdevwill earlier today, all you have to do is download this .deb file and open it on your device using either Terminal from your Mac, or iFile on the iPhone. Just download it and place it in /var/mobile.

- Using Terminal:

ssh root@your IP address

alpine

dpkg -i file.deb

Where “alpine” is the default password you’ll get after installing Open SSH from Cydia and “your IP address” is located under Settings – > Wifi – > active wifi connection.

- Using iFile:

Navigate to /var/mobile and double tap on the .deb file to install it.

This won't actually patch the exploit but it will now ask you for permission every time a PDF document wants to be downloaded to your iPhone. If you know what you're downloading then fine. However if a site tries to use Comex's exploit and downloads some malicious software onto your iPhone, you will be able to deny it access.

I believe this fix will be available in Cydia soon but if you can't wait, and know your way around Terminal, then give this a shot. Apple will also issue a patch for this, most likely in the net iOS update.

If you use this method to secure your iPhone, please don't forget to share your thoughts in the comments.

How to Fix JailbreakMe Stuck on Purple Screen on iPad

Sébastien Page ∙ August 2, 2010

Those of you who tried to jailbreak your iPad with JailbreakMe might encounter this issue where your iPad is kinda stuck on the purple screen and nothing happens. This is a cache issue that's really easy to fix. To do so, follow these simple steps:

Go to Settings > Safari > Clear History, Clear Cookies, Clear Cache Reboot your iPad Try JailbreakMe.com again and you should be good

If the problem persists, it means that JailbreakMe might be down or something. If that's the case, follow the steps above except that you're going to go to http://JailbreakMe/ModMyI.com instead of JailbreakMe.com. That should do the trick.

Let us know how it works for you.

My3G Allows FaceTime on 3G

Sébastien Page ∙ August 2, 2010

It was only a matter of time until you would be able to use FaceTime on 3G... Say hello to My3G. Developed by the same people who brought us MyWi, My3G is very similar to 3G Unrestrictor except it has support for FaceTime.

Here are the features as described in the app description:

In-App popup request to enable/never ask for My3G to be enabled for that app In-App indicator when My3G changes the network from 3G to WiFi Ability to select which apps are My3G enabled and not. Default Apps - no configuration for the most popular apps! SBSettings Toggle! You can temporarily enable My3G for all apps or toggle back using your defined Apps list Dynamic enablement - Higher successs rate (near 100%) then 3G Unrestrictor (which does one off solutions for apps). My3G enables 3G indicators more dynamically.

My3G is available from both Cydia and Rock. The Rock version will cost you $3.99 while the Cydia version via ModMyI repo will cost you $2.79.

[9 to 5 Mac]

Stuck At Purple Screen On JailbreakMe? Try This

Sébastien Page ∙ August 2, 2010

Many of you who tried to jailbreak your iPhone using JailbreakMe have encountered this issue where the phone gets stuck on the purple screen and nothing happens. At first we thought JailbreakMe was down or something but the problem actually comes from a cache issue on your iPhone!

The fix is pretty simple:

Go to Settings > Safari > Clear History, Clear Cookies, Clear Cache Reboot your iPhone Try JailbreakMe.com again

If it still doesn't work, go through this cleaning process again but this time use http://jailbreakme.modmyi.com instead of JailbreakMe.com.

It worked great for me and many others. Tell us how it works for you.

JailbreakMe is Down

Sébastien Page ∙ August 1, 2010

If you have tried to use JailbreakMe to jailbreak your iPhone in the last couple of hours, you probably were unsuccessful as the site appears to have technical difficulties. JailbreakMe.com actually loads ok but when you "slide to jailbreak", nothing seems to happen.

I have noticed weird little things going on on my iPhone 4 after trying to unsuccessfully use JailbreakMe. For example, my iPhone 4 doesn't save pictures anymore. While I can snap pictures, they are not being saved to the camera roll. Only a reboot seems to fix this.

There is definitely something going on with the latest version of JailbreakMe Comex uploaded to the servers.

I suggest we call it a day and try again in the morning. What do you say?

iPhone 4 Unlock Will Be Released in 48 Hours

Sébastien Page ∙ August 1, 2010

A quick update for those of you anxiously waiting for the iPhone 4 unlock. PlanetBeing just said the iPhone 4 unlock will be released in 48 hours. Earlier today, I said it would be out "in the next few days" so I guess I was pretty close.

The Dev Team will be testing out the new unlock before making it available to the general public in a couple days. Stay tuned!

[Hat tip: @Aripash25]

How to Fix MMS and FaceTime Issue After Jailbreaking with JailbreakMe

Sébastien Page ∙ Updated January 24, 2016

Most of you who jailbroke their iPhone 4 using JailbreakMe lost their MMS and FaceTime capability. I just found out about a fix thanks to Krapps and Branden3112.

To fix your MMS and FaceTime issue, simply follow these steps:

Go to Cydia and add this source: http://iphonedelivery.advinux.com/cydia/ Once this source has been added, install "iPhoneDelivery" from it. Reboot your iPhone Go to Settings > Phone > Turn FaceTime ON Done!

Thanks Branden for the trick!

This is not an "official" fix from the Dev Team but I tried it myself and I can tell you it works. The Dev Team is still working on a fix that will most likely be available via Cydia.

If you use JailbreakMe now, you shouldn't have any problem as it's been updated to fix the issue. If you can't wait for the official fix and if you don't want to try this unofficial fix, you can always restore, and jailbreak again with the updated JailbreakMe.