iphone News...

[Babyblues]

I copied this to here so it'd be easier to find & re-read later. 

All Jailbreaking does is allow us to run many more cool apps & do other cool stuff that AT&T/Apple won't let us do currently.  Some things are big.  Some are small like....

I can block incoming calls & texts via the "blacklist" APP
I now have a numeric percent (showing power remaining) to the left of my battery indicator (only 3GS people have that)
I can (quick) respond to a text message while running another APP without having to leave that APP & go into the SMS APP
I can (& have ) change the theme & total appearance of my screen
I can create category folders & move some of my my APPS into them so instead of having 5 pages of APPS I can have much fewer (A Games category saves much space Oh My goodness!! I just farted!!)


There a a bajillion jailbreak APPS out there.  I have only just begun    I can still buy regular APPS & music from the itunes store.  I can still sync all that to my iphone via itunes.  All I did was add a new store (Cydia) that offers many more APPS.   I haven't figured out how to do a firmware update when that time comes but I have bookmarked an article explaining it.



...& technically jailbreaking goes against your AT&T contract but I have not heard of the jailbreak police arresting anybody    Plus you can always restore your phone to it's pre-jailbroken state (complete with all the APPS & info you had pre-break) from a backup in itunes.  So far it's really cool & I am loving it!!

[Dumblonde]

Just remember in jailbreaking you are taking a risk & something could happen to your iphone.  It's unlikely to harm it though & they estimate around 10% of iphones are jailbroken.

All you want to do is "jailbreak" your phone.  You do not need to "unlock" it.  Jailbreaking allows you to add forbidden software.  Unlocking allows you to use the iphone with a carrier other that AT&T.  Blackra1n jailbreaks.  It does not unlock.  

Be sure to go to itunes, sync & backup your phone, uncheck the automatic syncing option, close itunes, then hit control/atl/delete & look under PROCESSES & turn off all Apple related services (like...iPodService.exe, iTunesHelper.exe, mDNRSResponder.exe, AppleMobileDeviceHelper.exe) except the AppleMobileDeviceService.exe  before attempting your jailbreak.  


If your iphone is up to date with firmware 3.1.2 (which it should be) you will need to use "blackra1n" (yes that is a one not an i) for the jailbreak.  

If all goes well all you do is download blackra1n, plug your iphone into the computer via the USB cable. click on the blackra1n icon, then click "make it rain", a 20th century-looking mans picture appears on your phone, it reboots, then you scroll to the end of your APPS, you should see blackra1n, open it, then install Cydia.  Cydia can be a bit slow.  From all I read you should not install "Icy" as it can cause problems & whatever the 3rd option is isn't worth a hoot so I didn't install it either

If your phone gets stuck at the picture of itunes & a USB plug the jailbreak is not working & you need to soft reboot... hold down HOME button & POWER button at same time until you see Apple logo, then let go of both.   Phone will then be back to normal & you can try again.  


HERE are step by step pics of a jailbreak.


More step by step pics showing the jailbreak
<a href="http://www.youtube.com/v/nUJkJvtTRRs&rel=1" target="_blank">http://www.youtube.com/v/nUJkJvtTRRs&rel=1</a>


Video of how to jailbreak (but after all I read I say DO NOT install Cydia, Rock, & Icy all at once & do not install Icy at all.  Only install Cydia!!)
<a href="http://www.youtube.com/v/P32KXTqEmfA&rel=1" target="_blank">http://www.youtube.com/v/P32KXTqEmfA&rel=1</a>


Here is a fix when you get stuck during jailbreak that has worked for many...
<a href="http://www.youtube.com/v/w8UYSfPEKnQ&rel=1" target="_blank">http://www.youtube.com/v/w8UYSfPEKnQ&rel=1</a>


Here is the fix that made my jailbreak work (I had to run as ADMIN even though I use Window's xP.  How odd cause i always thought that was only a Vista thing)
<a href="http://www.youtube.com/v/wG9LWil6QZE&rel=1" target="_blank">http://www.youtube.com/v/wG9LWil6QZE&rel=1</a>









It is really easy & if you run don't get stuck (like I did) at the itunes/USB screen you will be jailbroken in under a minute   If you give it a try & have any problems be sure to ask.  I will PM you my phone number if you need to call for help but... keep in mind I am just learning too

[Babyblues]

For being easy, that sure is a lot to learn

[Dumblonde]

If the jailbreak goes smoothly the first time your are done in under a minute but... afterwards yes, there is stuff to learn cause there are so many other APPS out there.  Downloading them is very similar to using the itunes store APP though.  The only difference is you do it through the Cydia APP to get jailbreak APPS (many are free, some you pay for through Paypal).  The most overwhelming thing is how many freaking new jailbreak APPS are out there 

[Dumblonde]

Pic of the theme I am currently using.  It will probably change as I discover more new ones

[Babyblues]

 

[kimber]

Ok I'm lost. Do you have to pay for anything? and why would I want to jailbreak my phone? (I'm really asking because I don't know much about it)   

[Dumblonde]

The biggest obstacle in jailbreaking is knowing your firmware#  & how new your phone is so you will use the proper jailbreaking program.  AT&T/Apple are constantly throwing new roadblocks to jailbreaking with each new phone or OS release & the hackers are constantly having to rewrite their hacks to get around that.

The jailbreaking software is free.  Many of the Cydia APPS are free.  Some cost a bit though.  All jailbreaking does is allow you access to apps that Apple &/or AT&T think you shouldn't have.  There are thousands of APPS.  Some do a lot, some do nothing much.  I love being able to change my theme & personalize how my phone looks.  It doesn't make my phone work any better, I just like being able to do it & do not understand why Apple (who were the pioneers of allowing desktop personalization on macs) does not allow us to do that.

Since I have no landline my cell phone has started to get more & more solicitation calls (the ones that legally get around the do not cal list) I also like the blacklist program so I can block calls & texts from numbers I select & from numbers that don't ID themselves (aka anonymous call rejection).  You know just like you can do on any landline but AT&T (& most other carriers) don't want us to be able to do that on our cell phones because they want to squeeze you $$ for ever single minute.  I also like that i now am able to have one single folder full of shit apps that I don't want to get rid of for some reason but were taking up 4 pages of space.  I dunno why Apple doesn't want us to be able to do that but they don't.

There are more important apps out there that allow tethering & stealing of legit APPS for free (those are called "cracked APPS").  I am not that interested in stealing stuff so I will continue to pay for itunes APP store APPS.

Jailbreakers were able to copy/cut/paste for years before we could.  They could also send pictures with texts a long time ago.  There is a lot out there.  I just haven't discovered it all yet

HERE is a list that someone put together of some of the most popular things jailbreakers can do that non-jailbreakers cannot

[Babyblues]

 

[Dumblonde]

the new iphone 4...

[Babyblues]

I think I'd read that you could only jailbreak it if you have a Mac, I could be wrong. If not, I'm sure Windows peeps will be able to do it soon.
The phone looks awesome. I was reading a live blog when Jobs was talking about it on Monday. I'm def getting one, but I'm not in any rush, other than that I have too many songs on my lil 8G, so I'd def love to have the 32G. I was toying with the idea of getting the EVO, but my 2 co-workers who has it are really bummed with its battery. Plus it's bigger and bulkier (but has a kick-ass screen!!! ). And hubby really doesn't want to switch.

We'll see....

[Dumblonde]

I dunno if the jailbreak has so much to do with mac or PC.  I think it's more of the jailbreakers finding an exploit (a.k.a. back door in).  Once they find a way in & Apple discovers it Apple blocks it with their next OS update.  That's why I always check the jailbreak news before I let itunes update my phone.  Like that last update we got I have not applied because the jailbreakers said they would not be using an exploit to jailbreak OS 3.0 again.  They were saving them for OS 4.0 because it was due out so soon  

The 3GS is a much more complicated jailbreak than 3G.  Actually people with 3GS phones have to constantly re-jailbreak every time they reboot the phone (or something like that, don't understand it fully?? since I have 3G only).  Apple may make the 4th Gen phone even harder to jailbreak.  I hope not but   we shall see...

[Babyblues]

Good luck