Blog News

Due to problems with my laptop it’s being sent into repair tommorow so the number of updates to the blog will be minimal and I will catch up once I get my laptop back.

Thanks for your understanding.
Sam

iPhone Dev-Team Release PwnageTool for 3.1

The iPhone Dev-Team has just released there latest jailbreaking tool, PwnageTool for iPhone OS 3.1. At the minute the jailbreak is for Mac only but hopefully a Windows version will be released soon.

Download (Torrent)

This release starts with PwnageTool 3.1 for Mac OS X – this application supports the iPhone 1st Generation (2G), the iPhone 3G and the iPod touch 1G. NB: THIS DOES NOT SUPPORT THE 3GS OR 2G/3G IPOD TOUCH. redsn0w for Mac OS X and Windows will follow sometime in the near future, please don’t bug us about it – we’ll release when we have something ready.

GOLDEN RULE: If you are using a 3G iPhone with ultrasn0w and rely on ultrasn0w to obtain cellular service, then you should only upgrade to 3.1 with a PwnageTool created .ipsw. – Stay away from Apple’s direct updates as described here and here please get up to speed on the whole subject by reading the information contained in these posts.

If you have an original iPhone (1st generation) then 3.1 unlock works with this PwnageTool release. iPhone 3G users upgrading to 3.1 will need to continue using ultrasn0w with a PwnageTool created 3.1 .ipsw

Please read all parts of this post before downloading and using these tools.

Read items 1, 2 and 3 again and again.

At the bottom of this post are the bittorrent files for the 3.1 capable version of PwnageTool.

This app is suitable for the recent 3.1 release.

This version of PwnageTool will NOT work for the iPhone 3GS.

PwnageTool WILL work for Original iPhone (1st Generation), Original iPod touch (1st Generation) and the iPhone 3G.

iPhone 3G & iPod Touch Can Now Edit Video

Due to the recent 3.1 iPhone OS update, the iPhone 3G and iPod Touch are now able to edit video just like the iPhone 3GS. Both devices still can’t record video, unless jailbroken, so this may not come as a big tool for most people.

To get it to work, first you must get someone to email you a video file. Once you have it, you can open the email and select the arrow on the lower menu bar. This will give you five options: Reply, Reply All, Forward, Save Video and Cancel. Once you select Save Video, the video will get saved to your Camera Roll.

Go to the Camera Roll and select the video, you are then able to watch the video and edit it. To edit a video, tap on the timeline at the top of the page, you can then drag your finger to the start and end points on the video. When you select trim, you then have the option to trim the original video or save the trimmed potion as a new clip.

iPod Updates At September Apple Event

Steve Jobs made his return today on stage, to announce an update on all iPod models. However the rumors did not all turn out to be true, as there was no iPAD and no camera for the iPod Classic or iPod Touch, however the news about the delay in manufacturing the new iPod Touch device seems like they might announce a camera model later.

iPod Touch

The iPod Touch got a minimal update, however there is still maybe hope for the camera model. But all Apple announced was a size increase, up to 64GB; and a price drop which will be a good thing for the iPod market.

8GB – £149 / $199
32GB – £229 / $299
64GB – £299 / $399

iPod Classic

The iPod Classic was also rumored to get a camera, however it didn’t happen but they have made the device slimmer and also bumped up the memory but kept the price.

160GB – £189 / $249

iPod Nano

iPod Nano now has a VGA camera capable of shooting H.264 video at 30fps, just like the iPhone 3GS. It’s still comes in 8GB and 16GB models and in the usual array of colours. It has a larger 2.2 inch screen and comes with a microphone and speaker. And now has the VoiceOver feature like the shuffle does. It has a FM radio tuner now also built in and a voice recording app, exactly like the iPhone’s.

8GB – £115 / $149
16GB – £135 / $179

iPod Shuffle

The iPod shuffle has now got new colours: pink, green, blue, black and silver. And a special edition model.

2GB – £45 / $59
4GB – £59 / $79

New iPod Nano 5th Gen With VGA Video

At Apple’s ‘It’s only rock and roll’ event today they announced the latest update to the iPod selection, the new iPod Nano.

Not much has changed in the way of the appearance, it’s still the curved slim candybar type of design however now it has a video camera. Now you might think that the Nano is such a small device that the quality of the video would be terrible, but as many people forget the Nano has the same processor as the iPhone and so is capable of VGA H.264 at 30fps.

To enhance the video the new Nano comes with an array of built in effects: Sepia, Black and White, X-Ray, Film Grain, Thermal, Security Cam, Cyborg, Bulge, Kaleido, Motion Blur, Mirror, Light Tunnel, Dent, Stretch and Twirl.

It’s still comes in 8GB and 16GB models and in the usual array of colours. It has a larger 2.2 inch screen and comes with a microphone and speaker. And now has the VoiceOver feature like the shuffle does. It has a FM radio tuner now also built in and a voice recording app, exactly like the iPhone’s.

8GB – £115 / $149
16GB – £135 / $179

How To: Disguise An App

So let’s say you have an App on your phone that you really need, but other people would keep going on it and you don’t really want them using it or seeing what it is. Well there is a simple way to disguise an app on your iPhone as anything you want.

Let’s say the app we want to hide is Cycorder.

Getting Started

First of all you have to SSH into your device and go to your Applications folder and open the relevant folder, in this case being Cycorder.app.

Once this is opened you will see the following files:
Cycorder
icon.png
info.plist
loading.png

Note: these will vary on application, but the files needed will remain the same.

Now copy the files icon.png and info.plist to your computer.

Before editing either it’s a good idea to backup the files just in case you go wrong.

Editing The Icon

People using the iPhone will most likely use icons to refer to an app, so changing the icon of the app you wish to hide is the first thing to do.

First you need to get the icon from another app or you could make one yourself. Simply pressing the Home button and Sleep/Wake button will capture a screen shot of your home screen and you edit the icon to the correct size etc.

Note: Always save the icon as a png image and make sure it’s transparent.

Downloading a free app off the App Store would maybe be a better idea for this as it gives you a quick and disposable way to disguise an app. However think about if people are likely to click on it, so find something boring.

Once you’ve edited and saved your new icon, save it as a png and copy it back to the app folder on the iPhone, replacing the original.

Changing The Name

The second way people will know which app is which, is via the name underneath the icon (which by now you will have changed).

To change the name simply open the plist either using a text editor or a dedicated plist editor such as iPodRobot’s plist editor.

Look at the plist and find the tag called
<key>CFBundleDisplayName</key>

and change the value below it what you wish the app to appear as on the home screen.

Once this is done, save the plist and copy it back to your device, overwriting the old one.

Now re-spring or re-boot your device and the application will now be disguised.

New iPod Cases Shown At IFA Prove The Rumors True

Over the last few weeks there have been plenty of images and video leaking out of new a new iPod Touch and a new iPod Nano and possibly iPod Classic? Well if all that wasn’t enough to convince you some pictures of cases made by Hama, have shown up online taken at IFA.

Grand Theft Auto: Chinatown Wars Coming To iPhone

Rockstar Games have announced that Grand Theft Auto: Chinatown Wars, from Rockstar Leeds, is coming to iPhone and iPod Touch later this year. The award winning game is making it’s way from the Nintendo DS to the PSP platform and now the iPhone & iPod Touch.

“Chinatown Wars is a perfect match for the iPhone and iPod touch,” said Sam Houser, Founder of Rockstar Games. “We are very excited to bring this incredibly ambitious version of Liberty City, with this level of detail and immersive gameplay on Apple’s new gaming platforms.”

The game follows the story of Huang Lee, a young Triad who travels to Liberty City after the mysterious death of his father. Players will navigate their way through the streets as they uncover the truth behind an epic tale of crime and corruption within the Triad crime syndicate, delivering the unprecedented amount of depth that has become a true trademark of the Grand Theft Auto franchise.

Apple’s September 9th Event Confirmed

Apple has sent out invitations to their annual music event on September 9th, with the tag line “It’s only rock and roll, but we like it”. The rumours of the past few months have been centered around this event as this is when usually the iPod’s are refreshed.

We can tell from the image that it’s based around the iPod refresh as the silhouette dancer is holding an iPod. The event is to take place at Yerba Buena Center for Arts Theatre, San Francisco at 10AM PST. There is no confirmation on who will be holding the keynote, maybe Steve Jobs?

There are so many rumors for this upcoming event at least some must be true. We have rumors of a camera enabled iPod Touch and iPod Nano and possibly iPod Classic. Some believe that an Apple Tablet will be released or at least announced however this seems a bit less likely.