Do people complain when American Airlines doesn't allow them to ride on the wing? I mean unless you're going to go there with your rebellion and staple yourself next to the engine, you're ultimately a useless dweeb playing pocket pool with someone else's SDK. "I'm Batman, I'm Batman... I found or added a secret button!"
This is just perfect. It describes every jailbreaker to a tee!
But, for the bold who go off the reservation and prove out the limits of the device without stealing and without asking for support! These individuals should be punished and thwarted and demonized? Give me a break.
Jailbreakers are like screaming "I'm like Batman! I found a secret button!"
There's a few great programs that require jailbreaking to be able to use. It's not just for people who want to pirate software. I use:
- 5 icon dock (lets you put 5 icons on your iPhone dock)
- MiWi (lets you share your 3G internet connection with other devices)
- Poof (lets you hide unwanted app icons, even where Apple won't let you, like the stocks app)
5 icon dock - Big deal. The icon is accessible on the front page if you want it. More importantly, what happens when Apple releases and iPhone security update? Either you can't install it or it breaks your app most likely.
MiWi - a way of stealing AT&T service. You don't have the legal right to do that. Great example - helping to prove that hacking is simply another way to steal.
iPhone OS 4 will allow you to create folders so you can do this, anyway. But if you don't want the stock app, delete it.
Quote:
Originally Posted by SpotOn
There is obviously a problem if so many people jailbreak their Apple devices.
How many is that?
And most of the ones who do it do it to steal services - so Apple has no reason to support them.
Quote:
Originally Posted by Prof. Peabody
I have never cared for hackers very much either (well at least *today's* hackers), they seem to be mostly concerned with simple theft of IP.
OTOH, Apple is going out of it's way to provide motivation for the platform to be hacked.
This is, of course, nonsense. The iPhone is the most highly rated smart phone out there - 3 years running. Apple is providing a high level of customer satisfaction -- which means they're trying to REDUCE incentive to use something else.
Granted, you can't produce something to make EVERYONE happy, but Apple has come closer than anyone else - so there's LESS reason to hack the iPhone.
Quote:
Originally Posted by Arthur_Klok
How does that hurt Apple? I don't get it.
Lots of ways it hurts Apple. Just a few:
1. When a jailbreak causes a phone to fail, the customer calls Apple to ask for help. That uses Apple's resources. Even if Apple tells them it's not covered under warranty, it is still using Apple resources.
2. Some people with hacked iPhones have returned them. That costs Apple money
3. People use hacked iPhones to go onto other networks. Since Apple gets a share of AT&T revenue, that costs Apple mone.
4. People use iPhones to otherwise violate terms of service (see the MiWi example above), again reducing the number of accounts-and costing Apple money
5. Because of hacking, network usage is higher than it would be otherwise, reducing responsiveness - and creating problems for Apple
There are plenty more.
Quote:
Originally Posted by technohermit
I'm going to take a guess and assume that you think helmet laws were designed to stop innocent people who ride dangerous motorcycles and bicycles from being gravely injured...for their own good. Rather than these laws being designed to save insurance companies tons of money from those grave injuries or deaths.
I think of iPhone jailbreaks the same way. It is frowned upon by the majority of the community because of the potential IP theft, or worse, identity theft. Money, in other words, not safety for safety's sake.
Sorry, but IP theft and identity theft are real problems for society. The fact that you don't see them as problems says a lot.
As for the motorcycle laws, it's not about insurance companies. If that was all there was, they'd simply pass a law that someone not wearing a helmet couldn't collect from their insurance company. Rather, it's an attempt to reduce total societal cost-which is arguably a reasonable function of society.
Quote:
Originally Posted by solipsism
It's the lack of RAM that has made be decide to return the iPad. Safari pages reload too often which would make typing this up in Safari, switching to another app or Safari page and then popping back to finish this post frustrating if the page reloads and I have to type it up from scratch.
They point out quickly what are the ways to hack into a new OS. Those holes will be gone by summer, won't they? They're your arrogant, unpaid security consultants. When they actually start complaining about how mean Apple was to close that last security hole, and that their hacks don't work anymore, Apple is just doing its job. Thanks for doing your job, hackers, without pay. And you'll find another hole, it's inevitable. And that will be patched too. It's like Wile E. Coyote and the Roadrunner.
If you wish to sell your in authorized apps then you should create your own platform to run them on. If you want porn then again, create your own platform.
It's apples hardware and their shop. They can sell whatever they want on/in it. Just like walmart, Microsoft, Sony and nintendo do.
All jailbreaking does is costs apple time and money to put in place measures to try and prevent it. They have to show their software partners that they are trying to protect the ecosystem from piracy.
Ultimatley if you are some smart ass script kiddy go and create your own phone/mobile device instead of stealing someone elses.
First off, jailbreaking cannot possibly break your device. It's impossible. It can't happen.
Second, whether you like it or not, jailbreaking DOES provide lots of features that the regular iPhone doesn't have. If these features were pointless, why did Apple implement them in their own OS (folders, backgrounding (kind of), wallpaper on the home screen).
I realize all you guys just love Apple and want them to make money, but Apple's system of control is not to "protect the users". That's bull. It's so they can get a cut of every app bought. They want to make money first, it's a company not a humanitarian project.
I realize all you guys just love Apple and want them to make money, but Apple's system of control is not to "protect the users". That's bull. It's so they can get a cut of every app bought. They want to make money first, it's a company not a humanitarian project.
Here's the reality:
"
As designed by Apple, the iPhone OS ensures that the iPhone and iPod touch operate reliably. Some customers have not understood the risks of installing software that makes unauthorized modifications to the iPhone OS ("jailbreaking") on their iPhone or iPod touch. Customers who have installed software that makes these modifications have encountered numerous problems in the operation of their hacked iPhone or iPod touch. Examples of issues caused by these unauthorized modifications to the iPhone OS have included the following:
Device and application instability: Frequent and unexpected crashes of the device, crashes and freezes of built-in apps and third-party apps, and loss of data.
Unreliable voice and data: Dropped calls, slow or unreliable data connections, and delayed or inaccurate location data.
Disruption of services: Services such as Visual Voicemail, YouTube, Weather, and Stocks have been disrupted or no longer work on the device. Additionally, third-party apps that use the Apple Push Notification Service have had difficulty receiving notifications or received notifications that were intended for a different hacked device. Other push-based services such as MobileMe and Exchange have experienced problems synchronizing data with their respective servers.
Compromised security: Security compromises have been introduced by these modifications that could allow hackers to steal personal information, damage the device, attack the wireless network, or introduce malware or viruses.
Shortened battery life: The hacked software has caused an accelerated battery drain that shortens the operation of an iPhone or iPod touch on a single battery charge.
Inability to apply future software updates: Some unauthorized modifications have caused damage to the iPhone OS that is not repairable. This can result in the hacked iPhone or iPod touch becoming permanently inoperable when a future Apple-supplied iPhone OS update is installed.
Apple strongly cautions against installing any software that hacks the iPhone OS. It is also important to note that unauthorized modification of the iPhone OS is a violation of the iPhone end-user license agreement and because of this, Apple may deny service for an iPhone or iPod touch that has installed any unauthorized software. "
Every day, we?re getting closer to a truly hacked iPad. I support this endeavor, but there are many who would say that Apple has our best interests in mind by limiting the iPad to what they think it should do. Well. Lately we?ve learned about apps being rejected for having ?pad? in the name, apps being rejected because they weren?t written in the right coding environment (regardless of compatibility), a dashboard app that was rejected because it ?contradicts the iPad user experience.? It?s going to become increasingly clear over the next few weeks and months just how carefully delineated Apple means the iPad experience to be. So the question is, are you just going to take it?
If your answer is yes, then have fun with that, you have a device you are satisfied with. But for everyone else, we?re moving towards a solution that would allow people to use the device they bought in whatever way they see fit. Sure, it?ll void the warranty, and of course the risk is all yours, but he who dares, wins, right? Thousands and thousands of people have been jailbreaking their iPhones for a long time now and swear by it.
I can appreciate wanting to go along with the Apple philosophy now, but it?s akin to going along with it in the early iPhone days. Once the platform opens up a bit and the other side of the fence (that is to say the forbidden side) starts to look a little greener, you might find yourself doubting your constancy. And there?s nothing wrong with that.
Jailbreakers are a tiny minority of people who either want some unapproved apps or to pirate apps. And most will fall into the latter category.
I tried it once for unapproved apps, and it sucked ass!
Almost 9% of people who own an iPhone are using one that is jailbroken: that's 4 million people. This number comes from the ad company Pinch Analytics, which is inside of tens of thousands of iPhone applications, and has ben growing over time.
Meanwhile, hundreds of thousands of users have purchased applications from the Cydia Store, for a total of a million dollars in sales in 2009 alone. Note that the Cydia Store is even a fraction of the number of total sales that take place in this world: the large applications sell their software using their own websites.
I have no clue where you are getting these beliefs, but a lot of people jailbreak to use the really awesome features that are only available on jailbroken devices, like inline spellcheck, multitasking (which works great on the 3G[S]: the only target where Apple is looking at this anyway)... in fact, most of the features of iPhone OS 4.0 have been available on jailbroken devices for the last year, and that trend is going to continue into the future.
Every day, we?re getting closer to a truly hacked iPad. I support this endeavor, but there are many who would say that Apple has our best interests in mind by limiting the iPad to what they think it should do. Well. Lately we?ve learned about apps being rejected for having ?pad? in the name, apps being rejected because they weren?t written in the right coding environment (regardless of compatibility), a dashboard app that was rejected because it ?contradicts the iPad user experience.? It?s going to become increasingly clear over the next few weeks and months just how carefully delineated Apple means the iPad experience to be. So the question is, are you just going to take it?
The issues go much deeper than this. The idea of jailbreaking the device isn't just for being able to access "applications" that Apple rejects. In fact, most of the stuff Apple rejects is crap. The goal of platforms like Cydia is to let things that fundamentally don't fit into the App Store model exist on the platform.
As an example: I'm a Google Latitude user. Latitude, a service that exports my location to my friends, works on Android devics by sending my location every fifteen or so minutes. You can't do this on the iPhone currently (you will be able to on 4.0), but you can on a jailbroken device.
This isn't because Apple "rejected" Latitude. They /did/, but the app that Google submitted fundamentally wasn't going to have this feature. What is interesting about jailbreaking is the ability to have a clear open landscape from which you can build /anything/. I can remotely log into my iPhone, controlling it from my PC graphically (using Veency, a VNC server that I wrote which was mentioned in the article) or via SSH. I even have the ability to work on it locally with a bluetooth keyboard and mouse thanks to BTstack. The world outside of the App Store is /large/.
They point out quickly what are the ways to hack into a new OS. Those holes will be gone by summer, won't they? They're your arrogant, unpaid security consultants. When they actually start complaining about how mean Apple was to close that last security hole, and that their hacks don't work anymore, Apple is just doing its job. Thanks for doing your job, hackers, without pay. And you'll find another hole, it's inevitable. And that will be patched too. It's like Wile E. Coyote and the Roadrunner.
The ability to modify the files on my device using the USB cable while the phone is in restore mode is not a security vulnerability to anyone but Apple. Yes: the ability to crash Safari remotely and modify the software on the device must be fixed; but no, I'm sorry, removing the ability to modify the filesystem from my PC, a feature that some Apple engineer probably spent weeks coding, is just pathetic.
They are not trying to ruin anything., They are trying to make it better.
I'm going to venture that maybe 15% are making things better, 20% think they are making things better but are not, 30% are just in it because they naively believe the world should be free, and 35% are in it because they are scum who like to steal & stroke their own egos.
I'm of course just throwing out wild numbers but I do believe that it is in large part an egomaniac venture to hack stuff.
What Apple really needs to do is hire some of the better hackers & pay them good money to help them secure their systems. Hate to reward people for bad behavior but truth be told it is usually the more malicious ones who are really good at what they do, for them it's more of an obsession than a hobby.
So what? The iPhone OS is good enough now that you won't need to JB... big deal!
Plus, Apple does multitasking with resourcefulness and the JB does it sitting next to a wall receptacle. these hackers will NEVER be able to do anything better than Apple can... just a bunch of kids in the JB community trying to be revolutionaries he he. Well, Apple showed them a thing or ten he he... services for one! Also, you don't have to worry about exploits in and around the hacking cults. You all SUCK! Get a real JOB!
I do have a "real job": I sell software for jailbroken devices. I don't make as much money as I did per hour back when I was saving large companies that got in over their head (I used to do consulting), but per year I almost certainly make more than most of the people commenting on this thread who seem to be under the impression that hacking is for stupid losers... I can't imagine how someone could be remotely successful with an attitude like that.
Seriously: Apple will never be able to add enough features the OS that jailbreaking won't be useful. Did Apple add bluetooth keyboard support to the iPhone? No, that feature is reserved for the iPad. How about a fast way to see all of your icon pages? Not yet, they only made an incredibly limited version of Categories (an extension hundreds of thousands of people already use on their jailbroken phones) that they call Folders. Inline spell checking? While they are adding spell checking, it currently sounds like it is going to be an offline process.
By inserting malicious code in their applications... that's making it better huh? You probably only have an iPhone that you stole off someone he he. All it takes is to JB your phone and go do some online banking... boy, that's making it all better all right he he...
This same problem exists on your desktop computer. Did you go to the store and buy software for it? Boy, aren't you stupid, right? That software almost certainly came with a bunch of malicious code in it, and now you can't log into your bank account without your personal details getting sent to that tiny game company you never heard of until their product showed up on the shelf of Best Buy yesterday.
I don't understand who programmed you with the idea that software for phones is somehow different than software for desktop computers, or that people who sell software for jailbroken devices are somehow less reputable than the people who wrote software for the legit platform, but it doesn't make any sense. Hell, many of the developers that Apple features in their commercials used to work for jailbroken platforms: just look at Tapulous.
This is the guts of the jailbreaking issue I think. If you want to jailbreak your phone, by all means go right ahead. But the moment that is done, you've lost all rights to complain as to why application stability goes out the door.
Of course, Jailbreakers will never admit that their phone-cracking is the cause of apps blowing up. That would just be way too easy a reason for them to accept.
Nor do software developers like to admit that their software is broken when it is easier to blame people who have jailbroken their devices (which is a sufficiently large percentage of the population that its easy to do so). I've seriously had them continue to deny that something is their fault even when I've found the bug in their software and /patched their binary/ to fix it.
Seriously, though: this situation is /also/ no different than on a desktop PC. You can install all kinds of random software on that device, taking up as little or as much RAM as it wants, and you are even plugging random hardware peripherals into it and installing drivers into the kernel... this is /routine/. And here, somehow, on this device you put in your pocket, a device that is more powerful than the computer that was sitting on your desk just a decade ago, all of these common sense notions about "your bugs are your fault" have gone out the window? Come on...
Comments
Do people complain when American Airlines doesn't allow them to ride on the wing? I mean unless you're going to go there with your rebellion and staple yourself next to the engine, you're ultimately a useless dweeb playing pocket pool with someone else's SDK. "I'm Batman, I'm Batman... I found or added a secret button!"
This is just perfect. It describes every jailbreaker to a tee!
But, for the bold who go off the reservation and prove out the limits of the device without stealing and without asking for support! These individuals should be punished and thwarted and demonized? Give me a break.
Jailbreakers are like screaming "I'm like Batman! I found a secret button!"
Give me a break.
hummmm'' well I had to jailbreak in order to use another sim in another country...or else I would have to buy another device....
No, it is not crazy. Your jailbreaking cost Apple a sale. You basically stole $700 from Apple.
There's a few great programs that require jailbreaking to be able to use. It's not just for people who want to pirate software. I use:
- 5 icon dock (lets you put 5 icons on your iPhone dock)
- MiWi (lets you share your 3G internet connection with other devices)
- Poof (lets you hide unwanted app icons, even where Apple won't let you, like the stocks app)
5 icon dock - Big deal. The icon is accessible on the front page if you want it. More importantly, what happens when Apple releases and iPhone security update? Either you can't install it or it breaks your app most likely.
MiWi - a way of stealing AT&T service. You don't have the legal right to do that. Great example - helping to prove that hacking is simply another way to steal.
iPhone OS 4 will allow you to create folders so you can do this, anyway. But if you don't want the stock app, delete it.
There is obviously a problem if so many people jailbreak their Apple devices.
How many is that?
And most of the ones who do it do it to steal services - so Apple has no reason to support them.
I have never cared for hackers very much either (well at least *today's* hackers), they seem to be mostly concerned with simple theft of IP.
OTOH, Apple is going out of it's way to provide motivation for the platform to be hacked.
This is, of course, nonsense. The iPhone is the most highly rated smart phone out there - 3 years running. Apple is providing a high level of customer satisfaction -- which means they're trying to REDUCE incentive to use something else.
Granted, you can't produce something to make EVERYONE happy, but Apple has come closer than anyone else - so there's LESS reason to hack the iPhone.
How does that hurt Apple? I don't get it.
Lots of ways it hurts Apple. Just a few:
1. When a jailbreak causes a phone to fail, the customer calls Apple to ask for help. That uses Apple's resources. Even if Apple tells them it's not covered under warranty, it is still using Apple resources.
2. Some people with hacked iPhones have returned them. That costs Apple money
3. People use hacked iPhones to go onto other networks. Since Apple gets a share of AT&T revenue, that costs Apple mone.
4. People use iPhones to otherwise violate terms of service (see the MiWi example above), again reducing the number of accounts-and costing Apple money
5. Because of hacking, network usage is higher than it would be otherwise, reducing responsiveness - and creating problems for Apple
There are plenty more.
I'm going to take a guess and assume that you think helmet laws were designed to stop innocent people who ride dangerous motorcycles and bicycles from being gravely injured...for their own good. Rather than these laws being designed to save insurance companies tons of money from those grave injuries or deaths.
I think of iPhone jailbreaks the same way. It is frowned upon by the majority of the community because of the potential IP theft, or worse, identity theft. Money, in other words, not safety for safety's sake.
Sorry, but IP theft and identity theft are real problems for society. The fact that you don't see them as problems says a lot.
As for the motorcycle laws, it's not about insurance companies. If that was all there was, they'd simply pass a law that someone not wearing a helmet couldn't collect from their insurance company. Rather, it's an attempt to reduce total societal cost-which is arguably a reasonable function of society.
It's the lack of RAM that has made be decide to return the iPad. Safari pages reload too often which would make typing this up in Safari, switching to another app or Safari page and then popping back to finish this post frustrating if the page reloads and I have to type it up from scratch.
It's the lack of RAM that has made be decide to return the iPad.
Fine. Get an HP Tablet. Oh - you can't? Not yet?
Don't let the screen door hit you where the sun don't shine! Somehow, I don't think Apple cares about you.
What the hell are you talking about? Not on my iPad.
Bingo. Just FUD by a hater.
these hackers will NEVER be able to do anything better than Apple can... just a bunch of kids in the JB community trying to be revolutionaries he he.
Next thing you know, those kids will be throwing hammers into big pictures at Steve. That is how stupid they are.
If you wish to sell your in authorized apps then you should create your own platform to run them on. If you want porn then again, create your own platform.
It's apples hardware and their shop. They can sell whatever they want on/in it. Just like walmart, Microsoft, Sony and nintendo do.
All jailbreaking does is costs apple time and money to put in place measures to try and prevent it. They have to show their software partners that they are trying to protect the ecosystem from piracy.
Ultimatley if you are some smart ass script kiddy go and create your own phone/mobile device instead of stealing someone elses.
First off, jailbreaking cannot possibly break your device. It's impossible. It can't happen.
Second, whether you like it or not, jailbreaking DOES provide lots of features that the regular iPhone doesn't have. If these features were pointless, why did Apple implement them in their own OS (folders, backgrounding (kind of), wallpaper on the home screen).
I realize all you guys just love Apple and want them to make money, but Apple's system of control is not to "protect the users". That's bull. It's so they can get a cut of every app bought. They want to make money first, it's a company not a humanitarian project.
I don't care for hackers.
They do not belong to the Apple platform, because they're not needed there.
What's the point in trying to ruin a good solution several people have worked so hard on creating?
and I'm sure they don't care for you.
There is TONS of misinformation in this thread.
I realize all you guys just love Apple and want them to make money, but Apple's system of control is not to "protect the users". That's bull. It's so they can get a cut of every app bought. They want to make money first, it's a company not a humanitarian project.
Here's the reality:
"
As designed by Apple, the iPhone OS ensures that the iPhone and iPod touch operate reliably. Some customers have not understood the risks of installing software that makes unauthorized modifications to the iPhone OS ("jailbreaking") on their iPhone or iPod touch. Customers who have installed software that makes these modifications have encountered numerous problems in the operation of their hacked iPhone or iPod touch. Examples of issues caused by these unauthorized modifications to the iPhone OS have included the following:
Device and application instability: Frequent and unexpected crashes of the device, crashes and freezes of built-in apps and third-party apps, and loss of data.
Unreliable voice and data: Dropped calls, slow or unreliable data connections, and delayed or inaccurate location data.
Disruption of services: Services such as Visual Voicemail, YouTube, Weather, and Stocks have been disrupted or no longer work on the device. Additionally, third-party apps that use the Apple Push Notification Service have had difficulty receiving notifications or received notifications that were intended for a different hacked device. Other push-based services such as MobileMe and Exchange have experienced problems synchronizing data with their respective servers.
Compromised security: Security compromises have been introduced by these modifications that could allow hackers to steal personal information, damage the device, attack the wireless network, or introduce malware or viruses.
Shortened battery life: The hacked software has caused an accelerated battery drain that shortens the operation of an iPhone or iPod touch on a single battery charge.
Inability to apply future software updates: Some unauthorized modifications have caused damage to the iPhone OS that is not repairable. This can result in the hacked iPhone or iPod touch becoming permanently inoperable when a future Apple-supplied iPhone OS update is installed.
Apple strongly cautions against installing any software that hacks the iPhone OS. It is also important to note that unauthorized modification of the iPhone OS is a violation of the iPhone end-user license agreement and because of this, Apple may deny service for an iPhone or iPod touch that has installed any unauthorized software. "
http://support.apple.com/kb/HT3743
If your answer is yes, then have fun with that, you have a device you are satisfied with. But for everyone else, we?re moving towards a solution that would allow people to use the device they bought in whatever way they see fit. Sure, it?ll void the warranty, and of course the risk is all yours, but he who dares, wins, right? Thousands and thousands of people have been jailbreaking their iPhones for a long time now and swear by it.
I can appreciate wanting to go along with the Apple philosophy now, but it?s akin to going along with it in the early iPhone days. Once the platform opens up a bit and the other side of the fence (that is to say the forbidden side) starts to look a little greener, you might find yourself doubting your constancy. And there?s nothing wrong with that.
http://www.crunchgear.com/2010/04/09...s-a-good-idea/
So many people, give me a break!
Jailbreakers are a tiny minority of people who either want some unapproved apps or to pirate apps. And most will fall into the latter category.
I tried it once for unapproved apps, and it sucked ass!
Almost 9% of people who own an iPhone are using one that is jailbroken: that's 4 million people. This number comes from the ad company Pinch Analytics, which is inside of tens of thousands of iPhone applications, and has ben growing over time.
Meanwhile, hundreds of thousands of users have purchased applications from the Cydia Store, for a total of a million dollars in sales in 2009 alone. Note that the Cydia Store is even a fraction of the number of total sales that take place in this world: the large applications sell their software using their own websites.
I have no clue where you are getting these beliefs, but a lot of people jailbreak to use the really awesome features that are only available on jailbroken devices, like inline spellcheck, multitasking (which works great on the 3G[S]: the only target where Apple is looking at this anyway)... in fact, most of the features of iPhone OS 4.0 have been available on jailbroken devices for the last year, and that trend is going to continue into the future.
Every day, we?re getting closer to a truly hacked iPad. I support this endeavor, but there are many who would say that Apple has our best interests in mind by limiting the iPad to what they think it should do. Well. Lately we?ve learned about apps being rejected for having ?pad? in the name, apps being rejected because they weren?t written in the right coding environment (regardless of compatibility), a dashboard app that was rejected because it ?contradicts the iPad user experience.? It?s going to become increasingly clear over the next few weeks and months just how carefully delineated Apple means the iPad experience to be. So the question is, are you just going to take it?
The issues go much deeper than this. The idea of jailbreaking the device isn't just for being able to access "applications" that Apple rejects. In fact, most of the stuff Apple rejects is crap. The goal of platforms like Cydia is to let things that fundamentally don't fit into the App Store model exist on the platform.
As an example: I'm a Google Latitude user. Latitude, a service that exports my location to my friends, works on Android devics by sending my location every fifteen or so minutes. You can't do this on the iPhone currently (you will be able to on 4.0), but you can on a jailbroken device.
This isn't because Apple "rejected" Latitude. They /did/, but the app that Google submitted fundamentally wasn't going to have this feature. What is interesting about jailbreaking is the ability to have a clear open landscape from which you can build /anything/. I can remotely log into my iPhone, controlling it from my PC graphically (using Veency, a VNC server that I wrote which was mentioned in the article) or via SSH. I even have the ability to work on it locally with a bluetooth keyboard and mouse thanks to BTstack. The world outside of the App Store is /large/.
They point out quickly what are the ways to hack into a new OS. Those holes will be gone by summer, won't they? They're your arrogant, unpaid security consultants. When they actually start complaining about how mean Apple was to close that last security hole, and that their hacks don't work anymore, Apple is just doing its job. Thanks for doing your job, hackers, without pay. And you'll find another hole, it's inevitable. And that will be patched too. It's like Wile E. Coyote and the Roadrunner.
The ability to modify the files on my device using the USB cable while the phone is in restore mode is not a security vulnerability to anyone but Apple. Yes: the ability to crash Safari remotely and modify the software on the device must be fixed; but no, I'm sorry, removing the ability to modify the filesystem from my PC, a feature that some Apple engineer probably spent weeks coding, is just pathetic.
They are not trying to ruin anything., They are trying to make it better.
I'm going to venture that maybe 15% are making things better, 20% think they are making things better but are not, 30% are just in it because they naively believe the world should be free, and 35% are in it because they are scum who like to steal & stroke their own egos.
I'm of course just throwing out wild numbers but I do believe that it is in large part an egomaniac venture to hack stuff.
What Apple really needs to do is hire some of the better hackers & pay them good money to help them secure their systems. Hate to reward people for bad behavior but truth be told it is usually the more malicious ones who are really good at what they do, for them it's more of an obsession than a hobby.
So what? The iPhone OS is good enough now that you won't need to JB... big deal!
Plus, Apple does multitasking with resourcefulness and the JB does it sitting next to a wall receptacle. these hackers will NEVER be able to do anything better than Apple can... just a bunch of kids in the JB community trying to be revolutionaries he he. Well, Apple showed them a thing or ten he he... services for one!
I do have a "real job": I sell software for jailbroken devices. I don't make as much money as I did per hour back when I was saving large companies that got in over their head (I used to do consulting), but per year I almost certainly make more than most of the people commenting on this thread who seem to be under the impression that hacking is for stupid losers... I can't imagine how someone could be remotely successful with an attitude like that.
Seriously: Apple will never be able to add enough features the OS that jailbreaking won't be useful. Did Apple add bluetooth keyboard support to the iPhone? No, that feature is reserved for the iPad. How about a fast way to see all of your icon pages? Not yet, they only made an incredibly limited version of Categories (an extension hundreds of thousands of people already use on their jailbroken phones) that they call Folders. Inline spell checking? While they are adding spell checking, it currently sounds like it is going to be an offline process.
By inserting malicious code in their applications... that's making it better huh? You probably only have an iPhone that you stole off someone he he. All it takes is to JB your phone and go do some online banking... boy, that's making it all better all right he he...
This same problem exists on your desktop computer. Did you go to the store and buy software for it? Boy, aren't you stupid, right? That software almost certainly came with a bunch of malicious code in it, and now you can't log into your bank account without your personal details getting sent to that tiny game company you never heard of until their product showed up on the shelf of Best Buy yesterday.
I don't understand who programmed you with the idea that software for phones is somehow different than software for desktop computers, or that people who sell software for jailbroken devices are somehow less reputable than the people who wrote software for the legit platform, but it doesn't make any sense. Hell, many of the developers that Apple features in their commercials used to work for jailbroken platforms: just look at Tapulous.
This is the guts of the jailbreaking issue I think. If you want to jailbreak your phone, by all means go right ahead. But the moment that is done, you've lost all rights to complain as to why application stability goes out the door.
Of course, Jailbreakers will never admit that their phone-cracking is the cause of apps blowing up. That would just be way too easy a reason for them to accept.
Nor do software developers like to admit that their software is broken when it is easier to blame people who have jailbroken their devices (which is a sufficiently large percentage of the population that its easy to do so). I've seriously had them continue to deny that something is their fault even when I've found the bug in their software and /patched their binary/ to fix it.
Seriously, though: this situation is /also/ no different than on a desktop PC. You can install all kinds of random software on that device, taking up as little or as much RAM as it wants, and you are even plugging random hardware peripherals into it and installing drivers into the kernel... this is /routine/. And here, somehow, on this device you put in your pocket, a device that is more powerful than the computer that was sitting on your desk just a decade ago, all of these common sense notions about "your bugs are your fault" have gone out the window? Come on...