On Friday, the Chronic Dev Team and iPhone Dev Team joined forces and released “Absinthe A5,” an untethered jailbreak solution for the iPhone 4S and iPad 2. The two groups released the download figures on Monday and revealed that almost 1 million people jailbroke their devices during Absinthe’s first three days of availability. Using Cydia, the alternative App Store that comes with the exploit, the team was able to track the exact number of downloads. Specifically, the jailbreak was performed on 491,325 iPhone 4S handsets, 308,967 iPad 2 tablets and 152,940 iPad 2s that had been previously jailbroken on iOS 4.

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There are plenty of reasons for savvy iPhone users to jailbreak their handsets, the most obvious of which is access to applications that provide functionality beyond what is allowed by Apple. The third-party app store is packed with hundreds of terrific unsanctioned apps and now that the iPhone 4S has been jailbroken, there is a new wave of utilities we can look forward to: Siri tweaks. Two of the first apps to hit Cydia that extend the capabilities of Apple’s digital personal assistant are VoiceUtils and SiriToggles, and both apps add sought after new functionality that Apple hasn’t yet enabled. VoiceUtils is fairly basic for the time being, allowing users to launch apps, unlock or reboot their iPhones using Siri commands. SiriToggles offers the same features but adds the ability to adjust settings such as screen brightness or toggle things like airplane mode, Wi-Fi and Bluetooth. We definitely can’t wait to see what new functionality developers bring to Siri and in the meantime, VoiceUtils and SiriToggles are both free in Cydia.

Savvy iPhone 4S and iPad 2 owners were elated last week when the new dream team of iOS hacking announced that a jailbreak tool was finally available for owners of A5-powered devices. But there was a catch: the initial release of the new jailbreak tool, dubbed Absinthe, was only available for Mac computers. Owners of Windows machines will be happy to learn that the new jailbreaker resulting from the combined efforts of the iPhone Dev Team, the Chronic Dev Team and pod2g is now available for Windows. Absinthe 0.2 can be downloaded directly from the Greenpois0n website and applying the jailbreak is simple enough. Standard disclaimers considered, Windows users with an iPhone 4S running iOS 5.0 or iOS 5.0.1 or an iPad 2 running iOS 5.0.1 can download the Windows build by following the read link below.

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Following news earlier on Friday that an untethered jailbreak for the iPhone 4S and iPad 2 was almost ready for public release, anew tool has been made available for download. The new build makes use of pod2g’s “corona” exploit and is the result of combined efforts from the iPhone Dev Team, the Chronic Dev team and iOS hacker pod2g. The tool that enables iOS devices with A5 processors to be jailbroken has been dubbed “Absinthe A5,” and users need to load the Greenpois0n website on their devices in order to trigger the jailbreak. Users having problems loading the site in Safari should simply go into Settings and enable VPN — after about a minute, the device will reboot and the jailbreak will be applied. iPhone 4S users running iOS 5.0 and iOS 5.0.1 and iPad 2 owners running iOS 5.0.1 can download Absinthe for OS X via the read link below to apply. Unfortunately, there is still no option for Windows users looking for an iPhone 4S or iPad 2 untethered jailbreak for the time being.

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The uncharacteristically long wait iPhone 4S and iPad 2 owners have been forced to endure before their devices can be jailbroken is almost over. In a blog post early Friday morning, the iPhone Dev Team stated that an untethered jailbreak solution for the iPhone 4S and iPad 2 is almost ready for a public release. The iOS hackers wrote that it has taken the combined efforts of pod2g, the Chronic Dev Team and their own group to develop the new jailbreak, and that all technical hurdles have now been overcome. The teams are now working on making the solution as bug-free as possible ahead of general release. Once available, the new jailbreak tool dubbed “corona” will support iPhone 4S handsets running iOS 5.0 and iOS 5.0.1 as well as iPad 2 tablets running iOS 5.0.1. Users hoping to jailbreak their devices should not update to newer versions of iOS in the event Apple pushes out any software updates ahead of corona’s release.

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On Monday, iOS hacker pod2g posted a video of a jailbroken iPhone 4S on his blog. The device is running iOS 5.0.1 and is able to reboot without connecting to a computer, also known as an “untethered” jailbreak. The hack was done by Chronic Dev Team member DHowett, with Pod2g indicating a release is coming soon. Last month, the Chronic Dev Team and iPhone Dev Team joined forces and released an untethered jailbreak solution for iOS5 and the iPhone 4. Hit the break for the video demonstration.

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News of a new untethered jailbreak solution for all iOS 5.0.1 devices other than Apple’s iPhone 4S and iPad 2 emerged this morning, and iOS users now have another reason to take advantage of the hack. IOS developer chpwn announced on his blog on Tuesday that a free Siri port dubbed “Spire” that does not violate any copyright laws is now available for jailbroken iOS 5 devices. This is not the first Siri port available for the iPhone 4 and other devices, but it is the first legal option and it also allows users to input their own proxy server since Apple’s servers cannot be used by devices other than the iPhone 4S. Spire is now available for the iPhone 4, iPhone 3GS, iPad and third and fourth-generation iPod touch devices, and it can be downloaded from Cydia.

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Hackers on Tuesday released an untethered iOS 5.0.1 jailbreak solution for all iOS devices but the iPhone 4S and the iPad 2. In a post on his blog, iOS hacker pod2g announced that the Chronic Dev Team and the iPhone Dev Team have jointly released a tool that will allow iOS device owners to jailbreak their devices running iOS 5.0.1 without having to boot while tethered to a computer. The new version of “redsn0w” is compatible with the iPhone 4, iPhone 3GS, iPad and third and fourth-generation iPod touch devices, and users currently running a tethered jailbreak can update to untethered using a utility called “Corona” now available in Cydia. An untethered jailbreak for Apple’s iPhone 4S and iPad 2 is not yet available. The new version of redsn0w is available for download immediately for both Windows and Mac computers.

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Research In Motion, for the first time ever, suffered an exploit in which root access was gained on one of their devices, the PlayBook. While RIM initially downplayed the significance of the jailbreak, the exploit tool created by a few hackers was recently released to the public and it indeed gave users root access to the BlackBerry PlayBook, bypassing RIM’s security measures. After the jailbreak was released, RIM made an OTA update available that fixed the jailbreak. RIM’s fix has already been jailbroken however, leaving the company’s only tablet exposed, again. This cat and mouse game is something that RIM has not had to deal with in the past due to the enhanced security of the BlackBerry platform.

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A group of iOS hackers have managed to successfully port Apple’s virtual assistant software Siri to the iPhone 4 and fourth-generation iPod touch, and the software needed to perform the port is now available to the public. Tech blog InTech-BB posted the necessary links on Sunday along with a how-to guide, and a number of users have reported successfully installing Siri on their devices using the tools and steps provided within the guide. Several users note problems with their cameras after installing the ported Siri software, but a fix is apparently now available. IPhone 4 and fourth-generation iPod touch owners who understand the risks involved with jailbreaking and installing unauthorized software can follow the read link below for a step-by-step tutorial along with a video of Siri in action on an iPhone 4.

[Via The Tech Erra]

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A group of security researchers recently demonstrated on video that they have successfully gained root access to the QNX-based operating system found on Research In Motion’s BlackBerry PlayBook tablet. The PlayBook jailbreak and related “mack truck” security hole these hackers identified could have some serious implications for future BlackBerry devices, but RIM says users should not get ahead of themselves. “Research In Motion (RIM) is aware of a claim made on Twitter by security researchers working together that suggests the ability to ‘jailbreak’ a BlackBerry PlayBook tablet,” RIM said in a statement, noting that no BlackBerry smartphone users are affected. RIM also said it will begin working on a patch for the claimed security hole if its investigation determines the hackers’ claims are genuine, and it will also investigate any PlayBook jailbreaking tool released to the public. RIM’s full statement follows below, along with a video demonstration of security researcher “neuralic” gaining root access to a BlackBerry PlayBook.

Research In Motion (RIM) is aware of a claim made on Twitter by security researchers working together that suggests the ability to “jailbreak” a BlackBerry PlayBook tablet. The term “jailbreaking” is commonly used to describe altering the software on a smartphone or tablet in order to obtain access to systems or applications not officially authorized or distributed by the manufacturer. BlackBerry smartphone users are not affected. RIM is currently investigating this claim and has been in contact with one of the security researchers to discuss it.

RIM is currently not aware of a jailbreak being leveraged by anyone other than the researchers, who claim to have performed a jailbreak on their own BlackBerry PlayBook tablets only. If it is determined that the claim is accurate, RIM will follow its standard response process to develop and release a software update that is designed to minimize adverse impact to our customers or carrier partners. RIM is aware that the security researchers have stated they intend to release a tool to jailbreak the BlackBerry PlayBook tablet. If such a tool is released, RIM will investigate it.

The security of mobile devices and major networked systems is tested by third-party security researchers every day. RIM also continually tests the security of its own products, and volunteers its products to recognized industry experts for security testing and certification to help identify possible issues. RIM is committed to the BlackBerry PlayBook tablet and to working with researchers to continue to protect our customers.

There has been word for the past few days that Research In Motion’s PlayBook has been jailbroken. What this means is that, for the first time ever in RIM’s history, root access has been gained into a BlackBerry operating system. Why is this a big deal? Well, of RIM’s few remaining strengths, one of them was security, both in terms of encrypting and securing the messages you send over the RIM network, and device security. It’s why BlackBerry products became so popular with enterprises and governments — security. That device is so secure, that even the President of the United States uses one. Read on for more.

RIM’s new operating system, however, is a different beast. It’s more powerful and it is certainly capable, but it also looks like it’s been hacked, broken into, and manipulated by a few individuals who have demonstrated that they have access to something that no one outside of RIM has ever had access to.

Guess what operating system RIM’s BlackBerry smartphones are going to run? The same one that was jailbroken, opening up the possibility that forthcoming smartphones and tablets from Research In Motion will be subject to the same cat and mouse game that jailbreakers play with Apple. This means that the security of a BlackBerry will not ever be the same as long as someone out there is able to exploit a vulnerability in RIM’s BBX operating system, and as far as I know, apps aren’t sandboxed at all like they are on iOS. Not all apps are encrypted (aside from what, Password Keeper?), so once you root the device, you have access to all of the data on that BlackBerry product — a concept that enterprise and government BlackBerry clients will not be happy about. In fact, I’d venture on to say that this is probably the biggest threat to RIM right now if this turns out to be true. For RIM’s enterprise and government customers to be thinking about the fact that the upcoming phones and devices could be unsecure, is a big, big deal.

Verizon Wireless is seemingly following AT&T’s lead and taking action against subscribers who make use of unauthorized tethering apps. ReadWriteWeb reports that one of its writers was using a “jailbroken tethered Verizon Motorola X” with an unauthorized third-party app, rather than paying for Verizon Wireless’ mobile hotspot solution as its contract terms require. According to the report, the writer was blocked from accessing webpages on devices tethered to her DROID X on Friday, and was instead redirected to a Verizon Wireless page outlining rates for authorized mobile hotspot usage. Last week, AT&T confirmed to BGR that it would soon begin to revoke unlimited smartphone data plans from users who used third-party apps to share their smartphone’s data connection with other devices. Verizon seems to have taken a slightly less abrasive approach, though the outcome is the same: carriers want customers to stop abusing their congested data networks, and AT&T and Verizon are apparently done asking politely.

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AT&T confirmed to BGR that it will soon begin revoking unlimited data plans from jailbroken iPhone users and other smartphone users who utilize unauthorized tethering and mobile hotspot solutions. Following reports from earlier this year, AT&T on Thursday confirmed that it will remove grandfathered unlimited data plans from accounts belonging to users who tether or use unsanctioned mobile hotspot apps without a tethering plan, which is expressly prohibited by AT&T according to its terms and conditions. “Earlier this year, we began sending letters, emails, and text messages to a small number of smartphone customers who use their devices for tethering but aren’t on our required tethering plan. Our goal here is fairness for all of our customers,” an AT&T spokesperson told BGR via email. The letter outlines three choices for customers who had been making use of unauthorized tethering solutions, one of which is “Do nothing and we’ll go ahead and add the tethering plan on their behalf — after the dated noted in their customer notification.” According to earlier reports, offending users will automatically be bumped to AT&T’s more recent tiered data plan, which affords 2GB of smartphone data and 2GB of tethering data for $45 each month compared to AT&T’s old unlimited smartphone data plan, which costs $30 each month but does not include tethering. A new report from 9to5 Mac claims that users will begin losing unlimited plans as soon as August 11th, but AT&T stated that the policy enforcement date varies depending on when the offending subscriber was sent the notification letter. AT&T’s full statement follows below.

Earlier this year, we began sending letters, emails, and text messages to a small number of smartphone customers who use their devices for tethering but aren’t on our required tethering plan. Our goal here is fairness for all of our customers. (This impacts a only small percentage of our smartphone customer base.)

The letters outline three choices:

1. Stop tethering and keep their current plan (including grandfathered unlimited plan)
2. Proactively call AT&T or visit our stores and move to the required tethering plan
3. Do nothing and we’ll go ahead and add the tethering plan on their behalf — after the dated noted in their customer notification

Apple released iOS 4.3.4 on Friday in an effort to fix a security vulnerability that was present on both the iPhone and the iPad. The fix was supposed to prevent hackers from using a PDF security hole to jailbreak both devices. That didn’t quite work. The next day iPhone Dev Team was able to route around the security fix and issued a jailbreak tool for iOS 4.3.4. iPhone Dev Team has released the latest redsn0w jailbreak tool, but unfortunately it forces iOS 4.3.4 users to keep their iPhone or iPad tethered to their computer during sync and reboot. In other words, if you haven’t already updated to iOS 4.3.4 and want your iPhone or iPad to remain jailbroken, you’re going to be best off sticking with iOS 4.3.3 until another workaround is found.

[Via Mac Observer]

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