The iPhone Dev Team has released the first official iPhone 4 jailbreak this week, using a browser-based exploit.
However, some of the users that have jailbroken their device has reported broken MMS and broken FaceTime.
Hacker “comex” released the option via jailbreakme.com, and visitors to the site on their iPhone 4 devices can start the jailbreaking process right from their phone browser.
The iPhone Dev Team’s hack is the first for the device, despite hacker Geohot’s claims to an iPhone 4 jailbreak last month.
As a note, iPads running iOS 3.2.1 will not be able to jailbreak their devices.
Making this jailbreak different than pretty much every other one before it, is the fact that it is completely browser-based, using the Apple Safari browser.
The hack comes a week after the U.S. Library of Congress officially made jailbreaking legal.
Result for: library of congress
Earlier this month the Electronic Frontier Foundation (EFF) officially requested that the Library of Congress create a DMCA exemption for jailbreaking smartphones to allow the installation of software not approved by the manufacturer. Last week Apple responded with a claim that this would violate iPhone copyrights. Now Mozilla Corporation, developers of the Firefox web browser, and VOIP provider Skype have filed their own comments in support of EFF’s position.
Harvey Anderson, Vice President of Mozilla wrote “users who purchase these devices are required to decrypt and modify, or “jailbreak,” their phones. This creates a chilling effect on users and innovation. Users do not feel they have the choice of using open source and other legitimately obtained software programs or software they develop on their telephone handsets because they are concerned about breaching the law.”
Skype’s comments point out that US carriers all claim to be in favor of open wireless networks, while they “continue to employ various means to keep users from using devices and software applications of their choice — from terms of service to the software and firmware loaded on the handsets sold by the carriers.”
Result for: library of congress
Last October South Park Studios, creators of the Comedy Central show with the same name, submitted an iPhone app to Apple. According to a sneak preview at that time it would allow you to get wallpaper for your phone, read the studio’s news feed, stream full episodes from their website, and even purchase them from the iTunes store. Now it seems Apple has decided not to approve the app.
An announcement on the South Park website gave fans the bad news, saying “After a couple of attempts to get the application approved, we are sad to say that our app has been rejected. According to Apple, the content was ‘potentially offensive.’”
No doubt this is not the sort of news Apple would like to see right now. They’re already defending themselves in a dispute with the Electronic Frontier Foundation over iPhone jailbreaking.
The EFF recently filed a request with the Library of Congress asking for jailbreaking to be exempt from the DMCA. They argue that it’s essential for giving consumers an option to use whatever software they want on their phones, rather than being limited to whatever Apple allows.
