Jailbreaking the iPhone Jackie Jenkins•cosc 101•december 6, 2011

Outline What is Jailbreaking? Why would you want to jailbreak your iPhone? Why wouldn’t you want to jailbreak your iPhone? How to Jailbreak your iPhone Popular Jailbreaking Programs Legal or Illegal? PROS & CONS Conclusion Resources

What is Jailbreaking? “Jailbreaking” is the term used for freeing a device of the limitations set on it by it’s carrier. (AT&T, Verizon Wireless, Apple, etc.) A very simple process, with the right software. Not only done with iPhones, but with the iPod touch, as well as iPads.

Why would you want to Jailbreak your iPhone? Jailbreaking your iPhone enables you to download many interesting apps that would not be available on a non-jailbroken device. You can completely customize your device in any way that you would like without having the carrier restrictions.

Why wouldn’t you want to jailbreak your iphone? Jailbreaking your iPhone makes it more vulnerable to viruses and hackers than it would be with the carrier restrictions. Insurance on the device is unavailable once it is jailbroken, the company cannot do anything to fix it if something goes wrong, your warranty is voided. “Bricking” is an issue, that causes you to have to completely wipe & restore your phone in order for it to function.

How to jailbreak your iPhone There are many different software applications, and websites that are purposed for device jailbreaking. Steps: 1.) Download jailbreaking app onto computer. 2.) Back-up your device by syncing it to latest version of iTunes. 3.) Open up the jailbreaking tool on your computer. 4. Follow the given directions, then restore you’re device.

Popular Jailbreaking Programs GreenPois0n: free downloadable software that permanently jailbreaks your device Sn0wbreeze: unofficial  PwnageTool for Windows. Allows users to create custom firmware that’s pre-jailbroken, that enables them to upgrade their device. iPhone Unblocking: Jailbreaking software with many benefits, lifetime updates & support. Helps reverse the jailbreaking process, and can help users who’ve had their device unlocked in an incorrect way. Redsn0w: most recent & updated jailbreak software, numerous benefits, however it is incompatible with the new iPad 2.

Recently, jailbreaking has been pronounced as legal. Legal or Illegal? Apple has always said that it is “unlawful” to jailbreak the iPhone, but they never took any legal measures towards it. For the longest time, the legality of jailbreaking was up in the air in a cloud of uncertainty. Recently, jailbreaking has been pronounced as legal. However, the law also allows Apple, and other companies to circumvent controls that block jailbreaking.

Pros & cons of jailbreaking Exclusive apps available Complete customization of device Rebelling against carrier restrictions Voided warranty Hacker/virus vulnerability “Bricking” Security Issues Decreases battery life of device

It is a legal process, and can be done without charging you a penny. Conclusion Jailbreaking of the iPhone could be a great thing to do, and it could let you get so much more out of your device. It is a legal process, and can be done without charging you a penny. However, there are many risks that you must take when you decide to jailbreak your iPhone, such as losing your warranty, and making your device vulnerable to security threats. All in all, I would recommend jailbreaking of your iPhone, if interested. It allows you to “beat the system” and really make your iPhone, and ‘I’Phone, as you can customize it however you’d like.

References <http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/IOS_jailbreaking> <http://www.pcworld.com/article/181319/jailbreaking_your_iphone_the_pros_a nd_cons.html> <http://greenpois0n.com/?page_id=14> <http://www.iphonehacks.com/2011/11/sn0wbreeze-2-8-beta-11-to-jailbreak- ios-5-0-1-for-iphone-ipad-ipod-touch-released.html> <http://www.tech2date.com/jailbreak-and-unlock-the-iphone-4-iphone-3gs-and- iphone-3g-running-4-1-ios-with-iphone-unlocking-software.html> <http://www.engadget.com/2011/04/04/untethered-jailbreak-for-ios-4-3-1- released-for-windows-and-os-x/> <http://www.wired.com/threatlevel/2010/07/feds-ok-iphone-jailbreaking/>