Yep the hype machine is in full swing with Droid – everyone is talking about it, and I’d bet an increasing number of people are wanting it!
Well Moto have pinged me an email to say that Developers should be excited by Droid too, and Moto are there to help them – they are suggesting in fact to get your App ready for Droid! How? Well, hit up the link below and start your eyeballs off with a page of specs…
iPhone hacker George “geohot” Hotz has released an update to his “blackra1n” jailbreak utility that should give new iPhone 3Gs owners reason to celebrate. The blackra1n RC2 update will jailbreak factory-fresh iPhone 3GS’s loaded with iPhone OS 3.1.2 by Apple (NSDQ: AAPL), but only through a “tethered jailbreak” method.
While the initial release of the blackra1n utility was capable of jailbreaking iPhone OS 3.1.2 for iPhone 3GS hardware already in the wild, it was useless in jailbreaking newer iPhone 3GS units already rocking iPhone OS 3.1.2 from the factory. The same applies to the iPhone Dev Team’s PwnageTool 3.1.4 release. The updated blackra1n RC2 utility changes all that.
This is what to expect with the blackra1n RC2 release:
Fixed 3G issues
Tethered jailbreak for factory-fresh iPhone 3GS’s and new out-of-the-box iPod Touch 8GB
So what is this “tethered jailbreak” we keep mentioning? Simply put, it’s a less convenient jailbreak method that requires the user to keep their iPhone 3GS connected to their computer during the jailbreak process. Any subsequent reboots (resulting from power loss or a manual reboot) will require a computer to boot successfully. The jailbreak is possible (using blackra1n RC2), but it’s decidedly more of a hassle. But, then again, how many times do you reboot your iPhone?
Note: if you already jailbroke your iPhone 3GS using blackra1n RC1 (the initial release), there’s no need to run RC2. Also, if you would rather wait for the iPhone Dev Team to build the tethered jailbreak option into PwnageTool, sit tight, they’re working on it.
Developer tools are making the rounds for BlackBerry (NSDQ: RIMM) OS 5.0, to work with things like Google Gears and widgets, but something that might be a little more interesting for end users is the new BlackBerry Bold 9700 device simulator. Since review units aren’t getting out yet, and there’s only a smattering of hands-onpictures/video, this is your best bet for getting a feel for the device right now.The new Bold is coming out on many North American carriers (Telus (NYSE: TU), Bell, Rogers (NYSE: RCI), AT&T (NYSE: T), T-Mobile (NYSE: DT)) and will be one of RIM’s top-of-the-line handset – 3.2 megapixel camera, optical touchpad, 256 MB of application memory, and slimmer dimensions will all set it apart from the original BlackBerry Bold 9000. To give the 9700 a spin, go ahead and download the simulator.
One of the biggest problems that HTC Hero modders have been coming up against in their quest to create the perfect Hero ROM has been the lack of an available open-source kernel. Without access to the full kernel, there’s only so much that can be hacked/modded. Today, that all changes. HTC has themselves posted up the full HTC Hero kernel (the operating system that runs the Hero) for any developer looking to tweak their own ROM for the Hero.
The release of the Hero kernel should allow the code-monkeys at XDAforums to make more far-reaching modifications to the Hero’s ROM. That means we may soon see the Hero getting more features, more customization (streamlining the Hero’s Sense-based UI) and possibly even more speed through tweaked ROMs. Android devs can get their hands on the HTC Hero kernel – not to mention the HTC Magic, HTC ADP1 and HTC Dream – from HTC’s developer center.
It’s probably only a matter of time before we start seeing some hardcore modded Hero ROMs hitting XDA forums.
When RIM acquired Torch Mobile, I think all of us on the BlackBerry (NSDQ: RIMM) scene were convinced Waterloo had big plans for its mobile browser… and with good reason, as in my opinion, the thing needs a LOT of work. With that in mind, RIM may have accidentally (or maybe they just don’t care) spilled the beans on their plans. Well, maybe we already knew they had big plans for their browser, but at the very least they’re showing off the fact that they need HELP!
Check out this job posting over at LinkedIn, where you can see RIM is actively looking for a WebKit developer to assist with the development of a new-and-improved BlackBerry browser. Interesting for sure. Kind of makes you wonder what RIM has in mind, and if they’re struggling for brain power to make the thing work.
I’m pullin’ for ya RIM, but I can’t honestly say I’m optimistic. There’s a lot of solid browsers out there in the mobile world. You’ve got a lot of work ahead of you!
If you’ve been using your jailbroken and modified iPhone 3G/3GS as a tethered 3G modem and you’ve updated to the latest iPhone 3.1.2 OS, you’re probably well aware that Apple (NSDQ: AAPL) has killed the iPhone tethering hack. Even if you updated to iPhone 3.1.2 OS through the Dev Team’s PwnageTool 3.1.4, iPhone tethering is a no-go. Fortunately, that’s something the iPhone Dev Team won’t stand for. EngadgetMobile has posted a tweet from Dev Team developer musclenerd which links to a workaround/patch that should allow advanced users (seriously, don’t mess around if you don’t know what you’re doing) to get iPhone tethering back in working order.
The advanced iPhone tethering workaround probably won’t do most users any good at the moment. It’s all very technical and involves changes to the baseband – something we’re too scared to touch ourselves. But, there’s still hope that the iPhone Dev Team can bake the workaround into future PwnageTool releases so that lay iPhone users like us can get iPhone tethering back online.
There’s also mention of a new workaround that will enable MMS on the original iPhone (iPhone 2G) – do with that as you will, but remember it’s at your own risk.
Famed iPhone hacker George Hotz is at it again, and this time he’s making it (black)ra1n! Following on his “purplera1n” iPhone jailbreak utility, Geohot has released his “blackra1n” to jailbreak Apple (NSDQ: AAPL)’s latest iPhone OS 3.1.2 for iPhones everywhere. The utility is fairly self-explanatory (it takes just 30 seconds to use), but we’d still recommend you know what you’re doing before diving in.
Also, we should not that the iPhone Dev Team advises against using blackra1n for now. Especially if you want to preserve your iPhone 3G and iPhone 3GS carrier unlock. Even if you don’t need to keep your iPhone unlocked for any GSM network, Geohot’s blackra1n utility might make future PwnageTool jailbreaks more difficult.
Find blackra1n here. You can just ignore Geohot’s not-so-subtle blackra1n banner.
iPhone users have it good when it comes to mobile apps and games. The AppStore is filled with hoards of iPhone apps and games that cost $1.99, $0.99 or nothing at all. Compared to prices on traditional apps and games, the AppStore is largely a bargain for software hunters out here (nevermind that there’s a lot of free, or 99¢, crap in the AppStore). So, it’s inevitable that a $2.99 iPhone game is going to draw complaints from cheapskates. That’s what Schiau Studios has been dealing with. In response to customer complaints that the game is too pricey, Schiau Studios raised the price of their Alchemize game to $39.99, making it the most expensive game in the AppStore.
The increased price is meant to prove a point. The $39.99 price point is totally in line with other software out there, which should show that the $3 app is more than worth it. While the lesson may not go over too well with penny-pinchers, Schiau Studios says that the price increase in temporary and that all proceeds from the boosted price will go to charity.
If anything, this novel move from Schiau Studios might very well give AppStore AppStore “>cheapskates some perspective on AppStore prices. Developers aren’t just coding their wares for AppStore glory in and of itself, they’re there to make money. If a couple bucks stands between you and an app purchase, maybe that shiny new iPhone wasn’t for you after all.
If you feel like donating to charity, go download Alchemize (iTunes link). Of course, you can wait until it’s back to $2.99.
The Motorola MOTOBLUR service/UI is about to give HTC G1 fans a taste what Motorola (NYSE: MOT) is cooking up for their Android-powered CLIQ. Thanks to a clever Android hacker with access to the CLIQ’s firmware, the MOTOBLUR UI has been ported to the G1- the CLIQ’s keyboard-wielding Android cousin.
Motorola launched their Motorola CLIQ Android phone last month with a unique user interface, called MOTOBLUR, as a new way to keep tabs on your social media. Using Motorola’s servers, MOTOBLUR automatically pulls information from your social networks and RSS feeds and splashes that data onto the CLIQ’s homescreen. MOTOBLUR also keeps your contacts’ status updates and photos up to date.
What you see here is the HTC G1 running MOTOBLUR. You may remember Google (NSDQ: GOOG) throwing a bit of a fit over Cyanogen’s distribution of Google’s licensed Android apps. We have to wonder what Motorola thinks about their entire MOTOBLUR getting the “mod” treatment.
I’d be remiss if I didn’t mention this in the wake of the iPhone OS 3.1.2 update. Turns out the iPhone SDK 3.1.2 is available as well at the iPhone Dev Center (of course). If you’ve updated your iPhone to 3.1.2, you’ll need this updated version of the SDK to carry on with your development. An alternate updated version of the SDK is available for OS X Snow Leopard users as well. All of the bases are covered here.
iPhone developers, get your updated SDK on at the iPhone Dev Center, would ya?
iPhone hacker George “geohot” Hotz has released an update to his “
One of the biggest problems that HTC Hero modders have been coming up against in their quest to create the perfect Hero ROM has been the lack of an available open-source kernel. Without access to the full kernel, there’s only so much that can be hacked/modded. Today, that all changes. HTC has themselves posted up the full HTC Hero kernel (the operating system that runs the Hero) for any developer looking to tweak their own ROM for the Hero.
If you’ve been using your jailbroken and modified iPhone 3G/3GS as a tethered 3G modem and you’ve updated to the latest iPhone 3.1.2 OS, you’re probably well aware that Apple (
