Do a quick search of “Jesus Phone” on google and you will see why its the iPhone’s nickname. Okay so the iPhone is great on its own, but you can open a whole new world of possibilities by doing a hack know as “jailbreaking.” Basically jailbreaking is a process that allows iPhone and iPod Touch users to run unofficial code on their devices bypassing Apple’s official distribution mechanism, the App Store. Once jailbroken, iPhone users are able to download many applications previously unavailable through the App Store. As of today, July 27 2009, jailbreaking is not illegal but the US Copyright Office is expected to rule on this later this year.
*As always this process is not recommended if you lack experience with electronics*
*Backup all of your data before beginning this process!*
Step 1: Download the software “redsn0w” from http://theiphoneproject.org/windows/redsn0w-win_0.7.2.zip
Step 2: Follow the software prompts.
Step 3: Plug into your PC or Mac and press the buttons it tells you to.
Step 4: Enjoy your new jailbroken iPhone!
Now that the hack is completed you should get familiar with the new app store that was installed, cydia. Its nearly identical to the old Apple App Store so it should be easy to get used to it.
Now on the good part: The Apps! First you should download Cycorder. This app allows you to record video @ 15fps in Quicktime format. This means you wont need to buy the 3GS for video because you just got it for free! Next you should download PDANet. This awesome app allows you to use your iPhone as a wireless router or a mobile modem. Basically this means you can now use your teether you iPhone to a MAC or PC connect to the internet where it would otherwise be impossible! Finally there is Discover. This app makes your iPhone accessible to every computer on your home network. This means you can add media files to your iPhone from any computer in your house! These are just a few of the great apps you can download with your jailbroken iPhone!
I have also included a video from G4’s Attack of the Show. They detail everything you can now do with your brand new Jailbroken software and they also include a video guide for installing the hack!
Enjoy the hack and make sure to post your results in the comment section!