Field test mode has returned to iOS 4.1. That means that those of you who want to see just how bad your iPhone is, in real terms (dBm), as opposed to signal bars, can.
Assuming you have iOS 4.1, all you need to is type *3001#12345#* on your phone, then press dial. You’ll see a negative number. The higher the absolute value of that number is, the worse the signal strength is. For example, a measurement of -110 dBm is worse than -85 dBm.
To exit field test mode, you can simply hit the Home button.
Field test mode had earlier been removed from iOS 4. Anandtech found a way around that, but only with a jailbroken iPhone (by using a 3GS image), whne they conducted a series of test during the heart of the “death grip” controversy surrounding the iPhone 4.
Readers, do you see the signal strength drop (absolute value of the dBm reading rise) when you touch the appropriate death grip spot bridging the antennas on the lower LH side of the iPhone 4 (bare, of course, no case). How much of a drop do you see, if so?
Continue reading about iOS 4.1 restores field test mode, and real signal strength measurement
You Must Also Read:
Jailbreaking the iPhone relies on finding a hole somewhere in the platform to exploit. The lower level the exploit exists at, the harder it is for Apple to close. Just hours after Apple released iOS 4.1 this week, jailbreakers found a hole in the best place possible: the bootrom.
This does not, however, mean an official jailbreak has been created. It does, however, mean that hackers should be able to create a jailbreak that will be hard for Apple to stop. Until now, the exploits have been “userland,” and thus easy for Apple to fix in the software, which it has. To close the new exploit, Apple will have to update the hardware, not the software.
The exploit was first announced by iPhone Dev Team member pod2g. The iPhone Dev Team has been at the forefront of the jailbreaking effort. Jailbreaking allows both the installation of software that Apple wouldn’t allow you to install, normally, as well as unlocking of the iPhone. Both of these have been confirmed to be legal (as a DMCA exemption) by the U.S. Library of Congress, though it is true that they do void your warranty.
Of course, as a true jailbreak has not been generated, just the discovery of the exploit. That said, anyone who wants to unlock in the future should stay away from iOS 4.1, or as the iPhone Dev Team calls it, “the trap.”
Continue reading about Bootrom exploit to jailbreak iOS 4.1 will be tough to close
You Must Also Read:
|
|
|
|
|
Adobe and Apple will probably never be BFFs, but perhaps they can mend fences. Apple on Thursday, and completely out of the blue, mind you, announced that it had “relaxed restrictions on the development tools used to create iOS apps.” Even more surprising, it said it would be “publishing app review guidelines.”
The development tools changes come months after Apple tools such as the one that would allow developers to cross-compile code written for Adobe’s Flash into native iOS apps. As Apple will not otherwise allow Flash on iOS, it would be the only way for any such apps to appear there. Admitteldy, it is a hacky solution, but it is something, at least. In effect, it’s not like the iPhone now embraces Flash, as Android does, but it at least allows it.
The original change to the SDK license said that, if developers wanted to publish software for iOS, they must use Apple’s Objective-C-based tools, and nothing else. This, of course, really set off developers. The new rules are embodied in these two paragraphs which are from a press release Apple issued:
We are continually trying to make the App Store even better. We have listened to our developers and taken much of their feedback to heart. Based on their input, today we are making some important changes to our iOS Developer Program license in sections 3.3.1, 3.3.2 and 3.3.9 to relax some restrictions we put in place earlier this year.In particular, we are relaxing all restrictions on the development tools used to create iOS apps, as long as the resulting apps do not download any code. This should give developers the flexibility they want, while preserving the security we need.
This is probably less about iPhone Flash, and more about Game Center. After all, many of these games will use cross-platform 3D game engine, such as the Unreal Engine used in the Epic Citadel demo. Before this change, they would have been technically banned by the old policies.
More startling, however is the fact that Apple has finally chosen to release the App Store review guidelines. Many have criticized Apple over lack of transparency in this area. On the other hand, it’s not necessarily the guidelines themselves that are the issue, but their interpretation. For example, the banning of a (later added) app from a Pulitzer Prize winning cartoonist was probably not a good idea. Here are some bullet points from the intro page of the document:
- We have lots of kids downloading lots of apps, and parental controls don’t work unless the parents set them up (many don’t). So know that we’re keeping an eye out for the kids (this is the clause that Apple points to when saying Android is for porn).
- We have over 250,000 apps in the App Store. We don’t need any more Fart apps. If your app doesn’t do something useful or provide some form of lasting entertainment, it may not be accepted.
- If your App looks like it was cobbled together in a few days, or you’re trying to get your first practice App into the store to impress your friends, please brace yourself for rejection. We have lots of serious developers who don’t want their quality Apps to be surrounded by amateur hour.
- We will reject Apps for any content or behavior that we believe is over the line. What line, you ask? Well, as a Supreme Court Justice once said, “I’ll know it when I see it”. And we think that you will also know it when you cross it.
- If your app is rejected, we have a Review Board that you can appeal to. If you run to the press and trash us, it never helps.
- This is a living document, and new apps presenting new questions may result in new rules at any time. Perhaps your app will trigger this.
Apple used the “amateur hour” phrase again! They last used that when poking at YouTube on living room sets, which is part of what Google TV will consist of. They also indicated, no more fart apps, please, which we believe many would agree with.
Although this is the first time Apple has published these guidelines, many of the rules were already known. Still, it’s nice to see them in one place.
Another thing struck off the iPhone wish list. Now, how about a Verizon iPhone and sideloading?
You can read the App Store Guidelines, as of Sept. 9, 2010, embedded below. They will, of course, change in the future. Current copies can be found at the App Store Resource Center, which requires a developer account to access.
App Store Guidelines, as of Sept. 9, 2010
You Must Also Read:
|
|
|
|
|
Is T-Mobile about to receive an iPhone present, according to a Tweet from a Wired magazine editor, but strangely, they will receive only the iPhone 3GS, not the iPhone 4. The post, from Chris Anderson said:
A T-Mobile manager casually mentioned to me that they’re going to get the iPhone 3GS (but not 4, oddly) later this year. Common knowledge?
In fact, it would not be common knowledge, but it has been rumored that the iPhone would come to T-Mobile. It would be far easier for the iPhone to be ported to another GSM network than a CDMA network such as Verizon’s. However, the twist of the iPhone 3GS only is not one that anyone has spoken about before.
It’s also strange that Anderson would simply tweet the info, rather than have it written up by one of his writers. As BusinessInsider said,
Even though the tweet comes from Anderson, we wonder about its accuracy. If he really put faith in what this T-Mobile manager said, why not give the tip to one of Wired’s reporters to fill out the story? Why not ask them if it’s common knowledge?
AT&T continues to sell last year’s model as the lowest-priced iPhone, an 8GB iPhone 3GS, along with the iPhone 4. This is similar to last year, when the carrier continued to sell the iPhone 3G along with the iPhone 3GS.
While T-Mobile iPhone issues have emerged of late, it’s always been the Verizon iPhone rumors that have been strongest. The latest rumors are that Verizon will see an iPhone in Q1 2011.
Continue reading about T-Mobile to get iPhone, but only iPhone 3GS?
You Must Also Read:
|
|
|
|
|
iOS 4.1 is set to release today, based on reports, as well as an accidental early leak from Apple’s UK site last week. That screenshot, captured above before Apple removed it, said that iOS 4.1 was coming this week. Despite the anticipation over features like Game Center and some say, “don’t do it (update); it’s a trap.”
It is the iPhone Dev Team, the group responsible for most of the jailbreaking activity around iOS, that warns that iOS 4.1 is “a trap.” The reason is because there is no jailbreak, as yet, for 4.1. Jailbreaking allows the installation of apps that are useful (such as a useful lock screen). It also allows unlocking of the device, but only in certain circumstances.
Here’s what the iPhone Dev Team reminds users:
Today you’ll likely start seeing iTunes innocently offer you a new version of iOS … version 4.1. Don’t accept it…it’s a trap! (note: this will occur when you plug your iPhone into your computer and iTunes starts, then next time it checks for an update).This time of year there are lots of new iPhone owners, and not everybody knows that accepting new iOS updates is the surest way to lose your jailbreak and/or unlock. While those of you who have Cydia or TinyUmbrella backups of your FW hashes will always be able to get back to 4.0.1 if you make this mistake, this doesn’t hold for unlockers. There’s currently no known way to revert your baseband — if you update your baseband you’ll lose the ultrasn0w unlock, possible forever.
Please stay away from this 4.1 release until a safe jailbreak procedure (which also preserves ultrasn0w) is developed and released.
P.S. There are a tiny number of iPhone3G owners who can revert their basebands due to a flaw in very early bootloaders…you will already know if you fit in this category!
If you don’t know about Cydia or TinyUmbrella, you probably haven’t jailbroken your iPhone or iPod touch. The key is that once your baseband code is changed, the iPhone Dev Team’s ultrasn0w, which is used to unlock your device so you can use other carrier’s SIMs, may not be able to work on your device.
The U.S. Library of Congress recently issued a DMCA exemption that includes jailbreaking and unlocking. Thus, both of these are legal. While they do void your warranty, that’s only if Apple detects you have done so, and you can easily unjailbreak your device (assuming it’s not bricked, of course).
As for why they refer to iOS 4.0.1 above, rather than iOS 4.0.2, which is the latest code already released, it’s because they warned the same thing about 4.0.2 as they are currently doing for iOS 4.1 (that is, do not upgrade). 4.0.2 was simply to fix a security flaw, nothing else, and a patch was released for jailbroken iPhones, as well as older devices that Apple did not patch, that had the same effect.
iOS 4.1 does, of course, have some nice changes. None of them are game-changers however, although changes for the iPhone 3G do significantly improve its performance on iOS 4.1 vs. earlier iOS 4 versions. Aside from that, however, there’s no reason a jailbreaker shouldn’t wait for the Dev Team to do its work.
This story was first posted as “iOS 4.1 set to release, but jailbreakers warn “it’s a trap”” at HULIQ.com, by the same author.
Continue reading about Jailbreakers and unlockers reminded to wait on iOS 4.1 update
You Must Also Read:
|
|
|
|
|
Google Voice has a new feature. While you can already get notifications emailed to you if you have a voicemail left at your Google Voice number, what if you miss a call? Now that can be emailed to you as well.
It’s another new feature for Google Voice, which let’s you have one or more phones rung (or the call sent directly to VM) when someone calls your Google Voice number. If you miss a call, you can have a notification in your Google Voice inbox, or emailed to you, or both.
All you have to do is go into your Google Voice settings, under the Calls tab, and at the bottom you will see the Missed Calls section at the bottom.
It’s a nice addition to an already great service. Now if we could only get full support on the iPhone (although support on Android is just fine, thank you.)
Continue reading about Missed call notifications come to Google Voice
You Must Also Read:
|
|
|
|
|
