Take on OWLE team, add a hack into the iPhone dock connector, and what do you get? According to TechCrunch:

The latest prototype that OWLE has developed, which is different than what they start shipping tomorrow, allows you to use lenses with depth of field and telephoto effects, XLR microphones (both wired and wireless microphones), stereo microphones and more. Basically, it allows you to plug in any professional audio equipment that filmmakers use, on your iPhone. The mics are plugged in through the 30 pin, and the telephoto lens was cobbled together.

RED likely need not be fearful… yet!

This is a story by the iPhone Blog. This feed is sponsored by The iPhone Blog Store.

Monday Fun Video: OWLE Hacks iPhone into Near-Broadcast Quality Video Rig

UPDATE 2: Apple comments to Digital Daily:

“As we’ve said before, newer versions of Apple’s iTunes software may no longer provide syncing functionality with unsupported digital media players.”

UPDATE 1: PreCentral.net is back with the low-down on how Palm re-enabled iTunes sync in webOS 1.2.1:

by setting its Manufacturer to Apple and also perhaps by changing the USB Product ID to the iPod Video’s (they even changing the serial number that appears when you plug it in with Media Sync).

ORIGINAL: Palm has just updated their software to webOS 1.2.1, and according to PreCentral.net, the changelog reads “Resolves an issue preventing media sync from working with latest version of iTunes (9.0.1)”

Congrats Palm, just after we went and praised you for finally putting users ahead of your own ego, for spending your limited resources on solidifying your own software rather than hacking someone elses, after the USB-IF slapped the hand you yourself raised, you went ahead and showed your desire for blog press and whatever “daddy issues” exist between you and Apple, Rubinstein and Jobs, are what’s most important to you. Kudos. Golf clap.

Bored now.

This is a story by the iPhone Blog. This feed is sponsored by The iPhone Blog Store.

UPDATED: Palm webOS 1.2.1 Re-Hacks iTunes 9 Sync

Wired.com talks to Jonathan Zdziarski, iPhone developer, hacker, forensics teacher, finder of the iPhone kill switch, creator of the AMBER alert app, about the iPhone 3GS‘ new hardware encryption, recently touted as giving consumers “enterprise-class” security. His take? It’s implemented so poorly it can be cracked in two minutes, “like storing all your secret messages right next to the secret decoder ring”.

To steal an iPhone’s disk image, hackers can use popular jailbreaking tools such as Red Sn0w and Purple Ra1n to install a custom kernel on the phone. Then, the thief can install an Secure Shell (SSH) client to port the iPhone’s raw disk image across SSH onto a computer.

We’ve heard before that Jailbreaking strips away security layers on the iPhone, though that’s been in the context of the users own device. This is using the Jailbreak process to actively get at another device’s data.

Is Apple going to change the way they implement their hardware-based iPhone 3GS encryption in light of this? Can the current model be made more robust? And what, if any, changes made to keep bad guys out of the iPhone will effect users who simply want to gain access to their own iPhones?

[Thanks to Antony for the tip!]

This is a story by the iPhone Blog. This feed is sponsored by The iPhone Blog Store.

iPhone 3GS Hardware Encryption “Useless”?

Palm Pre got webOS 1.1 today and the surprise feature was that it re-hacks iTunes sync, once and for all proving Palm’s new management — in this area — cares more about thumbing their nose at Apple and strutting in front of the press than they do about Palm and the Pre user base.

Yeah, this will be an editorial of the scathing variety. You’ve been warned…

Palm got an astounding and impressive number of things right with webOS. The multitasking is great, the notifications sublime, the SDK a stroke of genius, and the Classic emulator smart, smart, smart. Palm’s done so much so right, it’s flabbergasting that they’ve handled iTunes sync so boneheadedly wrong.

What’s so wrong about it? It doesn’t serve the webOS/Palm Pre user. Bottom line, no company should ever base a user experience on something they don’t own or license. Regardless of caveats like version numbers, Palm telling Pre users they can sync with iTunes when Palm can’t guarantee it will work going forward is irresponsible.

RIM/BlackBerry and Nokia, by contrast, sync with the iTunes XML file which won’t break if iTunes updates. Sure, it’s not the way an iPod syncs, but then they aren’t — and the Palm Pre isn’t — and iPod.

We’ve spoken before about user confusion. Stick a Palm Pre into iTunes and it pretends to be an iPod, but it can’t sync iTunes movies, can’t sync App Store apps. That breaks the user experience (my mother has no idea what DRM is, but she sure knows what “not working” is). And if iTunes is updated and, even if purely by accident, Palm Pre can no longer sync, it shatters the user experience. (”No, see mom, Apple and Palm are like rivals and– yes, I know you can’t get your ABBA to play. Sigh. Again–”)

See, we’re not talking about pro level users here. This isn’t DVD Jon hacking iTunes DRM and experts going in to set up the sync themselves. That’s closer to Jailbreak, you roll your own dice and takes your own chances.

We’re talking about average users who go in thinking they can sync with iTunes just like an iPod. That’s incredibly unfair to them.

So why is Palm doing it? First, it’s important to remember current Palm CEO Jon Rubinstein was formerly head of the iPod division at Apple, and brought a lot of iPod and iPhone engineers (and PR people) with him to work on webOS and the Pre. That’s reportedly caused some animosity between Palm and Apple. Second, look at all the press it generates for them.

Even putting aside whether Palm, with all that iPod brain trust, could prove reverse-engineering in a clean room, it comes off as looking like they did it to show they could, and to get the required action from Apple to generate buzz and attention.

The original hack was just a USB masquerade and was easy for Apple to stop. This hack, while currently unidentified, is likely deeper and perhaps not as trivial. That makes the first hack look like a sacrificial pawn in a chess gambit, with the second (and third, fourth?) more like Bishops and Queens lined up, ready and waiting.

But Palm isn’t playing with game pieces, they’re playing with that average user who just wants a reliable sync solution for his or her (or moms!) media. Palm is putting that user behind their own ego — to show up former big boss Apple — and attention seeking — to hook the blogsphere in riveting rounds of cat and mouse posts.

And that’s not right. It’s not right for Apple, who’ll get blamed for Palm’s manipulations. It’s not right for Palm who is better than this, and has created an otherwise exemplary new platform. It’s not right for the engineers on both sides who waste time hacking and patching unlicensed sync rather than working on great new features. And it’s absolutely not right for Palm Pre users who deserve that BlackBerry or Nokia quality sync experience, legitimately for their very own.

How about it Palm, how about we re-task those engineers into making a great iTunes Library XML sync for all the users who stuck by the original Palm, through the years in the desert, and into the clouds?

This is a story by the iPhone Blog. This feed is sponsored by The iPhone Blog Store.

Palm Re-Hacks iTunes Sync, Shows They Care More About Ego and Press Than Pre Users

Turns out all you need is an old PDA keyboard, the iPhone 2.0 SDK, and a dream. Okay, that, plus tons of smarts and hackery. Hey, at least this one isn’t as hard as the previous workaround we saw. Says Ars Technica:

The work is built on a 1200 baud modem that connects to the iPhone via the headphone port. This allows two-way transmission of data using frequency shift keying, the same method used in early modems. This modem was modified to accept input from infrared and USB connected devices, allowing the use of a keyboard. Further, a 2.0 SDK-compliant terminal app enables text input.

Will Apple ever open up the iPhone to real Bluetooth keyboard support? They did just announce A2DP Stereo, P2P, and SDK access for peripherals at the iPhone 3.0 Sneak Peek event, but not keyboards… Are we waiting on a special Apple designed iPhone keyboard to make an appearance at WWDC perhaps? Or will hacking continue to be the only game in town?

This is a story by the iPhone Blog. This feed is sponsored by The iPhone Blog Store.

External iPhone Keyboard Hack Now 100% Jailbreak Free

As our forums keep gaining more and more members the threads just keep getting better. Here are some of the latest and greatest Jailbreak-related threads from the forums today!

The first thread is a pretty straight forward poll, are you Jailbroken or not? As of right now the amount of members Jailbroken are way ahead of those who choose not to. So what about you?

Next thread comes to us from BKSinAZ, and he asked the following question. If he is using AT&T, is there any reason to jailbreak? I’m sure all of our readers who are currently Jailbroken can give BKSinAZ some reasons on why he should.

A lot has been said recently about the legality of Jailbreaking your iPhone. So is it a surprise that there are a few threads revolving around that topic? Be sure to check these two threads out: Jailbreak Illegal – What now? Restore? and Apple Says Jailbreaking is Illegal.

For everything that is Jailbreaking Apps… be sure to check out the forums iPhone Jailbreak Apps section. You will just begin to scratch the surface of what is exactly available to you.

In order to discuss these topics on TiPb forums you must be registered, which you can do right here, and it will only take a minute of your time.

See you on the forums!

This is a story by the iPhone Blog. This feed is sponsored by The iPhone Blog Store.

From the Forums: Jailbreak Edition

The inimitable iJustine has tastily blog snacked about an App Store goodie named frostyplace (iTunes / $0.99), a Japanese RSS reader that by-the-way works around the iPhone’s limitation of only allowing Emoji (the massive emoticon collection used in Japan that adds to smiley face things like panda bear, train station, and mountain) on it’s official Japanese carrier.

Basically, you download and install the app, use it to browse some Japanese RSS feeds (i had to do it for a couple minutes, exiting and re-doing it 3 times), and then the Emoji option will miraculously appear in your settings and you’re golden.

Check out her site for the details and instructions, but I tried it and it worked for me. Let us know how you do!

This is a story by the iPhone Blog. This feed is sponsored by The iPhone Blog Store.

Emoji Emoticons Enabled for All by frostyplace App!

Ok, I will admit I have never heard of Emoji (“Picture Characters”) until it was announced that iPhone firmware 2.2 would support them. As it turns out, however, the only iPhones that were blessed with this feature were on Japan’s SoftBank network. Until now that is…

Important Note: If you are not familiar with editing code we here at TiPb do not recommended that you try this.

No matter what carrier you are with, you can now apply a hack that was found on Gizmodo that will enable Emoji emoticons. Keep in mind any iPhone will be able to display the icons hacked or not, while “other” phones out there need to support Emoji in order to display them.

You need to edit the file /User/Library/Preferences/com.apple.Preferences.plist on the device -> whether you use a jailbreak to achieve this or merely some iTunes backup editor is up to you. Add the following boolean key as ‘true’: KeyboardEmojiEverywhere. Then merely go to the Keyboards section of the Settings app, hit Japanese, and turn on Emoji. Will work for any text field/view in the OS, including on websites, AND including the titles of items on SpringBoard (e.g. if you save a bookmark to the home screen).

The easiest way to do this would be to Jailbreak and run your iPhone as a SFTP server for editing the config file. Again TiPb does not recommend you try this if you are not familiar with editing code.

[Via Gizmodo]

This is a story by the iPhone Blog. This feed is sponsored by The iPhone Blog Store.

Want Japanese Emoticons? Hack Enables Them On Any iPhone 2.2

While most of us have installed the 2.0.1 update (or, ahem, are still waiting for a backup we started last night to finish so we can install it), there’s a key group of folks that should stay away: Jailbreakers and unlockers. As is always the case when a new update comes out, our advice to these users is to wait and see how the iPhone hacking community responds. Right now, according to iphone-dev [via Engadget Mobile], they appear to be responding with a teensy bit of bravado:

We don’t see any major problems with the release that Apple made, but we have not released an update for PwnageTool for it as yet and therefore PwnageTool 2.0.1 will currently not work!

Their advice is pretty sound and mirrors ours: if you never intend on leaving your carrier, feel free to update away whenever if you don’t mind losing jailbroken apps. If you do (or already have), stay the heck away from updates until things clear up.

What about you? Are you law-abiding and currently enjoying a bug-free existence? Jailbreaker glancing longingly at 2.0.1’s reportedly better keyboard response? Unlocker living on the periphery of the cell phone ‘Verse, staring into the black and in danger of becoming a Reaver? Let us know!

This is a story by the iPhone Blog. This feed is sponsored by The iPhone Blog Store.

2.0.1 ‘Fixes’ Biggest ‘Bug’ of all: Jailbreak and Unlock

So a new employment opportunity popped up at Apple’s job listings the other day and Apple is looking for an experienced iPhone Security Engineer to create “proof of concept” attacks on current security mechanisms and provide risk analysis of potential security threats. Basically, Apple needs an iPhone Hacker to prevent future jailbreaks, unlocks, and security breaches.

So if any of you are good at what you do and want to work for the “good guys”, go give it a try. Apple is trying to ramp up security to protect enterprises who are adopting iPhone 2.0 and more selfishly, protect their own App Store from competition ahem Cydia & Installer. Either way, Apple is getting serious about security and the iPhone.

What do you think?

ReadVia

This is a story by the iPhone Blog. This feed is sponsored by The iPhone Blog Store.

Job Listing: iPhone Security Engineer aka iPhone Hacker