If you enjoy your iPhone and iPod Touch but you wish you could install third-party applications in them, there's an easy way to do so now. A group of hackers have come up with an easy way to jailbreak these Apple units and it really works.

Jailbreaking your iPhone or iPod Touch allows you full access to the disk, enabling you to do pretty much anything you want to with it. The hacker group responsible for this exploit includes hdm/metasploit, rezn, dinopio, drudge, kroo, pumpkin, davidc, dunham, and NerveGas.

Installing jailbreak can be done either via wi-fi or EDGE, though most users prefer wi-fi due to higher success rates. If you want to jailbreak, the first step is done by visiting their site through Safari and confirming that you want it in your system.

Once you do that, read the directions and tap Install Appsnap. Safari should disappear and you'll end up on the main Home screen. That means you're good to go.

There are instances that Safari would hang and you'll have to quit and hold home, then try again. After that, you'll be guided to some pretty simple steps and you're home free. Your iPhone or iPod Touch has been unlocked and you can have fun with all the third-party applications you can get hold of.

The iPod was a success - the iPhone was a success - the iPod Touch is a success. The effect? The word is spreading and the Mac is more popular than ever: research indicates that the company may move to become third strongest computer company in the US when it releases its latest quarterly report.

Currently, Apple may be moving at a faster pace than Microsoft which took nearly seven years to launch the Vista after Windows XP. Apple, on the other hand, is releasing a new operating system almost every year. Their latest, the Leopard version of the OS X, will actually be released this Friday.

Steve Jobs, on comparing the Vista and Leopard, commented that Apple's gives more value for money than Microsoft's Ultimate Edition (Vista's most elite version): "Everybody gets the Ultimate edition and it sells for 129 bucks, [...] the Ultimate edition of Vista [...] sells for 250 bucks."

Apple is particularly popular for its laptops. Two-thirds of a Apple machines sold in the US are laptops. In terms of revenue, Apple already outstripped the competition (because their machines are [generally] more expensive). A lot of their consumers are former Windows users who have crossed over to the other side, partly in thanks to the success of the iPod and iPhone.

The research firm Gartner has forecasted that Apple will rise 37% in the market. And if Leopard continues the tradition and sweeps the market off its feet, what's Apple's plan? Upgrades. Lots of product upgrades for the Leopard that might last for as long as a decade, says Jobs.

iPod owners will be happy to know that crispSofties has recently released a new build for the iPod.iTunes tool for your Apple iPod. For the guys asking what this does, it synchronizes your iPod and computer, and evaluates the source for songs, videos and/or playlists (either from your machine or from the iPod) and only adds these.

And unlike the iPod's default auto-update function, iPod.iTunes doesn't delete content in its target, and can  transfer song-dependent data like My Rating, Last Played, Album Artwork, and more. This latest build is now at version 3.6.1 - we'll post a sample of the current changelog to give you an idea about what's been improved:

• Version 3.6.1
• For slower Macs with large iTunes libraries some functions have higher timeout values.
• Version 3.6
• iPod.iTunes has now the ability to update itself, as soon a newer release is available. This is done with one single click, making it much more easy to update the application. So I can release more often fixes/changes as soon they are done. If an update is available, you are presented by a list of the changes between your current version and the new version.
• Connecting/disconnecting iPods: No need to relaunch iPod.iTunes any longer to recognize an iPod.
• Synchronization to iPod: A possible "No more space left on iPod"-message (when there was space) will no longer appear.
• Mac OS 10.3.9: Fixed a possible problem regarding the recognition of the iTunes library file.
• Some fixes regarding the program flow.
• Various smaller changes in the user interface (mostly message texts).
• Version 3.5.2
• Compatibility for iTunes 7.4.2
  

Before you download this tool, keep in mind that iPod.iTunes reportedly does not work on either the iPod shuffle or the iPod Touch. There are two version available: One if for Mac OS X 10.3.9 to 10.4.10, the other is for Mac OS X 10.2.8 to 10.3.8. The downloads are available at the crispSofties site, via the read link.

An official Apple software development kit (SDK) intended for third-party software developers on the iPhone was confirmed when Apple CEO Steve Jobs' latest blog entry at Apple's site said they planned to have the SDK in developers' hands by February 2008. Jobs said it would take at least that long to strike a compromise between security and freedom. Later, it was revealed that the SDK would permit development for the iPod Touch, too.

Now these are things that other companies have had to face with their own growing homebrew communities, and Apple will be no exception to the rule. Jobs continued:

This is no easy task. Some claim that viruses and malware are not a problem on mobile phonesÂ?this is simply not true. There have been serious viruses on other mobile phones already, including some that silently spread from phone to phone over the cell network. As our phones become more powerful, these malicious programs will become more dangerous. And since the iPhone is the most advanced phone ever, it will be a highly visible target.

Jobs iterated that there will be some form of control that will be implemented, but there will be enough freedom to expand the breadth of applications possible on the iPhone. But that said, some restrictions may arise from striking a balance between protection and open platforms. Apple's wonder guy said, "While [control] makes such a phone less than 'totally open,' we believe it is a step in the right direction."

Developer xxDriveNxx has recently released an application iPod video owners here may want to take a look at. It's a modified firmware that will enable your iPod Video to handle like Apple's iPod Classic series of players. There are two version of this file for download: One is for the iPod 5.0Gs, the other is for the iPod 5.5Gs. The 5G version is currently at 1.0, while the release 5.5 is now at version 1.0.2, and carries these tweaks since 1.0:

• Photos menu and some pictures fixed
• Resource/image only versions have just been uploaded!
• Search is fully fixed, and BG image updated again!
  

Before you get started uploading this custom fw to your iPod, however, we advise the users to follow xxDriveNxx's several reminders:

• Make sure you have the correct firmware for your ipod. If you have a 5g get the 5g firmware. If you have a 5.5g get the 5.5g firmware.
• Make sure your using the latest version of IpodWizard (1.3.7).
• Make sure no other programs are accessing your ipod at the time of writing the firmware. Including Itunes.
• Make sure you give IpodWizard time to write the firmware, it will alert you when the writing is complete.
• Safely eject your ipod with the "Eject" button in IpodWizard.
  

Aside from xxDriveNxx, full credits for this firmware also go to developers H3X, bounci.rabbit.123, vettefan, saXas, matthew98, and supernatural. We advise users to view their bundle's readme for further details.

Download: iPod Classic to iPod Video 5G (v1.0)
Download: iPod Classic to iPod Video 5.5G (v1.0.2)

The first release of iJailbreak for the iPod Touch is here. For those who are new with the "jailbreaking" scene, it was first started by Niacin, Dre, Martyn, NerveGas, and the rest of their team. They had created a preliminary jailbreak for the iPhone and iPod Touch. The release today is of iJailbreak v0.2.1 - a jailbreaking application built on the preliminary hack from last week.

iJailbreak is a program that you run on your Mac OS X Tiger - yeah, as for now, the Power PC users would have to sit and wait a bit -  so that you can basically "free up" you iPod Touch to allow third party applications. What's interesting here is that it was coded by AriX, a 13 year old!

You can download the app below and install it on your Mac. Just be careful with working on this as there have already been reports of freeze ups. If anything happens, you can still always restore your iPod back to factory default settings using iTunes.

Download: iJailbreak v0.2.1

If you walk down a normally busy street you're sure to end up meeting a couple of people fiddling around with their iPod or other Apple-related product. In fact, there probably isn't a single place in the civilized world that hasn't been been infected by Apple's gadget fever. It's no wonder that it won so many awards during the recent T3 Gadgets Award, with the iPod named the Best Gadget of All Time.

The firm brought home a monumental six awards that night. Asides from the iPod, Apple's other gadgets were bestowed their own prestigious accolades. The iPhone won the Most Anticipated for 2008, while iTunes was named Best Download Service. Apple's MacBook Pro laptop also took the coveted Drop Dead Gorgeous Award.

Of course, it was the iPod that stole the limelight from everyone else as it won other awards asides from the Best Gadget of All Time, including Best Commuter Gadget and Best Music Gadget.

Michael Brook, Editor of T3 Magazine had this to say about Apple after the awards:

Apple really does appear to be an unstoppable force right now. The iPhone and the iPod Touch may have received some mixed press at times, but consumers are salivating over the products and the company is still unshakeable. The iPod is not just a true tech icon but also a huge factor in bringing technology to the mainstream.

Apple has launched a web apps directory for the iPhone and iPod Touch which compiles various websites designed specifically for the 3.5 inch touch screen of both units.

These include access to Digg, ESPN, Facebook, and other various websites. Web application developers should take note that they can also submit their original work to Apple.

If they like it and passes their standards, then they'll place it up on the site for other users to enjoy. As of this article's writing there are 215 applications available on the directory, so you will probably find something there that you'll want.

This was a great idea from Apple, and will undoubtedly make life much easier for many people who regularly surf the web with their iPhone or iTouch. If we may add, this also seems the company's answer to the unprecedented number of underground programs springing up left and right.

If you want to know more about the service, click on the Read link below.

 

iPod Touch users who've been wondering why the iPhone can add and edit calendar events and the iPod Touch can't shouldn't worry anymore: a future update would soon resolve that problem, because Apple CEO Steve Jobs supposedly said so. David J. Early brought up fine arguments about sorely missed iPod features in an email message sent to Apple's wonder guy, and received a reply that went:

Nothing can be done about the games. The new iPod touch is a completely different animal inside than the old iPods and the games just don't translate. The inability to edit or add calendar events is a bug that will be fixed in a future software update.

With that said, let's not get too hasty and wait for the next software update notice to pop up from your iTunes suite, because some speculate that the fix may be a week away. The email reply did not address points raised on the iPod disk mode, image syncing, and the storage of notes, however.

 

We spotted something in the Nike website which some of you non-couch potatoes out there might like. It's the Nike Amp Sport Remote Control and it's good to go with your iPod Nano anytime, anywhere. So if you thought that gadgets didn't go well with sports, think again.

The Amp is basically a water resistant watch that can connect to your iPod to control it when you're too tied up to tinker with it when in the sweat shop. The LED screen is specifically designed for the Apple iPod with all its icons and buttons to allow a minimal familiarization curve. Last but not the least, the Amp monitors your runs and progress if you ever decide to get Nike shoes and connect them to it.

The Nike Amp Sport Remote Control is listed in at the price of US$ 79.00 on the site. If you work out better with beats that make the activities a breeze, go for this one and sweat those inches away.