As you all know, iPhone OS 4.0 beta 1 is released to developers.  I will not cover all the new features of iPhone OS 4. Those posts are all over the internet.

But I will give you the standard warnings:

1) This is beta. If you are not a developer using it to develop apps, do not install it.
2) Like all previous major betas, this will probably expire every few weeks requiring you to restore or update.
3) This beta does put a new baseband on your device. If you ever want to unlock, dont touch it.
4) This beta will be slow and buggy. Release is still 4 months off!
5) You may have problems downgrading if you want to do so if you don’t have an SHSH stored etc.

In the meantime, remember you got all the new features already in your jailbreak:

1) 4.0 Multitasking = Install Circuitous / Backgrounder from Cydia.
2) Folders = Install categories / categoriessb out of Cydia
3) Music controls on home screen to control pandora or other = install music controls from cydia. Install backgrounder to background pandora.
4) Background wallpaper changing = Install winterboard or bosspaper and change your wallpaper is many more configurable ways.
5) Spellchecking = Inspell in cydia.

It appears that Apple has released iTunes 9.1. If you are on windows, I would avoid using this. It seems to have problems with blackra1n because blackra1n uses a specific DLL that has changed.  In general, I recommend never updating iTunes. I have v8.0 still and am quite happy not having to update that horrible piece of software.

Anyways, here is a quick summary:

1) Itunes 9.1 is out
2) The new dll will mess up blackra1n running in windows. If you have a tethered jailbreak, you would be unable to rejailbreak after rebooting the iphone with blackra1n. I believe you can use redsn0w but there may be some issues with using redsn0w on an already-blackra1ned device.
3) There may be sync problems with it until you reboot.
4) Redsn0w seems OK with iTunes 9.1. So if you’re using that you should be OK.
5) OSX iTunes seems ok. Problem is blackra1n + windows only.

The old saying applies. If it’s not broken don’t fix it.  If you have already updated itunes, you can get an old version here. Your steps to install an old version are a bit tedius:

1) Uninstall the current itunes
2) reboot
3) Install new itunes

Note: it is probably also possible to locate the old itunes dll files and put them in the blackra1n folder and blackra1n would probably work again.

Note: We just released activator v1.3. With this version, you can select your activation method(s) for SBSettings if you wish to change it to something other than swiping the statusbar. Just don’t get into a situation where you disable it entirely!

I have updated SBSettings toggle pack to v3.0.6. This fixes an issue from last night’s update where if you had disabled EDGE using the EDGE toggle then updated with EDGE turned off, there was no way to reenable it because the new Data toggle uses another method to enable data.  In addition, I have added back the EDGE toggle by request. I guess the thing actually did work for some people. Go figure. Now you can choose which one to use. No need for both. Pick one and go with it. If EDGE works for you, use that as it behaves much better. If not, Data should definitely work although is much slower on reenable plus if you have a sim pin, data toggle will require you to reenter your pin since it resets carrier connection.

Bosspaper got another update tonight. I have added a button at the bottom of the configuration app to choose your aspect ratio. Your choices are:

1) Stretch – stretches the image to fill the screen regardless of aspect ratio. (This is how bosspaper has been all along.

2) Zoom – Keeps aspect ratio and fills the screen. It will possibly crop off part of the image if the image is not the right size.

3) Fit – Keeps the aspect ratio of the images but if the image does not fill the screen you may have black bars above and below the image.

I have added a special repo for beta testing SBSettings. In it, I have put an update to SBSettings and SBSettings toggles. I am looking for testers that are interested in testing things out. However, there are some rules you must agree to before doing this:

1) This is a beta repo. It should never be given out. It must never appear in any “all sources” packages. As soon as that happens, the repo will be removed. Steffwiz / pwncenter already *ruined* my last beta repo.

2) If you install anything from this repo, you are not going to look for tech support. You will need to be able to send syslogs if there are any springboard crashes or major problems. You can do so with logmailer. If you do not know how to do these things, please do not install the beta repo.

3) If there are issues, you must be capable of describing them well with details and willing to work through them to solve the problems rather than just reverting to an old version with “it didnt work”.

4) As this is beta software, I cannot guarantee its stable (although its working well for me and initial testers). Therefore, if you have a 3gs with no 3.1.2 SHSH stored in Cydia, I suggest you do not bother with the beta tests as long as there is no 3.1.3 jailbreak out.

Ok now that has been said, if you are interested in testing and helping out, please add the repo at this address: http://thebigboss.org/betarepo

Whats new so far:

• Added app sorting in hidden icons and dock applications section of more app.

• Added ability to switch to max 2 rows. This keeps smaller window for those that want it. Find the option in extras in more app. On firmwares 2.x max of 8 toggles would be the limit. On 3.x you would be able to scroll pages.

• Added “App Folders” section to the more app to get the path to a specific app folder. Useful for trying to fiddle with appstore apps that have cryptic locations.

• Added Activator support. You must have rpetrich’s activator v1.3 or newer. Also beta. We are waiting on the thumbs up from the sbsettings beta test and then this all goes live.
  
• Removed EDGE toggle which only worked on 2.x devices and replaced it with DATA toggle that should work on all devices.
  

It looks like Geohot has announced that he has a working jailbreak for 3.1.3 which he plans to release on the next major release (3.2 or iPad or such, not 3.1.3). The really good news for us all is that it is untethered which means all of you out there with the new tethered bootrom will be able to get a real jailbreak in the next few weeks. Of course we will announce here when it is out.

For more info and a funny video demonstrating it, you can view Geohots blog.

Of course, it won’t be released for 3.1.3. Since 3.1.3 is so worthless, there is no point giving Apple another exploit to close until after the next release is out that is actually worth something.

Today, developer TheZimm has released a very cool free task switcher called Circuitous. Mainly for 3gs users that have enough memory to background apps, Circuitous + Backgrounder make a fantastic team. Current version requires you to install backgrounder manually, but the next update will auto install it for you if its not installed.

As you may know, there are severe limitations imposed on AppStore apps. One of these is “no background processes.” This means that if you have an app, such as a music streamer, and you press home to do something else such as check your email, the app is closed out. You are disconnected. Your music stops playing.

Backgrounder is an attempt to fix this. Backgrounder allows you to select an app that you want to allow to run in the background. Then when you press home, that app will keep running. Perfect for an IRC app (try flowchat + backgrounder) or such that you do not want to get disconnected everytime you tap the home key. This adds critical functionality that you cannot get unless you jailbreak! On 3gs, you have plenty of memory to use this fully!

Circuitous is another launcher / manager that goes along with backgrounder to let switching tasks be easy and elegant:

With this you can background and kill apps easily. While composing an email, quickly look something up on the web without closing your email program. Uses are endless.

I have removed the firmware 313 spoofer from Cydia and instead placed a firmware 313 spoofer *app* into Cydia. This time, rather than rely on cydia to copy the files, I have an app that will let you load it and toggle the firmware from 3.1.2 to 3.1.3. Note that it does require a reboot after toggling in order for this to take effect. In hindsight, having Cydia copy the files was a bad idea because it seems Cydia has crashed on some installs or the scripts have not completed for some reason causing problems on uninstall. The new app will solve that as it removes all the scripts from cydia.

The app still just edits the file at /System/Library/CoreServices/SystemVersion.plist, which you can manually edit if you so choose.

If you installed the previous version of firmware spoofer, I suggest you do not remove it (ever) as there was a bug in the uninstall script that could remove your firmware plist. Just use this new app instead to select which firmware you want. Selecting 3.1.2 and rebooting is equivalent to uninstalling the old tweak

App is basic but functional:

And some quick comments to some questions I keep getting:
1) No, this does not actually update your firmware to 3.1.3
2) No this does not impact tethering tweaks or other tweaks. It just changes the *reported* firmware version
3) No this does not break your unlock or cause “no service”

Remember that you have to reboot for this to take effect even though the settings app shows the version change immediately.

Final note: if you want this to remain permanent you can uninstall the app after selecting the firmware so you don’t have to have the icon. The last firmware you have chosen will remain. If you wish to change it later you can always reinstall the app and change it again.

Edit: Today (March 10) I have removed this in exchange for an actual app that does the same thing but does not rely on cydia to copy the files. See “Firmware 3.1.3 App” in cydia, which is probably much safer and should fix / repair the problems some of you have had.

Today I released a firmware spoofer called “Firmware 3.1.3″. This of course doesn’t really update you to firmware 3.1.3. But since firmware 3.1.2 and 3.1.3 are so identical minus the jailbreak, it is close enough. If you install this then reboot, iTunes will even show you as running 3.1.3 and will stop bugging you.

This is perfect for setting up someone else’s iPhone that may accidentally update to 3.1.3 because it prevents iTunes from hounding you or prompting you for an update.

This also allows all those iTunes 3.1.3 only apps to install and work. I believe there are no actual API changes between iTunes 3.1.2 and 3.1.3, therefore this should allow all 3.1.3 apps to run.

Note: This does not really update you to 3.1.3. Instead it just tricks your device into thinking you are updated by updating the file at /System/Library/CoreServices/SystemVersion.plist. In general, I think firmware spoofing is a bad idea. But this is a unique time where many users are accidentally updating and losing their jailbreak. Therefore, this package will help prevent that.

Only supported on 3.1.2 since 3.1.3 and 3.1.2 are virtually the same. If you want to spoof firmware other than 3.1.2, you can manually edit the file listed above (assuming you know how). But do not expect everything to work fine doing this. Some apps require the newer firmware.

Uninstall to revert to firmware 3.1.2.

For those of you using Cydia, it got a pretty big speed upgrade today. In Cydia you will find updates for some APT packages (up to 3 depending on what you have installed). Make sure you take these essential updates. It should dramatically reduce the time “reloading” dialog is present.

I have pushed v2.99.4 out which is mainly to add the enhanced icon selector screen. Those of you on older devices like 2g, 3g with lower memory may have experienced a lot of crashing trying to select an icon for a folder. The more icon addon packs you install, the worse the problem was.

This version of categories changes the behavior by separating the icons into icon packs. Now when you select an icon, you will be given a list of icon themes. You select that and only view the icons in that theme. This way less icons are loaded at a time and you should avoid running out of memory.

Here is how it looks:

To anyone making an icon pack, icon locations have moved, and existing icon packs need to be updated. I have updated all the ones I host. Icons go in /var/mobile/Library/Categories/Icons/packname folder. Please try to keep the icons in the folder under 100 and group them together if you have a lot of icons.

Update: Appsidy will issue a refund to everyone that bought this in the next 5-7 days.

Today some developer released a “pay” package called “Vroom” which sounded too good to be true. Unfortunately, it is. Do not install this package. Not only does it not do what it claims, but it is also somewhat dangerous and will wear out your iPhone with limited use. Read below for details. (Note: Zodttd has removed this package from Cydia, but it may creep up somewhere else).

First, this package claims to speed up your iphone, increase your free memory by managing your daemons, and increase your battery usage. Sounds amazing right? Who wouldnt want this?

So what does it really do? It enables memory swap on your device.

What are the results of memory swap on your device? The free memory will appear to be better. That’s because it is using your disk as memory.  But that’s not all. This package is actually just a stolen file that is already on your device, renamed. So that means the “developer” decided to take a file off his iPhone, rename it, and sell it to you for $1.99.

Here is proof that the file is stolen. The original file is dynamic_pager that is provided by Apple in your /sbin folder. The new file from this app is called Vroom_data. Check out the md5sum of both proving that the files are identical:

BigBoss-iPhone:~ root# md5sum /sbin/dynamic_pager
e57afa9289e98fbd336eff14b996370a  /sbin/dynamic_pager
BigBoss-iPhone:~ root# md5sum /sbin/Vroom_data
e57afa9289e98fbd336eff14b996370a  /sbin/Vroom_data

Ok so the package is fraud.

But if you already have dynamic_pager, whats the harm in enabling it? The reason you don’t want memory swap enabled on your iPhone is this:

1) Memory swap will create a disk file on your flash disk. The CPU will need to spend I/O cycles reading and writing to this disk file. The I/O cycles will cost you battery because it takes battery power to do disk writes.

2) Flash disk has limited life span. They say some 100,000 writes per sector then it is dead. Having a swap file running will be quickly writing to the same sectors wearing out your flash disk.

3) Writing to a page file takes some CPU cycles.

Now, lets examine the developer’s claims and compare them to what the package actually does:

Claim #1: Increases memory.  Sort of. It creates a disk swap. Result is iphone will appear to have more memory. Some apps may crash less. This isn’t all bad. (I think I will release a free package that enables disk swap with a strong warning on it for those that want this).

Claim #2: Manages your daemons. FALSE / lies. It is the apple dynamic_pager file. It does only that. It does not manage your daemons.

Claim #3: It speeds up your device: FALSE. In fact, disk swap actually slows down the device because there are extra disk write used in order to access memory.

Claim #4: It provides better battery performance: FALSE. In fact it actually causes your battery to drain faster because of the disk write I/O cycles and the extra CPU required.

Claim #5: It allows your iPhone to boot at 2% rather than 15% battery. FALSE. This is built into the device not the iPhone OS. (Just like DFU mode). You cannot make changes to this.

Claim #6: It allows your iPhone to run until there is 1% battery rather than 5% before it shuts off. FALSE. See #5 above.

Finally, the package in Cydia was packaged incorrectly. Daemon plist was owned by user 1000. Launchctl will not load any daemon not owned by root. This caused the daemon to not start. With that bug, the paging system is not even enabled resulting in no change in performance! (LOL again). Anyone claiming to install this and finding a boost in speed, battery, etc is experiencing the placebo effect.

This all reminds me of the scam last year with the fake app I dont crash. At least that guy wasn’t trying to charge you money.

Note: enabling memory swap also seems to break google maps app.

So to all your 3.1.3 3GS users that cant jailbreak, this is a reminder to you. Update your computer’s hosts file right now to point to Saurik’s server. This should be a permanent change everyone that owns a 3GS should make. This allows you to down grade your firmware in the future. Even if you don’t care about jailbreaking, it is still a good idea. What if Apple releases a firmware that you hate in the future? This at least allows you the option to downgrade. It also guarantees your SHSH is stored.

While it’s unlikely 3.1.3 will ever be jailbroken since it is utterly worthless, it is still a good idea to get your SHSH stored. Once your hosts file is set up, anytime you restore, the signature is stored for you so that you can go back and restore to that firmware again in the future whether or not Apple decides you should or not.

To fix your computer, simply follow these steps:

OSX: Open the file /etc/hosts with a text editor.
Windows: open the file C:\Windows\System32\drivers\etc\hosts with notepad:
Add the line:
74.208.10.249 gs.apple.com

Note: on windows you may need to “run as” administrator your notepad to get the file to save. On OSX, you may need to use sudo or su to get to root user.

Edit: Ok, updated the deb to 2.99.1. I guess it wasn’t properly code signed. Sorry. Link below is updated.

It’s been slow going due to my lack of time lately, but I have revamped the Categories GUI making room for some future enhancements and adding some things to it. We (ashikase and I, mainly ashikase) have also added some internal clean up code which will help on cases where the conversion did not go well from an older version to the latest version.

I am holding the release now for some initial bug reports or to see if there are any major issues. Download it here and use dpkg -i to install it. (If you dont know how to do this, you should wait for the release).

After about a year of using various methods to get it to work right, there is now a Data Toggle for SBSettings. The problem with disabling data (EDGE) is discussed in my post from last July. Today, Anderson Vulczak contacted me with a working solution to both disable and reenable Data on 3.0 iPhone OS. So we quickly put together a Data toggle and put it into Cydia. In short, this solution sets a bogus IP address, (1.1.1.0) to your data adapter’s IP address. This seems to kill EDGE / 3G without any battery drain issues reported in using other methods such as entering a bad APN.

I recommend that anyone that needs to disable Data use this rather than the EDGE toggle. The toggle should work also with BossPrefs as well.

We are calling this “Data” toggle because when it is off, it should kill the data connection entirely. 3g can be on and you will not be able to access your internet via your provider’s data connection. You will notice you get an IP address, but it is a bogus one that we assign (1.1.1.0).

The only downside is that to reenable data, we have to kill commcenter which can freeze the device for up to 15 seconds. (Should come back to life after that though).

Just a note that Apple stopped signing 3.1.2 today. That means those of you 3gs or iPod touch 3 users that did not rush out and store your TSS in Cydia or Rock are screwed and cannot restore anything but 3.1.3. If you are a jailbreak user running a 3gs or ipod touch 3 (or later generation ipod touch 2) that has not stored the TSS in cydia, you should be very careful with what you do from now until the next jailbroken firmware. You will want to be careful in what you install to make sure you don’t have to restore for any reason. It would be a good idea to install open SSH and learn how to use it so that you can get in and fix any problems without a restore, also.

3g / 2g users need not worry as you dont need Apple to sign your firmware files.