The iPhone developer and hacker iH8sn0w has just teased a screenshot of Sn0wbreeze 2.2 with a new “Baseband Preservation Mode”. This new mode will enable current iPhone 4, 3GS and 3G users to preserve their baseband while upgrading to iOS 4.2.1 so that they can unlock using existing version of Ultrasn0w.




iH8sn0w: Adding a new mode to sn0wbreeze. — New sn0wbreeze option. on Twitpic (cleaning up the GUI a bit too).

For those of you who don’t know, Sn0wbreeze is an alternative to PwnageTool for Mac which allows you to create custom firmware files without the upgraded baseband. But this new “Baseband Preservation Mode” is different, as it allows you to restore your iPhone to iOS 4.2.1 without upgrading the baseband.

There is no ETA given for Sn0wbreeze 2.2. All we know is that it is coming soon. We will of course keep you updated as soon as we know more about it. Stay tuned !

Skype is rumored to be building its own rival to Apple’s FaceTime at CES. And many believe that something like this can easily be a FaceTime killer. According to folks over at Engadget, Skype might well upset Apple by bundling video calling support in its iPhone app. This would mean that iPhone users can video chat with anyone on any system, anywhere in the world without the limitation of Apple’s FaceTime (which currently works only on the Mac & iOS devices).

The iPhone Dev Team has announced the iOS 4.2.1 jailbreak public beta testing program. We know several are letting their steam off in comments. But hey, look at the bright side the tools are being tested publicly instead of being left out without any hope or update about the jailbreak.
This beta testing is limited only to those who:
- Own Mac
- has iOS 4.2 beta 3 SHSH blobs backed up with Cydia
- Completely aware with the iOS jailbreak process steps
- Ready to risk their Carrier Unlock until a final working version is released
- Intended for iPhone 4, iPod touch 4 and iPad
This is not meant for average users, I repeat – this is NOT meant for average users. If you plan to go ahead then you’re on your own. You’ll just end up tearing your hair and turning your device into a paperweight. For performing the beta test, you need to download the USBMUX software from here along with dependent files mentioned on the page.

Here are few pointers for using the “backup method” aka Jailbreak Monte put up by iPhone Dev Team:

- This is a beta tester program. It’s not a general release!  Things can go very wrong, so please don’t even consider testing if you have pictures or other media on your device that you haven’t backed up!
- For the same reason, please don’t participate if you rely on the ultrasn0w carrier unlock.  Wait for the final version!
- Until we fix some sandbox issues with bluetooth, the bluetooth functionality is disabled.
- This very first beta1 is limited to iPhone4, iPad, and iPod touch 4G.
- Cydia must have your 4.2b3 SHSH blobs saved on file.  (As we approach a general release, we’ll provide a way to let you use locally saved hashes too).
- You must already have the usbmuxd software installed and running on your Mac (this requirement will eventually go away too). The correct invocation of the relay is just as that page says: “./tcprelay.py -t 22:2222”.  If the relay isn’t installed or running correctly by the time the redsn0w ramdisk has started, you’ll need to restore to stock FW again to try it again.  Please test it beforehand to save yourself some time!
Bunch of other dev teams are also working on their own version of jailbreak but it’s not about “Me First” any more. It’s about rolling out a jailbreak that works for all devices flawlessly.

Over the Christmas weekend we’ll be releasing a version of redsn0w that implements the “backup plan” to the 4.2.1 untethered jailbreak. We’re seeking your help to test this redsn0w and find any bugs before we do a general release! (If you have an iPhone 3G, or an old-bootrom ipt2g or iPhone 3GS, you already have an untethered jailbreak! Just use the latest public redsn0w.)
To keep things manageable, this will be a Mac-only test program. We also request that any volunteers *NOT* need the ultrasn0w unlock (in case things go very wrong)

Right now, the “backup plan” requires that you have the 4.2b3 IPSW on your Mac, and that Cydia has your 4.2b3 SHSH hashes. Please don’t pirate that 4.2b3 IPSW! (We’re also working on a way that this technique might apply to all those with 4.1 IPSWs, but that’s not the first goal right now.)

If you fit all the above qualifications, please follow @redsn0w_testers on twitter for announcements, and use the comments section here for feedback. Thanks very much for your help, and Happy Holidays!

It looks like everyone seems to have missed this! But if this statement from Comex is anything to go by, the untethered jailbreak for iOS 4.2.1 might be as simple as installing a package from Cydia over your existing Redsn0w tethered jailbreak – Yes, you don’t need to restore or re-jailbreak your device.




Comex: it’s probably going to be a Cydia package. if I can get it to work.

When someone asked Comex “what do you mean by that”, Comex replied:

Comex: @GP34MVP that everyone’s wrong including @MuscleNerd :p

Probably referring to this statement from MuscleNerd of the iPhone Dev-Team.



It is important to note that the iPhone Dev-Team already has a backup plan ready, but that will require iOS 4.2b3 SHSH blobs for untethered jailbreak. Comex is said to have a more efficient untethered jailbreak method for iOS 4.2.1. This untethered solution will almost certainly be applicable to all current iOS 4.2.1 devices, including the new A4-based ones which includes iPhone 4, iPad, Apple TV 2G and iPod touch 4G.

While the actual details about the state of the jailbreak are still unknown, but what we do know is that it is probably not coming by Christmas, as been confirmed yesterday by Comex himself.

More info as it comes, stay tuned !

So in yet another effort to help keep this place clean as well as help keep the file system and database lightweight, I am going to be deleting all the SIGNATURE PICS that have been uploaded to the forum. I am also going to be doing some removing of old attachments as well. I have explained more in detail below as this does NOT affect all members.

This is not to punish members in any way, I am just trying to help shift resources around to better improve the performance of the site!

~SIGNATURE PICS~
This ONLY applies for those members who have UPLOADED a signature pic to the forum itself. This doesn't apply to people who have their signature pics hosted somewhere else. You are still allowed to have pictures in your signatures however from now on you will be unable to upload them here directly to the forum. You will need to use a 3rd party hosting site as suggested below.

If you have uploaded a signature pic to the forum then it is going to be deleted within the next 48-72 hours. I am giving you guys a heads up so that you can SAVE your current signature pics from the forum just in case you don't have a backup. This way you can upload them to a 3rd party hosting site and then link your picture from there to your signature here on the forum. See the links below for a few suggestions.

~ATTACHMENTS~
Attachments are becoming a bit of a nuisance especially now with the iPhone 4 being that the screenshots are TWICE THE SIZE they used to be. Currently each member is allowed up to 5MB worth of attachments. However I want to make members aware that you can easily upload your picture attachments to one of the suggested 3rd party sites below. This will help keep the database and file system resources down.

~3rd Party Hosting Sites~
Here are a few good sites that you can easily upload your picture attachments as well as signature pics or any other image that you want to post for that matter.
ImageShack - Online Photo and Video Hosting
TinyPic - Free Image Hosting, Photo Sharing Video Hosting
Free Image Hosting at FreeImageHosting.net - Upload Images for MySpace, Blogs, and Galleries
Image hosting, free photo sharing video sharing at Photobucket

It was initially expected that the untethered iOS 4.2.1 jailbreak might be released somewhere around the Christmas Eve. But if this latest tweet by Comex is anything to go by, we may not see an untethered jailbreak for iOS 4.2.1 by this Christmas.



"I think I’m going to miss my Christmas deadline…"

It is to be noted however that the iPhone Dev-Team already has a backup plan ready, but that will require iOS 4.2b3 SHSH blobs for untethered jailbreak. Comex is said to have a more efficient userland-based untethered jailbreak method for iOS 4.2.1. This untethered solution will almost certainly be applicable to all current iOS 4.2.1 devices, including the new A4-based ones which includes iPhone 4, iPad, Apple TV 2G and iPod touch 4G.

More info as it comes, stay tuned !

MuscleNerd of iPhone Dev-Team has confirmed today that the next version of Redsn0w will include an option which will allow you to untether your iPhone jailbreak on iOS 4.2.1 without having to restore your device.




MuscleNerd: Thanks to comex, redsn0w can now handle much bigger files than ramdisk 25MB limit. Useful for "backup plan" 4.2 untether

MuscleNerd: @jkurtz87 it shouldn’t require a restore…just another redsn0w run. (That’s the goal!)

The advantage of this will be that you wont have to reinstall any of your iTunes’ or Cydia apps. All you ever have to do will be rerun Redsn0w jailbreak and it will be done!


Expect this new version of Redsn0w for all iOS devices to be available somewhere around the Christmas eve, followed by iPhone 4 unlock on newer basebands in January. We will of course let you know as soon as it is available for download

T-Mobile iOS4 MMS Fix

T-Mobile iOS4 MMS Fix is a hack that fixes the issue for T-Mobile users who updated to iOS4 and cannot send/receive MMS.

Installation

1. Open Cydia and make sure http://www.sinfuliphonerepo.com is added to your sources
2. Tap on Sections > SiNfuL iPhone and install T-Mobile iOS4 MMS Fix

iPhone 4 Unlock on iOS 4.2.1, Baseband 2.10.04 and 3.10.01 Could Be Coming In Less Than A Month !

Some good news for iPhone 4 users who are waiting for an unlock on iOS 4.2.1, baseband 3.10.01 and 2.10.04. The Egyptian based and Neurosurgeon & iPhone Baseband hacker Sherif Hashim has replied to a user on Twitter, confirming of sorts that the unlock for iPhone 4 on the latest firmware and baseband isn’t too far off from release.





(In Arabic) Gerges2001: @sherif_hashim mn el a5r keda ,, el gish bta3y ibd2 ioom 16-1 ,, hal72 el unlock lel iphone 4 wala eih el kallam ???

(English Translation via “Fake” Limera1n.cc) Gerges2001: @sherif_hashim I’m going to perform military service by January 16, will I get the unlock before this date?

Sherif_Hashim: @Gerges2001 sure

Last month, The iPhone Dev-Team released an Ultrasn0w update which enabled iPhone 3G and 3GS users to unlock their devices on iOS 4.2.1 by permanently (for now) upgrading it to iPad’s baseband 06.15.00. Rumor has it that there is soon going to be a way for iPhone 3G and 3GS users to downgrade the baseband back to the original 05.15.04 which ships with iOS 4.2.1 for these older devices.

The iPhone Dev Team has just released Redsn0w 0.9.6b4 today which brings first proper jailbreak, with working Cydia and MobileSubstrate for all iOS 4.2.1 devices.
For those of you who don’t know, Redsn0w 0.9.6b4 is based on Geohot’s Limera1n bootrom exploit which has already pwned all current iOS devices for life. The only problem is that it is a tethered jailbreak, which means you will have to boot it into a “jailbroken state” on every reboot. This so called tethered or semi-tethered jailbreak condition in Redsn0w 0.9.6b4 however only applies to the new devices like: iPhone 3GS (new bootrom), iPhone 4, iPad, iPod touch 2G (MC Model), iPod touch 3G and the iPod touch 4G. Old devices like iPhone 3GS (old bootrom), iPhone 3G and iPod touch 2G (Non-MC Model) can be jailbroken-untethered right now using this latest version of Redsn0w. So until and unless Comex of Spirit and JailbreakMe fame comes up with another untethered hack for iOS 4.2.1, the jailbreak we get for the newer devices will be tethered (or semi-tethered).

NOTE: Those of you who rely on a carrier unlock MUST STAY AWAY from Redsn0w and iOS 4.2.1.
Follow the step by step instructions posted below to jailbreak iOS 4.2.1 with Redsn0w 0.9.6b4:
Step 1: Download iOS 4.2.1 for your version of iOS device.
Step 2: Update/Restore to iOS 4.2.1 firmware using the IPSW file you just downloaded via iTunes 10.1.
Step 3: Start Redsn0w 0.9.6b4 and point it to iOS 4.2.1 firmware to proceed with the jailbreak.


Step 4: Now select “Install Cydia” and click “Next”. Optionally (if available), you can also select any other option you like.


Step 5: Now make sure your device is both OFF and PLUGGED IN to the computer before you click “Next”.

At this stage you will be presented with a screen where you will have to quickly hold “Power” button and then while holding the “Power” button, you will now have to hold “Home” button too. Now after few seconds release “Power” button but keep holding “Home” button until installation begins.

Step 6: Sit back and enjoy while redsn0w will do all the rest for you. Once done, your iPhone or iPod touch will restart automatically and you will find it jailbroken on the latest iOS 4.2.1 firmware.
For iPhone 4, 3GS (New Bootrom), iPod touch 4G / 3G / 2G, iPad ONLY:
Step 7: Now from here onwards, whenever you want to do anything related to jailbreak like SSHing into your device, or running Cydia, you must first run your device in the so called “jailbroken state” on every reboot by using “Just boot tethered right now” option in Redsn0w.

UPDATE 1: Video tutorial is up!