Cziriblog

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!