iOS 5.1.1 includes fix for dangerous Safari URL spoofing vulnerability

 Apple just released a new version of its mobile software: iOS 5.1.1. The update includes a number of bug fixes, and also apparently contains a patch for the dangerous URL spoofing vulnerability in mobile Safari.

We told you about the exploit, discovered by the folks at Major Security, back in March of this year. It allows web pages to spoof URLs in Safari’s address bar, leading users to believe they’re on a different website…

Apple explains the fix on its iOS 5.1.1 security support page:

“Safari

Available for: iPhone 3GS, iPhone 4, iPhone 4S, iPod touch (3rd generation) and later, iPad, iPad 2

Impact: A maliciously crafted website may be able to spoof the address in the location bar

Description: A URL spoofing issue existed in Safari. This could be used in a malicious web site to direct the user to a spoofed site that visually appeared to be a legitimate domain. This issue is addressed through improved URL handling. This issue does not affect OS X systems.”

Apple properly credits the discovery of the vulnerability to David Viera-Kurz of Major Security. Viera-Kurz was the first to bring up the issue, publishing an extensive blog post and even creating a working demo of the bug in action.

[Via: idownloadblog & Cult of Mac] 

Warning! Jailbreakers should avoid updating to iOS 5.1.1

 Apple started pushing out iOS 5.1.1 to compatible devices. The update doesn’t appear to bring any new features, but it does include a handful of bug fixes and other improvements.

While we’ve already confirmed that A4 devices running the new firmware can be jailbroken, that doesn’t mean you should update. In fact, those of you with with an A5(X) device should steer clear of it…

MuscleNerd just sent out a warning via Twitter, telling jailbreakers with an iPad 2, a new iPad or an iPhone 4S to stay away from the update. As most of you know, pod2g is making great progress with the iOS 5.1 jailbreak, and upgrading to 5.1.1 could ruin your chances of using it.

A4 device owners are welcome to upgrade at their own accord — 5.1.1 is jailbreakable on older devices. But just remember that it is currently, and could remain, a tethered hack.

[Via: idownloadblog]

iOS 5.1 now available for download

Following its media event that just ended, as promised, Apple has just released its iOS 5.1 update. The new update, which has a nice list of features, is now available in a 180MB over the air update.

The most notable features for iOS 5.1 include Siri support for Japanese users, a new camera app for iPad, and a new camera shortcut.

iOS 5.1 is available for the iPad 3, iPad 2, iPad, iPhone 4S, iPhone 4, iPhone 3GS, iPod touch 4G, and iPod touch 3G. Additionally, Apple released iOS 5.0 for the Apple TV 3, and Apple TV 2.

iOS 5.1′s full change log:

As expected, if you download Apple’s iOS 5.1 you will be losing your jailbreak.

If you’re having trouble downloading OTA, you can download iOS 5.1 directly from our downloads page until it hits iTunes. iOS 5.1 should be available on iTunes soon, with iTunes 10.6 launching around the same time.

[Via: idownloadblog]

Tips: iPad’s Split Keyboard

The ability to split up the iPad’s keyboard is one of my favorite lesser-known features in iOS 5. I don’t use it all the time. But it really comes in handy when I need to rattle off an email or conjure up other large bodies of text.

Apple obviously put a lot of thought into getting the split keyboard just the right size for its tablet, and it shows. In fact, there are even some elements of the keyboard that you can’t see. Did you know there were hidden buttons on the iPad’s split keyboard?

As noted by TheNextWeb, the iPad keyboard, when split in half, contains 6 hidden buttons. These phantom keys help prevent accidental mis-touches, and allow you to access the letters Y,H,B,T,G, and V without having to use your opposite hand.

These invisible design tweaks really speak to Apple’s attention to detail, and its focus on the user experience. To view the iPad’s split keyboard, simply place a finger on either side of the keyboard and drag it apart.

Have you noticed these hidden iPad keys before?

[Via: idownloadblog & Finer Things]

iOS 5 Untethered Jailbreak Will Work on 5.0.1

Another quick update on the state of the iOS 5 untethered jailbreak: French hacker pod2g has confirmed that the iOS 5 untether will in fact work on iOS 5.0.1.

It was originally thought that 5.0.1 had patched the untethered jailbreak, and we recommended that jailbreakers stay on 5.0 if they wanted an untether in the near future. We’re pleased to report that potential jailbreakers on iOS 5.0.1 can breathe a sigh of relief.

Pod2g’s untether (video demo) doesn’t rely on the code signing vulnerability that security guru Charlie Miller recently demonstrated. Miller’s vulnerability was one of the reasons that Apple released 5.0.1 (to patch the vulnerability), and it was believed that 5.0.1 wouldn’t see an untethered jailbreak because of that reason.

Pod2g says that bringing his jailbreak to 5.0.1 “should be quick.” He is currently testing the jailbreak on different kinds of iOS devices.

[Via: idownloadblog]

iOS 5 Untethered Jailbreak On [Video]

We’ve been waiting for months to see evidence that an untethered jailbreak for iOS 5 is indeed ready for prime time, and pod2g of the Chronic Dev Team has just released a demo video of the iOS 5 untether to wet our appetites.

The simple video indicates that the highly-anticipated jailbreak is nearly ready. However, we don’t have an exact ETA on when it will arrive.

The Chronic Dev Team recently introduced a tool for jailbreakers to use that indirectly helps find exploits for an untether. Both the Dev and Chronic Dev teams are working to bring us the iOS 5 jailbreak that we’ve all been waiting for.


#BlogAboutEveything keep u up to date when ETA.










[Via: idownloadblog]

Hidden Code in iOS 5 Contains Interesting iPad 3 References

The folks over at 9to5Mac have uncovered some interesting information hidden deep within the code of iOS 5. The site has exposed several secret features in the new software by code-digging over the last few months, including Siri.

Recent find pertain to an unreleased Apple product, codenamed “J2.” The site believes that this could actually be the next version of the iPad. Not only that, but it thinks that this could be the Retina display-equipped tablet everyone has been talking about…

Apparently, the J2 codename matches up with a recent report from Digitimes, which also names a J2 device as Apple’s next tablet.

“Since Apple demands that the new iPad model will need to be thinner than the iPad 2, while raising the machine’s screen resolution to 2048 by 1536, upstream component makers have been working aggressively to adjust the device’s LED and panel module designs to satisfy these demands, but the work has affected the launch schedule fo the new tablet PC. Apple is currently giving two tablet PC projects codenamed J1 and J2 to its upstream partners for development. The sources revealed that the major differences of the new tablet PCs compared to the previous model are their size, specifications and technologies.”

 9to5Mac believes that J1 and J2 are similar tablets, with the latter being the 3G model. It also thinks that Apple is already testing the device, as it has been referenced in iOS 5 since the early betas.

We’ve heard rumors that Apple was working on an iPad with a Retina-like quality screen before, but this is the first time we’ve seen any kind of evidence. However, it still sounds like Apple and its supply partners are struggling to produce the hi-res displays.

Due to manufacturing limitations, it’s possible that Apple could have to choose between an iPad with a Retina display that is slightly thicker than its predecessor, or a thinner tablet with a lower screen resolution. Which one would you rather see next year?

[Via: idownloadblog]

iOS 5.0.1 Not Helping Improve Battery Life

When Apple dropped iOS 5.0.1 few days ago, the hope amongst many was that it may help to fix the battery issue that was introduced with iOS 5.0.

It is becoming apparent that iOS 5.0.1 may not have actually fixed the battery bug we told you about before, with our own location-based fix still appearing to be the best way of saving precious battery life…

Various reports suggest that the update to iOS 5.0.1 hasn’t fixed battery problems at all, though it is admittedly still very early to tell. During our testing of the two betas that Apple released, we found that we still needed to disable certain location services in order to get a day’s worth of use out of our iPhones.

There is one silver lining to this cloud: Apple’s delta (OTA) updates got their first public outing yesterday, and it would seem that they worked surprisingly well, with few reports of any real issues.

At least that’s one piece of good news for the iOS Team in Cupertino!

How has your iPhone’s battery life been since updating to iOS 5.0.1? We’ve heard reports of people who did not previously have any problems before unfortunately gaining some issues after the update.

Also, jailbreakers have been warned to not update to iOS 5.0.1, so keep that in mind.

[Via: idownloadblog]

Apple Releases iOS 5.0.1 to the Public

After multiple developer betas, and a series of customer tests, Apple has finally released iOS 5.0.1 to the masses. The update comes just under a month after Apple released iOS 5.0, which included over 200 new features.

Unfortunately, iOS 5 brought with it serious battery problems. And after weeks of complaints, Apple gave an official statement last week that confirmed both the presence of the bugs and the existence of a fix…

Early reports suggest that the new update has indeed resolved the issues in iOS 5 causing poor battery life. It also brings with it fixes for Siri, and other additions, like enhanced multitasking gestures for the original iPad. This is the short changelog provided by Apple:

• Fixes bugs affecting battery life
• Adds Multitasking Gestures for original iPad
• Resolves bugs with Documents in the Cloud
• Improves voice recognition for Australian users using dictation

But you still may want to stay away. As iDB reported yesterday, iOS 5.0.1 likely fixes a recent bug found by security researcher Charlier Miller. The bug, as reported by pod2g, could possibly make implementing an exploit for both iOS 5 and the iPhone 4S “dramatically” easier. You can read more about the security issues that iOS 5.0.1 addresses on Apple’s support page.

So, should you update? Unless your daily device’s battery performance is unbearable, we recommend jailbreakers holding off until we have more information. Updating could cripple your chances of a future jailbreak, and remember, there’s no way to downgrade in iOS 5.

You can download iOS 5.0.1 directly for all your iDevices from our Downloads page.




Update: MuscleNerd has confirmed on Twitter that jailbreakers and unlockers need to stay away from iOS 5.0.1.

We’ve told you before but it doesn’t hurt to say it again… As MuscleNerd just confirmed on Twitter instants ago, you should stay away from the iOS 5.0.1 update if you are a jailbreaker/unlocker.

Not only iOS 5.0.1 may patch exploits that could potentially allow for an untethered jailbreak, but there is also currently no way to downgrade from iOS 5.0.1 for the time being…

So you’ve been warned!

[Via: idownloadblog]

Hackers Warn Jailbreakers to Stay Away from iOS 5.0.1

There hasn’t been much talk in the jailbreak community regarding progress with either an iOS 5 untethered jailbreak or a 4S jailbreak. But iDB just received word from infamous iDevice hacker pod2g last night that, if you’re hoping for either one, stay away from the next iOS update.

Pod2g announced last night that the code-signing bug security expert Charlie Miller uncovered a few days ago could make jailbreaking “dramatically easier.” And since Apple is aware of the issue and will likely patch it in iOS 5.0.1, he recommends not updating…

This makes things complicated for a couple of reasons. First of all, if you’ve been experiencing poor battery life with iOS 5, chances are you’re dying for the update. The newversion of iOS is expected to fix the much-talked about battery issue.

Second, if you upgrade to iOS 5.0.1, you won’t be able to downgrade. You might recall a recent report by the Dev Team that explained why there isn’t currently a way to downgrade to previous versions of iOS 5, even with saved SHSH blobs.

And finally, you could be in trouble if you have a device that you haven’t updated to iOS 5 yet. Once Apple releases 5.0.1 to the public, it will stop signing 5.0. This means that you could miss the iOS 5 jailbreak altogether if an exploit surfaces that is iOS 5.0-only.

So, should you update? If you use your device daily, and can’t take the battery problems anymore, you might have to take your chances (you should still wait and make sure the issue is fixed).  All others should stay away, at least until we know more information.

[Via: idownloadblog]

Enable iOS 5′s Hidden Panorama Feature Without Jailbreaking

Yesterday, a hidden feature was revealed in iOS 5. It turns out that the panorama camera mode that Apple was rumored to be working on is actually baked into iOS. Shortly after the feature was exposed, jailbreakers were able to download a tweak [firebreak] to enable it.

But what if you’re not jailbroken? With no iPhone 4S jailbreak available, and no word on an iOS 5 untether, not everyone’s iPhone is hacked at the moment. Luckily, the folks over at FSM just posted a method to enable the Panorama feature — no jailbreak required…

All you need to enable the Panaroma feature is a desktop computer (PC or Mac) and file editing software that’s compatible with iDevices. FSM recommends using iBackupBot, but we’re assuming other titles like iExplorer would work just the same.

For the sake of this tutorial we’ll use iBackupBot, which you can download here for free.

Step 1. Backup your iPhone using iTunes.

Step 2. Load up iBackupBot, and open your latest backup.

Step 3. Locate the Library/Preferences/com.apple.mobileslideshow.plist file and open it.

Step 4. Add in the following code above the <key>LastSelectTab</key> line: <key>EnableFirebreak</key><string>YES</string>

Step 5. To save, click the Export icon. Once it’s exported, click the Restore icon and choose the file you just saved.

That’s all there is to it. FSM claims this trick works on the iPhone 4S, but I couldn’t get iBackupBot to recognize my 4S backups. Regardless, if your handset isn’t jailbroken and your dying to try the Panaroma feature, this is about your only option.

[Via: 9to5Mac]

iOS 5 Untethered Jailbreak Possible

Some encouraging news was revealed this morning via Twitter for all of you dying to have an iOS 5 untethered jailbreak. It appears that Chronic Dev Team member pod2g has found a bug in iOS 5 that will make it possible for an untethered jailbreak.

The team of hackers already confirmed to have found multiple exploits in iOS 5, but this is the first news that we’ve had in a while regarding the progress of an untethered jailbreak…

As you can see from the tweet, pod2g isn’t giving any ETA’s for a successfully packaged untethered jailbreak, so we’re all just going to have to be patient. Finding an exploit is one thing, packaging it into a useful jailbreaking utility that end users can use is a whole different story.

As of now, iOS 5 can be jailbroken, but it’s a tethered jailbreak which requires you to use a computer to successfully boot your device should it reboot. It’s not as horrible as some make it out to be, but it’s certainly an inconvenience should you encounter a reboot while out and about.

[Via: idownloadblog]

Apple Confirms iOS 5 Battery Issues, Releases iOS 5.0.1 to Developers With Fix

Since Apple released iOS 5 and its latest handset with the new software pre-installed to the public, customers have been complaining about poor battery life. It appears that something in the iOS update has directly affected battery performance.

Other than a few rumors of its engineers contacting customers regarding their complaints, Apple has been relatively silent on the matter… until now. AllThingsD has just received an official statement from the company confirming the problem…

“A small number of customers have reported lower than expected battery life on iOS 5 devices. We have found a few bugs that are affecting battery life and we will release a software update to address those in a few weeks.”

Apple certainly seems to be taking the issue seriously, as it’s already seeded a 5.0.1 update to developers. The new software contains fixes for the reported battery bugs, as well as for other components, including iCloud and Siri Dictation.

As aforementioned, the 5.0.1 update is only available to developers at this point. Apple likely wants to make sure it does the trick before releasing it to the masses. If you can’t wait for the public release, iDB found that this trick really helps improve battery life on iOS 5.

[Via: idownloadblog]

Did You Notice These Design Changes In iOS 5?

                     iOS4                             iOS5                                   iOS4                                iOS5

If you are an obsessive user interface jerk, you may have noticed the slight design changes in iOS 5. They are almost invisible but they are there, from two-pixel position adjustments to transparency changes in the badges' shadows.

Right: iOS 4. Left: iOS 5. See if you can spot more of them. 

                      iOS4                             iOS5                                   iOS4                                iOS5

  iOS4                             iOS5                                   iOS4                                iOS5

 [Via: Gizmodo & Stam Design]