There are many users out there that have waited off on upgrading to the iPhone 4S for one big reason. You might wonder what would keep someone from wanting a much faster A5 device and Apple’s popular digital assistant, Siri.

In one word: jailbreaking.

Up until now there has been no viable way to jailbreak Apple’s A5 devices (iPhone 4S and the iPad 2) but if Pod2gis correct, this is all about to change.

Pod2g is an iOS cracker that has made a name for himself by discovering new methods for untethered jailbreaking and just yesterday he tweeted that he is a step closer to finally hacking Apple’s A5 devices.

According to the hacker, it could be as early as next week.

This is huge for those that own or are considering purchasing an iPad 2 or iPhone 4S. While an earlier solution called JailbreakMe 3.0 existed for cracking sec-gen iPads, this only applied to the iOS 4 software. So finally getting A5/iOS5 devices jailbroken is a major step forward for the hacking community.

The post iPhone 4S And iPad 2 Jailbreak For iOS 5 On Its Way appeared first on Mobile Magazine.

There is a distinct difference between a tethered and an untethered jailbreak for iDevices. With the former, you get stuck at the Apple logo every time that you reboot your iPhone or iPad unless you plug it back into a PC. That’s not the case with an untethered jailbreak. So, what exactly is a “semi-tethered” jailbreak then?

Well, it’s somewhere in between. A tethered jailbreak for iOS 5 has been around for some time, but no one has come up with an untethered jailbreak yet. With the semi-tethered jailbreak from Big Boss (you can get full instructions on TheBigBoss.org), you get some of your core functionality back when you reboot the device, even without having to reconnect back to a PC or Mac.

This isn’t quite as good as truly untethered, but it’s a start. When you run out of juice on the road or need to reboot your iDevice for whatever reason, at least you can still make calls and send and receive text messages. The semitethered jailbreak also allows for other stock apps too. While you can’t use mobile Safari, you can use other web browsers like Atomic.

That’s the good news. The bad news is that this iOS 5 semi-tethered jailbreak still doesn’t work with the iPhone 4S.

The post Apple iOS 5 Gets Semi-Tethered Jailbreak Solution appeared first on Mobile Magazine.

As a quick refresher, iCloud gives you a suite of web apps for checking email, managing contacts and calendars, viewing documents, and finding your iPhone. The cool thing is, because it’s in the cloud, everything you do is automatically synced across other iOS devices that you have attached to the same account.

You’ll need either iOS 5 or Mac OS X Lion in order to get set up with iCloud at the moment, so if you’ve got an older version of OS X, you’ll have to sit tight until you get iOS 5 (which should be very soon, if not already). If you have Lion though, go ahead and have at ‘er. We’re hearing that it might only be allowing MobileMe migrations right now and not brand new accounts, so your experience may vary. Let us know what you think of iCloud through the comments below.

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Well, WinRumors has put together a side-by-side video comparison for the two platforms. He goes through many of the main features, like how the lock screen works and how the home screen works. For instance, the iPad only does the standard PIN (passcode) style for security, whereas Win8 has that and the ability to do a “picture” password where you tap on specific parts of your pre-selected image.

The home screen on the iPad will feel familiar to all iOS users with its relatively static stacks of icons, whereas Windows 8 has something similar to the Metro UI from WP7, complete with the live tiles, as well as app shortcuts. The video also goes through customizing the home screen, Safari vs. Internet Explorer, the on-screen keyboards, sharing options, control panels, and so forth.

What do you think? Do you like Windows 8 better than iOS5? What about Android Honeycomb? Which provides the best user experience?

The post Video showdown: Windows 8 slate vs. iPad iOS 5 appeared first on Mobile Magazine.

We’re hearing that Apple Stores in both the UK and the US are ramping up their staffing needs for August through to October. They’re going on a hiring spree and rehiring past employees on a part-time basis.

Yes, this could just be for the back to school rush. Yes, college students are going to want a new MacBook as they get ready to hit the books again. That being said, the September timeframe is also when we are expecting to see the announcement and subsequent launch of the next iPhone model; whether it ends up being called the iPhone 4S or iPhone 5 is secondary at this point.

As with just about everything else that has to do with Apple, we won’t know anything for sure until they make some sort of formal announcement, but this just adds more fuel to the fire. All signs are pointing toward a fall unveiling of the next iPhone and the increased staff lends itself to the expectation of seeing more iFans storm the iStores for more Apple goodies.

Photo: Engadget Mobile

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As before, FastSn0w comes by way of the Fast Unlock iPhone Team and the utility is currently compatible with both Windows and Mac, though a Linux version is also in the works. You can unlock and jailbreak your iPhone 4 and iPhone 3GS running on 4.3.3 and iOS5 (but no ipad 2??). And yes, it’s entirely software-based with no extra hardware needed.

That’s the good news. The bad news is, unlike some of the other solutions you might try, this one isn’t free. FastSn0w can be acquired through FastUnlockiPhone.com for $25.99 US. That price includes the software, as well as a guide, bonus pack, and “lifetime member access.”  Whether how well it works is yet to be determined (since most of the links on their site are broken, we caution you). Or, if that’s still too scary for your, call the kid on Craigslist who does it for $20.

Photo: bestiphoneappss.com

The post FastSn0w jailbreak and unlock tool for iPhone released, untethered appeared first on Mobile Magazine.

There is no doubt about is, the iPhone is a great smartphone but it does have a serious downside – it’s not too good at sharing. Many other Android systems bake social networking options in every feature, while the iPhone has been rather frugal at sharing and connecting. Taking into account these details, it appears that Apple has made a wise decision when it agreed to support Twitter Pictures. Perhaps this is due to recent accounts of Windows Mango meshing social features into nearly every aspect of the OS, from contacts to communications.

iCloud is another novelty Apple is going to introduce at the upcoming WWDC 2011. The service is designed to be an iTunes music locker which will let people stream their favorite music from the cloud. The idea is not new; Google’s Music Beta and Amazon’s Cloud Drive have been offering this possibility for some time, but unlike the two companies Apple has signed licensing agreements with the major labels.  No clear information is available yet as to whether iCloud will replace or supplement Apple’s MobileMe.

The post More Social Networking Capabilities Expected From iOS 5 appeared first on Mobile Magazine.

The date has been set. Apple will be hosting its annual Worldwide Developers Conference (WWDC) from June 6 to June 10 in San Francisco. That’s what we know. What we don’t know is whether or not the Steve Jobs team will be showing off the iPhone 5 at the event.

On the one hand, we have tradition. Every year since the first iPhone was announced so many moons ago, Apple has shown off a new version of its touchscreen mobile phone every June. Without fail. Given this and the June timing of WWDC, it only makes sense that the next iPhone (whether its an iPhone 4S, iPhone 5, or whatever name they give it) would be unveiled this June too.

On the other hand, the iPhone 4 only recently hit the CDMA waves via Verizon, so it’s not as unlikely that they would already get a refresh so soon. It’s also important to note that the tagline for WWDC2011 demonstrates a focus on “the future of iOS and Mac OS X.” If they’re focusing on the respective operating systems, how much time do they have to show off a new iPhone? Just because they might be showing iOS5 doesn’t mean they’ll have an iPhone 5.

In this way, it’s quite possible that the next iPhone won’t be unveiled until some time this fall, just in time for the holiday shopping season. They might be waiting for the expansion of 4G by both Verizon and AT&T too; that way, the iPhone 5 can be an iPhone 4G. In any case, the rumors are still holding firm: 4-inch screen, metal back, A5 processor.

[D]

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