Hardware jailbreak eases reboot pains

posted Mar 11th 2010 9:35am by Mike Szczys
filed under: iphone hacks

This device can jailbreak an iPhone. It doesn’t require a computer and it can either reboot a phone that was one-time-boot jailbroken using the blackra1n exploit, or jailbreak a factory fresh unit. We wouldn’t say this solves the tethering problem caused by blackra1n (needing to return to a computer to reboot the phone), but it certainly does ease the pain. We saw some info about the board layout but no parts list or firmware. See the demo after the break and leave a comment if you have more information on the parts or code.

[Thanks Juan]

Comments [43]

tagged: jailbreak, Tether, ipod touch, blackra1n

Reader Comments

So… what’s with the gloves? I initially thought, he’s trying to hide who he is, but he kinda blew that with the reflection in the screen…

Otherwise, kinda cool, kinda sad.

Cool: yeah you made something that does something easy and damn neaer foolproof.

Sad: you need to do this at all.

Posted at 10:04 am on Mar 11th, 2010 by Jeff

ThThats so great, I would love to buy one

@Jeff
The gloves are antistatic gloves

Posted at 10:23 am on Mar 11th, 2010 by Gregg

@Jeff
Probably just wanted to show off the conductive gloves :p

Posted at 10:23 am on Mar 11th, 2010 by Peter

maybe it’s a fetish.

Posted at 10:44 am on Mar 11th, 2010 by seshan

@Jeff
Agreed on the sad part. I laugh in the face of iPhone users everywhere. We Palm Pre users sit back and enjoy our open devices. :)

Posted at 10:45 am on Mar 11th, 2010 by Hans

Looks like its just a micro w/ host mode on the visible side, and I saw a glimpse of a flash sandwiched between the battery & board. The flash is probably 512MB (min) to accommodate the ipsw ROM, though maybe more if the firmware in the micro doesn’t have code for decompressing/extracting the zip/dmg files inside the ipsws, so those may be stored uncompressed/extracted on the flash to simplify things. Though technically you don’t need the entire firmware, just the patched kernel. All that’s left is to simply just send the proper USB commands and upload the kernel patch.

Posted at 10:49 am on Mar 11th, 2010 by Erik

Wow so now Boost Mobile will be selling iPhones? I can really only see this being used for ghetto cell phone stores. Otherwise you will waste more time reading this article, buying the unit, waiting for postage, build the unit so you STILL have to come and reboot it? WTF is the luxury in this device that you can’t do with 10 mins of configuring some old craptop to macro the same things??? Surely I must be missing the point of this device.

Posted at 11:07 am on Mar 11th, 2010 by blue carbuncle

@Hans
We iPhone users sit back and enjoy the fact that your Palm Pre usually doesn’t sync with iTunes. Ours do.

Posted at 11:38 am on Mar 11th, 2010 by Bobby

Uh?

Wait so you pay 400$ for a phone and then you need all kinds of extra devices to use it?!

Posted at 11:44 am on Mar 11th, 2010 by Joe

No, I have a 3G and do not require such a device. Nice thought though.

Posted at 11:45 am on Mar 11th, 2010 by Bobby

@blue carbuncle

I think you ARE missing the point. A) This device is NOT for unlocked phones (IE ones that would be on Boost, which I’m not sure is even possible because it’s CDMA/iDEN) and B) This is for newer devices that don’t currently have a FULL jailbreak available and must use a TETHERED jailbreak.

Essentially if the user has to reboot their device (I reboot my iPod Touch maybe once every couple of months) they can just plug this into their iPhone/iPod Touch and reboot with the jailbreak intact. This would be nice for those users who are always on the go and want a device to keep their jailbreak active when they’re unexpectedly needing to reboot and aren’t near a computer.

Posted at 11:54 am on Mar 11th, 2010 by wifigod

wow, I had no idea that now jailbrake is temporary, LOL you guys really into pain fetish and self-humiliation or something

Posted at 12:13 pm on Mar 11th, 2010 by therian

Im surprized, seriously what will actually cross the line for you guys, does it have to start fire and burn yours family alive before you say “Im done, enough of this crap” I just can imagine how more obvious F you message can be

Posted at 12:32 pm on Mar 11th, 2010 by therian

we samsung impression users facepalm because there is no built-in WiFi, but we don’t need itunes to put shit on our phone, we have supplied datacable, and microSD slot, plus+ Pr0n looks better on the AMOLED..
someone hack 802.11 into the samsung port or something! lol

Posted at 12:39 pm on Mar 11th, 2010 by jeditalian

how ridiculous it would be if we PPC users have to hard reset unit once a week just to be able to use all purposefully hidden features :)

Posted at 12:47 pm on Mar 11th, 2010 by therian

This device isn’t another kind of jailbreak. It has the blackra1n files (payload and dmg) in the device’s storage. It just sends the payload and dmg over serial in the same process as blackra1n would. Hoped I helped by clearing this up!

Posted at 2:08 pm on Mar 11th, 2010 by DarkMalloc

I think some people don’t realize that all iPhones don’t need this.

Only the most recent versions of the iPhone 3Gs and iTouch require a tethered jailbreak. That means that if the phone needs to be hard rebooted then it needs to be re-jailbroken to boot up.

Users used to be stuck without their phone until they got home to a computer so they could re-jailbreak. This dongle lets you keep it in your car or desk at work so if you do need to reboot you’re good.

It sucks that it has to be done at all, yea. A jailbroken iPhone is great though. Very open lots of developers. It’s a good place to be. :)

Posted at 2:26 pm on Mar 11th, 2010 by Ian

Then in six months time (if that), I will take a stroll down to my local flea market and find Chinese knockoffs being sold for $10 a piece with text like “Using of enjoying your Appl’es IPHONE without any locked provide. Good design, happy use” which isn’t too far off from a pair of conductive gloves I saw recently, only they said “Using your APPLE IPHONE with gloves with conductive. Modern design, good quiality”

But me? I used Blackra1n and found no troubles whatsoever. Had it done in 5 minutes flat..

Posted at 2:56 pm on Mar 11th, 2010 by Grayda

Once again, a bunch of BS in the comments.

The Palm Pre, Samsung Instinct, and pretty much every other phone on the planet (besides Android and a few others) don’t let you have full access to the device. Jailbreak is a way to gain that access (you know, a hack). 98% of users are fine without it, but those that want it and have a new phone (3GS, latest firmware) or iPod Touch 3G can’t use a full jailbreak because it doesn’t exist yet, hence this device for tether jailbreaks.

Everyone pretending their chosen platform is superior because they don’t have to jailbreak is delusional.

Posted at 3:10 pm on Mar 11th, 2010 by Brett

“The Palm Pre, Samsung Instinct, and pretty much every other phone on the planet (besides Android and a few others) don’t let you have full access to the device.”
you right about phone part, after all iphone is a phone. unlike pocket pc :) which is exactly what it name said + cell modem
only what lock it is you time,

Posted at 3:23 pm on Mar 11th, 2010 by therian

For those of you running your mouth off about Boost…

Boost is a wholly owned subsidiary of Sprint.

None of the phone are unlocked or unlockable to be used with any other service provider. Not even Sprint themselves. Little things called the IMEI codes and their knowing where the phone came from.

Also, CDMA versus GSM. Or is the typical visitor to this site too stupid to even bother knowing the difference between the two? I mean, it HAS been “mod this device with a blue led!” type articles for a while.

Posted at 4:45 pm on Mar 11th, 2010 by Rat

@Brett

“Everyone pretending their chosen platform is superior because they don’t have to jailbreak is delusional.”

I have a N900, I have NO delusions that I don’t have to jailbreak ;)

Posted at 5:04 pm on Mar 11th, 2010 by Forphucsake

I am happy with my unlocked blackberry bold2 9700 . I can do everything i want on it including free voice navigation. I will be looking into this device for my mobile store and repair center though. For some reason, everyone wants an iphone and I will never understand why.

Posted at 7:17 pm on Mar 11th, 2010 by Nico

I’m happy with my $14.95 Nokia 1661

it has a flashlight and FM radio!!

Posted at 12:58 am on Mar 12th, 2010 by octel

If this will cost me more than $20 to have this iDongle thing then i might just my Mac to jailbreak the iPhone..

The iDongle if for those who want to Jailbreak on-the-go

Posted at 3:18 am on Mar 12th, 2010 by Mac Hoe

So it’s jailbreaking this week instead of rooting? Or are they different?

Posted at 4:38 am on Mar 12th, 2010 by Drone

“jailbreaking this week instead of rooting”
Rooting often means you don’t have physical access. The result is kind of same though.
It’s too bad the hardware encryption in the 3GS doesn’t help much in securing physical access.

Posted at 5:14 am on Mar 12th, 2010 by DarkFader

“The Palm Pre, Samsung Instinct, and pretty much every other phone on the planet (besides Android and a few others) don’t let you have full access to the device.”

@Brett The Pre gives you MORE access than Android, not less.

Posted at 6:32 am on Mar 12th, 2010 by Mike

wtf is myboyfriendisageek.com? sounds pretty geeeeee to me.

Posted at 7:44 am on Mar 12th, 2010 by walt

I love my e71 from Nokia. It provdes THE best portable SSH experience I’ve ever had (inlcuding phone+pda, many winmo, and iphone. I can’t wait to try android). They keyboard has a CTRL key! The only thing I miss is a TAB key.

Add in native VoIP via SIP (and it’ll stay registered to my Asterisk server 24/7 so I can actually RECEIVE calls via VoIP!) and I have to say it is the most useful phone I’ve ever had.

Sure, the iphone did somethings better (Safari! Apps!) But really, do I need anything other than an SSH enabled 3G VoIP gizmo?

Posted at 12:36 pm on Mar 12th, 2010 by Daniel

lol mine have TAB but no CTRL unless remaping keys count

Posted at 3:49 pm on Mar 12th, 2010 by therian

i used to knock iphone. but my girlfriend wanted one so i bought her a 3gs. ive owned a itouch since the day it came out but aside from that hated apple. well, i got her the 3gs and she hasnt stopped using it, and any chance i get i pick it up and play around with it. it of course requires a tethered jailbreak but its not a big deal really.

one thing i will say though is, there is a BUTTLOAD of apps. no other phone out there now, or even in the near future will have anywhere near the same amount of apps and shit that the iphones do. you can try to lie to yourself about it, but the iphone is great. the only downside i can think of it is the touch screen. dialing blindly on it is a pain in the ass.

i really dont know why anyone who wants a high end phone doesnt have one. beat around the bush all you want, but iphone is where its at for cell phones. all the features you have in your phone out of box can almost always be obtained with a jailbreak, and yes just about every iphone out there can be jailbroken so wtf is the deal. takes 5 minutes.

Posted at 3:58 pm on Mar 12th, 2010 by George

Yes, 1000 Fart apps, and 2000 Flashlights, There certainly is an app for that.

Posted at 8:49 pm on Mar 12th, 2010 by Jeff

The pre is an open phone for a locked down network….

Posted at 8:54 pm on Mar 12th, 2010 by chris

@George
“one thing i will say though is, there is a BUTTLOAD of apps. no other phone out there now, or even in the near future will have anywhere near the same amount of apps and shit that the iphones do”
You right about shit part, Iphone indeed have ton of useless programs and most of them copy of each other.

But you know other platforms was here like for 10 year or more and all those years new software was written for them and tested by time some become premium quality and there is wagon or whole train of such cases comparing to just ton of crap written for iphone. So tell me just one thing what iphone can do even unlocked that PPC cant, common just one example.
By the way there is new verizon droid commercial which make me laugh each time, because when it ask can you phone do this and that I answer sure it can and it did this 3 years ago.

Posted at 9:14 pm on Mar 13th, 2010 by therian

and to make it funnier, my phone is really outdated right now remember 6700 in 2005 ;)

Posted at 9:20 pm on Mar 13th, 2010 by therian

The apple Iphone, Hey look it’s shiny! Just don’t ask us to let you do anything.

Posted at 9:48 pm on Mar 13th, 2010 by monkeyman8

@Rat sorry I was referring to the idea that Boost is a ghetto market company that would end up in a rib shack in downtown Columbus OH and offer unlocking and jailbreaking on a hand written street sign. That is the Boost mobile I was referring to. The one that uses “where you at” as its slogan lmao. I think most Boost mobile contracts end up on TV in the People’s Court or Judge Judy after Juwan and the baby mama break up. Maybe I was thinking of another Boost mobile than you.

Posted at 9:30 am on Mar 17th, 2010 by blue carbuncle

Haha if one of these comes out I’ll pick one up for sure.
If I can figure out how to emulate this kind of device with a microcontroller board then it’s a jailbreaking dock for me!
Of course, I could always hack this into the dock.

Posted at 1:57 am on Mar 21st, 2010 by l0lz0rz

when I can buy 1 and how

Posted at 2:40 pm on Mar 25th, 2010 by raul

HAHAHAHAHAH!
@blue carbuncle:
FYI, boost lost the ghetto girl thing and became a real company. I agree, that was pretty retarted. HERE IS THE THING:

Boost mobile: UNLIMITED calling (anytime), UNLIMITED web (although Extremely crappy), UNLIMITED texting, UNLIMITED PTT (two way radio).
Total = $50/month (and no contract)

I am going to by an ITOUCH 3g, and keep my $35 boost mobile phone. If I CAN use the Iphone with boost…. oh yeah. I’m there. Back to the ghetto I go.

Posted at 12:20 am on Apr 2nd, 2010 by scott

I cant wait for this to be jailbroken, Im getting mine in a few weeks I already sold my laptop so Im hoping this thing lives up to the hype.

Posted at 6:52 pm on Apr 3rd, 2010 by Mose Aronowitz

Hey the best toy/tool yet i think. At least for those who need it. So Please get in touch with me I would like to buy one of those in that dozen or so you have …

Posted at 9:50 am on Apr 13th, 2010 by izanagi

Hardware jailbreak eases reboot pains

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