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Jailbreak iPhone 4S/4/3GS and iPad 3/2/1 on iOS 5.1.1 [u]
Jailbreak your iPhone 4S, 4, or 3GS. Root your iPad 3, 2, or 1. Even if you're stuck on iOS 5.1.1. Yes, now you can escape from Apple's (NASDAQ:AAPL) pomaceous walled garden of parody-free, sexless, family friendliness, with Absinthe 2.0.2. What's not to like? In IT Blogwatch, bloggers even dig the cool logo...
By Richi Jennings: Your humble blogwatcher curated these bloggy bits for your entertainment. Not to mention: Low-carb eaters have a sense of humor too...
[Updated: For balance, some jailbreaking downsides]
Loek Essers is the bringer of good news:
Absinthe 2.0 can be used to jailbreak iOS 5.1.1 devices...[to] download applications not authorized by Apple.
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Absinthe 2.0 is the first untethered jailbreak for the third generation iPad. ... However, Absinthe 2.0 only works with devices that run iOS 5.1.1.
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[Nikias] Bassen [@pimskeks]...worked on the jailbreak with...Joshua Hill (@p0sixninja), David Wang (@planetbeing) and Cyril...(@pod2g).
That dream team is proud to announce the birth of a bonny green fairy:
After copious amounts of work and many sleepless nights Absinthe 2.0 is finally here. ... This jailbreak supports firmware 5.1.1. ... [It's] the most easiest.
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Support for iPad2,4 will be added at a later date.
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Thanks for using Absinthe, enjoy your jailbroken iDevice!
But Tony Bradley is feeling cranky about the whole deal:
[The fact] that iOS devices can be rooted poses a significant security risk. ... When it comes to company-issued...or personal gadgets that are used for work purposes...IT admins need to be concerned about jailbroken devices. [They] can be a significant security concern.
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iOS itself is relatively secure...if you ignore how easy it seems to be...to root.
Your humble blogwatcher has these top tips:
[It's] perfectly legal...jailbreaking does not encourage software piracy -- no matter what Apple PR may appear to imply. ...
Make sure you stop iTunes from automatically updating itself. ...
Make sure you stop iTunes from automatically updating your iPhone. ...
If you do choose to do an iOS update on your iPhone or 3G iPad, make sure you don't update the baseband firmware. ...
Plug your iPhone directly into a USB socket...do not use a USB hub. ...
Use a genuine Apple USB cable...some cheapo cables can...fail in subtle ways when jailbreaking.
Be patient. ... If it appears to have hung, it probably hasn't.
Meanwhile, Alex Heath notes how incredibly popular this thing is:
The numbers add up to roughly 1.2 million total devices jailbroken in just under 3 days.
Update: Sebastien Page has help if you're hitting problems:
[A] few people are still getting some errors. ... The main [ones are] “Error detecting device (lockdown error -5)” and “Could not connect to lockdown”.
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@pod2g and @pimskeks...confirmed the problem is a random coincidence. ... All you have to do is go to Settings > General > Reset > Reset All Content and Settings. Then [try] again.
Update 2: Adrian Kingsley-Hughes talks potential cons:
The biggest downside is...if you update you’ll lose your jailbreak [so] wait until there’s a jailbreak tool that’s compatible. Sometimes...it can take weeks.
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Apple does will not provide support or warranty for a jailbroken device. [But] the process is reversible, [so no] big deal. ... [T]echnically it is only legal for the iPhone, and not the iPad or the iPod touch.
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The best way to avoid problems is to familiarize yourself with [the] jailbreak tool...and follow the instructions carefully.
Richi Jennings is an independent analyst/consultant, specializing in blogging, email, and security. He's the creator and main author of Computerworld's IT Blogwatch, for which he has won ASBPE and Neal awards. He also writes The Long View for IDG Enterprise. A cross-functional IT geek since 1985, you can read Richi's full profile and disclosure of his industry affiliations.
