So, the iPhone 4S is finally among us and so is iOS 5. If you haven’t yet updated your iDevice to iOS 5, what you waiting for…? Oh sceptical are you? Well that just as well because before you update to iOS 5 im sure you’re thinking… “Can I still Jail Break my phone while its on OS 5″. The short answer is yes, but you need to preserve your baseband first.
Preserving you baseband is important
If you didn’t already know, your Baseband is the firmware for the modem portion of your phone. Apple have now updated their techniques to prevent jail breaking as best as they can, these techniques now involve them sending an update to your baseband which in-turn makes the baseband non-jailbreakable.
The iPhone hackers have in the past jailbroken iPhones by installing a baseband that Apple cannot update. Now, if you install iOS 5 on your iPhone 4 for instance, this updates your baseband to a known version by Apple, so if you were able to Jailbreak your iPhone somehow, eventually Apple will simple send an update to your baseband and literally unjailbreak your phone.
The aim is preserve your baseband so that a different version is on your phone (one that Apple is unable to update) then you can jailbreak your phone and put iOS 5 on top.
You can download redsn0w 0.9.9b5
The process all begins with redsn0w. The usual unlock tool, ultrasn0w, is only compatible with specific iPhone basebands, and when you update the firmware on an iPhone, Apple can automatically update the baseband, too.
Luckily enough, we can stop the baseband from being updated as explained above, by using redsn0w version 0.9.9b5 which is the latest and only version that is capable. Unfortunately this version of redsn0w is only available for OS X at the moment (as of 14th October 2011). A Windows version is expected soon, but until then a Mac is your only hope!
The How to upgrade to iOS and keep your baseband Process…
Step 3. Now connect your iPhone to the computer and power it (the iPhone) off.
Step 4. Launch redsn0w, click on “Extras” and then “Custom IPSW”. Then select the iOS 5 IPSW firmware file that you downloaded for your type of iPhone and wait for the redsn0w application to process the firmware. Once it is processed, click “Pwned DFU”.
Step 5. Put the phone into DFU mode (hold the lock button for 3 seconds, then hold both home and lock buttons together for an additional 10 seconds, then let go of the lock button and keep holding the home button for another 10 seconds). Once in Pwned DFU mode you need to close redsn0w.
Step 6. Open iTunes – it will tell you that your phone is “Recovery Mode”. Within iTunes navigate to the “Devices” section and while holding down the alt key, click on “Restore”.
Step 7. redsn0w will have automatically created a NO_BB firmware file. Make sure that this is the file you select (and not the IPSW file you downloaded, if you select the wrong file you cant go back and there’s nothing you can do at this time). After selecting the NO_BB firmware file iTunes will restore your iPhone in iTunes to the “pwned” iOS 5 firmware file. Basically this means iOS 5 is installed on your phone but the baseband remains the same i.e the handset is still unlockable.
If you are impatient and just can’t wait until Apple pushes iOS 5 out to the world on October 12th you can get the final release build now! Apple has put the final build out to developers, and because it is final you do not actually need to be a developer to install it on your phone.
UPDATE: iOS has been officially released by Apple for everyone as of October 12th 2011
All you need is the latest version of iTunes and the latest build of iOS 5.
Installing iOS 5 is easy. Simply download the correct build for your device from the bottom of this post. Make sure to save the file somewhere you can find it later. Lastly, perform a backup of your phone because it will be wiped clean after.
Open iTunes and Command click (Mac) or Shift click (PC) on the “restore” button. This will allow you to restore from a firmware of your choosing. Choose the iOS 5 build you downloaded and let the phone run though the process just like a normal restore.
After your phone reboots you will have the latest build of iOS 5 on your device. As I said before, this is an official build, so it is safe to install.
Build number is 9A334, these links are hosted on Apple’s servers, if you are having trouble downloading IPSW, right-click and choose “Save As”.
Apple TV 2 has also been updated, but is technically on iOS 4.4 with a custom build of 9A334v.
iOS 5 is compatible with iPad, iPad 2, iPhone 3GS, iPhone 4 CDMA & GSM, and iPod touch 3rd and 4th generations. iOS 5 also marks the first time that the CDMA and GSM builds of iOS are the same version. All new Apple hardware including iPhone 4S will ship with iOS 5 pre-installed.
Ever since I saw the Mac OS about 5 years ago, I’ve wanted to run it as my daily OS. I was stuck in the Windows world for a long time. Once I entered college, it was time for a new computer. Using the knowledge I have gained over the years, and a little help form various places online, I decided to custom build a PC and install OS X on it. Since I built my system about 8 months ago, I have been using OS X on a daily basis, and I love it. I prefer OS X over Windows any day. The purpose of this video is to show people interested in building a hackintosh what it takes to get it up and running.
Why would I want OS X on my PC?
Honestly, OS X isn’t for everyone. If you don’t know much about computers, or if you don’t use many creative applications, then this process probably isn’t worth it for you. A lot of people run hackintoshes because they are much cheaper than buying a real Mac, at least spec for spec. I would definitely prefer getting a real Mac, but I’m far too broke for that, unfortunately.
People also run OS X to get access to great software such as Final Cut, Motion, iMovie, and many others. Lately, Apple has been incorporating gestures in their operating systems, especially in Lion. People like this ease of use, but it just doesn’t exist on the Windows side of things.
Different people have different reasons to run OS X. Personally, I was just sick of Windows. OS X gets many less viruses, it manages memory and applications better, flows better, etc etc. I also really wanted to use Final Cut Pro. I wanted a machine with power, and I achieved that by building my own system.
Should I follow this video step by step?
In a short answer, no. The only reason to follow this video exactly is if you have my same computer hardware. This video is meant to give aspiring hackintosh builders an idea of what they’re getting into.
Basically what I’m saying is to do your research! If you go with a retail install (which is what I recommend doing), then this guide will offer you a very close step by step guide. The only things that will differ from your setup and this video will be the kexts you install, and the version of iBoot that you’ll use. The process is the exact same. This was my intention when making this video.
Is running Snow Leopard reliable, or just a fun experiment?
It’s definitely worth it! Like I said at the beginning of this article, I have been running and using nothing but Snow Leopard for 8 months. This computer can handle EVERYTHING I throw at it. I do everything from typing papers for college to editing HD videos in FCP, to browsing through pictures, and even some gaming. Snow Leopard is VERY stable and I trust it as my main OS.
Of course, this all depends on your hardware. If you have a machine that’s AMD and has old parts and you install a distro, then no, I wouldn’t recommend doing this. However, if you do your research and follow this video as close as your hardware lets you, then I absolutely recommend it. There’s a right way and a wrong way to do everything- this is the right way to install Snow Leopard.
That’s basically it! What do you think of installing Snow Leopard on a PC? Is it something you’d like to get into? Have you wanted to use OS X, but just can’t afford a Mac? After watching this video, do you want to give this a shot? Let us know in the forum!
Let’s face it; we live in a wireless time period. We live in a time where almost all of the latest gadgets are wireless, and where everyone has multiple wireless devices. Most users want to have all of their devices in sync with each other so that they always have their music, videos, and pictures with them at all times. In the past, this has been a huge pain, and we relied on our home PC or Mac to manually sync each device, one by one. Those days are gone, at least for Apple products.
Apple announced their service for keeping all of our devices in sync wirelessly and with no effort. This service is called “iCloud”. This article will go over briefly my thoughts about iCloud. You can watch the video below to get a full overview of what Apple announced at their WWDC keynote that was held on June 6, 2011.
What does iCloud do?
iCloud is Apple’s wireless way to keep all of our “i-devices” in sync with each other. This includes any device running iOS, and of course, the Mac. The simplest way to explain this is through an example.
Let’s say you have your iPhone with you. You’re walking along, and you see a rare bird. Using your iPhone, you take a picture of that bird. About 5 minutes after you take that picture, your iPhone dies. Good thing you have your iPad in your backpack. While walking, you see your close friend. You tell them about the bird, and they don’t believe you. You bet them $20, then take out your iPad and show them the photo that you took on your iPhone. iCloud has wirelessly pushed that picture to your iPad, all without needed to plug both devices into a computer. Since iCloud has done this for you, you can now accept the $20 that you bet your friend. In a nutshell, iCloud keeps all the content on your devices in sync with each other instantly, and without the need for a computer.
Sounds cool. What else does iCloud push?
iCloud works system-wide. Not only does iCloud push your photos, but your music, apps, contacts, calendars, and iBooks. iCloud can not only push these devices between iPhone, iPad, and iPod Touch, but to your Mac as well. Apple has “demoted” the PC/Mac from digital hub. It is instead just another device. Your portable devices don’t rely on the PC/Mac anymore. This doesn’t mean that they can go away completely, but these devices aren’t forced to sync through it 100% of the time.
It’s also worth mentioning that iCloud is nothing new to learn for users. Since iCloud is built in to the current line of applications, the only thing that’s changed is an on/off button in settings to enable or disable it. Users of “i-devices” don’t have a whole new process or application to learn. Apple has made it very easy for anyone to keep their devices in sync all the time, no matter how tech-savvy they are.
This is awesome. How much will it cost me?
Apple is charging their users a low, low price of nothing! The iCloud service is free for everyone! This is probably my favorite part of iCloud. In the past, Apple has a service for keeping contacts, calendars, and mail in sync called MobileMe, which cost $99/year. Apple has realized that charging that much for a small service wasn’t the best idea. Instead, Apple has made the service MUCH more powerful, and has made it free for everyone!
Some features of iCloud are working on current “i-devices”, but not everything is up and running just yet. iCloud will be fully functional this fall when iOS 5 has come out.
That’s basically it for iCloud! What do you think of iCloud? Will you use iCloud or will you disable it on your devices? Has apple made a step in the right direction? Let us know in the comments!
Second in my series of WWDC 2011 videos is all about iOS5. Apple has unveiled some killer features that will definitely extend the usage of their devices even further. I will be briefly going over the updates and giving some explanation in this article, however you can watch my video below for my in-depth overview of the OS 5 event at WWDC. Let’s get started!
What’s new in iOS 5?
To put it simply: A lot! Apple has really listened to their users this time around. Here’s a list of the new features that were discussed during the WWDC keynote:
Notifications
News Stand
Twitter Integration
Safari
Reminders
Camera
Mail
PC Free
Game Center
iMessage
So how do these features make iOS 5 better?
These features make iOS 5 superior to iOS 4 in many ways. For example, the notification system is now much improved. If you were playing a game and received a text message, your game was interrupted and stopped until you did something about the notification. Now, you are simply told from a little banner that slides down from the top of the screen, which disappears after a few seconds. You can also view all notifications right in one single place called Notification Center, which slides down from the top of the screen. This makes it so much easier to view notifications, and to be taken to the app that the notification came from.
iOS devices are also now PC-free! This means that you don’t have to plug them into a Mac or PC to set them up for the first use. You also don’t have to plug them into a Mac/PC to keep them in sync, thanks to iCloud, which I will be getting into in my next video! These are very powerful devices, and relying on a PC made them pre-PC devices in a post-PC era.
The new notification system is only one of the few features of iOS 5 that makes it so much better and easier to use. Twitter integration and a better camera app were two of the most demanded features of the next OS, and Apple took that into consideration. It’s always good to know that a company really listens to their users.
All of these features and the other 190+ make iOS 5 the most solid release of iOS to date. Users will be able to do the things they want faster and easier than ever before!
When can I get my hands on iOS5?
Unfortunately, iOS 5 won’t be released until this fall. Since there was no announcement of a new iPhone, we will probably see a new iPhone this fall to coincide with the iOS 5 release. Apple has issued a developers preview, which registered Apple developers can install on their devices to start developing and updating apps for it. No official date was announced, but we will be hearing more soon!
What do you think of iOS5? Will you be updating to it on day one? Will you be waiting to get an iPhone 5 or will you be updating your current device? Will you use a lot of these features, or are they nothing special to you? Let us know in the Forum!
i.e the handset is still unlockable.
