12/10/2014

iOS 8.1.2. Jailbreak Exposes Empty Apple Update - Forbes

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Ewan Spence (http://www.forbes.com/sites/ewanspence/) Contributor

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12/10/2014 @ 11:46AM

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iOS 8.1.2. Jailbreak Exposes

Empty Apple Update
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The iPhone 6 Plus (image: Ewan Spence)

An update to iOS would normally send the jail breaking community back to
the drawing boards as members continue their almost evangelical mission to
keep their devices as open and accessible as possible. Thats not the case with
yesterdays update to iOS 8. In an unusual move, Apples update closes no
loopholes, no code exploits, or any other vulnerability.
But it does ensure that Apple can continue to earn money on ringtones.
The small update to iOS focuses on one issue in iOS 8, namely the ability to
restore ringtones purchased from the iTunes store. Given the extensive list of
bugs and issues that continue to be documented around Apples latest OS, this

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iOS 8.1.2. Jailbreak Exposes Empty Apple Update - Forbes

is a curious bug to address, as Forbes Gordon Kelly

detailed yesterday on the release of the update

(http://www.forbes.com/sites/gordonkelly/2014/12/09/apple-releases-ios-81-2/):

As such iOS 8.1.2 isnt the major fix users still plagued
(http://www.forbes.com/sites/gordonkelly/2014/11/20/ios-8-1-1-problems/) by ongoing
iOS 8 problems vevve been hoping for. iOS 8.1.1
(http://www.forbes.com/sites/gordonkelly/2014/11/18/ios-8-1-1-released/) released in
November fixed bugs for many users, but swathes of users remain affected by issues ranging
from crippled WiFi (a main support thread for this is now over 93 pages long
(https://discussions.apple.com/thread/6546549?start=1215&tstart=0)),Bluetooth bugs
(http://www.forbes.com/sites/gordonkelly/2014/10/02/ios-8-bluetoothproblems/) stopping connection to headsets and car kits and chronic battery drain
(http://www.forbes.com/sites/gordonkelly/2014/09/22/ios-8-wifi-and-battery-lifeproblems/). In this context Apples decision to address a ringtones bug first will no doubt
cause anger, regardless of whether it is low hanging fruit.

iOS8.1.2Update(image:GordonKelly/Forbes)

iOS 8.1.2 can be jailbroken using the existing 8.1.1 exploits (for example the
untethered approach from the TaiG team (http://www.taig.com/en/),
which remains valid after this update to the OS). The normal practice in

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iOS 8.1.2. Jailbreak Exposes Empty Apple Update - Forbes

dealing with jailbreaks has been to close the exploits down at the next update
(http://www.forbes.com/sites/gordonkelly/2014/11/18/ios-8-1-1-released/).
Jailbreak methods come and go as Cupertinos mobile operating
system keeps bumping up the version numbers
(http://www.forbes.com/sites/gordonkelly/2014/11/20/ios-8-1-1-problems/).
This build of the operating system has not been seeded to developers for
advance testing, instead appearing directly on Apples servers for over-the-air
updating. Developers currently have iOS 8.2 seeded with them, which includes
hooks for the Apple Watch ecosystem. Theres no word when this version of
iOS will be released, but the expectation of a quarterly cycle would mean a mid
to late February released of 8.2. feels about right.
(Read more about the rumors around 2015s iPhone
6S release

(http://www.forbes.com/sites/ewanspence/2014/12/03/apple-iphone-6srelease-date-speculation/)).

AppleiPhone6(image:EwanSpence)

Theres also no word if iOS 8.2 will address issues such as high power
drain, wi-fi connectivity issues, bluetooth compatibility, or many of the other
issues that are having a direct impact on the day to day life of iOS users. Given
the OS update issues that have affected some users, especially on handsets
with lower storage specifications, pushing out another update to fix the
purchased ringtones issue questions where Tim Cooks Apple has its focus.

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iOS 8.1.2. Jailbreak Exposes Empty Apple Update - Forbes

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