android on your iphone 3g

As previously reported by Rene, a group of developers/hackers have been working on porting the Google Android OS to the iPhone. The team, led by PlanetBeing, release the first set of tools back in April but it was for the iPhone 2G only. Yesterday they released a new version that is able to be installed on the iPhone 3G. The great thing about this newest release is that PlanetBeing pre-built the binaries so most of the hard work has already been done. Getting Android up and running is as simple as copying over a few files to the iPhone and running a couple of Terminal commands. Think you’re up for the challenge?

Well here are the steps to do so:** Note proceed at your own risk. You & you alone are responsible for your device. If this process fails we will provide as much support as possible. **

** This is only for the iPhone 3G. Instruction for the 2G will be up soon. The 3Gs is not supported at the moment **

What you’ll need:

1. An iPhone 3G with firmware 2.0 – 3.1.2. It needs to be jailbroken using either PwnageTool or Redsn0w. (Spirit Jailbreak method is currently causing problems)

2. Somekind of Linux OS. (i recomend using Ubuntu in a Virtual Machine if you don’t have a full Linux install. Get the free Virtual Box & install Ubuntu)

3. The Pre-Built Android Binaries: iPhone 3G

Installation:

1. Extract the file you downloaded above. You’ll see three folders. Files, firmware & iDroid.

2. First you need to copy the contents of the “files” folder to your iPhone into /private/var/. This can be done either by SSH’in into your phone or by using an “iPhone File System Browser” such as PhoneView for Mac or i-Fun Box for PC.

3. Next you need to copy the entire “firmware” folder to your iPhone into /private/var/ using the same method as the previous step. (This time you’ll be copying the entire folder where the step before you copied only the contents of the folder)

4. Now reboot your iPhone and verify that the the following file are in /private/var/: android.img.gz, cache.img, ramdisk.img, system.img, userdata.img & zImage

5. Also verify that in you have a “firmware” folder in /private/var/ & that it contains the following files: sd8686_helper.bin, sd8686.bin, zephyr_aspeed.bin, zephyr_main.bin & zephyr2.bin

6. Now you’ll need to boot into your Linux install. Copy the “idroid” folder from the download into the home directory of your account. Make sure your iPhone is plugged in via USB and that your Linux machine “sees” it. (if you’re using a virtual machine you’ll have to tell it to access the USB port in the settings. if you need help Google is your friend)

7. Shut down the iPhone and place it into Recovery Mode: With the iPhone powered off and plugged into the computer via USB, push Power and Home simultaneously, and then let go of Power after the backlight turns on. Continue holding Home until the ‘Connect to iTunes’ image appears on the screen.

8. Open up the Terminal app and change the directory to your “idroid” folder (hope you put it in your home folder): cd ~/idroid

9. Now: sudo ./loadibec openiboot.img3

10. If everything’s working you should see the openiboot menu on your iPhone screen.

11. Use the volume buttons to select the Console option. Pres the Home button to select it. You’ll see text scrolling on your screen ending with a Welcome to openiboot message.

12. Type: sudo ./oibc

13. Now your terminal screen should match that of your iPhone.

14. Type nor_read 0×09000000 0×0 1048576 in Terminal. After this finishes type ~norbackup.bin@0×09000000:1048576. This creates a backup of your NOR just to be safe. It places the file in the idroid folder named “norbackup.bin”. Keep this file safe.

15. Now type install in the Terminal. This will actually install opendiboot onto your phone. This make take a few minutes. Wait till you receive a installation complete message.

16. Once complete type reboot in Terminal and exit our of the console by pressing Ctrl-C.

17. Once your phone reboots you can select which OS you want to boot by using the volume rocker and pressing Home on the option you want. You can select Android from this menu and let it boot up.

That’s pretty much it. Couple of notes:

1. To navigate in Android the home button = menu, power button = back, volume down = home & volume up = option

2. The only way to turn off Android is to hold both the Power & Home button till the phone shuts off

3. If you want to enter “restore” mode select the Apple from the openiboot menu and continue to hold
“home” until the connect to iTunes logo appears

[via i-enthusiast]

iPhone 4: June launch, high-res screen, iBookstore - Digitimes

Apple’s making major orders now for the next-gen iPhone, reports from the company’s suppliers in China and Taiwan suggest.

Manufacturer, Foxconn, seems set to ship 24 million units of the device at least this year, with shipments starting in June, reports Digitimes senior analyst, Ming-Chi Kuo, citing component makers in Taiwan.

Foxconn seems on target to ship 4.5 million units in the first half and 19.5 million units for the rest of 2010, the report states.

Forgive a moment’s speculation here, but the relative difference between these two figures could suggest a staggered roll-out of the product as Apple delivers it to key territories as manufacturing ramps-up to meet demand. The same deal as the iPad. Perhaps.

The Digitimes report lends a little more weight to the idea that Apple will announce the new iPhone on June 7 at WWDC, and adds a little more technical data beyond that revealed in the Gawker report.

The new device will adopt IPS (in-plane switching) panels with FFS (fringe-field switching) technology and a 960-x-640 resolution,” Kuo said, noting that LG DIsplay and Prime View International are the panel suppliers,” Digitimes tells us.

That report says it will be including FFS because it will “improve the handset's e-book reader features”. This confirms Apple's previous promist it will bring the iBookstore to the iPhone in June.

The iPhone 4G will run on the Arm Cortex A8 processor and a 512MB memory module from Samsung Electronics, doubling the memory capacity of the previous generation to enable better multi-tasking. The panel is one third thinner to reduce battery drain.

Batteries will come from Simplo Technology and Dynapack International Technology, Kuo said.

[via 9to5mac]

Confirmation of the Verizon (CDMA) iPhone Manufacturer?

A new report (Taiwanese) seems to identify Pegatron as the manufacturer for a CDMA-compatible iPhone. Translation via Electronista:

Quote

Pegatron has been contracted to make a CDMA iPhone, insiders claimed today. The scoop is short but would have the ASUS manufacturing arm building phones that would likely go to Verizon and possibly other carriers as well. A deal would help Pegatron take off as a major supplier, DigiTimes said.

But this is not the first time Pegatron has been singled out as the manufacturer for a Verizon-compatible iPhone. The Wall Street Journal first revealed that possibility back in March.

Quote

The CDMA iPhone model is being made by Pegatron Technology Corp., the contract manufacturing subsidiary of Taiwan's ASUSTeK Computer Inc., said these people.

While there have been a lot of conflicting rumors over the past few months about the possibility of a Verizon iPhone, we consider The Wall Street Journal a reliable source for rumors, so place their predictions head of all the other conflicting reports. What's also telling of their accuracy is that the March 30th article also described the new iPhone as "thinner" with a faster processor. This report was well before the leaked images of the next generation iPhone which did reveal the thinner form factor.

The WSJ believes that the next iPhone will launch this summer, but the CDMA (Verizon) iPhone won't begin manufacturing until September.

AT&T changes add more weight to June iPhone 4G launch expectations

AT&T changes in upgrade eligibility rules are today being seen as potential hints at introduction of the next model iPhone, perhaps on June 21, particularly when readers recall the furore when the carrier denied an easy upgrade park to many iPhone users on last year's launch of the iPhone 3GS.

A reader tells MobileCrunch

Quote

Not sure if anyone [..] has noticed this same thing, but my Upgrade Eligibility date on my AT&T account switched from 11/21 to 6/21 in the last day or so. I bought a 3GS on launch day last year, and my upgrade date read 11/21 since then. A few other folks in my office have noticed the same changes happening to their accounts as well.

AT&T doesn’t seem to be applying this change universally, but it is being widely implemented. Do note that June 21 is a Monday, while Apple’s iPhone has traditionally been launched on a Friday. Also in the frame, a pair of reports, one speculating Apple and AT&T may not have a five-year deal, another suggesting Verizon may be moving into the picture.

Now the iPhone really has become iWallet - Square App ships

Square shipped its iPad app last month, today the company’s free iPhone app makes the App Store, and promises that “soon, Square will be on mobile devices everywhere”.

The service lets people take credit card payments using their mobile phone. It works through use of a card reader that plugs into the iPhone’s headline port. We think this is only the beginning of the kind of authentication solutions we'll see ship for the iPhone and other smartphones.

Authentication is by way of a finger signature on the touchscreen. The app also generates email or SMS receipts, calculates sales tax, and comes with an online accounting dashboard to keep track of sales.

Originally designed for iPhone the company has been beta testing the service for the last few months. You need to get a card reader, which Square is offering free to anyone signing up for an account.

[via TechCrunch]
Square shipped its iPad app last month, today the company’s free iPhone app makes the App Store, and promises that “soon, Square will be on mobile devices everywhere”.

The service lets people take credit card payments using their mobile phone. It works through use of a card reader that plugs into the iPhone’s headline port. We think this is only the beginning of the kind of authentication solutions we'll see ship for the iPhone and other smartphones.

Authentication is by way of a finger signature on the touchscreen. The app also generates email or SMS receipts, calculates sales tax, and comes with an online accounting dashboard to keep track of sales.

Originally designed for iPhone the company has been beta testing the service for the last few months. You need to get a card reader, which Square is offering free to anyone signing up for an account.

[via TechCrunch]

Verizon making ads for the IPhone 4g?

Could AT&T’s exclusive hold on the iPhone be on the rocks?

This is a rumor. CrunchGear reports ads firm Landor Associates may be working on “an advertising campaign” for Verizon for the upcoming iPhone.

Explaining the agency has been working on Verizon branding since 2007, the reoprt claims the company is “hard at work preparing for the iPhone HD launch”. The Verizon team there is led by Brad Scott, it informs.

“More important, however, this rumor very nearly confirms a Verizon launch of the iPhone at the end of the summer. More information as we get it.”

We can hear a big cheer going up in the US this morning.

[via 9to5mac]

android os on iphone 3g

After demonstrating Android running on his iPhone 2G, Planetbeing has succeeded in porting Android OS to the iPhone 3G.

Here is some comments on the progress made to PCWorld.

-
We've also made several other improvements to the original port in this version. Along with many under-the-hood improvements and bug fixes, the Wi-Fi driver has been fleshed out with all the Android-specific extensions, making it more stable and reliable. We've also added an Android icon to the boot menu to make it more easily accessible..

Next up is audio support--we've already laid the groundwork for audio support on the 3G and gotten it working in our homemade bootloader, so support for audio in Linux/Android will be coming in a few days.

Also, look forward to improved power management and backlight control very soon. The hope is that you should soon be able to carry around your first-generation iPhone or iPhone 3G running Android and use it just as normally as you would any other Android phone.
-

Take a look at the video demo below...

[iClarified]

Component suppliers for Apple's iPhone 4G named

With Apple's new iPhone expected to launch in a matter of months, a new report alleges Foxconn will again assemble the device, while a new panel supplier will be added into the mix.

Citing the Chinese launguage Economic Daily News, Taiwanese industry publication DigiTimes reported Tuesday that Chimei Innolux will provide panels for the next-generation iPhone. That supplier will be in addition to existing partners TPK Touch Solution and Wintek, who supply parts for the current iPhone 3GS.

The report noted that Foxconn began receiving components for the new iPhone in April. It did not say when they might be assembled for a final product.

Foxconn will allegedly handle 100 percent of the assembly responsibilities for the new iPhone, as it did with the iPhone 3GS. TPK will handle 45 percent of the touch panels, Wintek 40 percent, and newcomer Chimei Innolux 15 percent. The latter was reportedly selected because of its affiliation with Foxconn.

The report also said that Largan Precision will handle 80 percent of the camera modules for the new hardware, while Genius Electronic will cover the other 20 percent. In addition, TXC will up its share of the quartz components in Apple's handsets from 15 percent to 40 percent.

Apple is expected to introduce its next-generation iPhone at its annual Worldwide Developers Conference keynote. The conference is scheduled to kick off on June 7, and runs through June 11 at San Francisco's Moscone West. One rumor has alleged that Apple could make its handset available for sale as soon as it is announced, rather than waiting a few weeks as has been done in years past.

Resized to 80% (was 800 x 317) - Click image to enlarge

Such a strategy could provide Apple with a surprise for users at this year's WWDC, as a leaked prototype of Apple's next-generation iPhone has already revealed that the handset will likely have a forward-facing camera for video chat, and camera flash to improve picture lighting. Reports have also suggested that the prototype design, which features a changed exterior with a flat back and aluminum sides, will be very similar -- if not identical -- to the shipping product to be sold this summer.

Resized to 80% (was 800 x 552) - Click image to enlarge

Last year, the iPhone 3GS was launched on June 19. The device was formally unveiled over a week earlier at WWDC 2009, which ran from June 8 through June 12. A year prior, the iPhone 3G went on sale July 11.

Apple to face antitrust inquiry over iPhone coding restrictions?

Apple's decision to block third-party toolkits and middleware -- particularly Flash -- from being used to develop iPhone and iPad apps has certainly prompted a fair amount of debate around the web, and now it sounds like Steve and the gang might face some even harsher scrutiny: a single-sourced piece in the New York Post reports that the Federal Trade Commission and the Department of Justice are currently tussling over which agency should be tasked with a potential antitrust inquiry into the matter. That would certainly make some noise in the industry, but it doesn't mean much for those of us here in reality quite yet: assuming the report is true, an inquiry would still just be the very first step -- whichever agency is ultimately put in charge would then have to launch a formal investigation and then finally file and win a lawsuit for any changes to occur. That's a timeframe measured in months, if not years.

All that said, we can see why the feds are interested: Apple's slowly moving into an ever-more dominant position in the mobile market, and forcing developers to make a hard choice about which platforms to target certainly puts the squeeze on competitors. We'll be following this one closely -- stay tuned.

[via engadget]

Spirit jailbreak released

What's Spirit?

• Spirit is an untethered jailbreak for iPad, iPhone, and iPod touch on the latest firmwares.
• Spirit is not a carrier unlock.
• If you currently are using a tethered jailbreak, you have to restore to use Spirit. Do not upgrade if you use an unlock on an iPhone 3G or 3GS. (You can, however, restore to 3.1.2 if you have SHSH blobs for that version.)

Requirements

• Any iPad, iPhone, or iPod touch on firmware 3.1.2, 3.1.3, or 3.2.
• An activated device: one not stuck on the Connect to iTunes or Emergency Call screen.
• Any version of iTunes 9 (including 9.1.1).
• Syncing with iTunes before trying this highly recommended.

Note: On iPad, all this is still sort of beta. Some packages in Cydia, not designed for iPad, might screw up your system and require you to restore. Be careful. (And no, Cydia's appearance is not final.)

Download

Windows 

Other Stuff

• Troubleshooting: If you're getting error code c0000005, apparently setting compatibility mode to Windows 98 or 95 allows Spirit to work.