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To Upgrade or Not to Upgrade
Taking a moment away from the more typical “tutorial” type articles, we’re going to spend a minute and address a common question most people ask…”should I upgrade my devices’ operating system?” With iOS 5 hitting Apple devices recently and Android 4.0 (i.e. Ice Cream Sandwich) coming soon, this question is more relevant than ever.
The question always comes up…should I get the lastest version of my phones operating system (iOS, Android, Windows Phone 7, Blackberry OS, etc). There is no simple answer but let’s look at a few questions to ask yourself before you make this decision. First off, take a look at what the features are that you’re getting in the upgrade. Often times the upgrades are marginal or impact aspects of the device that are irrelevant to you based on your usage. In those cases, no big worries in not getting the upgrade.
The next question is…at what cost will I get the upgrade. By this we mean what negative aspects are there in upgrading. Again, this depends on the type of user you are. If you’re someone that likes to tweak and mess with your phone (jailbreaking your iOS device or rooting your Droid) then you probably don’t want the latest version. Typically, new versions are released to block users from doing things that the mother ship frowns upon. For example, when the jailbreak method for the iPad 2 was finally released by hacker Comex, Apple immediately released an update to the operating system to block the jailbreak. They added virutally nothing else other than the block and because it came out so quickly following the release of the jailbreak, the majority of iPad 2 users were left with an (as of yet) un-jailbreakable device.
The same holds true for Android. While Google says it doesn’t take as active a role in trying to block rooting as Apple does against jailbreakers, new versions of Android are typically not compatible with current root method. This means you have to wait until an enterprising hacker or software developer comes up with a new method and sometimes those new methods aren’t quite as simple as the older ways. This also holds true for certain apps that, for example, allow you to turn a rooted device into a wifi hotspot. These features may be disabled on a newer version.
It’s always nice to have the latest and greatest and sometimes the upgrades genuinely do warrant the drawbacks or sacrifices one must make. All we suggest is to not take the idea of an upgrade as always being just that. Quite often an upgrade is nothing but a downgrade.
Turn your iPhone into a Wifi Hotspot
No one wants to pay the telephone companies a monthly fee to allow you to use a feature that your device already has built in. That’s basically like buying a car and then paying the automaker a monthly fee to use the trunk. You shouldn’t have to! You bought it…you should get to do what you want with it!!
The Home Screen
OK…rant over. The guys over at Intelliborn seem to agree and have had one of the most popular WiFi hotspot apps available for iOS for some time now. The app is called MiWi and is only available on the Cydia app store since it’s way too cool, useful and necessary for Apple to include it in their App store. (OK, to be fair, it’s typically pressure from the carriers that pushes apps like this out of the more “legitimate” channels.) To install the app, your iOS device must first be Jailbroken (click here to find out how to jailbreak). If you haven’t jail broken yet, do it! It gives you the capability to add a ton of features your iPhone should have had from day one, but remember, it does void your warranty.
You can download the app by launching Cydia on your iPhone. From Cydia, press the Search icon and type in MyWi. Tap on the app from the list of search results and download and you’re good to go. They thoughtfully give you a 3 day free trial and if it works and you like it, it will cost you a one time fee of $19.99 to buy. That’s a wwaaayyyy better deal than paying your phone company a ridiculous monthly fee for the same service. Also, when you log into Cydia to make the purchase, it remembers your transaction so if you should install Cydia on another iPhone later, you can download the app again and won’t be charged. Very cool.
The app itself is very clean and elegantly designed. The home screen shows you your options and even asks you what you want to connect to. By default, the program has the ability to create a wifi hotspot or to plug into your computer via usb and tether that way. Another option is to tether to a device through it’s Bluetooth connection, but that option does require you to pay a few more bucks.
WiFi Hotspot Tab
On the home screen you will see three icons in a row. The first shows the wifi logo, the second is the USB icon and the third is for creating the bluetooth connection (if you purchased that option). Click on the Wifi logo and you’re off and running. It is recommended that you click on the Wifi logo at the top of the app, then click on WEP Security to make sure your hotspot is secured with a 10 digit password of your choosing. If you don’t someone near by can jump onto your hotspot and slow you down considerably.
Adjust WiFi Hotspot Security Settings
With each updated version the app becomes even more stable and easier to use. Don’t be surprised if you occassionally have to reboot the app or try to reconnect your device. Don’t worry, though…that’s a small price to pay for HotSpot-y goodness!
Free iOS Apps With Installous
One of the first questions anyone asks after jailbreaking is “Where da free apps at?!” Granted, some people may ask the same question in a more grammatically correct manner.
Once you are jailbroken, the process of being able to install free apps is fairly painless. First off, we have to address the issue of why someone would do this. The purpose of this hack is to be able to download apps for free to try out before you buy (emphasis being on “BEFORE YOU BUY”). If you find an app that you like, you should always, always, ALWAYS download the paid app from the App Store to support the app makers.
Step 1: Begin by going into Cydia (which you should have once you jailbreak your iOS device).
Click on Cydia
Step 2: Once inside Cydia, click on Sources on the bottom row of buttons
Click on Sources
Step 3: This screen shows the app repositories you currently have. (A repository is basically a big bank full of apps.) We want to add a new repository so click on the Edit button on the top right corner. On the next screen click on the Add button on the top right corner.
Step 4: Now we are going to tell the program where to find the new repository. Type the following into the search box, exactly as it appears so that your search box has only this text: http://cydia.hackulo.us
Once you have done that click on Add Source.
You’ll see this next screen as everything is installed.
The install screen
Step 5: Now your list of app repositories will have a new option…Hackulous. Click on it.
Step 6: Once inside the Hackullous app, click on the Install button on the top right corner.
Click Install
Step 7: Click Confirm on the next screen to finalize the installation
Click Confirm
Step 8: Once the installation is complete, you will see the Installous icon on your screen. Just tap this to launch your new Installous app store.
Tap on Installous App
Once you’re inside Installous, you can see the categories of apps listed on the left. There is also a Search button on the top bar to search for specific apps.
The Installous App
Installous is run and maintained by regular people that are working hard to bring you a great and easy way to try apps before you buy. As a result of the grass roots basis of the program, it can be frequently out of service due to high traffic. Always be patient when using things like this and understand that people are working hard to bring you this. If you want to help out, you can always make a donation to those dedicated few bringing you these great services. Just go to http://hackulo.us/ for more details on the app and to donate.
If you get this to work drop a comment below and let us know what device and version you ran it on. And remember… if you find an app you like, spend a few bucks to buy the real version from the App Store. Keep app makers cranking out quality apps.
JailBreakMe.com
The worlds easiest and most elegant jail break tool is back. Comex has released the much anticipated JailBreakMe.com update recently and so far there are a lot of happy Apple fanboys around the world. The biggest feature of this update was the inclusion of the iPad 2, which up until this point was un-jailbreakable (yup, that’s totally a word). Now even the owners of Apple’s latest and greatest tablet can partake in the Cydia goodness.
So how does it work? On your iOS device’s browser, just go to JailBreakMe.com. From there you will see a screen that has a single button. Click it and you are jail broken. It literally could not be any simpler or cleaner than that. So far reports are that this will work on all current iOS devices but that probably won’t be the case for long as Apple usually makes it a point to crash the Jail Break party whenever it can.
And remember, jailbreaking will void your warranty but it is NOT ILLEGAL! And if you ever want to go back, you can just undo the whole processs by using iTunes to revert back and fully wiping your device. Just remember to back everything up before you do.
If the jailbreak worked for you, drop a comment below and tell us what device you did it on.
Welcome
To put it very simply, this site is designed for people with little to no tech savvy who want to get a little more out of their shiny electronic toys. We’re going to go over terms like hacking, rooting, and jailbreaking and what they all mean and if they are right for you. Or maybe you’ve already rooted your android phone and now you want to know what to do with. We’ll post articles about the best apps for rooted, jail broken and even unmodified phones and tech.
Primarily this site will run off of user requests for information. If you have a question just post a comment and we’ll do our best to answer.
As a disclaimer, virtually all of the information found here is from articles around the web and whenever possible I will put links to those sites and to the original authors. The main goal of HackMondo is to take all that information and convert it to non-techno babble for everyone to understand. Please check with your own wireless carrier or device manufacturer to find out if any of the things we talk about here will void your warranty or violate your terms of service. Proceed at your own risk.
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