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Sorry if this is a numpty question.
Is jail breaking a mobile phone or itouch the same as avoiding the protection you get on DVD's?
My youngest wants to jail break her itouch apparently most of her friends have, it's over a year old so not in warrantee?
Ta.
Not illegal in anyway, but depending on the geek status of the child the only danger is of it ending up being 'bricked'.
So the extra content it lets you use and the software side of things is not infringing anyone?
Sorry, bit out of my depth here, as you can see 😉
Thanks for the reply btw
Jailbreaking is not illegal, and nor is installing "unauthorised" apps.
Apple doesn't authorise many of them as they are fiddling with stuff they want to control, such as how the lock screen works and so on.
Its only installing pirated copies of paid for stuff thats illegal, like TomTom.
So the extra content it lets you use and the software side of things is not infringing anyone?
I believe there is a place called Cydia? it's like the app store but for jailbreak apps.
I have a very limited knowledge, one of the magazines I design had a big article on the Jailbreaking thing, I never read it but some of it subconsciously went in.
This is a shocking generalisation I know but unless your child is very technically inclined she probably isn't bothered about the extra things jailbreaking allows you to do and purely wants to be able to pirate games/apps. This is obviously illegal but pretty much risk free at the moment realistically (IANAL) so it just depends how that registers on your moral compass I suppose.So the extra content it lets you use and the software side of things is not infringing anyone?
Serous question, what can a jail broken iPhone do that a normal one can't? Or is it just to make it work/look a bit different?
off the top of my head, some of the most useful "tweaks": quick menu for turning radios/features (lock etc) on off, quick brightness adjustment, change default browser for opening links, blacklist feature for blocking calls (there are many, many more!) Also a variety of aesthetic customisation features if you are bothered by that. But the main point (if you are a cynic) might be to pirate apps.
Serous question, what can a jail broken iPhone do that a normal one can't? Or is it just to make it work/look a bit different?
A lot of the original JB tweaks have slowly been integrated into iOS. Such as accessing the camera from the lock screen etc, but there are still many reasons, for me, why I have my iPhone 4 JB'd. Some for fun, some for functionality, and others, like Contact Privacy, for security/privacy reasons.
It should be added, most of these are paid apps, usually .99 cents or so.
[url= http://bitesms.com ]Bitesms[/url] - A better SMS client. Quick Compose/Quick Reply functions.
Bitesms - Yup, in the list twice as it's that good/
Ad Block
5 Icon Dock
NC Settings - Have quick toggles on the notification screen.
Gridlock - Arrange icons/folders as I want.
InfiniDock - Multiple icons in dock (more than 5 it scrolls)
Action Menu - Add more options to the context menus. (i.e when a word is selected I can chose several other options other that copy/paste etc. Also have an accessible clipboard history)
Browser Switcher - Chose what the default browser for the iOS, i.e gets launched from links in email, is.
Contact Privacy - Makes a pop-up appear when a app asks to access my contact list.
Fullscreen For Safari - Fullscreen browsing waaaaay before iOS6 had it, also adds multiple gestures:
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...and a few others I can't remember.
But the main point (if you are a cynic) might be to pirate apps.
With Hackulous shutting down, hopefully that side of things will not be such a draw.
+1 on Jamie's explanation; my love of LockInfo & BiteSMS has kept me on iOS5.
My daughter wanted her iPod JB'd so that she could change all the icons with different themes (or "aesthetic customisation features" as per zilog's post).
(FWIW, 6.1 out and JB across almost all devices set to follow v.soon.)
The Americans have decided it's highly illegal to jailbreak anything, for copyright reasons. I can't access the articles at the mo', but there's lots on boingboing, etc.
Shouldn't affect UK use.
@CZ
I believe the current issues are concerning unlocking, rather than jail breaking.
https://www.eff.org/is-it-illegal-to-unlock-a-phone
Jail breaking is still legal.
It lets you play with the lockscreen etc and just opens the whole thing up...just wish they would get round to jailbreaking the Apple TV3...
My Charging screen :
The Green windows fill up from left to right as it charges and the Campervan bottom left is my slide to unlock...
[IMG] 
[/IMG]
And my normal lock screen , note no black lines or slide to unlock text etc...
The Lovely Miss Tautou
[IMG] 
[/IMG]
The camper dosen't really work on the Audrey screen as I haven't worked out how to have a different picture on Charging screen and normal lockscreen...Anyone?
Thanks for the feedback, I might read up a bit more about it, before giving her the green flag, I think she is keen on customizing her itouch display, which is the main reason her friends have done it apparently.
Increased functionality, customisation and the ability to use apps from places other than the app-store.
The Android equivalent is rooting. Both JB and root allow the user the clear out any carrier/network bundled rubbish that can otherwise clog up a phone.
As others have said, a lot of the new functions available on rooted and jail broken phones get incorporated into the next official release of an OS....in this respect it is a good driver of development.
If you get caught they'll throw you in jail where you get bummed up the iHole.
I was reading an article on the BBC News website yesterday that said it wasn't illegal in the US to jailbreak phones but it was in the UK...going off to try and find the article to make sure I've read that correctly.
EDIT: I misread it...just says it isn't illegal in the US - no mention of UK - http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/technology-21200566
From what I can understand, it allows you to install pps that give you more control over your apple product - there was a really popular camera app for the iphone that allowed a zoom control with the volume buttons...allegedly sold millions of copies, but Apple blocked it as it infringed the agreement as the volume buttons were for volue and not zoom (from what I recall)...if you jailbroke your phone, you could install the app once again and get the benefit of the app.
Not sure why it would be illegal though as I can't see if hurting anything other than the device itself if it goes belly-up (assuming you aren't installing pirated copies of stuff).
Apple have tried to ban the process several times.
God knows why as half the functions of custom ROMs, 3rd party apps etc give the guys at Apple (and Google) the best ideas for the next OS.
Apple: we'll sell you an iPhone but you can never truly own the device....years down the line we still want to be able to tell you what you can or cannot run on the hardware you now own....we don't care if it's yours, we don't want you customising [s]our[/s] your property.
That's what it sounds like to me when Apple start whinging about JB.