Earlier this week a hack was introduced that allowed users to install Swype for iOS, which for some people it greatly improves their typing speed on iOS devices. Andrew Liu, developer of the “DreamBoard” theming hack for jailbroken devices, has begun to “port” Swype to iOS. The initial release of the modification had several bugs or shortcomings, such as low accuracy and problems with word prediction. Well the Swype port has now been updated to address those issues and make it feel more like the original.

Beta 2 of the Swype port for iOS also brings the blue swipe tracer line that we are all familiar with when we think of Swype. In a very short time, the Swype port for iOS went from a somewhat buggy tweak to a fairly usable one. We can only assume that if development continues, that this will be just as popular as the original Swype for Android and the late Windows Mobile.

The official version of Swype is developed by Swype, Inc., which is no way affiliated with the iOS version we’re showcasing today, despite sharing much of the feature set. Available for Windows Mobile-based handsets, and later the Android operating system, Swype is a patented technology many iOS users have been waiting to get their hands on.
It’s not yet clear whether or not this is all ported, or being completely developed from the ground up, or a mix of both. Chances are it’s a combination of the two.
Here are a few words from Brian Resnik – Community Relations Specialist from Swype on that subject:

The first thing we want to make clear is that this version released via Cydia is not in any way an official Swype product, or related to SwypeInc. in any way. It appears this developer wrote some of his own code to emulate a Swype-like experience and is using our brand. We don’t know if this is a ‘hacked’ version of Swype or not. I’m thinking not. We are still investigating, but either way, this is not an official release or port of Swype to iOS. Additionally, since we weren’t involved with the development of this application, we can not vouch for the integrity of the software. From a consumer’s perspective, we recommend researching the developer on your own to ensure the trustworthiness of this application from a security standpoint.

Our legal counsel is advising us on the best course of action regarding this ‘hacked’ release. We’ll continue to follow the situation and do whatever our management team determines is appropriate to protect our intellectual property. We’re not looking to prove a point or anything like that. Frankly, as our CEO mentioned in an interview with GeekWire on the topic, the clear interest demonstrated by this release from iOS users in having Swype is exciting. But we do still need to protect our brand and, if it turns out that some of our code are being used, our patents.

Also, people are already saying “this proves that you can get Swype on iOS, even if it’s through Cydia, right?” Well, not really. Yes, you can get “tracing” to work via some serious hacking (and even then it only works on jailbroken phones, and in stock iOS applications), but there are other really important elements to Swype. For example, word replacement and editing. With Swype, we know that the prediction engine won’t get it right 100% of the time. Most of the time, absolutely, but there will always be a mistake once in a while. The nice thing about Swype is that when that happens you can quickly pull up a list of alternative suggestions – in the new v3.0, they’re automatically shown whenever you swipe a word or tap on a previously entered word. When you pick an alternative suggestion, Swype replaces the previously typed word with the new one. Without keyboard APIs, we have no way of interacting with the text field in those kinds of ways. Sure, you can get basic character entry to work, but to get the full Swype experience, we absolutely require certain features to be implemented by Apple themselves.

Whether you’re new to Swype or are using the old version, you can install Beta 2 using Cydia.
If you’re setting up Swype for the first time, add the following repository to Cydia: wynd.x10.mx/repo.

Have you been waiting for Swype for your iOS device?
Does it make typing faster then using the standard iOS keyboard? Many seem to believe it does.
If you have tried it out, share your opinion of the port with us.
We would love to hear what you think about it.

source: WyndWarrior

By now I’m sure you have read many times, that before you attempt to jailbreak or unlock your iPhone, iPad or iPod Touch, you should first save your SHSH blobs. Well, the iPhone Dev team has just revealed in a blog post titled “Blob Monster”, that Apple is making things much more difficult to downgrade to an older firmware using SHSH blobs in the coming iOS 5.

Why save your SHSH blobs and WHAT are they, you ask? In a nutshell SHSH blobs are configuration files from your iPhone / iPad / iTouch corresponding to the specific version of the iOS you’re running as well as your particular device’s exact configuration. You should save them before you do upgrades to new versions of iOS or if you’re installing a jailbreak/unlock tool, since they will help you keep your specific hack intact. This which is not possible by default, as Apple stops signing older iOS firmware files after it releases a new iOS software update (usually used to downgrade to an older version of iOS). If you do not save them, the next iOS upgrade can ruin your jailbreak / unlock or hack… forever.

The easiest way to save your SHSH Blob is by using the TinyUmbrella tool because it can take blobs saved from any iDevice, even if it’s not jailbreaked. Another option is using Cydia to save your configuration, although not all Cydia versions support this option, so TinyUmbrella is the popular choice.

Quoted from the Dev Team’s Blog:

“Starting with iOS5 beta, the role of ‘APTicket’ is changing — it’s being used much like the ‘BBTicket’ has always been used. The LLB and iBoot stages of the boot sequence are being refined to depend on the authenticity of the APTicket, which is uniquely generated at each and every restore. This APTicket authentication will happen at every boot, not just at restore time.”

What’s all that mean exactly? Well, for one, you’ll no longer be able to downgrade your firmware because Apple now holds the keys to the kingdom on your device. You will be able to jailbreak still, but you will not be able to downgrade your devices as easily.

It looks like Apple’s starting to get real about fighting back with Jailbreakers. Although honestly this could be an even bigger nuisance for non-jailbreakers. As many of you may still be sporting an iPhone 3G and the latest updates really take a toll on your iPhone’s resources and overall performance. In these cases you could just revert back to an older firmware to get things back to stable, but now it’s going to be more difficult to even downgrade for legitimate reasons.

In light of this new move from Apple, this means that you have to be even more careful when Apple releases a new iOS software update post iOS 5, until the Dev team comes up with a solution since as of now there is no way to revert back if you end up accidentally upgrading to it.

In an industry where Android phones are going to start to come unlocked by default, Apple continues to ramp up their efforts in its’ game of tag with iPhone jailbreakers and unlockers, as they have also just reportedly blocked the iPhone 4 hardware unlocking solution using Gevey SIM in iOS 5 beta 2.

How do you feel about this move from Apple?
Will you still be eyeballing that iPhone 5 when it gets here?
Do you think Apple’s efforts are futile and could be better spent on other things?
Or do you feel the security they implement is warranted and necessary and adds to the stability of the Apple product market? (you know, since nobody runs a hacked iPhone, right?)
Let me know your feelings about this latest move from Apple below.

source: DevTeam Blog