Cracking the Apple DRM

With 10 million downloads in just 2 days of release, the iPhone AppStore is on its way to become a 'star' product (wiki Boston Matrix) of Apple. However, the huge demand and popularity means enthusiastic attention from hackers.

Apple has been known for its DRM (Digital Rights Management) policies or more popularly known as Fairplay which prevents the use of music or videos and now applications in unauthorized devices hence reducing piracy. However, hackers have been cracking the iTunes DRM for years now and hence making, especially songs, usable in any devices aiding piracy.

Now, amid the failures in Mobile Me, 3G iPhone shortages and slowing US economy, apple has been put forward a new challenge; protecting the applications in the iPhone AppStore.

Just recently, folks over at haklabs.com have successfully cracked the Super Monkey Ball game from Sega, thus, creating history. However, the cracking didn't stop then, its was so, that the crack worked for all the applications in the AppStore. Now, more than 50 applications have been cracked and available for download.

A sharp blow to Apple and the third party developers. They knew this was coming.

So, what does this mean to all the stakeholders? Well, apple will see a smaller growth in the store than previously expected, people who can't afford the apps can benefit from pirated content, however the most affected will be the application developers. All the hard work and time spend on developing those applications will go to waste and since these developers aren't just big co-operations but any Joe Blow, the Joes will starve to death.

While the hack is still in early phases and its not at all like buying pirated DVDs from Khasa (China Town or Thief Market of Kathmandu) and its still requires a hack and skills to make the cracked Apps work, folks at haklabs.com are working on making a AppStore like portal for the cracked apps!

I don't condone or support privacy. I think that things are too pricey, and since I'm currently unemployed, I should be getting benefits, shouldn't I?

iPhone 3G

Apple unveiled its next version of the iPhone, or the iPhone 3G yesterday. Amid chaotic re-enlightenment of the internet after a nearly 4 month's exam fever, I did happen to stumble upon the Apple WWDC 2008 event and by pure luck, the event had just begun, so I did a quick search for live feeds and the guys at iphonealley.com were just there to fulfill the need for live info for all the apple junkies or just any tech enthusiast with a live audio broadcast. How lovely.
In addition, I could catch the things I missed at the live text feeds at macrumors.com, although it lagged excruciatingly later. Engadget.com also had live blogging and huge pics which immensely alleviated the craving.


However, I am quite disappointed with the new iPhone. Hey, GPS and 3G is heaven, no doubt but it actually the same old phone...! Few changes in the look, more sexier with the glossy backs and metal buttons. But, no front facing camera i.e. no video conferencing (one of the main feature of 3G or 3G handsets) no MMS, still no copy/paste (i mean come on!), still no video recording, basically the same old phone. And it is the only phone to beat the iPhone but not by a bang as it was supoosed to. (Check the iPhone 3G ad at www.apple.com/iphone)

I don't see the urgency to upgrade right now.

If you don't own the 'apple that can make calls' right now, I say get the new phone i.e if u are living in the 70 countries that apple plans to get the 3G rolling. India being the closest to me. No 3G iPhone for me yet...

Well this, which should have been the first thing I mentioned, is the most exciting 'thing' about the iPhone 3G; its just $200. Half the price of the old iPhone!

$199 for 8 GB only in black
$299 for 16 GB also available in white.

A huge change in the marketing strategy of Apple, make the iPhone affordable to almost everyone. Although, it does come with a catch, since the phone is subsidized, apple and most carriers might adopt the policy of 'compulsory activation at the store' (AT&T already implementing this scheme). This would mean that a two-year contract will come with the new iPhone, even if you don't want it unlike the home activation which was allowed for the old iPhones. Definitely an attempt to stop unlocking.

It'll be rolling out on July 11 in 22 countries and later for the rest of the 70 countries.