14 DAY TRIAL // It has been revealed that Apple’s latest iPhone OS update has disabled the popular tethering hack that allows your computer to access the Internet via your iPhone’s cell connection. MMS messaging, also enabled by the hack, is just as affected by the installation of iPhone OS 3.1.
Apple introduced iPhone OS 3.1 for iPhone and iPod touch (OS 3.1.1) at its latest iPod event (“It's only rock and roll”), delivering enhancements and fixes (including security fixes), on both platforms. The company thus made available downloads for the following files:
- iPhone1,1_3.1_7C144_Restore.ipsw (241 MB) – first-gen iPhone; - iPhone1,2_3.1_7C144_Restore.ipsw (242 MB) – iPhone 3G; - iPhone2,1_3.1_7C144_Restore.ipsw (306.2 MB); iPhone 3GS; - iPod1,1_3.1.1_7C145_Restore.ipsw (unknown file size) – iPod touch, first generation; - iPod2,1_3.1.1_7C145_Restore.ipsw (unknown file size) - iPod touch second generation; - iPod3,1_3.1.1_7C145_Restore.ipsw (unknown file size) - iPod touch third generation.
Soon after iPhone owners with update-itchy fingers installed the new software, reports hit the Internet with bad news for jailbroken users, as well as for those who used hacks to enable tethering or MMS on their devices. After updating its PwnageTool application that currently supports jailbreaking first-generation devices and the iPhone 3G, the iPhone Dev Team posted an update on its blog saying that, “As of 3.1, the *.ipcc carrier bundles are signed, and you can no longer force tethering capability simply by crafting your own bundle.” According to the team, “The good news is this obstacle can probably be overcome by virtue of the jailbreak. But so far that extra hack is not part of the PwnageTool custom IPSW creation.”
However, Pete Mortensen over at Cult Of Mac reveals that, “Unlike some reports, my tethering menu survived the transition, but my Visual Voicemail went down in the process.” He had to choose between the two and eventually went for a functional Visual Voicemail, cutting the life support for tethering at his next sync with iTunes.