14 DAY TRIAL // Internet tethering is not a practice condoned by Apple as it requires your operator’s consent, but some sneaky developers have managed to get their tethering apps past the iTunes review team. One such example is FlashArmyKnife.
It’s not the first app of its kind, and it probably won’t be the last one either, considering how frequently these apps churn up on iTunes, despite being frowned upon.
FlashArmyKnife is a typical example of a tethering app designed to look like a multi-purpose utility, which in fact it is.
“Have you ever taken your dog outside at night and used your iPhone as a flashlight for it to see? Have you ever used your iPhone flashlight to light up someone repairing a flat tire?” says developer Eric Blase.
“How many other situations have you stood there looking at a simple Flashlight app with nothing else to do while you hold a light for someone?” he adds.
“Well here comes FlashArmyKnife. 7 Apps in 1, you can surf, map, convert, calculate, check battery, all in one app!” says Blase.
Indeed for $1.99 / €1.69 FlashArmyKnife offers a flashlight function with adjustable brightness, a built-in web browser with bookmarks, a satellite view map, a currency converter, a compass, a battery indicator, and a fully functional trigonometry calculator.
The tethering function is, of course, not mentioned, but it has been discovered by users. According to those who’ve tried it out, to enable tethering you need to access the calculator app and enter this code in F.A.K.:
1642, M+, C, 1452, M+, C, 1943, M+
Users then simply hit “run” and tethering will kick off. The “C” command will allow them to stop tethering.
Users will also have to fill in the necessary ports: HTTP: 6667; and SOCKS: 6668. FlashArmyKnife is compatible with all iDevice models that support iOS 5.1.
Apple is not likely to pull the app any time before December 28 as the company’s iTunes Connect outage is yet to be lifted.