Jailbreak!
I recently upgraded my iPod Touch to iPhone OS 3.0, mostly in the hope that either the upgrade or one of the third-party “file transfer” applications would enable Bluetooth file transfer between my cell phone (a Samsung m500) and the iPod.
No such luck, though. So with a bit of encouragment from a co-worker, I took the additional step of jailbreaking the iPod, using redsn0w to do so.
(For the curious: redsn0w can be obtained at this link.)
Jailbreaking is basically a process by which an electronic device is…made able to do more than the default firmware would typically allow. That’s not a great explanation, granted, but it’s about the best I can come up with on short notice. Wikipedia has a pretty decent article about jailbreaking, so if you’re really curious…head there.
Anyhow, let me just say that I highly recommend modifying your iPod this way, if it’s anything more than just a music player for you. The functionality that the jailbreak allows you to add far outpaces what the iPhone OS upgrade offers*, and most of it is free as well. Granted, some of the developers of programs available through Cydia or Icy (think of them as versions of Apple’s “App Store” for jailbreak-only software) haven’t adjusted their products to account for the changes made in the iPhone OS upgrade, but most of them are working on corrections even now.
The best part, though? iBluetooth, by http://www.medivil.com, which enables two-way Bluetooth file transfer on the iPod.
Yes, I really want that feature, although I have to admit that the ability to use different desktop, icon, and application skin themes is pretty cool, too…although no one theme I’ve yet found has been quite what I’m looking for.
I suppose I’ll just have to learn to make my own, won’t I?
Also, for the record, this is what my iPod Touch’s Springboard looked like prior to the jailbreak:
And this is what my iPod Touch’s Springboard looks like now, after the jailbreak. I’m using Winterboard to apply the custom theme.
The theme, incidentally, is a "kit bash," combining elements of several different themes into something I find to be aesthetically pleasing.
Note, also, that I’m using the "Five Icon Dock" modification — this is an unbelievably handy feature!
* to be fair, the new iPhone OS does offer some nice new features as well. The official App Store has seen significant upgrades, as has the iTunes store. The settings pane now gives you the option to define a default Apple account for use in the stores, and the iTunes Store also includes a gift card redemption feature.
And then there’s the new “copy and paste” feature. Highly useful, especially for a guy like me who has begun to do a significant amount of his blogging on his iPod!
Powered by the iPod Touch.
