Software Doesn’t Work – How Not To Provide Helpful Error Messages
Weekend Project: Nike+ and iPhone 3G – Part 1
Preface
Jason Chen over at Gizmodo, 2+ years ago threw down the gauntlet and started the iPhone Hacker Challenge: Make the Nike+ iPhone Work With Nike+ Sport Kit. To my knowledge no one yet has successfully met this challenge until now.
At first I kept watching and hoping Apple/Nike would support the iPhone 3G. With each new firmware update the rumour mill would start and people would say finally Nike+ would be available on the iPhone 3G. Sadly it still isn’t and the rumours are getting quieter and fewer with each passing update.
This is nothing more than a proof of concept – to say that the iPhone 3G has no technical limitations to being able to run Nike+. It might not have the built in hardware like its big sister, the 3GS, but neither does the Nano and it at least gets a receiver. Maybe the battery will drain faster, maybe there are incompatibly issues with other accessories and it is a necessary trade-off, or maybe tethering won’t work, but whatever the reason(s) is, my hope for releasing this proof of concept is to get Apple/Nike to reconsider their decision and support the iPhone 3G. I believe there are a group of consumers that would gladly spend money on the Nike+ Sport Kit if they are able to use it with their iPhone 3G.
Warning
I take no responsibility for the method described below. I am simply describing the method I used and what I found to have worked. This may or may not brick or otherwise damage your iPhone since this is something your iPhone wasn’t intended to do. And remember: this is the internet.
Other accessories, such as bluetooth handsfree headsets may or may not work. I don’t have any so I’m unable to confirm or deny.
If you still brave and willing to continue then please: Backup, Backup, Backup.
Requirements
Software
A method to decrypt the firmware - vfdecrypt
A method to extract the files from the firmware: I used Acute System’s Transmac
A method to copy files to your iPhone and ssh: I used winscp and putty
A method to edit plist files: I used plist Editor for Windows
ldid from Cydia for pseudo-signing – see here
iTunes v9 (I am running 9.0.2.25)
Additional Files
Firmware for the iPod Touch 2G v3.0 (7A341) – here
The firmware key
Patched iapd file – here or here
Hardware
A jailbroken iPhone 3G running v3.1.2 firmware (7D11) with SSH access
And obviously the all important Nike+ sensor and receiver kit
Adventures in Windows Mobile Marketplace – Part 1
Let me first prefix this series with that I still use my iPhone for daily use. Though, I so want Windows Mobile to succeed. Partly it is my self interest in already knowing the development stack and not owning a mac and zero interest in learning Objective C.
Recently I upgraded my HTC Touch HD to Windows Mobile 6.5 which finally included the Marketplace app. Like a kid in a candy store, I quickly started browsing to find some cool apps that would enable my Touch HD for daily use. What I found though was slim pickings – i.e., 16 games (total). Now, it is still early – the marketplace only launched on Oct 6th, 2009.
So I thought, hey, I wonder what would be required to be an “early” adopter. And that is when mBubbleWrap was born.
Read moreWindows 7 Taskbar Thumbnail Buttons and .NET
If you have been using Windows 7, then you have probably noticed the 3 little buttons just below the Windows Media Player thumbnail if you hover over it in the taskbar. In this sample, I’m going to demonstrate how you can easily add your own – and when I say easy I mean easier than boiling water – that easy.
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