“Starting today, you’ll be able to play MONOPOLY as it’s never been played before: The whole world will be up for sale. Anyone, anywhere will be able to own real streets and build their own online city.”

“For everyone eager to buy their first choice street, we’re about 30 mins out from going live from 12:15pm GMT Wednesday 9/9/09″

Brilliant news! The game’s alive and working … or is it?

Monopoly City Streets

“The registration is slow due to the overwhelming response. Our servers are on fire! Thanks for everyone’s interest and patience – please keep trying.”

O no, major traffic jam ahead! Back to work for me then!

:-/

Monopoly City Streets Website

Monopoly City Streets Blog

What is Trapster?

Simply put, Trapster is an application for getting speed trap alerts on your Blackberry, iPhone, Nokia, Android, Garmin, or TomTom device.

How does Trapster work?

When you see a trap, report it by pressing a button on your phone, or calling a toll free number. Other user’s phones will alert them as they approach the trap. Trapster learns the credibility of traps based on how many users agree. It also learns the credibility of each user, over time.

So how does it work? Our goal is to make it so simple that you don’t need to know. But in case you are interested, it combines technologies such as GPS and wireless location, voice transcription, geocoding, reverse geocoding, and SMS, with a central database server. It communicates in real time, using the Internet.

Some Statistics:

1390641 Total Trapster users world-wide

1131687 iPhones using Trapster (I wonder how many SA users there are?)

717612 Traps reported world-wide

Why you need trapster even if you already have a radar detector.

Even the latest, most expensive radar detectors are useless against modern police enforcement technologies such as instant-on and laser. Your radar/laser detector will still beep, but in almost all cases, only after it is too late. The only way a radar or laser detector can help you is if it beeps in time for you to slow down before the officer gets a reading on your speed. With instant-on and laser, this only happens if the officer activates early or “misses” the shot, and some of the signal leaks past a car in front of you. Radar detectors are still effective for more traditional (Ka etc.) band radar. We recommend that you use both Trapster and a radar/laser detector for the best possible coverage. Also radar detectors are illegal in many US states, and are illegal nationwide for commercial vehicles.

Trapster works on Garmin and TomTom.

After about a gazillion of you (our users) asked for Garmin and TomTom support, we implemented it! While other sites charge money for this data, we offer it absolutely free (for personal use by individual registered users). Check out our innovative approach to setting areas, routes, and alert types of interest, and for POI Mailer automated notifications! Note: Static trap types such as red light cameras and known police enforcement points stay in the same place for years. But real time trap types such as the motorcycle police with laser, a mobile speed van, or a checkpoint, move from place to place every few hours. Garmin and TomTom navigation devices are not connected, so our servers cannot deliver real time data to them. Therefore we suggest you additionally use our location based text message system to be alerted to the trap types that are not static in nature.

Is Trapster legal?

Our understanding is that Trapster is legal in most countries. It does not fall under text messaging or hands free calling laws, or radar detector laws. If you are concerned you should probably check the laws in your state or country. In fact, the police we’ve spoken with actually like the idea. It beeps, people slow down, they have met their objective, you save money on the ticket and insurance, and everyone is happy. The police can always find plenty of other people to issue violations to. People who don’t use Trapster, that is.

Traps in South Africa?

Reported traps in Cape Town, South Africa

Amazing hey? I definitely think that there are already a number of Trapster users in South Africa! Or maybe just one user doing a LOT of driving around?

Anyway, give Trapster a try by downloading the application for your iPhone here:

Trapster on the App Store

Official Trapster Blog

Trapster Website

We know that HTC Magic owners out there are pretty psyched at the news that the HTC Sense UI is available for their Android phone. However, based on this latest news, it appears that iPhone owners also have a reason to rejoice as they too can enjoy the benefits of this new user-interface!

Well, it looks kinda nice, but there is no real new functionality!

Enjoy the pics!

Remember this is still beta software, so usual rules apply, no complaints ifanything goes wrong and use the tool at at your own risk! 

Download here!  SHA1 = 8e1ed2ce9e7e473d38a9dc7824a384a9ac34d7d0

NB: Using QuickPwn does not update the firmware itself, this tool is designed to ‘Pwn’ (the ability to install future custom non-Apple firmwares) , ‘Jailbreak’ and install Installer or Cydia on a given device. If your device is running 2.0.1 and you QuickPwn it, it’ll still be running 2.0.1, although it will now be Pwned and Jailbroken, similarly if your device is running 2.0.2 and you QuickPwn it, it will then be running 2.0.2 but the device will now be Pwned and Jailbroken. It will also activate (not unlock) devices that are being used outside of their intended territories and cannot be activated using iTunes.

If you want to update to 2.0.2 then use the normal iTunes update to get to 2.0.2 and then use QuickPwn to Pwn, Jailbreak and Activate, remember that the 2.0.2 update includes a baseband update for the 3G iPhone, so depending what your long term intentions are for the phone, update wisely, of course in the upcoming PwnageTool application you’ll be able to create a custom ipsw without the baseband update enabled.

Our Mac GUI whizzes in the team are working on a graphical Mac OS X version of QuickPwn and also adding some nice little tweaks to the next release of PwnageTool. As soon as these are finished and tested, we’ll let you know, but don’t hold your breath and refresh for these, the release is not imminent.

Again, no updates from our baseband hackers with regard to the unlocking of the 3G iPhone.

Step 1: Shift+Restore your iPhone to v2.0.2 firmware

If you want to update to 2.0.2 then use the normal iTunes update (Shift+Restore) to get to 2.0.2.

Step 2: Download, Unzip, and Run QuickPwnGUIv120.exe

Browse to the downloaded v2.0.2 firmware file…

Step 3: Follow the onscreen guide to Jailbreak, and Activate your iPhone.

Step 4: Use BootNeuter to Unlock

If needed, you can download BootNueter using Cydia, and install THAT to unlock your 1st gen iPhone

neuter, unlock, do not change bootloader settings, and then flash!

What gives???

You will also notice that you can’t edit, add or remove any of the email account settings at all.

Reason for the Problem

This is caused by the sync of the backup from iTunes. The permissions on the mail folder are incorrect. The folder is supposed to be owned by “mobile”, but instead it is owned by “root”. This causes the application to crash, sending you back to the dashboard.

The Solution

The easiest fix is to run bossprefs (which you can install using Cydia), click more, and click “fix user dir permissions”. You may need to reboot.

You can also SSH into your iPhone, and take ownership of the folder directly – but this is the advanced way!

WinPwn 2.0.0.4 has been released for the iPhone 2.0.1 firmware and it includes Installer 4 beta support.

Download link: Winpwn_2.0.0.4_Setup.zip

Release Notes

- Support for both 1.1.4, 2.0, 2.0.1
- Root partition resize support
- Installer support
- Support for WinXP and Vista 32/64bit.

Notes:

- You MUST do a full uninstall of winpwn before installing the new version
- Make sure you have the latest version of iTunes ( Currently 7.7)
- WinPwn uses 300MB of ram at peak due to the ipsw being extracted in memory
- You must first click browse and load an IPSW to use WinPwn (i thought this was clear)
- For 2.0 only the *5A347_Restore.ipsw files are valid. The 345 image will not work
- If you see Failed to load image catalog/payload catalog, this is fine and won’t cause problems
- If you already have service with AT&T do not activate or install Youtube Fix

Download, Install, and Enjoy!!!

Step 1. Download PwnageTool 2.0.2 here.

Step 2. Backup your iPhone to iTunes

Step 3. Open iTunes, and from the iPhone -> Summary tab, download (do not update) the latest iPhone firmware 2.0.1 (iPhone1,1_2.0.1_5B108_Restore.ipsw).

Step 4. Open PwnageTool 2.0.2.

Step 5. Select iPhone and click on next arrow.

Step 6. Select the iPhone1,1_2.0.1_5B108_Restore.ipsw

Step 7. Select Yes to create an .ipsw restore file.

Step 8. Select No if you don’t have an iPhone contract with an Apple appointed Cellular Service Provider.

Step 9. Wait while the PwnageTool builds the Custom IPSW file.

Step 10. Enter your Password when prompted and wait for the new IPSW build to finish.

Step 11. Select Yes if you have Pwned your iPhone before.

Step 12. Turn off your iPhone.

Step 13. Close PwnageTool.

Step 14. Close iTunes.

Step 15. Place your iTunes is Recovery Mode. Do this by doing the following:

- After you turn off your iPhone, unplug it from your Mac.
- While holding the Home button, plug in the cable.
- Still holding the Home button, wait for iTunes to open (you should also see the Steve Jobs cartoon on your iPhone screen).

Step 16. On your Mac, select Check to identify your device.

Step 17. While holding the Option button, click Restore.

Step 18. Select from Finder the Custom IPSW file created by PwnageTool on your desktop (iPhone1,1_2.0.1_5B108_Custom_Restore.ipsw).

Step 19. Select whether to Restore your iPhone from a backup or Setup as a new iPhone.

Step 20. Your iPhone will reboot and you’re done!

Link: Jailbreak the new 2.0 iPhone software Video

In other news, well… actually the same news, the next version of the PwnageTool, v2.0.2 is undergoing final checks and will be packaged, signed and should be uploaded to the devteam’s website within the next few hours! This will be available via the PwnageTool software updater that is built in and checked when you start PwnageTool, we’ll also publish a link here for direct downloads.

As always, there is a WARNING:

Warning: If you care about the possibility of a GSM/3G unlock in the future (there is no unlock available as yet), do not update your 3G device with iTunes unless you do it via PwnageTool 2.0.2 (this means you’ll need to create a custom .ipsw with PwnageTool 2.0.2 and install it using iTunes) – If you have updated over the last few days with iTunes, you’ll still be able to Jailbreak using PwnageTool 2.0.2 but it may reduce the chance of you being able to unlock the Phone to be able to use a SIM card from all carriers in the future.

Enjoy !!!! And Good luck for any upgrades…

What’s new with this firmware?

Apple only lists “Bug Fixes” amongst the changes. Early claims:

- Backup process for the iPhone is much faster.
- Netshare still works
- SMS typing faster

Various reports are coming in…

“I just updated took about 15-20 mins”, “Seems a little faster though”, so give it a try and let us know.

Jailbroken, Unlocked? To update or not to update?

We’ve been reading some comments in our previous post and certain people have been a little bit excited and hastily updated using yesterday’s iTunes firmware update without getting the information first

We don’t see any major problems with the release that Apple made, but we have not released an update for PwnageTool for it as yet and therefore PwnageTool 2.0.1 will currently not work!

If you absolutely can’t wait then original (2G) iPhone owners can update using iTunes if they really need to, but you’ll lose third-party applications that rely on the Jailbreak, although it is reported that the 2G device remains activated, we have not clarified this.

3G owners can in theory update, but you’ll lose the jailbreak, and you should only carry out this update if you always plan to use the 3G phone with the original carrier, but be warned that there is a baseband update that occurs during this update that could impact the ability to unlock the device (if and when an unlock becomes available), we have not fully tested this baseband update as yet, but we think it is better to be safe than sorry, officially unlocked SIM-Free iPhone 3Gs will always remain unlocked with the updates you apply from Apple, but again the jailbreaks will be lost.

Remember, from a jailbreaking point of view the update process is always reversible, but this isn’t the case for the 3G baseband, so your intended long term future use for the phone should help you decide what you do. If you always going to use the 3G phone with the original carrier then baseband updates are fine, if you are not then hold off.

As soon as testing is finished a PwnageTool update will be released that will allow you to safely update either device with all current PwnageTool features still in place and you’ll have the option to disable the baseband update.

The current version of PwnageTool is 2.0.1 and it does not support the latest ipsw (2.0.1) versions.

~Reported from The unofficial, official blog of the “iphone-dev team”.

So, What to do?

If your 3G iPhone is on a regular contract and you always plan to be with the carrier then you can update but you will lose the jailbreak and access to third party (non AppStore) applications.

If your 3G iPhone is not on a regular contract and you plan to use it on an alternative network to the carrier that supplied it then do not update unless you do it with the impending PwnageTool update.

We will release an update to PwnageTool when the testing has been completed and all applied changes have been checked for safety.

Applications for iPhone

iPhone applications are unlike anything you’ve ever seen on a mobile phone. That’s because they leverage all the groundbreaking technologies in iPhone — like the accelerometer, Multi-Touch, 3D positional sound, and GPS. And they’re only a tap away at the App Store.

iPhone in Enterprise

With support for Microsoft Exchange ActiveSync, iPhone 3G delivers push email, calendar, and contacts. And it uses enterprise-grade networking with Cisco IPSec VPN and WPA2 Enterprise support. So now the most revolutionary mobile device ever is also the ideal phone for business.

MobileMe Support

With a MobileMe subscription, all your information stays up to date everywhere. MobileMe keeps your email, calendar, and contacts in sync on your iPhone and any computer. Any changes you make on your iPhone are sent over the air to the MobileMe “cloud,” then automatically synced with your Mac or PC