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Teen Hackers Foil New iPhone Limits

Hackers use school vacation to best Apple's engineers and 'jailbreak' new phone

By Rob Quinn, Newser Staff

Posted Jul 7, 2009 1:48 AM CDT

(Newser) – A group of teenage thorns in Apple's side have been the first to release "jailbreak" software for the latest iPhone 3GS, the Wall Street Journal reports. The hackers, in the latest round of what Steve Jobs calls "a cat-and-mouse game with his top engineers," created software that lets iPhone users unlock their phones and download applications not approved by the company.

The teens say they decided to step up when an older group of hackers opted to sit on their jailbreak software until the next iPhone model is released. Apple—which warns that jailbreaking invalidates warranties—has a copyright case pending on phone modifications, but the teens insist they're doing nothing wrong. "Apple doesn't have the right to tell me what I can put on my phone," said one 15-year-old boy. "I only do hacking that helps people."

[Images (2)]

[Quotes (1)]

The new Apple iPhone 3GS is shown on display at the Apple store in San Francisco last month. (AP Photo/Eric Risberg)

A customer transfers data to an Apple iPhone 3GS he purchased at an Apple Store on launch day in New York last month. (AP Photo/Mark Lennihan)

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A lot of people bought their phones expecting to jailbreak their phones, and now that we have the capability to do it, we should let them. A lot of people have thanked us.
- Ari Weinstein, 15

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Teen Hackers Foil New iPhone Limits