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Hello, I'm a jailbreaker: Actor Justin Long demos hacked iPhone

Actor Justin Long, who played the role of "Mac" in Apple's long-running "Get a Mac" commercials, this week showed off a series of humorous text messages on network TV, aided by an application available only on jailbroken iPhones.

Long appeared Wednesday on ABC's Jimmy Kimmel Live, and shared with the audience a series of text messages he exchanged with a "random tween" who had mistaken his number for someone else. Long, using his iPhone, purposefully typed out grossly misspelled words, poking fun at his new "friend's" mangling of the English language.

Long's iPhone was used live on stage, and its display projected to the audience through a TV out cable. At the conclusion of the bit, the actor, who gained fame through Apple's long-running series of commercials, closed the iPhone's text messaging application to reveal a Cydia icon, the alternative digital application store for jailbroken iOS devices.

Also visible on his home screen was an icon for the jailbreak-only software TVOutTuner, a third-party, unauthorized application that allows users to send out a real-time, full-screen video of their iPhone. Long relied on the application to display his text messages on the external screen for viewers of Kimmel's program.

Jailbreaking is the term used to describe the process by which users can hack iOS devices, including the iPhone and iPad, to run software that is not approved by Apple. Hackers have created their own custom applications that modify the mobile operating system, allowing features Apple does not, such as a universal, system-wide video out.

For years, Long played the part of "Mac" in the award winning "Get a Mac" ad campaign, which ran from 2006 to 2009. The ads began with Long's trademark "Hello, I'm a Mac" tagline. The "Mac" character was the straight man in the commercial's routine, flanked by comedian John Hodgman's portrayal of the bumbling "PC" character.

Last month, the U.S. Library of Congress deemed that jailbreaking is a legal act, and users cannot be criminally charged for hacking their phone and running software from outside Apple's App Store. However, Apple has warned that jailbreaking can still void the iPhone warranty and, for those who don't know what they are doing, can expose the handset to security issues.



110 Comments

mikemikeb 15 Years · 113 comments

Well, that's going to help him get into more Apple ads.

herbapou 15 Years · 2219 comments

Like said at the end, once I buy hardware no company will dictated me what software I can or cannot run on it.

If Apple would loose it up a bit we would not have to do it. Maybe he just jailbreak his phone so he could have a videoout for the TV show...

Currently, the video cable only works with movies and photos and you must have an Apple cable or it wont work. Can you believe Apple software actually checks what kind cable is plug in and block non-Apple ones... this is the kind of behavior that push people to jailbreak.

carniphage 22 Years · 1960 comments

Quote:
Originally Posted by herbapou

Maybe he just jailbreak his phone so he could have a videoout for the TV show...

What he said.

C.

blackintosh 15 Years · 479 comments

Even now it's hard to imagine. Apple, the rebels, dictating to it's users what software will be run on their devices. First the phone, then the iMaxipad, and soon the Appple TV. Some think Apple has lost their focus. I think they have lost their minds.

But you don't mind, do you? When the new iTV comes out you will buy it and watch whatever Lord Jobs tells you to watch. You will do whatever he says or else you will be attacked, as Justin Long will surely be by the AI community for daring to defy Lord Jobs..

crisss1205 16 Years · 61 comments

Quote:
Originally Posted by Carniphage

What he said.

C.

It looks like Cydia and the TVOut app are the 2 most recent additions which means he just did it. Unless he changed his icons.