05/28, 9:00am
Not the first time backdoor tethering has been discovered, removed
Apple's process for checking apps to prevent them from doing things other than what is advertised -- a potential door to malware on the iOS platform -- appears to need strengthening after another already-approved application was discovered to have a secret "tethering" mode that would allow users to share their 3G/LTE data connection without their carriers' permission.
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11/29, 12:30am
Shares 3G data with Macs, PCs
An app that allows unlimited tethering from an iPhone or 3G iPad to a Mac or PC has appeared in the App Store, called iTether and costing $15. The app requires that users download a free matching Mac or Windows application from the developers' website after installing the iOS app, but once this is done users simply connect the iPhone or iPad to the Mac or Windows machine via a USB dock connector cable to share the connection.
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06/06, 12:45pm
Enforcement said to violate spectrum agreement
Media reform organization Free Press is set to file a complaint with the FCC against Verizon, accusing the cellular carrier of violating spectrum agreements by restricting access to third-party tethering applications. The group's argument specifically focuses on license terms for the 700 MHz spectrum block, which Verizon utilizes for its 4G LTE network.
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01/25, 6:45pm
Same details as current smartphone options
Verizon has now announced the pricing and specifications of 3G data "tethering" for the iPhone, and it exactly matches the existing plans for smartphone owners. The $20 per month option gives the built-in iOS feature -- which converts 3G data into a portable Wi-Fi network, allowing up to five devices to share a connection -- its own separate pool of 2GB worth of data, Macworld reports. This fee is in addition to the iPhone's required voice and data plans, but does not "borrow" data from the iPhone plan.
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07/02, 8:50am
New features said to be coming in OTA update
The Droid Incredible may be set for an update that will bring more than just an interface overhaul. A user with an HTC-branded test device allegedly received an over-the-air update adding support for 720p video recording and mobile hotspot tethering via Wi-Fi.
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05/20, 12:15pm
Update brings Flash, apps improvements
Google has officially debuted Android 2.2, referred to by the monicker Froyo. The latest version features a variety of improvements, most notably a new virtual machine that is claimed to provide a speed boost of between 2X and 5X compared to v2.1. The OS also backs up app data through an API, allowing the system to migrate apps and their respective data to a new phone. The method also allows users to push map directions from Google Maps on a desktop computer to a smartphone.
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11/09, 4:25pm
Combines tethering, home Internet
UK carrier O2 has announced a new "Bolt On" option for iPhone subscribers, the Total Connectivity package. The plan combines O2's £9.79, 3GB per month tethering Bolt On with a standard O2 Home Broadband connection, at no extra cost. The deal is explicitly associated with the iPhone 3G however, and will be available only between November 10th and December 31st.
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11/03, 1:50pm
Utility supports hacktivation
Blackra1n coder George Hotz has released blacksn0w, a new jailbreaking utility that unlocks iPhone firmware v3.1.2 and the latest baseband v05.11.07. The tool now allows users to upgrade to v3.1.2 from older firmware without losing the unlock. The process also enables tethering, allowing the handset to be used as a computer-connected modem even on carriers, such as AT&T, that still block the function.
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10/15, 10:15am
Support long overdue
AT&T's planned tethering support for the iPhone might not arrive until 2010, a a statement from a carrier spokesman suggests. Responding to a claim that tethering would arrive before the end of the year, the spokesman insists that no one at AT&T has ever made such as promise. "We promised MMS by end of summer and ended up being a few days late for that," the statement adds.
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10/08, 11:40am
Blames delay on network improvements
American iPhone owners will not be able to officially tether their devices for some time, AT&T has acknowledged. "Whenever we offer new features, we want to offer the best possible customer experience," a carrier spokesman claims. "For tethering, we need to do some additional fine tuning to our systems and networks so that we do deliver a great experience."
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03/20, 10:20am
iPhone 3.0 tethering hack
Tethering an American iPhone should be as equally viable as tethering an Irish one, a developer tells MacNN. While AT&T has not officially opened up tethering in the US, local owners of an iPhone 3G and the iPhone 3.0 beta firmware should be able to hack their phones to use the technology. The process begins by navigating to the "~/Library/iTunes/iPhone Carrier Support" folder, where users must rename an IPCC file as a ZIP document after creating a backup of the original.
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03/18, 6:25pm
iPhone 3 tethering
A developer has allegedly enabled tethering with the iPhone 3.0 beta operating system, after "hacking around" with APNs in the Carrier.bundle file, according to MacRumors. A new preference window indicates that users will be able to tether via USB or Bluetooth, effectively turning the iPhone into an external modem for desktop or notebook computers.
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03/17, 4:30pm
iPhone 3.0 Q&A session
In a question-and-answer session following the main iPhone 3.0 announcement, Apple has revealed several facts relating to the new firmware. It will for instance become available in the summer for both iPhones and iPod touches, though as in the past, Touch owners will have to pay $10 to upgrade. Apple has typically blamed accounting rules for the cost of significant Touch software changes.
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03/12, 2:30pm
iPhone OS rumors
The upcoming iPhone operating system, version 3.0, could add several long-awaited features such as MMS messaging support and tethering, unnamed sources have told the Boy Genius Report. Although the multimedia message format is relatively commonplace, enabling video and image transfers between phones, Apple so far has excluded the technology from its handset and forced users to download third-party apps as a work-around.
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11/06, 3:50pm
ATT allows iPhone tethers
A new statement made by AT&T Mobility president and CEO Ralph De La Vega at the Web 2.0 summit has the company showing support for iPhone tethering – a hot topic as of late, considering Apple's banning of a utility that provides that functionality from the App Store. Technologizer reports that the move gives users an official path to explore, rather than relying on the now non-existent NetShare, or the contract-compromising iModem, the latter of which requires a jailbroken iPhone.
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08/29, 9:20am
iPhone tethering coming?
Apple may be looking to permit tethering iPhones to computers, at least in the United States, rumors suggest. Tethering enables people to treat cellphones as external modems, connecting where Ethernet or Wi-Fi is not an option. While the technology is increasingly popular in Europe and North America, AT&T has expressly forbidden the practice with the iPhone, even though other devices have permission, and the iPhone is offered with unlimited data plans.
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08/01, 4:55pm
NetShare back on iTunes
After quickly grabbing the iPhone community spotlight, and consequently barred from the App Store, Nullriver's NetShare – an app designed to allow users to "tether" their iPhone to a computer – is again available for sale. While an explanation for the pull was not given, it most likely related to several wireless carriers' objections, since companies like AT&T offer a specific "tethering" data plan, providing users with on-computer data access through a wireless device.
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02/13, 8:05pm
AT&T iPhone tethering
AT&T will reportedly offer an iPhone tethering plan to users, according to an informant for The Boy Genius Report. The alleged tethering plan is mentioned in what appears to be a message meant for customer service representatives or technicians. The report claims that iPhone customers will be required to sign a new two-year contract, but the date will roll back to the original purchase date within 48 hours, echoing issues that surfaced from users upgrading to the 16GB iPhone.
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