Apple hacker unlocks free apps on iPhone and iPad

Apple hacker unlocks free apps on iPhone and iPad

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A RUSSIAN hacker has found a way to "buy" apps from the Apple app store - for free.

(visit the link for the full news article)



Can a mod please fix the thread title.

This will be interesting if it hits the mainstream.

i-gadget owners will be able to swap app' certificates with friends.

Even if the certificates are pulled down, Apple won't have this security issue resolved until the next upgrade.

Every time something new comes out, someone figures out a new hole in the security.
Pretty crappy to steal the apps though, considering a lot of freelance developers are just trying to make ends meet.

Yay for stealing knowledge.

Originally posted by PatriotAct
Yay for stealing knowledge.

It's Apple.. Who cares lol

reply to post by mainidh


Yea, let's weep for big business losing revenue. Let's bail them out like the too big to fail banks. Lmaoroflcopterbbqufo

Originally posted by mainidh

Originally posted by PatriotAct
Yay for stealing knowledge.

It's Apple.. Who cares lol

Don't you get it?

If you steal an app your not stealing from Apple you are ultimately stealing from the little guy in his room that coded it using the Apple developer network and is trying to make a living.

The apple development system allows anyone to design and market an app with minimum of investment. It gives the little guy on the street a chance to make it big.

I would have thought that would be something ATS users would admire, support even applaud? No?

Well 'Yay' well done, stamp on the little guys face a bit more.

Getting Apps For Free From The App Store.... Havent Ppl Been Doing This Already... Google.com...

Not Saying I Steal Apps But Im Just Sayin

Just Fyi, If Its On The Internet. Its Probably Already Been Pirated Because You can Get Anything For Free These Days

Even though Apple has had the video taken down there is another one up again at you tube.

I just had a look at the video and it seems that this allows you to buy 'in app' purchases and not full app's from the app store.

This video explains how it works

Originally posted by PatriotAct
reply to post by mainidh

 

Yea, let's weep for big business losing revenue. Let's bail them out like the too big to fail banks. Lmaoroflcopterbbqufo

Most of the apps are put out by small independent developers that are already getting screwed by apple on the sales of their apps.

Originally posted by DavidWillts

Originally posted by PatriotAct
reply to post by mainidh

 

Yea, let's weep for big business losing revenue. Let's bail them out like the too big to fail banks. Lmaoroflcopterbbqufo

Most of the apps are put out by small independent developers that are already getting screwed by apple on the sales of their apps.

Let's see, Apple takes about 30% of a transaction fee, and handles all distribution, some minor marketing, and the overhead of tracking sales, taxes, paying credit card fees, etc.

Contrast that with traditional software distributors, who would take 70% of the revenue, if you were lucky, for doing pretty much the same thing.

After almost 30 years in the industry, I have a hard time seeing Apple's arrangement as "screwing small developers."

I'm sure that transmitting your AppleID and password to a Russian hacker's website is worth getting a couple of in-app purchases for free.



What could possibly go wrong?

It amazes me how so many people are able rationalize (and go through all the hassle of) theft of a couple bucks here and there

reply to post by adjensen

Contrast that with traditional software distributors, who would take 70% of the revenue, if you were lucky, for doing pretty much the same thing.

What company takes 70% plus of the revenue off mobile apps?

Let's see, Apple takes about 30% of a transaction fee, and handles all distribution, some minor marketing, and the overhead of tracking sales, taxes, paying credit card fees, etc.

Yeah distribution for an online only store that does not send any physical items, must be pricy. I don't see how you factor taxes into this, app developers still have to pay taxes on it too.
Apple screws them by giving them no other option, it is not like they have another choice besides going through the apple store.
And if you read the story they did not exactly dump a lot of money into security and tracking sales.

Originally posted by DavidWillts
reply to post by adjensen

 

Contrast that with traditional software distributors, who would take 70% of the revenue, if you were lucky, for doing pretty much the same thing.

What company takes 70% plus of the revenue off mobile apps?

Like I said, traditional software distribution. Heck, anything distribution, for that matter, takes a giant chunk. And I was wrong, in retail software distribution, the percentage earned by the developer is less than 10% (see one source, there are many others.)

Just like people who complain about Apple taking a piece of music revenue, the complaints are based on a lack of knowledge (or memory) of the way things used to be.

Let's see, Apple takes about 30% of a transaction fee, and handles all distribution, some minor marketing, and the overhead of tracking sales, taxes, paying credit card fees, etc.

Yeah distribution for an online only store that does not send any physical items, must be pricy. I don't see how you factor taxes into this, app developers still have to pay taxes on it too.

You think bandwidth, servers and all the other overhead of a massive data transmission system are free? And it's taxes, as in sales taxes, not income taxes. Apple collects, reports and pays it, so the developer doesn't have to go figure out how much he owes to what jurisdiction.

Apple screws them by giving them no other option

Of course they have other options - develop for Android, sell your application outside the App Store to people that have jailbroken their phones, find a publisher and sell it to them for a flat amount. Just because you don't like the other options doesn't mean that there aren't any.

And if you read the story they did not exactly dump a lot of money into security and tracking sales.

That's conjecture on your part. This is a stupid flaw, and one that's going to be a mess to fix (since people who choose to never update their OS and Apps are theoretically patchless,) but there is nothing in that article that says anything about how much they spent on security.

reply to post by adjensen

Like I said, traditional software distribution. Heck, anything distribution, for that matter, takes a giant chunk. And I was wrong, in retail software distribution, the percentage earned by the developer is less than 10% (see one source, there are many others.)

A retail sore is not the same as an online digital store, there is much more overhead with running a physical store.

You think bandwidth, servers and all the other overhead of a massive data transmission system are free?

No but that is the cost of doing business.

And it's taxes, as in sales taxes, not income taxes. Apple collects, reports and pays it, so the developer doesn't have to go figure out how much he owes to what jurisdiction.

I did not say anything about income taxes... As far as the store paying,that is pretty much standard for the company selling the goods to pay the sales tax.

Of course they have other options - develop for Android, sell your application outside the App Store to people that have jailbroken their phones,

Many developers do develop the same app for more than one app store...

Originally posted by DavidWillts
reply to post by adjensen

 

Like I said, traditional software distribution. Heck, anything distribution, for that matter, takes a giant chunk. And I was wrong, in retail software distribution, the percentage earned by the developer is less than 10% (see one source, there are many others.)

A retail sore is not the same as an online digital store, there is much more overhead with running a physical store.

Which is why you really get creamed on retail -- losing 90-95%, rather than 30%.

Of course they have other options - develop for Android, sell your application outside the App Store to people that have jailbroken their phones,

Many developers do develop the same app for more than one app store...

Well, then, the market should take care of it, right? People get tired of paying Apple more, they'll just all shift over to Android Marketplace, and Apple either drops their rates or they lose market share. That's how the free market works, not by people complaining that a company shouldn't be able to recoup their prices and turn a profit -- did it ever occur to you that maybe Google is losing money on their App Store in order to encourage developers to come to them, since they were late to the game?