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On April 13, 2010 Hotz, or someone impersonating him, established a website for his newest jailbreak software limera1n.<ref>[http://www.limera1n.com LimeRa1n]</ref> Limera1n is his newest jailbreaking tool rumored to be able to jailbreak iPhone OS 3.1.3 as well as 4.0 on the iPhone 3G, 3GS, and iPad.<ref>[http://iphonejtag.blogspot.com/ On the iPhone]</ref>
On April 13, 2010 Hotz, or someone impersonating him, established a website for his newest jailbreak software limera1n.<ref>[http://www.limera1n.com LimeRa1n]</ref> Limera1n is his newest jailbreaking tool rumored to be able to jailbreak iPhone OS 3.1.3 as well as 4.0 on the iPhone 3G, 3GS, and iPad.<ref>[http://iphonejtag.blogspot.com/ On the iPhone]</ref>

== Hacking the PlayStation 3 ==
In the end of 2009, Hotz announced his efforts to hack the [[Sony]] [[PlayStation 3]],<ref>{{cite web |url=http://geohotps3.blogspot.com/2009/12/real-challenge.html |title=A Real Challenge |publisher=George Hotz |date=December 26, 2009 |accessdate=January 25, 2010}}</ref> a console widely regarded as being the only fully locked and secure system of the [[History of video game consoles (seventh generation)|seventh generation era]]. Hotz opened a blog to document his progress, and five weeks later, on January 22, 2010, he announced that he had successfully hacked the machine by enabling himself read and write access to the machine's system memory and having [[hypervisor]] level access to the machine's processor.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://geohotps3.blogspot.com |title=On The PlayStation 3 |publisher=George Hotz}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |url=http://geohotps3.blogspot.com/2010/01/hello-hypervisor-im-geohot.html |title=Hello hypervisor, I'm geohot |publisher=George Hotz |date=January 22, 2010 |accessdate=January 25, 2010}}</ref> Hotz also detailed the many things his work could allow, such as [[homebrew (video games)|homebrew]], [[PlayStation 2]] [[Video game console emulator|emulation]] (a feature removed by Sony in newer revisions of the console to tackle production costs) and the capability to run [[Copyright infringement|copyright infringing]] PlayStation 3 games.<ref name="BBC News">{{cite news |url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/technology/8478764.stm |title=PlayStation 3 'hacked' by iPhone cracker |publisher=BBC News |date=January 25, 2010 |accessdate=January 25, 2010}}</ref>

On January 26, 2010, Hotz released the [[exploit (computer security)|exploit]] to the public. It requires the [[OtherOS]] function of the machine, and consists of a [[Linux kernel]] module and gaining control of the machine's [[hypervisor]] via bus glitching.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://geohotps3.blogspot.com/2010/01/heres-your-silver-platter.html |title=Here your silver platter |publisher=George Hotz |date=January 26, 2010 |accessdate=January 27, 2010}}</ref> Hotz wrote that "Sony may have difficulty [[patch (computing)|patch]]ing the exploit". On March 28, 2010, Sony has responded by announcing to release a PlayStation 3 [[PlayStation 3 system software|firmware update]] that removes the [[OtherOS]] feature,<ref>[http://blog.us.playstation.com/2010/03/28/ps3-firmware-v3-21-update/ PS3 Firmware (v3.21) Update – PlayStation Blog<!-- Bot generated title -->]</ref> a feature that was already absent on the newer Slim revisions of the machine. This generated an uproar by the PlayStation 3 community. Hotz had then announced plans of a custom firmware, similar to the custom firmware for the [[PlayStation Portable]], to enable Linux and OtherOS support, whilst still retaining the features of newer firmwares.

As of April 7, 2010, Hotz had posted a video on the internet detailing his progress with custom firmware on the machine, and showing a PlayStation 3 running and having the OtherOS feature enabled on firmware 3.21. He had named his custom firmware as 3.21OO, and said it may work on newer Slim models of the console, as the feature was removed altogether with the launch of the newer revision. He has not yet announced a release date for the firmware or if he is working on the same hack for the latest firmware version of 3.30.<ref>[http://geohotps3.blogspot.com/2010/04/otheros-supported-on-321oo.html OtherOS Supported on "3.21OO"], April 7, 2010, On the PlayStation 3</ref> Despite the release of a youtube video which apparently demonstrates the use of his custom firmware the length of time it has taken for a release date to be announced has convinced some in the online community that this custom firmware was in fact a hoax.


== Other accomplishments and recognition ==
== Other accomplishments and recognition ==

Revision as of 07:54, 24 May 2010

George Hotz
Born (1989-10-02) October 2, 1989 (age 34)
United States
Alma materBergen County Academies

George Francis Hotz (born October 2, 1989), alias geohot, million75 or simply mil is famous for working with other people to unlock the iPhone allowing the phone to be used with other wireless carriers, contrary to AT&T and Apple's intent.[1][2] and jailbreaking the iPhone OS. He also developed a method for cracking the PlayStation 3 and released an exploit.[3]

Hacking Apple iDevices

According to his blog, Hotz traded his unlocked 8GB iPhone to Terry Daidone, the founder of Certicell, for a Nissan 350Z and 3 8GB iPhones.[4] Hotz said he wanted to give the iPhones to the other members of the team who created the hack with him.[5] Hotz's hardware based unlocking technique has largely been replaced by software unlocking that does not require dis-assembly of the iPhone.[6]

On February 8, 2008, Hotz developed the software unlock for the iPhone's new Bootloader Version 4.6 that was previously only achievable with a "testpoint based hardware unlock".[7]

On July 3, 2009, Hotz announced purplera1n, the first public software exploit for jailbreaking the iPhone 3GS. Details were posted on his blog.[8]

On October 11, 2009, at 3:33AM Hotz released blackra1n, a jailbreak for all iPhones and iPod Touches. The only caveat was that the iPhone 3GS and iPod touch 3G would need a "tethered jailbreak" to work.

On October 25, 2009 Hotz released Blackra1n RC2 an update to his previous blackra1n utility, This version allows MC Model users to jailbreak their iPod touches as well.[9]

On October 31, 2009 Hotz announced the impending release of Blackra1n RC3, this version will allow SIM unlock of all iPhones using Blacksn0w RC1.[10] Blacksn0w was originally scheduled for release on November 4, 2009, but due to positive test results it was moved to the 3rd. Blacksn0w was the #1 trending topic on Twitter as requested by GeoHot only moments after its release.

On April 13, 2010 Hotz, or someone impersonating him, established a website for his newest jailbreak software limera1n.[11] Limera1n is his newest jailbreaking tool rumored to be able to jailbreak iPhone OS 3.1.3 as well as 4.0 on the iPhone 3G, 3GS, and iPad.[12]

Hacking the PlayStation 3

In the end of 2009, Hotz announced his efforts to hack the Sony PlayStation 3,[13] a console widely regarded as being the only fully locked and secure system of the seventh generation era. Hotz opened a blog to document his progress, and five weeks later, on January 22, 2010, he announced that he had successfully hacked the machine by enabling himself read and write access to the machine's system memory and having hypervisor level access to the machine's processor.[14][15] Hotz also detailed the many things his work could allow, such as homebrew, PlayStation 2 emulation (a feature removed by Sony in newer revisions of the console to tackle production costs) and the capability to run copyright infringing PlayStation 3 games.[16]

On January 26, 2010, Hotz released the exploit to the public. It requires the OtherOS function of the machine, and consists of a Linux kernel module and gaining control of the machine's hypervisor via bus glitching.[17] Hotz wrote that "Sony may have difficulty patching the exploit". On March 28, 2010, Sony has responded by announcing to release a PlayStation 3 firmware update that removes the OtherOS feature,[18] a feature that was already absent on the newer Slim revisions of the machine. This generated an uproar by the PlayStation 3 community. Hotz had then announced plans of a custom firmware, similar to the custom firmware for the PlayStation Portable, to enable Linux and OtherOS support, whilst still retaining the features of newer firmwares.

As of April 7, 2010, Hotz had posted a video on the internet detailing his progress with custom firmware on the machine, and showing a PlayStation 3 running and having the OtherOS feature enabled on firmware 3.21. He had named his custom firmware as 3.21OO, and said it may work on newer Slim models of the console, as the feature was removed altogether with the launch of the newer revision. He has not yet announced a release date for the firmware or if he is working on the same hack for the latest firmware version of 3.30.[19] Despite the release of a youtube video which apparently demonstrates the use of his custom firmware the length of time it has taken for a release date to be announced has convinced some in the online community that this custom firmware was in fact a hoax.

Other accomplishments and recognition

Hotz was a finalist at the 2005 ISEF competition, with his project "The Googler".[20] Continuing with robots, Hotz competed in his school's highly successful Titanium Knights battlebots team. George also worked on his project, "Neuropilot," in which he was able to read EEG signals off his head with hardware from the OpenEEG project.

Hotz competed in the 2007 Intel International Science and Engineering Fair, a science competition for high school students, where his project, entitled "I want a Holodeck", received awards and prizes in several categories.[21] Hotz has received considerable attention in mainstream media, including interviews on the Today Show, Fox, CNN, NBC, CBS, G4, ABC[22] CNBC,[23] and articles in several magazines, newspapers, and websites, including Forbes,[24] and BBC.[25]

The Forbes article said Hotz hopes to go into neuroscience: "hacking the brain," he called it. In March 2008, PC World magazine listed George as one of the top 10 Overachievers under 21.[26]

In December 2007, Hotz travelled to Sweden to attend the Stockholm International Youth Science Seminar and talk about his 3-D imaging invention (called Project Holodeck) that netted him a $20,000 Intel prize earlier that year.[27]

Controversy

YiPhone

On July 12, 2008, Hotz posted on his blog that he had obtained a copy of the iPhone Dev Team's unreleased hack for the iPhone 2.0 firmware. Hotz created a website, www.yiphone.org.[28]

Hotz later claimed that yiPhone itself was a spoof of the controversial unlock/jailbreak utility, ZiPhone and was Hotz's commentary on the claim that the author of Ziphone was using stolen code and soliciting large amounts of money. Hotz, in a statement on his blog stated that he "[has] never done the jailbreaks for any previous versions of the phone..."[29]

Personal life

Hotz grew up in Glen Rock, New Jersey, where he attended the Bergen County Academies, a magnet public high school. He has one sister, Julia Hotz, alias "Fifty".[30] The 17-year-old Glen Rock resident posted the complicated steps on his blog Thursday.... 'I've lived and breathed that phone for the last two months,' said Hotz, a Bergen County Academies grad who won a prestigious $20,000 Intel science fair prize this year for a device that projects a 3-D image.

References

  1. ^ Stone, Brad (August 25, 2007). "With Software and Soldering, AT&T's Lock on iPhone Is Undone". New York Times. p. C-1. Retrieved 2010-04-03. {{cite news}}: Unknown parameter |coauthor= ignored (|author= suggested) (help)
  2. ^ "Interview with 17 year old iPhone hacker". CNBC. September 30, 2007.
  3. ^ "Prolific hacker releases PlayStation exploit". The Register. January 27, 2010. Retrieved January 29, 2010.
  4. ^ On the iPhone: THE iPhone HAS BEEN TRADED, Accessed May 3, 2008.
  5. ^ On the iPhone: Postmortem. Retrieved August 3, 2009.
  6. ^ Code to unlock iPhone cracked. Retrieved October 11, 2007.
  7. ^ On the iPhone: 11246unlock, good enough for the prize
  8. ^ On the iPhone
  9. ^ On the iPhone: blackra1n is live
  10. ^ On the iPhone: An Information Campaign
  11. ^ LimeRa1n
  12. ^ On the iPhone
  13. ^ "A Real Challenge". George Hotz. December 26, 2009. Retrieved January 25, 2010.
  14. ^ "On The PlayStation 3". George Hotz.
  15. ^ "Hello hypervisor, I'm geohot". George Hotz. January 22, 2010. Retrieved January 25, 2010.
  16. ^ "PlayStation 3 'hacked' by iPhone cracker". BBC News. January 25, 2010. Retrieved January 25, 2010.
  17. ^ "Here your silver platter". George Hotz. January 26, 2010. Retrieved January 27, 2010.
  18. ^ PS3 Firmware (v3.21) Update – PlayStation Blog
  19. ^ OtherOS Supported on "3.21OO", April 7, 2010, On the PlayStation 3
  20. ^ ISEF site listing finalists
  21. ^ Grand Awards Ceremony of the Intel International Science and Engineering Fair 2007. Intel Education. Retrieved August 24, 2007.
  22. ^ YouTube - Teen 'Unlocks' iPhone From AT&T Network
  23. ^ Breitbart.tv » iPhone Hacker Explains How He Did It
  24. ^ Junior R&D - Forbes.com
  25. ^ Fildes, Jonathan (January 25, 2010). "PlayStation 3 'hacked' by iPhone cracker". BBC News. Retrieved 2009-01-25.
  26. ^ PC World - Meet the Whiz Kids: 10 Overachievers Under 21
  27. ^ SIYSS Participants List
  28. ^ yiPhone Website[dead link]
  29. ^ On the iPhone: yiPhone and otherwise
  30. ^ McKay, Martha. "Tech whiz cracks code tying it to AT&T network", The Record (Bergen County), August 24, 2007. Accessed August 27, 2007. "

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