iFaith v1.4 allows downgrade to iOS 5.0, jailbreaker's dream come true

In the game of Apple versus the jailbreakers, Cupertino threw the community a curveball with iOS 5's newly restricted downgrade system which blocks devices from restoring to old 5.x firmware. With the help of his noble steed iFaith (a custom Windows tool), hacker iH8sn0w has found a way around the firmware block, making it possible for dumped iOS 5 signature hash blobs (SHSH blobs) to permit unsigned restores. Why all the fuss about downgrading to prohibited firmware? Prominent iOS hackers MuscleNerd and pod2g have stated that the first untethered jailbreak will arrive on iOS 5.0 and, as such, may require iFaith's downgrade process to facilitate user restores. While the jailbreak is still under construction, iFaith should assure disheartened users in the community that all is not lost. Want to learn about blobs, blobs, and more blobs? Continue past the break to view iH8sn0w's informative video.

Source:http://www.engadget.com/2011/12/05/ifaith-v1-4-allows-downgrade-to-ios-5-0-jailbreakers-dream-com/

SandyStation interactive sandbox uses Kinect to make topography much more interesting (video)

If you're not really into using your Kinect experiment to launch your new startup or give your nextpresentation, let us offer another entertaining option. Two students at the University of West Bohemia in Pilsen have created an interactive sandbox using Kinect, a projector, a computer and, of course, a box chock full of sand. The Xbox motion / depth detector is installed about two feet above the sand pit to measure each area that is carved out. Using a unique detection program, the topographical information is then transmitted to a data projector that renders an image in the sandpit -- the image being a color based on the height or depth of what has been created. The devs have built out a few different projections. Hills that are constructed by the user are assigned a shade of green based on height, while troughs are given blue hues according to depth. What's that? You built a hill and dug out the center? The projector sees that as a volcano, complete with spewing lava. If you're tired of SimCity and want to actually get your hands dirty, take a peak at the video just past the break.
[Thanks, Mark]

Source:http://www.engadget.com/2011/11/30/sandystation-interactive-sandbox-uses-kinect-to-make-topography/

BlackBerry PlayBook gets root thanks to childishly named DingleBerry tool

It's been a long time coming, but the PlayBook has finally been rooted. Devs neuralic, xpvqs and Chris Wade have been hard at work and have finally discovered a persistently exploitable hole that enables unfettered root access to the PlayBook. The culmination of their efforts, DingleBerry, hasn't been released just yet, but it should be hitting the series of tubes in the not too distant future. Obviously having super user access opens a world of posibilities to developers, but there are some immediate advantages too. For one, with DingleBerry the creators were able to re-enable web access to Hulu -- not only bypassing the lack of an app, but skipping the usual requirement of a Plus account for mobile consumption. Head on after the break to see the hack in action.

Source:http://www.engadget.com/2011/11/29/blackberry-playbook-gets-root-thanks-to-childishly-named-dingleb/

Google Wallet unofficially finessed into Galaxy Nexus, complete with complimentary cash

Galaxy Nexus owners may start looking to their phone whenever that pesky bank account is dying for some hurt. Although Google's latest smartphone doesn't officially support its mobile payment scheme, a few clever developers have introduced a functional workaround. Early reports suggest that Citi MasterCards can't be added (yet), but thankfully, the gratis Hamilton courtesy of Mountain View comes without a hitch. To get started, you'll need to unlock your phone's bootloader and install MoDaCo'scustom ROM. From there, a Google Wallet patch must be applied, and its permissions then changed. The process isn't exactly for the faint of heart, but we know our readers are more than capable -- you'll find instructions in the source. Best yet, the crew at BGR verified this newfound functionality by purchasing enough sugar to make our teeth hurt. And why not? After all, it was on Google's dime.
Source:http://www.engadget.com/2011/11/28/google-wallet-unofficially-finessed-into-galaxy-nexus-complete/

Blu-ray video encryption cracked using $260 kit

When a master key for HDCP encryption surfaced last year, Intel hardly broke a sweat. It declared that nobody could use the key to unlock Blu-rays or other protected sources unless they got into the semiconductor business and "made a computer chip" of their own. Oh Mann, didn't they realize? That sort of language is like a red rag to a German post-grad, and now Ruhr University's Secure Hardware Group has produced the ultimate rebuttal: a custom board that uses a field programmable gate array (FPGA) board to sit between a Blu-ray player and TV and decode the passing traffic. Student price:€200, and no silly bodysuits required.
Source:http://www.engadget.com/2011/11/28/blu-ray-video-encryption-cracked-using-260-kit/