Crack Down on Cracked Apps

[one1]

The two popular cracked app spots known mostly as "the place to get it and get out" (No forums, just cracked apps for miles) have fallen to retaliation against app crackers.

Appstorecracked lost all of its links to cracked apps this morning. Themobileapps.com fell last week and has shown no signs of re-emerging.

The two large cracked app spots are the first "big" spots to show retaliation against cracked apps. While themobileapps seems to have been completely stripped from the server, appstorecracked simply had it's app database removed this morning from 4shared and I'd bet you will see the site itself fall very shortly. With two sites falling we are probably just on the cusp of the tidal wave of actions against cracked apps.

As Apple continues it's fight to keep the iphone under their financial control, the war between users and Apple has seemed to spark almost a challenge for users to beat Apple at their own game. Crackers after all are not thieves, they are hackers. They do it for the thrill. Sort of like jailbreakers are, but they cross the lines of legality whereas jailbreakers are just hacking the firmware for kicks with no illegal activity.

You can bet Apple will continue this war further as more sites pop up, and Apple's attack wages on. Remember modmyi.com has has to change its name not once but twice to avoid litigation from Apple and MMi doesn't distribute warez. While we don't have solid confirmation this was the doing of Apple or an app company, it is very likely that they played a roll. Remember there is big money to protect on the AppStore. Big Money = Big lawyers = Big lawsuits. We can only expect both Apple and appstore application development companies to become more aggressive about protecting apps in the future.

edit: Nefarious says themobileapps was sold. appstorecracked had their files removed from 4shared for copyright violations for sure
edit 2: before themobileapps most recently disappeared they have been kicked around a bunch of different hosts since hosts don't like hosting sites that distribute warez

[OneRing2Rule]

Have you heard about the rumor that iTunes will now (or soon will) "pick up" on cracked apps on your iPhone and then simply charge you for them the next time you sync?

Jailbreaking, sure. Cracking? Nah. I pay for mine, both AppStore and in the wild (think Snapture)

OneRing2Rule

[colmiak]

so..anybody have a better description of these sites? i cant figure out what sites he's talkin about...maybe i just never used those sites?

[z3r01]

yea but if you disconnect your internet, that wouldnt be a problem for itunes to connect and detect...

[dillonsmith9147]

...Crackers after all are not thieves, they are hackers...

If thats what were calling 21st century robbers now

[OneRing2Rule]

so..anybody have a better description of these sites? i cant figure out what sites he's talkin about...maybe i just never used those sites?

That's cuz it's prolly against MMI's rules.

[ProjectGSX]

That's cuz it's prolly against MMI's rules.

why would it be against the rules to talk about sites that have been *shut down*? That doesnt make any sense. Sites that are still up, sure, because you dont want to advertise illegal sites. But these are dead now. There is nothing illegal going on there anymore.

Censoring site names like this just looks childish.

[Cody Overcash]

That's cuz it's prolly against MMI's rules.

URLs to warez sites are not allowed. I don't care if names are posted.

why would it be against the rules to talk about sites that have been *shut down*? That doesnt make any sense. Sites that are still up, sure, because you dont want to advertise illegal sites. But these are dead now. There is nothing illegal going on there anymore.

Censoring site names like this just looks childish.

If I knew what the sites were I'd edit the post. Waiting for Op to edit with names making assumptions looks childish.

[colmiak]

That's cuz it's prolly against MMI's rules.

yea im sure you're right, i didnt ask for the actual names, just a better description? lol so i can figure it out myself...hope its not my favorite monkey site...

[OneRing2Rule]

why would it be against the rules to talk about sites that have been *shut down*? That doesnt make any sense. Sites that are still up, sure, because you dont want to advertise illegal sites. But these are dead now. There is nothing illegal going on there anymore.

Censoring site names like this just looks childish.

Hey, they're not my rules, they're MMI's rules. It's not childish, it's keeping out o the damn way of the Apple lawyers. Notice how the MMI domain has had to change not once but TWICE??!

Yeah, I'd keep a low profile, too.

(Geez, if you really want to know, just Google something like "cracked apps". I just did it and the sites are on the first page.)

OneRing2Rule

[jaredb03]

Pr0x does not seem to be working. it wont let me log in or look in any of the forums. this could be one of them

[codeseven]

Have you heard about the rumor that iTunes will now (or soon will) "pick up" on cracked apps on your iPhone and then simply charge you for them the next time you sync?

Jailbreaking, sure. Cracking? Nah. I pay for mine, both AppStore and in the wild (think Snapture)

OneRing2Rule

If this is even true (which I highly doubt), I can see how that may stop the ability to sync the apps to your phone. But still, there's really no way they could detect cracked apps if you simply just transfer them to your phone via SSH/FTP.

[b3nny]

If this is even true (which I highly doubt), I can see how that may stop the ability to sync the apps to your phone. But still, there's really no way they could detect cracked apps if you simply just transfer them to your phone via SSH/FTP.

yeah ssh (.app method) should keep working. but, if you're synching through itunes (.ipa method) all they probably need to do is change how the mobile installation file works right? that would at least slow everyone down. wouldn't surprise me a bit if we saw this from an itunes update and/or iphone/touch firmware update. but in any case, yeah, us jailbreakers will always have ssh. so poo on you apple (hows that more immature)

uh. i mean, wait, what? mobile installation file? .ipa? whats that? cracked apps? who? where?

[DoerrFan]

See this is why warez is not allowed on MMi

[JoMama]

Could they auto charge you for cracked apps? dont you need to put in your password even for the free apps?

[colmiak]

even if they could charge you, theres a workaround and its not anything illegal. after first setting up your itunes account with a credit card you can easily change the payment option to "none."
unless they try to charge the old credit card you had on file idk how they would get you to pay. plus its as easy as canceling that credit card after setting up itunes. which i think i might do if this itunes purchase thing becomes reality.

[nickh]

The two popular cracked app spots known mostly as "the place to get it and get out" (No forums, just cracked apps for miles) have fallen to retaliation against app crackers.

Appstorecracked lost all of its links to cracked apps this morning. Themobileapps.com fell last week and has shown no signs of re-emerging.

The two large cracked app spots are the first "big" spots to show retaliation against cracked apps. While themobileapps seems to have been completely stripped from the server, appstorecracked simply had it's app database removed this morning from 4shared and I'd bet you will see the site itself fall very shortly. With two sites falling we are probably just on the cusp of the tidal wave of actions against cracked apps.

As Apple continues it's fight to keep the iphone under their financial control, the war between users and Apple has seemed to spark almost a challenge for users to beat Apple at their own game. Crackers after all are not thieves, they are hackers. They do it for the thrill. Sort of like jailbreakers are, but they cross the lines of legality whereas jailbreakers are just hacking the firmware for kicks with no illegal activity.

You can bet Apple will continue this war further as more sites pop up, and Apple's attack wages on. Remember modmyi.com has has to change its name not once but twice to avoid litigation from Apple and MMi doesn't distribute warez. While we don't have solid confirmation this was the doing of Apple or an app company, it is very likely that they played a roll. Remember there is big money to protect on the AppStore. Big Money = Big lawyers = Big lawsuits. We can only expect both Apple and appstore application development companies to become more aggressive about protecting apps in the future.

Good to see you made it to the Home page one1

[reeko]

this might sound stupid seeing as cracked apps are illegal, but apple charging you for cracked apps upon itunes detecting them could never be made legal. more scaremongering rumours

[TomFrost]

One of these cracked app sites has a FAQ page with some fairly compelling arguments about the cracked app scene and what drove it into fruition. I don't want to name it or anything so this post doesn't need modded, but the points it brought up were extremely well thought-out. Hackers always want to justify what they're doing, of course, but I was impressed by what this one had to say.

I'll paste it here.. the site name has been removed:

What is this place? The solution to what?
As many iPhone and iPod touch owners have discovered, Apple's iTunes App Store has many flaws which render it useless to the common user. Apple has chosen to allow a multitude of ridiculous, worthless, poorly-represented applications through its "strict" screening process, nearly all written by mediocre programmers with a dream of getting rich quick. Many of these programmers game the reviews system, misrepresent their application in the description, and generally try to swindle the honest buyer. Applications generally do not cost much, but small fees add up. The iPhone/iPod community has wasted so much money on these programs, an epidemic has taken hold where people have simply stopped buying apps they aren't certain of so they don't find themselves purchasing yet another waste of a program.

How does Site Name help that?
Apple could quite easily solve this problem by implementing a sort of trial period for each application, but they do not. The user is forced to buy blindly without ever getting to try the application first. Site Name is a collection of links to allow iPhone and iPod touch users the ability to try out full, unlimited versions of device software before making the decision to buy it.

Doesn't this hurt developers?
Many people have stopped buying applications by independent developers solely out of fear of wasting their money yet again. Even programs that are great are being undersold and pointedly hindered by Apple's allowance of programs like "I Am Rich" and the seventh Sudoku game submitted by a 14-year-old writing his first program. Developers are being hurt by the company they provide their content to.

Unlimited trials are easy to abuse, and there is no denying this fact. However, there is an impressive number of people in the community who do honestly pay developers for software they enjoy after trying it. Having the opportunity to review the sales statistics of a well-reviewed, independently-developed game, the developer experienced a great number of installations by people using the unlimited trial -- but over 99% of these installs were by people who statistically would not have purchased it regardless. A single digit of sales were lost to others who may have purchased the game, and with the trial resulting in purchases that would have otherwise not been made, the end result is strikingly positive.

I'm a bit torn on the issue. Sure, "piracy is bad" and blah blah blah, but what they're saying is right on. The only apps I buy anymore without trying them first are the big ones by major companies, because I've been burned too much by everything else. Good indie devs are getting screwed by Apple.

[skj8100]

this might sound stupid seeing as cracked apps are illegal, but apple charging you for cracked apps upon itunes detecting them could never be made legal. more scaremongering rumours

yeah the kid that was saying that has no clue what he is talking about. mr- jailbreaking is okay but not having cracked apps. they are both against your user policy so why do you think your better? lol. people kill me with their sanctimonious crap.

If thats what were calling 21st century robbers now

more sanctimonious crap