Unthethered jailbreak for iOS 5.1.1 available for download

Absitnthe 2.0 is the first untethered jailbreak available for the third-generation iPad
  • Loek Essers (IDG News Service)
  • — 25 May, 2012 13:53

Absinthe 2.0, the jailbreak for iOS 5.1.1, is ready and available for download, the Jailbreak Dream Team announced at the Hack in the Box conference in Amsterdam on Friday.

Absinthe 2.0 can be used to jailbreak iOS 5.1.1 devices, allowing users to gain root access to the OS and, for example, download applications not authorized by Apple.

Absinthe 2.0 is untethered, which is more desirable than tethered jailbreaks because it allows users to reboot their devices without plugging them into external computers. Untethered jailbreaks also allow devices to remain jailbroken after a reboot.

"We actually managed to finish the untethered jailbreak for the 5.1.1 OS version," said jailbreaker Nikias Bassen, also known by his Twitter handle @pimskeks, at the end of two presentations the Jailbreak Dream Team gave during the conference. The team announced the new jailbreak by mentioning "one more thing," the phrase former Apple CEO Steve Jobs often used to slyly announce major news at Apple press conferences.

Absinthe 2.0 is the first untethered jailbreak for the third generation iPad, and can also be used for the iPhone 4S, 4 and 3GS, the iPad 2 and 1 and the iPod Touch. It is available for download at the team's website. However, Absinthe 2.0 only works with devices that run iOS 5.1.1.

When the new jailbreak was announced, the team's website was down. "It is available for download as soon as we manage to get the server back online," said Bassen promised, who half jokingly added that they might have been hacked.

He worked on the jailbreak with jailbreakers Joshua Hill (@p0sixninja), David Wang (@planetbeing) and Cyril, who did not provide his last name and is also known as (@pod2g).

Loek covers all things tech for the IDG News Service. Follow him on Twitter at @loekessers or email tips and comments to loek_essers@idg.com

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