‘Unauthorized’ iPhone App Stores: Paying thieves to steal?
In spite of the fact that more than 20,000 apps have sprouted in a matter of months and many developers have become rich virtually over night, there’s a pungently vocal minority that thinks that Apple has got it wrong.
The Wall Street Journal reports that a pair of virtual storefronts — Cydia Store and Rock Your Phone — selling software to iPhone users will soon open. Quite naturally these unofficial outlets — Cupertino probably thinks of them as illegal — will only available to folks that have jailbroken (see Pwnage tool) their Apple-branded handsets.
Whenever iPhone hackers talk about themselves, the self serving “sticking it to the man” and “setting the software free” hubris always flows freely. And, this time won’t be any different, so don’t be surprised to see the fart apps and virtual cigarette lighters Apple saw fit to reject appear on these unauthorized app stores.
