[{"content":"As a student, I had always been interested in technology and the endless possibilities it offered. I started out by hacking game consoles, learning about the inner workings of the hardware and software and finding ways to customize and modify them to my liking.\nBut I quickly realized that I wanted to do more than just hack existing systems - I wanted to create my own software and applications from scratch. So, I saved up and finally purchased my first MacBook, determined to learn how to program in C and build my own software.\nIt was a steep learning curve at first, but I was determined to succeed. I spent countless hours studying online tutorials, reading programming books, and experimenting with code. It wasn\u0026rsquo;t always easy, but the sense of accomplishment I felt when I finally got my first program to work was indescribable.\nAs I gained more experience and confidence, I started looking for new ways to challenge myself and take my skills to the next level. It was around this time that I saw a friend using a jailbroken iPod touch, running all sorts of custom apps and tweaks that I had never even heard of.\nI was immediately intrigued, and I knew that I had to learn more. So, I began researching iPhone development and learning about the tools and technologies that were used to build apps for this platform. It wasn\u0026rsquo;t long before I was building my own jailbreak apps, using my newfound skills and knowledge to create software that was used by a community of hackers around the world.\nA few months went by before iPhone OS 2.0 was announced and I saw Steve Jobs on stage demonstrating how easy it was to create iPhone applications with the new iPhone SDK. In just a few lines of code with a quick drag and drop interface, a shiny new application was created. It was incredible.\nHaving struggled to create simple jailbreak applications with hundreds of lines of code, I knew that the iPhone SDK was going to be life changing.\nI spent hours each day reading articles and watching tutorials, trying to absorb as much information as I could. Eventually, I felt confident enough to start building my own App Store apps. I started small, with simple projects that allowed me to get a feel for the development process and learn from my mistakes.\nAs I gained more experience, I began tackling more complex projects, eventually building apps that were used by millions of people around the world.\nAnd looking back, I can\u0026rsquo;t believe how far I\u0026rsquo;ve come since those early days of hacking game consoles and learning to program in C. It\u0026rsquo;s been an amazing journey, and I can\u0026rsquo;t wait to see where it takes me next. I never stop learning and improving my skills, always looking for new challenges and opportunities to grow as a developer.\n","date":"2022-12-24T00:00:00Z","image":"/p/becoming-a-software-engineer/ipod-touch.jpg","permalink":"/p/becoming-a-software-engineer/","title":"Becoming a Software Engineer"},{"content":" In early 2012, I released an iPhone application that secretly contained tethering functionality.\nThe application reached the #2 paid app position in the App Store and made over $20,000 before being removed.\nHere\u0026rsquo;s the story.\nThe Idea On a December day in 2011, an iPhone app made headlines when it quickly rose to the top of the paid App Store rankings in less than two hours. According to the article, there were only a handful of other apps that had achieved such rapid success in the App Store\u0026rsquo;s history, reaching the top one or two spots in a similar amount of time.\nWhat truly astonished me was not the fact that this iPhone app reached the top paid position on the App Store in such a short time, but rather that there had only been three other apps that had ever attempted such a feat. If these few apps were able to rise to the top so quickly, why hadn\u0026rsquo;t anyone else tried it? The answer, as you may have suspected, is because it goes against Apple\u0026rsquo;s developer agreement.\nAll of the applications contained the same feature: Tethering.\nTethering is a feature that enables you to share the network connection from your mobile device to your laptop or desktop computer. Tethering is barred from the iOS App Store. The reasons why aren\u0026rsquo;t 100% clear, but, in Apple’s own words, are due to “causing excessive or unduly burden on a carrier’s network” – in other words, carriers lose money.\nAlthough Apple strictly forbids tethering functionality on the App Store, many carriers now include it in their unlimited plans. Back in 2012, tethering allowed users to skirt carrier fees and bypass extra costs associated with the feature on a mobile plan, which could help save a lot of money.\nThe Execution I gathered as much information as I could about tethering and previous tethering applications.\nI discovered that there were actually a total of five public iPhone apps that offered tethering capabilities. However, only two of these apps were approved by Apple for sale as tethering apps: NetShare and iTether. Among these, iTether was the only one that also had a desktop application to assist users in connecting.\nThe remaining three applications that snuck in were a mix match of utility applications, with varying degrees of functionality:\nHandy Light - a simple flashlight QuasiDisk - a file manager Payupsucker – a note taker These applications utilized either a proxy, or in the case of iTether, a reverse SSH tunnel. In researching, there are many ways to tether a network connection. In no particular order, you could:\nUtilize a SOCKS proxy Develop a mobile hotspot solution over Wi-Fi or Bluetooth Reverse SSH tunnel over USB Any developer can create an application with tethering functionality. In fact, there were two open-source iPhone applications available in 2011: \u0026ldquo;iPhone-SOCKS-proxy\u0026rdquo; and \u0026ldquo;Tabi\u0026rdquo;.\nInspired by \u0026ldquo;iPhone-SOCKS-proxy\u0026rdquo;, I put all of my other projects on hold and set out to create a tethering application. In two days, I crafted a very basic SOCKS proxy tethering application. I plugged in my iPhone to test the application and, to my surprise, it actually worked!\niRandomizer Numbers Thus, the application \u0026ldquo;iRandomizer Numbers\u0026rdquo;.\niRandomizer Numbers cost a whopping $4.99. Quite a bit for a simple utility application.\nTo be safe, the tethering feature hid behind a self-contained password in the application input.\nAnother dreadful fart app in the world of “pull my finger”.\nWithin a week, even with the same name, icon, and functionality as my free application \u0026ldquo;iRandomizer\u0026rdquo;, iRandomizer Numbers was accepted into the App Store.\nLess than a week after its release, the feature in question was leaked onto a public forum and quickly gained attention. A few days later, a reporter contacted me for a statement. I confirmed that the app contained the feature and stated that I planned to keep it available until Apple removed it. The story was published that evening and the app\u0026rsquo;s sales soared.\niRandomizer Numbers skyrocketed to the top #40 paid application spot, rapidly surpassing other top applications and finally getting to the #2 Paid position in the App Store. Downloads were up from 0 sales a day to 40, 100, and into the thousands.\nRemoved from sale After over 5,000 purchases in one day, with sales totaling over $20k, iRandomizer Numbers was officially removed from the App Store.\nAftermath The following week, I received a phone call from a member of the App Store Review Team.\nThe employee expressed extreme displeasure about the application. I was told, in no uncertain terms, that I would be lucky to retain my developer account and that additional app reviews would be more thorough. The application was removed from sale due to:\nExcessive bandwidth usage Hidden features That’s the story of iRandomizer Numbers.\n","date":"2022-03-24T00:00:00Z","image":"/p/hidden-tethering-app/question-unsplash.jpg","permalink":"/p/hidden-tethering-app/","title":"Hidden Tethering App"},{"content":"List of favorite quotes by author Pierce Brown It takes more to hope than to remember.\n— Pierce Brown, Morning Star\nSlag it. My balls are growing a beard.\n— Pierce Brown, Dark Age\nCheck out Pierce Brown\u0026rsquo;s Work One of the greatest sagas of all time, Red Rising is the first book in the series.\n","date":"2022-03-22T00:00:00Z","image":"/p/pierce-brown-quotes/galaxy-unsplash.png","permalink":"/p/pierce-brown-quotes/","title":"Pierce Brown - Quotes"},{"content":"List of favorite quotes by Aaron How are soda and juice not the same thing?\nMaybe if I was getting fucked in the ass, I wouldnt be thinking about hitting my juul. 1\nThat landing was crap. But in fairness, I paid for the landing I got - it was a $35 landing. 2\nTrying to quit vaping.\u0026#160;\u0026#x21a9;\u0026#xfe0e;\nFlying.\u0026#160;\u0026#x21a9;\u0026#xfe0e;\n","date":"2022-03-14T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/p/aaron-quotes/","title":"Aaron - Quotes"},{"content":"List of favorite quotes by JRB I\u0026rsquo;ll give that the attention it deserves. 1\nThere’s a METH to my madness\nThat joke was like a cheap circumcision\u0026hellip; A complete rip off.\nAll exits lead to the gift shop, my man.\nYour Honor, this was NOT an orgy. It was a free-range bodily fluid ideation session. 2\nI’m wrapping presents. I HATE wrapping presents. Mine look like IED’s when I’m finished. Or after an origami art therapy class at a Parkinson’s Clinic. 3\nStated sarcastically about nearly anything non-urgent / idiotic.\u0026#160;\u0026#x21a9;\u0026#xfe0e;\nNo clue.\u0026#160;\u0026#x21a9;\u0026#xfe0e;\nWrapping gifts for the kids.\u0026#160;\u0026#x21a9;\u0026#xfe0e;\n","date":"2022-03-14T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/p/jrb-quotes/","title":"JRB - Quotes"},{"content":"Hello Darkness, my old friend Do you ever close your eyes and see yourself fading into the darkness? — Unknown\nObligatory Song ","date":"2022-03-11T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/p/fading-into-darkness-quote/","title":"Fading Into Darkness - Quote"}]