Hackers open the the door for apps on the new Apple TV

If you were disappointed by the lack of apps in the new $99 Apple  TV, now you have another option: The iPhone Dev team, a group known for its timely iPhone operating system hacks, has confirmed that it can jailbreak the new Apple TV — opening the door for apps and other tweaks on the device.

The group used its new “SHAtter” exploit to jailbreak the Apple TV. As we previously reported, the exploit targets a low-level portion of the iPhone operating system (iOS), which makes it impossible for Apple to patch the exploit with a simple software upgrade. This means that all existing iOS devices will be able to rely on the exploit forever, and Apple won’t be able to fix it until it rolls out new hardware.

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Why would you want to jailbreak your Apple TV? For one thing, hackers will quickly find ways to bring applications to the device — making up for Apple’s complete lack of official apps. So now instead of being locked into the service Apple provides for the device, you’ll be able to find other sources of content. Apps are a big reason why I believe Google TV will ultimately be more valuable to consumers, as I’ve argued in the past.

There’s currently no release date for an actual tool using the exploit, which would let anyone jailbreak their new Apple TV. Given the group’s past timing though, we can probably expect a jailbreaking tool within the next few weeks.

As proof of the jailbreak, the iPhone Dev Team released the following video:

via Redmond Pie

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