Filed under: iPhone
Ambrosia: Committed to making iToner work
Ambrosia is the maker of iToner, Mac-based software that adds third-party ringtones to your iPhone. Today Ambrosia issued a statement to TUAW saying that they remain committed to making iToner work with the iPhone 1.1.1 firmware. The problem with 1.1.1 is that Apple has started encrypting and signing all iPhone content. This extra security layer makes the iPhone reject unofficial ringtones. In a phone call, Ambrosia said they are fixing the product, remain extremely optimistic and that users should look for a software update in the "very near future".
The full text of the statement is after the jump.
Ambrosia Software statement on iToner & the iPhone 1.1.1 OS Update
Apple has recently released iPhone 1.1.1 OS update for the iPhone.
Unfortunately this OS update breaks our custom ringtone product iToner.
We're distressed about this turn of events, because we have labored
long and hard to make iToner not just a great product, but also as
compatible as possible.
I'd like to take a moment to explain the situation as we understand
it currently.
This iPhone 1.1.1 OS update breaks not only iToner, but also every
other piece of third party software for the iPhone. It appears that
Apple has taken the route of encrypting and signing the contents of
your iPhone in such a way that things like third party applications
and ringtones are rejected outright.
We have not given up, however. No promises at this point, but we are
working hard at solving this issue for our users. Thank you for your
continued support & patience.
Andrew Welch
el Presidente
Ambrosia Software, Inc.
![TUAW [Cafepress]](http://www.blogsmithmedia.com/www.tuaw.com/media/tuaw-cafepress-promo.png)
Reader Comments (Page 1 of 3)
potato said 6:49PM on 10-01-2007
Remember when Apple said that they would not go out of their way to break 3rd party apps?
Well then, what is this?
I'm extremely, extremely disappointed in Apple. So disappointed that I think my next box will be a Windows machine. I'm willing to live with the spyware scanners and the firewalls if it means getting out from Apple's draconian lock-in.
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Ulf Dahlen said 6:56PM on 10-01-2007
Apple's refusal to allow 3rd part apps on the iPhone doesn't make sense. Either they are extremely stupid or they sold their soul to AT&T... (But I'm not going to buy a Windows PC just because the ringtones doesn't work on the iPhone.)
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The Grand Master said 6:56PM on 10-01-2007
@ Potato
well that was dramatic.
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wayne said 7:00PM on 10-01-2007
This is good news, I just hope who ever gets into the iPhone first Ambrosia or the iPhone Dev Team, share their information so installer.app can get back into 1.1.1
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Yaphi said 7:00PM on 10-01-2007
There should be a boycott of some sort. Devs don't go to WWDC, or the mac Office team should delay Office 08 (yeah right).
Hold something ransom devs!
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miphone said 7:02PM on 10-01-2007
Come on dude, ain't that deep! But if it makes you happier, be happy with " spyware scanners and the firewalls" amongst other PC (Piece of Crap) nastiness!
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Micah Neumark said 7:11PM on 10-01-2007
You know what would be amazing? Imagine at WWDC or a similar event, Steve Jobs gets up on stage and the devs just start chanting "iPhone SDK, iPhone SDK!".
But seriously, I'm expecting another Open Letter from Steve Jobs really soon now. I hope he says something good.
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Alex S. said 7:12PM on 10-01-2007
So long, potato!
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Jeremy said 7:21PM on 10-01-2007
The Apple we loved is gone. Welcome to the new Microsoft.
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tevetorbes said 7:24PM on 10-01-2007
What I don't get, and I'm sure many of you also don't get, is why I have to PAY TWICE for ringtones. NEWS FLASH: I've bought the song already. The RIAA called and they want their shitty business model back.
Are we going to have to start using the A$$le moniker? $teve Job$ or something equally juvenile? Ridiculous.
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John said 7:30PM on 10-01-2007
Banning self made ringtones just doesn't make sense.
It just feels stupid and petty.
I know, I know..it's all about money.
Verizon would do this to their phones but Apple?
I expected a whole lot more for a five hundred dollar phone.
The other thing...what if I didn't want a song as ringtone? What provision does Apple have?
What's next? Charging to stuff to grab the photos off our phones?
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potato said 7:32PM on 10-01-2007
I dealt with all the crappiness of Windows for years upon years before switching to OSX. After being with macs for a couple of years now the RDF has worn off a bit, and while it's certainly a nice platform to use, as a developer it leaves MUCH to be desired.
As an engineer by trade I have a tendency to tinker, and with every generation Apple products are becoming (deliberately so) much harder for people like me to tinker with.
I may end up running a Linux distro with a side boot of Windows for games (as opposed to my OSX+Windows combo right now). The awesomeness of Apple hardware has lost some of its appeal now that many laptop manufacturers are catching up.
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geochick said 7:34PM on 10-01-2007
I was a bit miffed when I got my iPhone on Thursday and received a message that the "special ring tones" I made the day before with ringtonator were not compatible (drats was looking forward to having "learning to fly" go off during a meeting or two just to be obnoxious). Oh well... I am thankful that I did not have the iPhone long enough to install all the other hacks. I was mainly interested in the ring-tones though coz its simply ridiculous to make people pay $.99 for a song they already own... What's with Apple locking out all these 3rd party apps anyway can't they just develop some partnerships with these folks and get some more apps going? I'm interested in having that shopping list app right on the device instead of being over the web. I'm beginning to see how annoying this whole thing is now that I own an iPhone. I think the iPhone has a lot to offer already but could use some more 3rd-party apps... Apple can't think of everything. They could at least have us vote on some of these third party apps and work with the developer to develop them. Maybe a favorites app per month or an iPhone app battle to start...
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Eddie Kish said 7:41PM on 10-01-2007
This is just not 100%. I and others have been adding custom ringtones to 1.1.1.
What is true, is that the way iToner added them is broken.
All iToner is does is act as a conduit to the phone.
We still have a way to add and remove content, it is called iTunes.
People who know more than I do should be looking at what makes a ringtone acceptable to iTunes and how we can make any ringtone acceptable to iTunes.
My fear is that this info will not profit anyone and that is why we havent gotten that answer yet.
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blinkcowz182 said 7:43PM on 10-01-2007
Does anybody remember CoverFlow pre-Apple? The small 3rd party app that was purchased by Apple and by November 1st will be present in multiple applications and even the OS?!
http://www.steelskies.com/coverflow/
Apple can come up with all the applications we need on their own...3rd party apps are only good for keylogging and stealing people's info I suppose.
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Jon said 8:01PM on 10-01-2007
"Apple can come up with all the applications we need on their own...3rd party apps are only good for keylogging and stealing people's info I suppose."
How did you live so long without a brain?
I remember the good old days where Apple worked only for the consumer. Nowadays they work for the RIAA, the movie studios and AT&T.
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Osman said 8:17PM on 10-01-2007
Kudos to Ambrosia. I love that: Perseverance in the face of Adversity.
Keep it up guys! (and girls!)
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serge said 8:23PM on 10-01-2007
@15, interesting comment... though the community had come up with an interesting model, with the applications living in a repository and community acting as gatekeepers.
That is not necessarily sustainable in the long run.
So while I do think it was incredible to see how creative people had become with all of those apps, I find all the whining around the firmware "breaking" the apps a little over done (you were warned after all, and the EULA does not make application installation as acceptable). Anyway...
The real point is that Leopard is coming out this month, and I can't help but wonder:
- iPhone may also get a firmware at that point. Indeed if iPhone is based on macos X, wouldn't it make sense to "unify" the dev for all devices and have them run a flavor of the same base OS?
- in that context, an MacOS X dev kit that comprises the Mac, iPod, Apple TV... and iPhone would make sense...
- Such an SDK, and a method for Apple to validate applications (encryption and signature would somehow help guarantee that your app does not break things or do anything malicious) would foster an iPhone application ecosystem that would make Apple (quality assurance), developers (huge platform and opportunities) and Users (more functionality) happy.
I don't think an Apple SDK is dead. We may only be at the beginning.
Here's to hoping ;-)
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Huggins said 8:40PM on 10-01-2007
Hmm.
Did Apple ever say that they were going to open up the iPhone to developers? Has the iPod ever been open to developers? Is the iPhone actually called the opensourcePhone and I've just been calling it the wrong thing all this time?
No, I thought not.
I'm going to try and put this as succinctly as I can:
Shut. Up. And. Get. Over. It.
If you want a build-your-own PC of phones, go elsewhere. If you want what was advertised starting in January of 2007, a (pretty darn good) phone, iPod, and internet device, then stop your whining, let the hackers do their jobs, and enjoy the fact that your phone got some pretty nice upgrades less than two and a half months after it came out.
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disgruntled said 8:51PM on 10-01-2007
I have to admit, I am frustrated by owning a iPhone at this point.
Not because of the 1.1.1 upgrade, the lack of 3rd party apps, or being locked into an AT&T contract, but rather from being lumped into a group of whiny imbeciles too daft to understand an EULA. I don't understand the sense of entitlement that goes into this issue.
YOU ARE OWED NOTHING.
You bought hardware. It is nice hardware, and you love it. You license software. It doesn't matter if you like it or not. It is not your software.
It does not matter what apps you think should be there, what network you think you should be on, or what ring tones you think you deserve. The license unto which you agreed to license and put on your purchased hardware says otherwise.
Figure this lesson out soon please. You are making me look stupid.
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