The Apple Ipod Touch is a device that allows users to play games, access the Internet through a variety of applications, play music and use as a business tool. With the popularity of customizing and developing tools to access restricted software applications, hackers and developers have created programs and altered others. Once such hack is called jailbreaking. By installing an alternative firmware, Ipod touch users will have access to 3rd party applications that are most often available at no cost. These applications may include customized Ipod themes, cracked or 3rd party games and applications, or other software that is not available through conventional methods such as downloads from Itunes or the App Store. To download and install these alternative applications, users will need to also have Cydia or another 3rd party program to gain access. http://cydia.saurik.com/ When jailbreaking, this is commonly installed.

If you are interested in learning how to create hacks for the Ipod Touch, there are several sites that provide user forums, developer tools and other programs that assist hackers with creating hacks, apps, and other shortcuts for the ipod.

• www.hackipodtouch.com/http://www.hackipodtouch.com/
• hackulo.us/forums/http://hackulo.us/forums/
• www.ipodtouchfans.com/forums/index.phphttp://www.ipodtouchfans.com/forums/index.php
• www.ipodhacks.com/http://www.ipodhacks.com/
• www.ipodtouchfans.com/http://www.ipodtouchfans.com/

Remember that altering the firmware or hacking an Ipod Touch may void the manufacturers warranty offered by Apple.http://www.apple.com/support/ipod/service/faq/#warranty5

To jailbreak an Ipod Touch, programs like PwnageTool 3.1.4http://www.ipodtouchhacks.com/hacks/pwnagetool-3-1-4/need to be downloaded and installed. This program will guide you through the necessary steps to replace the firmware on your Ipod, with the jailbreak firmware. There are also programs such as blackra1n http://blackra1n.org/ that offer a tethered jailbreak. This means that if your Ipod Touch needs to be rebooted or the battery becomes completely depleted, you'll need to process the jailbreak again.

Once an Ipod Touch is jailbroken, users will also have access to cracked apps. This is the term used when a paid application has been hacked, or cracked, and is now available through a jailbroken Ipod for free. To crack Itunes apps, hackers use programs such as Crackulous.http://hackulo.us/forums/To download Crackulous, visit http://cydia.hackulo.us/http://cydia.hackulo.us/ This GUI supported program can crack paid App store applications, and crack more than one at a time.