As Apple continues its silent war against apps that permit tethering without the need for carrier mandated tethering plans, a previously mentioned product in Tether has figured out how to implement its rather clever client/server model of tethering support with a little help from HTML5 and the Tether PC client. Below is the demo video and the link to the new site. The service is now being sold as a yearly subscription for access to the tunneling service for $30 a year.
The service was previously available as a dedicated native app for the iPhone until it was delisted off of the App Store by Apple for violating its policy on apps which allow the circumvention of dedicated carrier tethering plans. The aim of this new workaround is to allow for subscribers to use the service on iPhone without going through the App Store approval process.
As the iPhone client is utilizing some of the more advanced features of HTML5 via Mobile Safari, Apple will have a much more difficult time trying to restrict access to the service, as HTML5 web apps do not require certification and approval the way native apps submitted through the App Store require before being made available to the public.
This new workaround also addresses the typical requirement for tethering apps and solutions to run on jailbroken iPhones, as many iPhone users that would normally be interested in tethering are apprehensive about jailbreaking, either due to the more involved nature of the activity, or out of concern for compatibility for future software updates, as Apple continues to make jailbreaking more difficult with each successive generation of iOS devices thanks to server-side software and device authentication and more robust firmware and basebands for each device, significantly hampering jailbreaking work for all but the most dedicated iPhone hackers.
For this reason, Tether may even be the best tethering alternative for the forthcoming third-generation iPad with 4G LTE support, as AT&T has yet to confirm whether it will bundle tethering support into its iPad data plans, with many suggesting it will not based on past decisions. As it won’t be known how difficult the new iPad will be to jailbreak for awhile, it is very likely that customers will be seeking a tethering service that does not require jailbreaking and Tether fits those needs, despite needing a yearly access fee which is much less expensive than monthly tethering fees.
Tether.com is offering customers $15 for the first year, during an early-access period.
Also the client device must support ad-hoc wireless networking, something which most Android tablets do not support.
Tether.com works by establishing an ad-hoc connection over Wi-Fi, and then a proxy gateway that sends commands to the HTML5 web browser window inside of MobileSafari.
[…] 12, 2012Sure, carriers will pound the table that it’s a terms-of-service violation, but the new path (previously detailed) for Tether.com is something the carriers appear well-prepared to handle from a customer […]