Reverse BitTorrent for Apps is Expected to Cause Huge Surge in App Store Piracy

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Posted December 27, 2010 at 6:39pm by iClarified

A huge surge in App Store piracy is expected as the Hackulous community plans to release a 'reverse BitTorrent' system that will leverage millions of users to supply apps, according to TorrentFreak.

In the past, owners of App Store apps would have to crack the software using something like Clutch then patch, test, upload and submit it to Apptrakr in order to grow its database and enable others to download. Not surprisingly the learning curve dissuaded all but a tiny minority from even trying.

Described by Dissident as a kind of 'reverse BitTorrent', Mobile Hunt is a clever way of utilizing an existing network of millions of peers to provide a solution to the app supply bottleneck.

"Essentially what will happen is when you're using Installous you'll get a little pop up that says 'Hey, you have an application that Apptrakr doesn't. We will add the application to a queue in the background (if you say yes) and it will start uploading tiny pieces of it, kind of like a torrent, up to the cloud'," Hackulous admin Dissident explains.

The tiny pieces from each person’s device will then be combined to make one final copy which will then be available on Apptrakr for anyone to download.

Hackulous has also announced that it's already cracked the security of the unreleased Mac App Store. Using a new product called 'Kickback' they plan to offer free downloads for Mac Apps. Dissident notes that Kickback won't be released until the Mac App Store is saturated with "tons of crap".

"Most of the applications that go on the Mac App Store [in the first instance] will be decent, they’ll be pretty good. Apple isn’t going to put crap on the App Store as soon as it gets released. It’ll probably take months for the App Store to actually have a bunch of crappy applications and when we feel that it has a lot of crap in it, we’ll probably release Kickback."

*Please note as developers ourselves we do not encourage pirating applications in any way.

Read More [via AppAdvice]

Reverse BitTorrent for Apps is Expected to Cause Huge Surge in App Store Piracy

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Currropipi - December 28, 2010 at 7:24pm

I didn't encourage piracy too.... but I think apps on AppStore should be try & then pay. because to many apps, doesn't reach what they are tell they do.... this isn't to much money, but after some wrong buys, some (to many) dismiss to buy any more else. a tag research will also welcomme. I write big apps, I allow to try and then buy .... but I 'm tired to have to pay some buck and try to many apps before I've the right app ( that I need). I 've misspend near 200 euros before I've on my iphone

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Macsl21 - December 27, 2010 at 8:42pm

As both a developer and a consumer, I think this is overall a good thing. I've pirated a bunch of apps, but never once have I not ended up paying for an app that I thought was worth keeping. If you like an app, you'll pay for it because they're cheap and you'll always want the latest version, along with ease of upgrading or restoring. I know it sounds like making excuses, but really I've bought far more apps because of the ability to try-before-buy ability.

Jeff - December 27, 2010 at 8:09pm

GREAT Idea!..... Love it, I'd say YES and Pass software myself. REASON BEING: I have used Hacked Software, to test and see if will work for me, or lives up to what it said. If so, Then I Do purchase it. If NOT, it gets deleted. Simple.. It's Hard to return an APP to the Apple Store.... KUDOS for doing this! Great way to test it before you Buy it! At lest give it a quick look..