The language of iPhone hacking seems impenetrable to those new to it. If you're interested in making a bit more of your iPhone but find current discussion of it like jumping into some opaque, comic book epic on episode #435, here's a brief run-through of terms to get you up to speed.
Firmware -- the iPhone's built-in programming, embedded into memory set aside for this purpose. Apple releases periodic updates to this code, and it's a combination of earlier unauthorized modifications and official update number 1.1.1 that led to the current "iBrick" situation. To hardware grognards, the dangers of injudicious firmware fiddling are well-known but Apple's made the process of updating simple and straightforward — at least for those who toe the line.
Hacks -- This refers to all the adventures herein, be they baffling text commands or GUI applications. So called "jailbreaks" provide beach-head access to the system in juicy anticipation of further hacking. Other hacks activate the phone for general use without forcing the user to go through the official process. Others unlock the phone from AT&T's mobile network (two popular examples are iPhoneSimFree and AnySIM), while others make easy the installation of unofficial software.
Jailbreak - a hack that gains access to areas of the iPhone that users aren't supposed to mess with. Typically, this is an immediate prelude to either installing cool programs, unlocking the handset for use with another cellular network, or both.
Activation - Out the box, the iPhone doesn't do much except look pretty and make emergency calls. Activation gives access to normal operation. Typically this is accomplished using iTunes, by obediently signing up for service with official carrier AT&T. But if the world comprised of only obedient people, we wouldn't be here today. With buggered-up iPhones.
Unlocking - You can often pay a premium to buy a phone untethered to a particular carrier. Apple's iPhone is not such a phone. Cupertino developed powerful and complex locking systems to prevent you from leaving AT&T's cold embrace. Though unofficial unlocking solutions soon arrived, it was these unlocked iPhones that faced the worst problems after Apple's official 1.1.1 firmware update.
Brick - Traditionally, "bricked" hardware is that which becomes permanently inoperable, especially due to a failed firmware update or attempt at modification. With an iBrick, however, the term is somewhat broader — many bricked iPhones still fire up, but are effectively unusable for one reason or another. The good news is that they may be recovered without messing with hardware. The bad news is that you still can't call mom until someone figures out how.
Apps — The programs which run on the iPhone. While anyone with the coding chops can write a web-based application for use on the iPhone's Safari browser, developers crave access to the phone itself—access that Apple has not yet provided. So-called "native" apps are faster, better, and allow access to iPhone functions that Safari does not. Many iPhone users are happy with official carrier AT&T and hack their handsets simply to run these programs.
Many other terms pop up during the day-to-day explorations that hackers embark on as they solve problems and instill new functionality in the iPhone. "Baseband," for example, refers to that part of the iPhone's firmware memory used by its radio chip, which has proved tricky to modify. SSH is the command-line interface you'll run into soon enough if you get involved.
Appetites whetted? Check our ongoing coverage. You'll find a developer's perspective from Erica at The Unofficial Apple Weblog. Gizmodo and Engadget seem to go through iPhones like Bolivian courtesans, actually testing the lastest, most nutty modifications on their own hardware. Other sites tracking the latest developments include 9to5 and Cult of Mac. For the most bare-metal viewpoint, however—and the place to go if you want to hack your own iPhone—keep an eye on the Hackint0sh forums and the iPhone Dev Team's wiki.
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