Jailbreakers use Cydia to install tweaks and apps that aren’t available in Apple’s App Store. Cydia has been the way to find and install jailbreak apps for years, but it looks like the established storefront could be getting some competition soon.
iTweakStore.com promises to be a “fast, powerful, and very easy to use” web-based alternative to Cydia for jailbreakers. Will it hold a candle or simply fall by the wayside?
Unfortunately, we won’t know until the iTweakStore launches to the public. Some security concerns are raised when you think about installing and granting root access to tweaks from Mobile Safari, as several iOS security flaws have been found in Apple’s browser. A PDF vulnerability in Safari was exploited to allow for the web-based JailbreakMe tool during the days of iOS 4.
Competition is always a good thing, but I’m skeptical of how competitive iTweakStore will be. There are things you can’t achieve in a browser that you can with a native app. Let’s not forget there have been other web-based ‘Cydia alternatives’ that never saw the light of day.
Cydia users are given their own IDs and payment options through Amazon and Paypal. It’s unclear as to how iTweakStore will handle user accounts or payment processing. The site is expected to launch within the next few months. You can follow the project on its official Twitter account.
(via iMore)
