Hackers Working on Safari-based App Installer

Not content with Apple's App Store as a software distribution mechanism, a group of iOS developers is taking matters into its own hands by working on a tool to let iPhone users browse and install applications and system tweaks through Safari.

Project: "Lima"

Spotted by the iPhone Download Blog, the new project dubbed "Lima" is the creation of the Infini Dev Team and aims to complement, and perhaps one day replace, third-party application installers already available to those with jailbroken iOS devices. The hack lets users install applications from third-party software repositories, hosted on the Web and accessed through the iPhone's Safari browser.

Infini Dev Team, which has also taken over the responsibilities of updating and supporting Icy--one of the early third-party iOS application installers--says it will maintain a list of the repositories, and thus control over where users are able to download applications from. Developer James A. Matoe, who is a part of the group, said on Twitter that the group plans to block two high-profile repositories that contain pirated copies of iOS applications.

Demo Video

An early view of the software demonstrates this working to install a system tweak that adds one extra application spot to iOS' multitasking bar. The video begins with the user having the default four applications, and ending with five following the installation: