It is now possible to jailbreak iOS 8.1.2 using a Mac, and this has been confirmed by iDownloadBlog. Up until this point, no Mac option existed for jailbreaking iOS 8.1.2, but that is no longer the case. A new tool entitled PP jailbreak for Mac has surfaced, allowing Mac users to enjoy what Windows users have been enjoying for some time now. Inside, we have a tutorial that shows how to jailbreak iOS 8.1.2 using OS X with the PP jailbreak for Mac. Read More
There are several ways to transfer iPhone contacts to a computer, but the quickest and easiest way to do that might just be with an app. The concept is simple: use an app to export contacts, then email that list of contacts to yourself, or to whoever you want to share the contacts with. In this post we’ll show you how to use an app called Easy Backup to transfer contacts from an iPhone to a computer. Read More
One thing I’ve always liked about Macs is their secondary keys, where holding down a letter key will display variations of that letter, like holding down “u” to get “ü.” This comes in handy when spelling non-English words, but if that’s not something you ever do, Apple’s substitution of special characters for the traditional key repeats of Windows computers can be an unneeded – and perhaps unwanted – feature.
The good news is that there’s a simple way to take control and change the behavior of long key presses to accommodate your needs. This not only works with letters, but number keys as well. Read More
The Apple Maps app has received a fair share of criticism since it was released along iOS 6 in September 2012, and rightfully so. When it first launched, the app was filled with gross locations errors that made for some funny and sometimes dangerous situations. To this day, Apple Maps still aren’t perfect, but we can all agree that they’ve greatly improved.
Ever since the release of Apple Maps, the company has quietly been opened to receive input from users about the data used in the app. While the option to report a problem in Apple Maps isn’t new by any means, it’s probably one that is very much overlooked, hence this post today.
I have reported a few problems to Apple myself and have had them all taken care of, usually in a couple of weeks or so. If you see wrong data in the Maps app, I encourage you to report the problem to Apple. It’s very likely that they will look at your report, and take measures to fix the problem if necessary. Read More
Anyone who has used a Mac for more than a minuscule amount of time has more than likely come across Quick Look, the pop-up window that is invoked with a press of the space bar when a file or folder is highlighted on the desktop or in Finder. Quick Look’s usefulness becomes evident when file names aren’t descriptive enough by allowing users to view the contents of many different types of files without having to open them in a full-fledged application like Pages for documents or Preview for images.
By default Quick Look can only display a static view of a file that only grants users a peek at the contents without any real function. Imagine, however, being able to copy a document’s text without having to open it in TextEdit or Pages. This is incredibly useful in a variety of situations, from dealing with templates to Word documents to code snippets, where having multiple applications and documents opened shouldn’t be necessary for copying from one location and pasting to another. The good news is that this functionality is completely possible and perfectly easy to enable. Read More
Although The Interview won’t be screened in most theaters around the country, you can still show your support for this over-hyped movie by watching it online. The movie is available for rent or purchase right now from several places, including, YouTube, Google Play, and Xbox.
If you have an iPhone, iPad, or Apple TV, this is the best way to watch The Interview. Read More
I hear a lot of mixed emotions from our readers about third-party keyboards. While only a handful simply don’t like anything but the stock app, many of our readers complain about apps not working correctly. More specifically, about how the stock keyboard keeps showing up instead of the selected third-party keyboard, especially in Messages.
There is a solution to that particular problem, and we’ve got a quick tutorial to help you set your favorite app so that it shows up every time the keyboard appears (except on the Lock screen and when typing your password in iTunes, because that’s Apple’s rule). Read More
TaiG has released version 1.2 of its iOS 8 jailbreak tool, and it’s now capable of jailbreaking iOS 8.1.2. As has been the norm with the past few jailbreak releases, this is a Windows only jailbreak tool. If you’re running Windows, you can follow our step-by-step tutorial. If you’re on a Mac, you can use our virtual machine tutorial to run Windows on OS X and jailbreak. Read More
As has been the norm as of late, OS X releases of the latest jailbreak tools have lagged behind their Windows counterparts. The TaiG jailbreak, which released to much surprise early this morning is no exception.
But what if you’re an OS X only user who doesn’t have access to a Windows machine? Are you left out in the cold waiting until TaiG decides to release an OS X version of its tool? Not necessarily.
Inside, I’ll show you how easy it is to run a Windows virtual machine on OS X absolutely free of charge. Doing so will allow you to jailbreak iOS 8.1.2 even if you only have a Mac. Best of all, it’s absolutely free to do so. Check out our video tutorial after the break for the full how-to.
Update: this post was originally created for iOS 8.1.1, but you can follow the same steps to jailbreak iOS 8.1.2 using the latest version of TaiG. Read More
iOS 8.1.1 is now officially jailbroken, and it’s one of the easiest jailbreaks that I’ve experienced in my long history of jailbreaking. As we first noted, the TaiG team, not the Pangu team, is responsible for the iOS 8.1.1 jailbreak, which was released for Windows users early this morning.
I’ve personally tested out the TaiG jailbreak tool for iOS 8.1.1, and can report that it works. In fact, it installs Cydia straight out of the box, and it’s super easy to follow along, even though the tool hasn’t been translated to English. In this tutorial, we will show you how to use TaiG to jailbreak iOS 8.1.1.
Update: This tutorial was written for iOS 8.1.1, but you can follow the same directions to jailbreak iOS 8.1.2. Simply make sure you use the latest version of TaiG. Read More
It’s that time of year again. Thanksgiving is tomorrow, which means we are now less than 48 hours away from Black Friday. On this day, thousands of retailers will be hosting flash sales in an effort to lure customers into their stores. Some even plan on starting their promotions tomorrow, and others have already begun.
For many people, the whole thing is execrable—unruly shoppers standing in long lines just to save a measly couple of dollars on useless items—but it doesn’t have to be. If you know what to look for, you can actually save good money on good products, and in many cases avoid the crowds. Read More
I have dozens of contacts in my iPhone that don’t have a picture attached to them. Sometimes, I’ll get a band’s information at a show and will even forget who they were months later. Pictures always help in situations like these. I’m better with faces than I am with names.
For a while now, Apple has included the ability to merge your friends’ Facebook information, including updated profile pictures, to your contacts in iOS. It only takes a few seconds and we’ve got a short tutorial for you below. Read More
Apple on Sunday launched a new web tool to help users deregister their phone number from iMessage, in the event they switch to Android or another non-Apple device. The tool helps resolve the text message delivery issue that has long-plagued iPhone switchers.
The site Apple has set up offers two solutions for deregistering your number: one for those who still have their old iPhones, and one for those who don’t. The steps are fairly easy to follow, but given what a pain point this has been, we’ve put together a quick tutorial. Read More
The Pangu Team released their Pangu utility for Mac earlier today, so Mac users who were waiting for compatibility with their operating system have no excuse to not jailbreak any longer.
In this post, we will show you how to use Pangu for Mac to jailbreak iOS 8.1. This post was created for an iPhone, but note that the steps are exactly identical, no matter what device you want to jailbreak (ie. an iPad or iPod touch). Likewise, any iOS 8 firmware version can be jailbroken using this tool, including iOS 8, and iOS 8.0.2. Read More
A couple weeks after getting my new iMac, I am still tweaking the preferences of many applications so they work the way I want them to. I recently shared a way to stop iPhoto from automatically launching when you plug your iPhone in, and today, I will share with you a similar tip to stop iTunes from automatically syncing when you connect your iPhone. As often with these specific settings, the solution is simple but it might not always be obvious to everyone.
There are actually two ways to go at it. The first method is device-specific, meaning that you can tell iTunes not to sync when a specific device (ie. your iPhone) is being plugged in. The other method works with any iOS device you plug in. Read More
If there is one thing that I very much dislike in my workflows, it’s processes that automatically start without my consent or prior agreement. The latest culprit to date is iPhoto, which automatically launches every single time I plug my iPhone in my computer. I’m not sure if this is iPhoto default’s behavior, or if I accidentally triggered this annoying feature, but fortunately there is a quick and easy way to stop this from happening again. Read More
By default, access to Notification Center and Control Center is available system-wide on iOS 8, meaning that you can access both features from the Lock screen, from the Home screen, and from any app. These two features are very convenient, but can also represent a security or privacy threat. With that in mind, iDB reader Eric asked us this morning on Twitter how to disable both grabbers for Notification and Control Center on the Lock screen. In this post we will show you how to do just that. Read More
The definitive version of Pangu for Windows is here. This version, as you’ve likely read, is complete with a bundled Cydia installation and English text. There are also a few differences in some of the screens that you’ll encounter during the jailbreak process.
If you’ve yet to jailbreak iOS 8, then you no longer need to wait around for anything (outside of a version for the Mac). This is the complete version of Pangu, that makes it super-simple to jailbreak just like jailbreaks of old. Pangu 1.1.0 is a great tool, and it works very well.
Check out our final complete Pangu 1.1 iOS 8.x jailbreak video tutorial inside. It only takes 8 easy steps. Read More
At this point in time, running Cydia on a jailbroken iPhone can still be a bit confusing for users who aren’t always knee-deep in this stuff. One of the biggest issues encountered when running Cydia on a jailbroken iOS 8 device at the moment involves using the passcode and Touch ID.
After installing Cydia on a jailbroken iOS 8 device, many are reporting that establishing a passcode sends them into a bootloop. I verified that I encountered the same issue.
Let me just preface this by saying that the problems encountered here are no fault of the Pangu team or of Saurik. This jailbreak is a work in progress, and we’ve been advised that the jailbreak is only for developers at the moment. That said, many of you are adventurous and want to take the plunge as soon as possible; as do I.
In this video, I share an unsanctioned workaround to the boot loop issue. I show you how to establish a passcode on a device with Cydia and Cydia Substrate installed. I’ve tested this out, and have recorded the entire Cydia installation process for your convenience. Have a look inside for the full tutorial. Read More
I just got my all new iMac with Retina 5K display last week and I’m still going through all the settings to have it behave the way I want. One thing I noticed is that every time it goes to sleep or the screen saver kicks in, my Mac will require me to enter my user password when I wake it up.
What is a great security feature if you work in an office is somewhat of an annoyance to me, simply because I work from home and no one except my wife ever gets to touch my computer, making this password an extra step that I don’t need.
In this post, I’ll show you how to stop OS X Yosemite from requiring a password after waking up your Mac. Read More
