Tweak

Zephyr updated to implement new Screen Area option

Jeff Benjamin ∙ Updated April 11, 2018

A new update to Zephyr just appeared on Cydia, and it contains at least one new feature. If you were attuned to Twitter about a week ago, you may have noticed a somewhat intense conversation between @_Yllier_ and Zephyr developer, @Chpwn.

Basically, the conversation began when Yllier created a hack for Zephyr, which makes it possible to limit the screen area where a "swipe from left to right gesture" is valid. He created the hack with the intention of making it easier to use apps like Gmail, and Facebook, which both rely on the swipe gestures that can interfere with Zephyr.

To make a long story short, Chpwn wasn't pleased that the hack was released due to issues it could cause with future updates, support, etc., and he asked Yllier to remove it. Yllier did eventually remove it, but not before he received a nod from Chpwn agreeing to include the useful feature in a future version of Zephyr. And that, folks, is where we are now.

MuteIcon: know when your iPhone’s mute switch is enabled

Jeff Benjamin ∙ Updated April 11, 2018

MuteIcon is a jailbreak tweak that adds an icon to your status bar when your iPhone is placed into silent mode. The purpose of this is to let you know visually when your iPhone's mute switch is enabled.

The tweak contains a few settings within the Settings panel for adjusting its properties, but overall, it's an extremely simple affair. Notice our brief overview inside.

‘HighlightGeneral’ is a bit goofy, but I kind of like it

Jeff Benjamin ∙ Updated April 11, 2018

If you read our post that shows how to create the perfect jailbroken iPhone, then it's pretty obvious that I have a ton of jailbroken apps and tweaks running on my iPhone. Sometimes, that can cause things to become a little foggy as far as the Settings app is concerned. Eventually, it'll be filled to the brim with preference panels for all of the stuff you've installed from Cydia.

As a result, that can often make it a little difficult to quickly locate key sections within the Settings app. The General section is arguably the most popular portion of the Settings app. HighlightGeneral is a jailbreak tweak that makes this section stand out by changing its text label color from black to blue.

Is it a bit silly? Yes. Is it useful? That's highly debatable. But I will say that I kind of like it.

How to enable still captures while shooting video on the iPod touch 5th generation

Jeff Benjamin ∙ Updated April 11, 2018

If you own both an iPhone 5 and an iPod touch 5th generation, you might find it strange that you can capture still photos while shooting video on the iPhone 5, but not on the iPod touch. Regardless as to why Apple made such a decision, it doesn't really matter if you're jailbroken. That's because a new jailbreak tweak recently appeared on Cydia enabling the function.

Still Capture Enabler is the tweak that allows your iPod touch 5th generation the ability to take still capture photos in the midst of a video shoot. Does it work as you would expect? Have a look at our video walkthrough inside for all of the pertinent details.

A new app switching concept from the designer of Auxo

Jeff Benjamin ∙ Updated April 11, 2018

Looking for a different take on app switching? If so, then look no further than this new app switching concept from @Sentry — the designer behind the highly popular Auxo tweak. The currently unnamed concept allows iPhone users to swipe from the bottom of the page, splitting the page in two. The split reveals a column of strategically placed app icons that can be used to quickly switch between apps.

Swiping on the column reveals toggles and volume and brightness sliders. Since it doesn't have a name just yet, I'll just refer to it tentatively as AppUnzipper. That's a good name, don't you think? I mean, it basically looks like you're unzipping the currently running app to access an app switcher beneath.

6 ways to get more out of Auxo

Jeff Benjamin ∙ Updated April 11, 2018

It's no secret that the Auxo jailbreak tweak is one of my favorite jailbreak tweaks of all time. It's a tweak that adds a full snapshot preview of your running apps in the app switcher. It also includes handy toggles and redesigned music controls.

Now the question stands to be asked: how do you go about getting the most out of Auxo? Inside I'll share some handy tips that show you how to become an Auxo pro.

Always know what song is playing with NowPlaying on Status Bar

Mike Schnier ∙ Updated February 25, 2013

Do you hate it when you're listening to music, and you can't remember the name of the song you're listening to? This might not seem like such a problem with your own music collection, but what if you have a streaming app running in the background?

Sure, you could jump to your music player or podcasting app and check to see what was just playing or check the Lock screen, but that can get to be a pretty big disruption. If you just want to take a peek, install NowPlaying on Status Bar instead...

The best iPhone jailbreak tweaks for iOS 6

Jeff Benjamin ∙ Updated April 11, 2018

Since its inception in 2007, the iPhone has singlehandedly revolutionized an industry, and simultaneously created a whole new ecosystem that is thriving. Each iteration of iPhone OS, or iOS as it is now called, has produced more stable devices with better features and needed enhancements.

That all being said, many feel that iOS hasn't progressed as rapidly as it should be progressing. Even though Apple made major strides with iOS 5 as far as wanted features were concerned, many feel that it's not enough. Though, in my opinion, and in the opinion of many others, the iPhone and iOS can stand on its own two feet, there's no denying that some things could be better.

That's where jailbreaking comes in. Yes a lot of people jailbreak because they just want to tinker around with their device, some *gasp* jailbreak to steal the apps that many hardworking individuals put precious time into to bring to fruition, but many jailbreak simply because it can improve the iPhone experience. That's the reason I jailbreak. In the never ending quest to create the perfect iPhone, I'm continuously on the lookout for new jailbreak tweaks and apps.

At this point, I think it's safe to say that I have a pretty good grasp on what's out there. With that in mind, I've compiled a definitive list of jailbreak tweaks that I believe create the perfect iPhone experience. Granted, as time goes on, some of these tweaks will undoubtedly become obsolete, or they may be replaced with apps or tweaks that do a better job. But at this point, I believe that the following 15 jailbreak tweaks create an iPhone experience that's next to perfect. These are some of the best iPhone jailbreak tweaks for iOS 6.

Save battery life at night with AirplaneScheduler

Mike Schnier ∙ Updated February 25, 2013

Airplane mode is a setting in iOS that allows users to disable wireless radios while the mode is active. This includes all cellular reception, Wi-Fi, GPS and Bluetooth (Wi-Fi and Bluetooth are initially disabled but can be re-enabled with Airplane mode still active). It's intended to put the device in a state where it is safe to use on a plane, but some users have taken to the feature as a power-saving mode.

AirplaneScheduler is a very comprehensive timer tweak that presets toggles for Airplane mode, allowing users to toggle Airplane mode on and off automatically on a recurring basis...

Use 3G Unrestrictor to enable streaming over cellular in Tweetbot

Jeff Benjamin ∙ Updated April 30, 2017

Tweetbot, my favorite Twitter client by a country mile, takes well advantage of Twitter's streaming API for instant timeline updates with no manual refresh. It works very well, but unfortunately Tweetbot requires you to be connected to Wi-Fi in order to use the feature. What to do now? Fake a Wi-Fi connection, of course!

3G Unrestrictor has many uses, and one such use is to enable Twitter streaming in Tweetbot over a cellular connection. Check out our brief video inside.

AirFloat turns any iOS device into an AirPlay receiver

Mike Schnier ∙ Updated February 25, 2013

Not sure what to do with your old iPhone, iPad, or iPod touch? Instead of throwing it out or selling it for a fraction of its original value, what if you could get some more use out of the device by turning it into an AirPlay streaming box?

AirFloat is an open source tweak that's been in development for a while, but hasn't been released on Cydia until now. (It was actually removed from the iTunes store last year.) With AirFloat, you don't need to buy an Apple TV or an AirPort Express to stream music through your house. All you need is Wi-Fi and a spare iOS device...

Increase video playback speed with FastForward

Mike Schnier ∙ Updated February 25, 2013

Ever wanted to speed up video playback on your iPhone, iPad, or iPod touch? While it's not a thought that occurred to me, Harrison Apps (the developer behind Universal Video Downloader) says that their new tweak is great for speeding up recorded University lectures.

The tweak is called FastForward, and it alters the speed of film clips that take advantage of iOS' native video APIs. With FastForward enabled, you should be able to give your long winded professors a bit of a boost...