Senior iOS architect for Honda R&D uses brainwaves to control iPhone

By Cody Lee on Mar 11, 2013

This is pretty interesting. Senior iOS Architect at Honda R&D America Duane Cash is claiming that he has come up with a method of controlling Siri, and subsequently his iPhone, using a brainwave-reading device.

Cash uploaded a video of his project in action yesterday, which he describes as an effort to create a mind-controlled virtual assistant on the iPhone. And what he has so far looks pretty impressive. Check it out… Read More

 

Auxo designer posts new concept video for Lock screen toggles

By Cody Lee on Mar 8, 2013

Sentry, the designer behind Auxo, has been extremely busy this year. In addition to helping design one of the most popular jailbreak tweaks we’ve seen in a long time, he’s also posted a number of well-received iOS concept videos.

And today, we’re adding another concept clip to the list. It’s entitled ‘iOS Lock Screen Toggles,’ and as you might have guessed, it showcases Sentry’s vision for a Lock screen tweak that offers users quick access to Settings toggles… Read More

 

How to stop Chrome from crashing after recent update

By Cody Lee on Mar 5, 2013

Google updated its iOS web browser yesterday to build 25.0.1364.86. The update brought about a handful of new features and improvements, including the option to share web pages via Messages and a tweaked Omnibox.

Unfortunately, the update also appears to have included a bug that, for a lot jailbreak users, causes Chrome to crash almost instantly after launch. But never fear, we’ve come across a way to fix this issue in just a few short steps… Read More

 

Former Apple ad man says iPhone could have been called the ‘Telepod’

By Cody Lee on Mar 5, 2013

Former Apple ad man and creator of the famous ‘Think Different’ campaign Ken Segall has been garnering a lot of headlines in the Cupertino blogosphere lately. Last week, he published a blog post on why Samsung’s anti-Apple marketing has been so effective.

And this week he was spotted at an event for the University of Arizona’s Marketing Department, again talking about his former employer. Among other tidbits, Segall divulged that Apple considered some silly names for its smartphone before calling it iPhone… Read More

 

The best iPad jailbreak tweaks

By Jeff Benjamin on Mar 4, 2013

I’m going to be honest with you — jailbreaking an iPad hasn’t been nearly as appealing to me as jailbreaking my iPhone. But as I started working on this list, I realized that there really are some awesome, and I mean awesome ways to trick out your iPad once it’s jailbroken.

Considering that I do a lot of writing on my iPad, I found that a many of these tweaks immensely helped my writing workflow. Tweaks like BeeKeyboard, and SwipeSelection are absolute essentials for iPad writers, even if you’re not really into the jailbreak scene.

Obviously that’s not all, as virtually everyone will find a jailbreak app or tweak that suits their fancy. Yes, the iPad jailbreak scene is alive, and it’s better than ever. Despite my initial doubts, I was able to come up with this solid list of 15 best jailbreak tweaks for iPad running iOS 6. There’s no filler here, and no fluff — each of these tweaks represent, what in my opinion, is the best of the best. Take a look inside, and see for yourselves. Read More

 

Animer video walkthrough

By Jeff Benjamin on Mar 4, 2013

We’ve already done a written review of Animer, but now it’s time to bring you our traditional video walkthrough. Animer, as we already told you, is a jailbreak tweak that allows you to add different styles of animation to the app switcher, banner notifications, and the HUD. It’s available for $0.99 on Cydia’s BigBoss repo, and if you’re viewing this from an iOS device, you can click here to be taken directly to the Animer page on Cydia. Be sure to let us know how you’re digging it in the comments section.

 

How to link Fantastical to the stock Calendar app icon

By Jeff Benjamin on Mar 4, 2013

I absolutely love Fantastical. It’s a wonderful way to manage my week-to-week activities via my iPhone, and there’s a desktop client as well. Fantastical uses “real” language when it comes to adding appointments to your calendar. This means that I can simply type: Dinner with the wife next Wednesday at six, and it knows to setup an appointment on March 13 at 6PM. That’s really just the beginning of how useful Fantastical is, but this isn’t meant to be a review of Fantastical, this is a tutorial that shows you how to link Fantastical to the stock Calendar app. Read More

 

Google adds ‘send to TV’ and video recording features to YouTube iOS client

By Christian Zibreg on Feb 28, 2013

Google last updated its official YouTube iOS client on December 4, adding native iPad and iPhone 5 support, the ability to beam clips to your Apple TV via AirPlay, a brand spanking new icon and other under-the-hood goodies.

Today, the Internet giant has issued a new version which improves streaming over slow Wi-Fi connection and packs in overall stability improvements. In addition to a pair of these tidbits, two major changes stand out.

First, you can now use the new YouTube app version 1.2.1 to pair with YouTube on your Xbox or PlayStation 3 console and control playback from your iOS device. This also works with Google TV devices and Android users got the ‘send to TV’ feature in November 2012. Also, the program finally lets you record and upload video clips via YouTube Capture, a standalone app Google released on December 17, 2012… Read More

 

Real Racing 3 now available in the US App Store

By Jeff Benjamin on Feb 27, 2013

It’s been a long wait, but it’s finally here. Real Racing 3 has officially landed in the US App Store as a free download. A couple of weeks ago, we spent some hands-on time with the game, and came away blown away by the graphics. Some of you guys might not dig the game’s new freemium approach — an approach that ditches paying up front in favor of paying for in app purchases — but only time will tell if this negatively impacts the game’s reception.

Real Racing 3 features tons of new cars, tracks, and all sorts of upgrades for your vehicle of choice. It’s a polarizing title due to the fact that iOS’ most popular racing game franchise has taken an abrupt turn towards the freemium model. But even if you don’t appreciate the new approach, you owe it to yourself to download this game just to take in the visuals. Real Racing 3 is eye candy in its most concentrated form. Read More

 

Who wants to win an iPad mini?

By Jeff Benjamin on Feb 26, 2013

Ladies and gents, you read the title correctly, we’re giving away yet another iPad mini. We’ve again teamed up with the outstanding folks over at Big Fish Games to bring you this exciting giveaway.

Big Fish Games, as you probably already know, is a huge iOS developer responsible for dozens of iOS games for the iPhone and the iPad. Along with sponsoring this iPad mini giveaway, they’ve also decided to provide each one of you with a free copy of Fairway Solitaire.

This time around, we’re doing things a bit different. In order to enter our latest iPad mini giveaway, you need to visit our YouTube channel, watch the iPad mini giveaway video, and follow the instructions. It’s that simple.

Winners will be announced next Tuesday, March 5th. Head over to our YouTube channel now, and enter now!

 

‘LivePapers’ adds animated wallpaper to jailbroken devices

By Jeff Benjamin on Feb 26, 2013

Looking to spice up your iPhone’s Home screen and Lock screen? If so, then look no further than LivePapers, a recently released jailbreak app available on Cydia’s BigBoss repo.

LivePapers allows you to enable animated wallpaper that you can display on both your Home screen and Lock screen. You can interact with the wallpaper on your Lock screen using taps, and configure settings for each of the custom wallpapers.

By itself, LivePapers isn’t exactly a home run, but with the purchasable addons, the jailbreak app is tons of fun. Take a look inside as we go in depth with LivePapers, plus we’ll talk about and demonstrate its purchasable addon packs. Read More

 

Meet Apple TV’s newest competitor, the Samsung HomeSync

By Cody Lee on Feb 25, 2013

As you’ve probably noticed by now, we’re huge fans of the Apple TV here at iDB. Apple’s set-top box is inexpensive, easy-to-use, and it integrates perfectly with our iOS devices. Plus, older versions of it can be jailbroken.

The device has been doing remarkably well for Apple, despite the fact that it has several competitors. But we’ll see if that hot streak can continue now that Samsung’s throwing its hat in the ring with its new HomeSync… Read More

 

TypeStatus now available on Cydia

By Jeff Benjamin on Feb 24, 2013

TypeStatus — a new jailbreak tweak that we previewed in the wee hours this morning, has gone live on Cydia. This tweak places a handy ellipsis notification in the status bar when someone is in the midsts of composing an iMessage reply to one of your ongoing conversations.

If you want to try TypeStatus out, then head over to Cydia’s BigBoss repo where it can be downloaded for free. As always, we urge you to share your sentiments in the comments below.

 

ActiveDock now available on Cydia

By Jeff Benjamin on Feb 24, 2013

ActiveDock — a tweak inspired by the dock featured in OS X — is now available on Cydia for download. Last week, we took an in-depth look at ActiveDock, and determined that it is hands-down better looking than the stock dock in iOS. There are also features for alerting you when an app is launched and when an app receives a notification.

Take a look at our video walkthrough for more information. In the meantime, if you’re browsing this post on your jailbroken iOS device, hit up this link to be taken directly to ActiveDock’s Cydia page. You can find it on the BigBoss repo for $1.99. Be sure to let us know what you think about it in the comments section.

 

TypeStatus adds an iMessage ‘now typing’ indicator to the status bar

By Jeff Benjamin on Feb 23, 2013

TypeStatus is a new jailbreak tweak that has a special place in my heart. Why? Well, it’s because for once I can claim some sort of credit for its creation. A couple of weeks ago, I suggested, just on a whim, that someone create a tweak that allows you to see the “now typing” indicator for iMessages in the status bar.

A few hours later, I was informed that the tweak was being worked on, and not long after that, I had a working copy in my inbox. Folks, this is what makes the jailbreak community so special. It’s filled with uber-talented developers who have a knack for creating great things, and bringing ideas to life.

Truth to be told, I never expected anyone to take my request and bring it to fruition, but I’m happy that someone did. @thekirbylover of Hashbang Productions is the one I have to thank for making it a reality. I’d like to say I can take credit for this tweak, but the majority of the credit goes out to the mind behind the code. Check out my hands-on video preview of TypeStatus inside. Read More

 

‘Unveil’ allows you to view banner notifications while using Siri

By Jeff Benjamin on Feb 23, 2013

You probably haven’t noticed it personally, but did you know that banner notifications are supressed while the Siri interface is open? Well, to be honest, I didn’t either, until I saw this tweak pop-up in Cydia.

The premise behind Unveil is simple, allow banner notifications to be displayed within the Siri interface. If you’re someone who absolutely must have access to banner notifications at all times, then Unveil is something you should consider using. Read More

 

AssistantEnhancer picks up where Siri left off

By Jeff Benjamin on Feb 23, 2013

If you’re looking for a way to get more out of Siri, then a tweak like AssistantLove will most likely be of interest to you. That tweak, which was just recently updated to support iOS 6, allows you to play Spotify music using Siri, and integrates navigation and GPS features too.

Well, as of this week, there’s another option that you should consider trying, and it treads on much of the ground previously cultivated by AssistantLove. This new tweak, aptly entitled AssistantEnhancer, brings Spotify integration, along with a host of other features.

If the ability to search Amazon, find local events, search the App Store, and play Pandora sounds like something you’d like Siri to do for you, then you certainly want to check out AssistantEnhancer. It does all of the aforementioned, and much, much more. Take a look at our video walkthrough inside for a rundown of some of the tweak’s most outstanding features. Read More

 

ActiveDock brings an OS X inspired dock to iOS

By Jeff Benjamin on Feb 21, 2013

When you hear about an upcoming tweak collaboration between jailbreak community staples like Filippo Bigarella and Surenix, then the tweak is pretty much destined to be good. Unsurprisingly, that is the case for the upcoming ActiveDock, a jailbreak tweak that brings an OS X styled dock to the small screen.

We’ve gone hands-on with ActiveDock and put it through its paces. Needless to say, we came away impressed. Check out our video walkthrough inside. Read More

 

Twitterrific updated with mute filters and several other improvements

By Cody Lee on Feb 21, 2013

In December of last year, Iconfactory introduced an all-new version of its popular iOS Twitter client, Twitterrific 5.0. The app was completely rebuilt from the ground up with a fresh user interface and a laundry list of features.

Today, that list of features gets even longer with Twitterrific 5.1. The update posted late last night, and it includes several new features and improvements such as mute filters, and more. We’ve got the full change log after the fold… Read More

 

Sony “unveils” its next-generation gaming console, the PlayStation 4

By Cody Lee on Feb 20, 2013

After months of teaser videos, and years of speculation, Sony has just unveiled its next-generation gaming console, the Playstation 4, at its “See the Future” event in New York City.  That’s right, it’s supercharged, it’s intuitive, it’s social, and it’s finally here.

This might seem a bit off topic for iDB, but with growing rumors that Apple’s looking to add apps and games to its set-top box, you don’t have to work very hard to create the connection. Not to mention, we love games too. So without further a do, here’s the PS4… Read More

 
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