Year: 2012

Super Smash Bros. arrives on jailbroken iPhones, but it’s obviously not the real deal

Jeff Benjamin ∙ Updated February 25, 2013

Super Smash Bros. has arrived on iOS in the form of Super Smash Bros. Mobile, but outside of the name, and a few somewhat recognizable characters and levels, it plays almost nothing like the entries in the popular Nintendo franchise.

That probably has a little something to do with the fact that "Super Smash Bros. Mobile" is a completely unauthorized — and certainly trademark infringing — game created with a tool called Game Editor. The game is available for free on Cydia's BigBoss repo, so it's not like Apple has any control over removing it from public availability.

Game Editor is a tool that, according to its official website, allows users to "Create 2D games with little or no programming knowledge" — a fact becomes instantly apparent once you fire up Super Smash Bros. Mobile for the first time.

Bruce Willis goes after Apple over iTunes music ownership (update: wife debunks)

Christian Zibreg ∙ Updated January 25, 2016

Die Hard trilogy star Bruce Willis is reportedly considering legal actions against Apple over iTunes policy which governs the ownership of digital music files. The actor has amassed a music collection worth thousands of dollars that is being accessed via "many, many iPods".

The action hero is keen on handing his vast digital music collection legitimately to his daughters Rumer, Scout and Tallaluh upon his death. Conversely, Willis has eventually discovered that under Apple's pesky rules one does not actually own the tracks and instead borrows them under a non-transferable license.

Deciding enough is enough, the 57-year-old actor is reportedly prepping to unleash legal sharks on Apple in order to break Cupertino's restrictive digital content policy, which could have major repercussions given Apple's choke-hold of the music market...

Attention-seeking Chinese popstar pictures himself with a purported iPhone 5

Christian Zibreg ∙ September 3, 2012

File this one under the WTF category. If you believe a recent trending topic that blew up on social media channels, apparently popular Chinese pop singer Jimmy Lin has an iPhone 5. Also known as Dreamer Jimmy, Lin published a series of photos on his personal blog which depict him holding what resembles an upcoming sixth-generation iPhone in his hand. Lin commands nearly 14 million strong following on Chinese social networking site Weibo so it's not like he's hungry for publicity, though one can never be certain of celebrities' motives...

New mini iPad mockups show the skinner side bezels and thin design

Christian Zibreg ∙ Updated November 28, 2016

Building upon a mid-August report calling for a smaller iPad with an iPod touch-thin profile and smaller bezels on the sides of the display, case makers have begun producing physical mockups of what they believe Apple's rumored iPad mini might look like. Granted, case vendors have been wrong more often than right (hint: last year's teardrop-shaped iPhone cases), but a pair of new mockups do align nicely with claimed iPad mini schematics and other tidbits circulating around the web lately...

Reports of low 3GS stock surface ahead of new iPhone event

Cody Lee ∙ September 2, 2012

If previous reports hold true, Apple will unveil its next-generation smartphone at a media event on Wednesday, September 12. It's expected to feature a larger screen, and a number of other improvements.

In addition to the new handset, it'll also be interesting to see what Apple does with the rest of its iPhone lineup. According to a new report, Apple Stores are starting to see very low stock of 3GS models...

Rovio teases upcoming Angry Birds spinoff game

Cody Lee ∙ September 2, 2012

After three years, countless episodes, and more than a billion downloads, some say Angry Birds is getting long in the tooth. Sure, the game gets updated with new levels and themes, but you're still essentially flinging birds at pigs.

Good news though, it looks like Rovio is getting ready to flip the script a bit with its long-rumored spinoff. The studio recently set up a pair of 'Bad Piggies' Facebook and Twitter accounts, and just uploaded this teaser trailer...

The iDownloadBlog top 10 news stories of the week

Sébastien Page ∙ September 2, 2012

A new week is coming, but that doesn't mean you have to miss out on what happened last week. If you think you may have missed a few of the top stories from last week, don't sweat it, we've got you covered.

We've gathered the top 10+ most popular stories from iDB last week for you to check out. As always, make sure that you're friends with us on Facebook, Google+, and that you are following us on Twitter...

Report claims next-gen iPhone to come with redesigned headphones

Cody Lee ∙ September 1, 2012

Judging from what we know, or at least what we think we know, about the new iPhone, it's going to be loaded with changes and upgrades: new charging port, new back, new screen, and new processor.

And the handset may not be the only thing getting a revamp this year. A new video has surfaced online of what is claimed to be a redesigned headphones that will be included with the next-gen iPhone...

Apple adds the S III and Note to new Galaxy Nexus complaint

Cody Lee ∙ September 1, 2012

The Apple-Samsung trial that ended last week was just the first of many to take place here in the US. Apple filed another lawsuit against the Korean company back in February of this year, which should go to trial sometime next summer.

Originally, the lawsuit was aimed at the Galaxy Nexus and some of Samsung's other older devices. But on Friday, Apple amended the complaint and added the Galaxy S III, the Galaxy Note, and the new Galaxy Note 10.1 to the patent suit...

First video of fully-assembled next-gen iPhone

Cody Lee ∙ Updated March 9, 2016

Are you getting as tired of the constant stream of leaked next-gen iPhone parts as we are? It seems like every other day, a new component pops up on the web that supposedly belongs to Apple's next handset.

Well, forget the parts, what about the whole thing? We've just come across a new video starring what looks like a fully-assembled next-generation iPhone...

Power your iPhone photography with the Golden Ratio

Justin Balog ∙ Updated March 18, 2019

In our last installment, we took a look at an age old principle of composition: the ‘Rule of Thirds’. I hope everyone enjoyed experimenting with it. In this installment, we are going to explore the foundation of this rule. Before that, I want to mention something about having fun.

Although we call it the ‘Rule of Thirds’, let’s not get hung up on the word ‘rule’. Let’s think of it more as a guideline. A guideline that we can choose to ignore if your creative muse directs you. So feel free to use these principles as you see fit, but just make sure you are having fun at the same time. Because fun is really the only true ‘rule’ in photography!

That being said let’s dive into the the true foundation of these rules...

Apple releases new app and iTunes copyright claims tools

Cody Lee ∙ Updated April 10, 2018

It seems that Apple is starting to take some major steps to cut down on the amount of copyright and content infringement found in iTunes, and more specifically, the App Store.

Yesterday, we noted that it had rejected an app because its icon looked too similar to that of another. And today we've learned that it's launched new copyright claims tools...