Year: 2012

‘LowPowerBanner’ removes obtrusive low battery alerts in favor of banner notifications

I can't be the only one that thinks it's weird that Apple's still using those focus stealing low battery alerts, can I? I mean, doesn't it seem like Apple would have preferred to use iOS 5's new banner notifications instead?

Well, apparently I'm not the only one who feels that way, because a new tweak has been released in Cydia named LowPowerBanner, and it does just that...

iBooks FairPlay DRM finally cracked

So this is pretty interesting. A MobileRead forum poster is claiming that Apple's "FairPlay" iBooks DRM has finally been cracked. The Digital Rights Management has previously kept users from reading purchased iBooks content on non-iOS devices.

This means that, with the appropriate software, users will now be able to essentially "unlock" their iBooks to make them compatible with other devices that recognize the ePub eBook format...

‘AssistantLove’ integrates Spotify with Siri, GPS, and more

If you know me, you know I've been waiting on a way to integrate Spotify with Siri's voice search for a long time.

I'm happy to say that it's finally here. AssistantLove can launch your favorite songs on Spotify via Siri, theoretically giving you a seemingly infinite library of songs right at the command of your voice.

Not only that, but AssistantLove features GPS app integration with TomTom, Navigon, and other popular GPS apps, and that's not all...

Ryan Petrich teases us with CydiaBulletin for iPad

Wouldn't that be great if you could be notified of jailbreak tweaks updates without having to launch Cydia and waiting forever for it to refresh sources and reload data? Your dream might soon come to reality with CydiaBulletin, an upcoming tweak by Ryan Petrich that we already previewed last month.

Petrich teases us once again today with a screenshot of CydiaBulletin for iPad...

Homage

[tube]q8GVlYAGCaI[/tube]

Steve would have turned 57 today. This is a look back on his life, via a Facebook timeline.

Service adds ‘sent from my iPhone’ to your messages for $1 a month

I've heard the expression, "fake it 'til you make it" but this is a bit ridiculous. The Financial Times is reporting that a new trend is starting to catch among China's mobile users — fake iPhone signatures.

I know, an Apple-related knock off in China, big surprise. But this might actually be taking things too far. Apparently users are willing to pay money for services to auto-add 'sent from my iPhone' to all of their messages...

Tim Cook says Apple’s working on new products that “will blow our minds”

Apple hosted its annual shareholder's meeting yesterday in Cupertino, California. This marked the first time that Tim Cook addressed the company's board and its investors as Apple's CEO.

Topics of the meeting ranged anywhere from Apple's record-breaking quarter last year, to its relationship with Facebook. Those who attended the affair described Cook as witty, knowledgeable, and passionate as he talked about Apple's future...

Apple forced to suspend iCloud push services in Germany due to Motorola lawsuit

It looks like Motorola has won another major victory in Germany against Apple today, as reports are coming in that the Cupertino company has been forced to suspend its iCloud push services due to a court injunction.

The two handset-makers have been involved in an ongoing patent war in the country over the last few months, and so far, Motorola has clearly had the upper hand..

This iPhone case opens your beers and tracks your alcohol consumption

We've seen a ton of iPhone cases with a bottle opener built-in. However, the new Intoxicase brings an interesting twist, not only packing a bottle opener, but also an app that will track your alcohol consumption for the night.

Times points us to the a new case that uses the iPhone's gyroscope coupled with an app to give you a detailed report on just how many you've been kicking back...

Proview sues Apple in US court over iPad trademark

Proview has been filing lawsuits aggressively against Apple in China over the past few weeks. The company claims that Apple is misusing their 'Ipad' trademark and has tried to get many cities to get the iPad banned. While a Shanghai court rejected a request for ban of the iPad today, many a few other ruled in Proview's favor to ban Apple's iPad from their city.

Tonight, the WSJ is reporting that Proview has now brought the fight to the US when it filed a lawsuit against Apple on February 17th, in Santa Clara, California...

Rumor: Apple looking to ditch 30-pin dock connector

For years, the 30-pin charging ports on Apple's mobile devices have gone largely unchanged. This has allowed consumers to use power cables and accessories purchased years ago with newer devices — a rare feature in the mobile industry.

But it looks like Apple might finally be looking to shake things up. iMore is reporting that it has learned that Apple may be getting ready to ditch its old charging/accessory port in favor of a new, smaller micro one...

Apple acquires Chomp to make app discovery better

Apple has acquired Chomp, a startup focused on app discovery, reports MG Siegler of TechCrunch. Chomp launched in 2009 and has earned around $2.5 million in venture funding to date. Apple is bringing on the Chomp team and its technologies in hopes of improving app discovery...