Month: March 2013

Facebook reportedly preparing to launch a smartphone

Cody Lee ∙ March 28, 2013

Just a little bit ago, Facebook sent out press invitations for a media event next week. The keynote will take place at 10:00am PST on Thursday, April 4, at the company's headquarters on 1 Hacker Way in Menlo Park. What is it going to be talking about? Maybe its new smartphone.

Yes, I know. We've heard this rumor enough now that it's almost meaningless. But it sounds like it's for real this time. A new report says the handset, which is being built by HTC, has a 4.3-inch display, an iPhone-like Home button and is running a forked version of Android...

Spice up your device’s unlock animation with LiveWire

Cody Lee ∙ March 28, 2013

Tired of the standard zoom out animation that you see when you 'Slide to Unlock' your iOS device? You're not alone. Developers have created a number of jailbreak tweaks to spice up the unlock animation. And today, we're adding another one.

Introducing LiveWire, a new jailbreak tweak that modifies your device's behavior as it moves from the Lock screen to the Home screen. Where the default method kind of uses a zoom out effect, LiveWire looks more like stage curtains opening...

Apple rolls out new ‘Why iPad’ web campaign

Cody Lee ∙ March 28, 2013

Hot on the heels of its recently launched 'Why iPhone' web campaign, Apple has rolled out a similar advertising theme for its iPad. And as before, it showcases a number of reasons why the tablet has been so popular.

The new ‘Why iPad’ page highlights everything from awards, to features, and of course the iTunes ecosystem. Unlike tablets on other platforms, there are 300,000+ iPad-specific apps available in the App Store...

Limit your usage of up to 5 apps with AppCapPro

Cody Lee ∙ Updated April 11, 2018

When we reviewed AppCap, a jailbreak tweak that offers digital willpower by allowing you to place limitations on the amount of time you spend using apps, back in February, we said we'd like to see multiple app support.

And it looks like the developer Binh Tran heard our plea, because he's just released a new 'Pro' version of the tweak that allows you to set up usage limitations—date, time, frequency—on up to 5 different applications...

Grab your Arc reactor and suit up: Iron Man 3 smashes onto iOS on April 25

Christian Zibreg ∙ March 28, 2013

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KKflXaTdszs

Tony Stark is back, in style! Not only is he the star of a second Iron Man sequel, Iron Man 3, but you also get to play as the eccentric billionaire in a movie tie-in launching on iOS and Android soon, in time for the flick's domestic May 3 release.

French games maker Gameloft did a nice job on the original Iron Man and Iron Man 2 games so small wonder they're behind this latest installment, too. And if the first gameplay trailer is an indication, we're in for a surprise: Iron Man 3 appears to incorporate juicy graphics and fast-paced action as you lead Tony fighting the AIM around the world to prevent their dark schemes from succeeding...

Apple launching redesigned ‘Report a Problem’ tool for iTunes purchases

Cody Lee ∙ March 28, 2013

Earlier this month, Apple started rolling out a new 'Report a Problem' tool to a select group of customers. The feature, for those who haven't used it before, allows iTunes users to report a problem with a recent purchase of an app, song or other iTunes content.

And the tool's been redesigned this month to be easier to use, and more accessible to users. The previous version was only available in the actual Mac/Windows iTunes app, and the new edition will be available through any device with a web browser...

Jailbreak hack lets you enjoy T-Mobile LTE speeds on your iPhone 5

Christian Zibreg ∙ Updated September 26, 2016

Yesterday, iDB reported that T-Mobile's iPhone 5 is actually a factory tweaked version of the existing AT&T model A1428 device, with support for T-Mobile's LTE AWS bandwidths. As a result, existing AT&T customers cannot use their iPhone 5 to take full advantage of T-Mobile's LTE speeds until after the Deutsche Telekom-owned telco launches its iPhone 5 on April 12, at which point Apple will replace the existing A1428 hardware with this re-tooled version.

But a hack has come along claiming to make AT&T's A1428 iPhone 5 - jailbroken and unlocked (officially or unofficially) - work on T-Mobile's LTE on the 1700MHz band. It accomplishes this by using a custom carrier firmware that enables support for T-Mobile's LTE AWS bandwidths. However, it won't make your AT&T device compatible with T-Mobile's speedy 3G DC-HSDPA on the 1700MHz band nor will your Verizon iPhone be fooled into accepting T-Mobile's LTE bands...

Apple updates Find My Friends app with new UI

Cody Lee ∙ March 28, 2013

Apple has released an update to Find My Friends this morning, bringing the app to version 2.1. This is the first Find My Friends release since 2.0.1 came out last October, which added new location-based notifications.

Today's update adds what Apple is calling a "New UI to search for and set location-based notifications." No, that doesn't mean that the ugly leather texture is gone. But it does mean that some parts of the app look better...

Google tops Apple as leading App Store publisher

Ed Sutherland ∙ March 28, 2013

Obviously, home field advantage doesn't hold sway when it comes to app stores. That's the message from a new report showing Google the leading publisher on Apple's App Store while Facebook downloads outnumbered Google on the Mountain View, California company's own marketplace.

Although Apple led apps downloaded from its App Store in December, iOS video and mapping apps from Android's Google topped its smartphone rival during January and February. Meanwhile, a Facebook app grabbed the top spot on Google Play, reinforcing the importance of social networking downloads in generating app store revenue...

Apple exploring iPhones with wrap-around display

Ed Sutherland ∙ March 28, 2013

Cue the 'Jetsons' theme song as we talk about Apple's latest patent: a wraparound display for your iPhone. The smartphone maker has filed a patent for an all-glass design taking the iPhone's already sleek contours to the ultimate degree. Although outlining breath-taking technology, such as heads-up displays and the ability to connect devices like some technologically whacked-out tinker toy, the futuristic patent would likely come with some very current limitations...

10M Galaxy S4 pre-orders in 2 weeks, smaller and cheaper version due soon

Christian Zibreg ∙ Updated May 16, 2018

Samsung announced the Galaxy S4 at the weird March 14 presser and although it won't land on store shelves before May, early pre-orders are encouraging. According to one estimate, the volume of pre-orders for the S4 has reportedly surpassed ten million units in the two weeks since its unveiling.

By comparison, its predecessor, the Galaxy S3, saw nine million pre-orders prior to its launch while Apple confirmed its iPhone 5 had been pre-ordered five million times over the launch weekend alone. These are no doubt strong numbers.

Analysts are forecasting cumulative sales volume of the Galaxy S4 of a hundred million units. And in recognition that not everyone prefers a phablet in their pocket, a high-profile publication has confirmed that a smaller and cheaper version of the S4 will follow soon...

The Sensu Brush will change your uncool stylus stereotypes

Jim Gresham ∙ March 28, 2013

When I think of a stylus, I immediately jump to this image in my head of a nerd wearing something like a Best Buy Geek Squad suit with thick glasses and black rims. On the weekend this person likes to configure Punnett squares with the probabilities of his offspring's hair color instead of actually dating. Obviously he lists Binary as his second language on the resume.

Anyway, I'm here to break this stereotype. Not that I exude coolness or a hip, forward lifestyle, but I like to think I'm not a pocket protecting member of the nerd herd. Sensu is a cool stylus and after about 500 words, I think you will agree...