Month: March 2013

The iDownloadBlog top news stories of the week – March 24 edition

Sébastien Page ∙ Updated April 24, 2017

Like every Sunday, we bring you the stories that were the most popular on iDB during this past week. Whether it is a news piece, an editorial, a tutorial, a new jailbreak tweak, or an accessory review, we sum it all up in one convenient place.

If you like what you're reading, please make sure to spread the love by sharing our posts on your favorite social network.

We're usually hanging out a lot on Twitter and Facebook, more rarely on Google+...

Let’s Talk Jailbreak – 02: Pacifiers are evil iOS 6.1.3 is out with fixes for Lock screen vulnerability, Japan Maps improvements iOS 6.1.3 kills evasi0n jailbreak iOS 6.1.3 reportedly introduces another Lock screen vulnerability Does Apple really hate jailbreakers? Saurik: 18M devices running iOS 6 visited Cydia during evasi0n’s 6 week run SkipLock: a jailbreak tweak that allows you to bypass the Lock screen BatteryDoctorPro: power management, NC settings toggles, app switcher and more LS Lyra 5, a clean and minimal theme for your Lock screen Alleged iPhone 5S Home button and vibrator parts surface iOS 7 concept visualizes all-new UI for Lock screen, notifications and more Polycarbonate budget iPhone renderings to die for Morgan Stanley: the iPhone 5S will have a ‘killer feature’

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Apple acquires indoor GPS company WiFiSLAM for $20 million

Cody Lee ∙ March 23, 2013

Big news out of Cupertino this evening. The Wall Street Journal is reporting that Apple has acquired indoor mobile location positioning firm WiFiSLAM, in a deal worth somewhere in the neighborhood of $20 million.

Apple has confirmed the acquisition of the company, which possesses proprietary technology that allows mobile apps to detect a smartphone user's location inside of buildings using preexisting ambient Wi-Fi signals...

Make notification banners stick around with Sticky Icky

Cody Lee ∙ March 23, 2013

Folks who dislike the fact that iOS automatically dismisses notification banners after just a few seconds will be happy to hear that there is a jailbreak tweak out that makes them much more permanent.

Sticky Icky, written by developer Aleksander Azizi, lives up to its name by pinning new notification banners to the top of your iOS device's screen, and keeping them there until you manually close them...

The Mist: a minimal and lightweight iPhone case for people who don’t like cases

Sébastien Page ∙ Updated April 11, 2018

If you follow me on Twitter or listen to our podcast, you know I'm not a big fan of cases. There are two main reasons why I'd rather go for a naked iPhone. One, I consider myself a minimalist when it comes to design and aesthetics, and using a case goes against that. Two, and maybe the most important reason, is that I think the white iPhone 5 is such a beautiful device that it should be considered a criminal offense to slap a case around it.

This being said, I quickly changed my mind when I dropped my iPhone a few weeks ago as I was walking through the door. It appeared it had fallen face flat on the tiles. As I picked it up, I was preparing myself for the worst as I was pretty sure the screen was cracked. It was not. As a matter of fact, it just had what most people would consider a tiny dent right on the chamfer, but that was enough to make me reconsider my "no case" policy...

AnyReminder brings ‘Remind Me Later’ feature to Mail, Messages and more

Cody Lee ∙ March 23, 2013

In iOS 6, Apple introduced a handy new feature called Remind Me Later. It allows you, among other things, to set a time or location-based reminder when declining phone and FaceTime calls, so you don't forget to return them.

But what if you wanted to set similar reminders when declining messages or other notifications? Unfortunately, you can't. Apple has limited the feature to just the Phone app. Which is why, ladies and gentlemen, we jailbreak...

Apple fixes iForgot security hole that compromised Apple ID passwords

Cody Lee ∙ March 23, 2013

That was fast. Earlier today, Christian told you that a major security hole had been discovered involving Apple's iForgot page that allowed someone to reset your Apple ID password with just your birthdate and email address.

Unsurprisingly, Apple immediately took the password page down after getting word of the vulnerability. And after just a few hours of 'maintenance,' the page is back up and—we're happy to report—once again safe to use...

T-Mobile testing LTE in major U.S. cities ahead of official launch later this month

Christian Zibreg ∙ March 22, 2013

With all the necessary regulatory approvals concerning T-Mobile’s merger with MetroPCS under its wings, the Deutsche Telekom-owned carrier is expected to accelerate its 4G LTE plans. It's a tad surprising that T-Mobile has put itself in a position where it remains the sole major U.S. telco without high-speed LTE cellular radio technology.

Be that as it may, its LTE situation is about to change later this month. Just last week, a curious user spotted super-fast data speeds on T-Mobile's network in Astoria, Queens, a New York City suburb.

Shortly after, the carrier officially confirmed that it will begin providing 4G LTE service by the end of this month and now more LTE spots have been discovered in as much as nine major U.S. cities ahead of the official launch...

SkipLock: a jailbreak tweak that allows you to bypass the Lock screen

Sébastien Page ∙ Updated April 11, 2018

Just like TypeStatus has a special place in Jeff's heart, SkipLock holds a special place in mine. If you're wondering why, it's simply because this tweak was born from a request I made to jailbreak developer Filippo Bigarella, who was kind enough to create it specifically for me. And now, it's available for you too.

SkipLock is a very simple tweak that allows you to bypass the Lock screen altogether. Once SkipLock is installed, no more need to "Slide to Unlock" your device. Simply hit the Home button, and you're taken straight to your Home screen.

How to enable Apple two-step verification

Cody Lee ∙ Updated January 8, 2016

Back in 2013, a Strategy Analytics report came out that showed iCloud as the top cloud media service in the US. People use it to store things like music and videos, but they also use it to store more personal stuff like contacts, photos and other data.

So you can see why users were relieved to hear that Apple beefed up its account security by adding a two-step verification option. And for those having trouble getting it setup, we've put together this easy-to-follow tutorial.

Major security hole compromises your Apple ID, enable two-step verification now

Christian Zibreg ∙ Updated May 2, 2017

The Verge claims to have discovered a major security hole which allows attackers to reset your Apple ID password using only your email address and date of birth. Yes, you read that right. The scary part is that it doesn't take a genius to harvest these two pieces of information from Google and your social media accounts or by analyzing your online identity per se.

Exploiting the vulnerability basically lets attackers take over your Apple ID account, and with it all your purchases, iTunes credits, email messages, contacts, your Photo Stream and pretty much any personal data residing up in the Apple cloud.

Apple's iForgot page went down "due to maintenance" shortly after the incident, presumably to prevent exploits until Apple plugs the security hole. Conveniently enough, the company just recently rolled out a new (and way overdue) two-step verification process to protect your Apple ID using not only your password, but also by tapping your trusted devices and a recovery key.

With this exploit making the headlines, you should enable two-step verification now (Cody has a timely tutorial on that)...

Apple adds ‘in-app purchase’ warning to freemium apps

Cody Lee ∙ Updated December 16, 2022

Apple today has added a new 'Offers In-App Purchases' warning in the description of App Store apps that utilize the feature. The new disclosure can be seen in the App Store, located just beneath the Buy/Free button of pertinent applications.

The move comes amidst multiple reports of children running up monster iTunes bills, unbeknownst to their parents, via in-app purchases. Earlier this month, a young boy from the UK racked up $1,300 in charges buying virtual donuts...

New free to play Warcraft game coming to iPad

Christian Zibreg ∙ Updated May 16, 2018

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QdXl3QtutQI

Blizzard, the maker of the enormously popular Warcraft RPG series, today announced it will be bringing out a new iPad game set in the Warcraft universe. And, in following recent trends, Blizzard has made a welcomed decision to make Hearthstone: Heroes of Warcraft free to play. It's a strategy card game akin to Magic: The Gathering, one which sports "quick and lively duels that evoke the spirit of a friendly match played beside a crackling tavern fire." I've included more details right past the fold...