Month: April 2013

AMD hires away Apple’s director of graphics architecture

Christian Zibreg ∙ Updated January 28, 2019

Graphics giant Advanced Micro Devices (AMD) has wooed another semiconductor expert away from Apple. Raja Koduri, who had previously worked at AMD before Apple poached him in April 2009, specializes in graphics technology and is understood to have helped with Apple's own chip-design efforts a great deal.

At AMD, Koduri will reportedly lead engineering efforts in visual computing, reporting to the company's Chief Technology Officer Mark Papermaster, another Apple hire who left the iPhone maker over cultural incompatibility and after falling out of favor with late co-founder Steve Jobs...

Apple reportedly returned 5-8M iPhones to Foxconn due to quality issues

Cody Lee ∙ April 22, 2013

When Apple introduced the iPhone 5 last fall, it made sure to mention its complex manufacturing process. "Never before have we built a product with this extraordinary level of fit and finish," Jony Ive said during a video on the handset.

The extra effort has obviously paid off, as the iPhone 5 has been very popular with consumers. But it's also causing problems for Foxconn, Apple's manufacturing partner, who continues to struggle with the device's intricate production methods...

Apple opens donations to help China’s earthquake victims

Christian Zibreg ∙ Updated January 26, 2016

Apple and the Chinese government may have been at odds lately over AppleCare warranty, but the iPhone maker has since gone to great lengths in order to appease to local authorities and ensure that it is treating the Chinese customer with respect.

Apple's latest move involves pledging cash donations to the victims of the earthquake-stricken areas of China and committing to donating products to several schools in the affected areas. Furthermore, Apple is prominently advertising the donations effort on its Chinese homepage...

Google launches new ‘Places for Business’ app for managing business listings

Cody Lee ∙ Updated January 22, 2018

Good news for all of you local business owners out there today. Google has just released a new application called 'Google Places for Business' that should make managing business listings through its different services much easier.

The app allows business owners to update their business information (hours, address, contact info, description, etc.), as well as post pictures to their Google+ page and track web traffic for their listings right from their iPhone...

Exigency lets you dial contacts from the emergency call menu

Jeff Benjamin ∙ April 21, 2013

Exigency is a new a jailbreak tweak that allows you to load up your contacts directly from the iPhone's emergency call menu. That means that it's totally possible to initiate a phone call from this menu, even when your phone is locked with a passcode.

Obviously, this isn't the type of tweak to use if your primary concern is security. If convenience is more your thing, then you may want to check out Exigency.

Accentify tints iOS chrome, no WinterBoard required

Jeff Benjamin ∙ Updated April 19, 2018

Looking for a quick and easy way to add tint to the stock iOS chrome, but don't feel like bothering with WinterBoard? If so, then an upcoming tweak from @winocm may be of interest to you.

The tweak is called Accentify, and it allows you to select from eight different and highly vibrant tints to accentuate iOS. The tint applies to multiple areas, and its vibrant colors allow for a very distinct, almost candy-like look. Take a look inside for more information.

Abstergo giveaway!

Jeff Benjamin ∙ April 21, 2013

To celebrate the release of Abstergo — the notifications managing tweak from Joshua Tucker and Andrew Richardson — we're giving away five copies!

First and foremost, be sure to read our in-depth walkthrough of Abstergo to learn what it does, and how it can help you in day-to-day usage. As we noted in our walkthrough, this tweak has been in development for quite some time, and a lot of man hours have gone into perfecting it.

Secondly, be sure to check inside to find out how you can win your very own copy of Abstergo, which retails for $1.99 on Cydia's BigBoss repo. Check inside for the full list of details...

The iDownloadBlog top news stories of the week – April 21, 2013 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+.

Would you like it if Cydia looked like this? Atom: a beautiful upcoming Lock screen launcher JellyLock is an Android inspired Lock screen launcher for iOS Grabby is a new customizable camera grabber tweak Live Battery Indicator merges battery percentage with a circular icon FlatIcons: a beautiful two dimensional theme for iOS sn0wbreeze v2.9.14 released And just like that, Chat Heads are a reality on iOS Check out this new “iPhone 6″ concept video Yahoo’s new Weather iOS app looks terrific Facebook 6.0 arrives with Chat Heads, new iPad UI, revamped News Feed, stickers

Of course, don't forget to listen to the latest episode of our podcast, Let's Talk Jailbreak:

We’re social! Find iDB on Twitter, Facebook, Google+, App.net, YouTube, and in your RSS reader. Also make sure to subscribe to our new podcast!

Status Board for iPad review

Lory Gil ∙ Updated January 22, 2018

The recent launch of Status Board created quite a stir in the tech world. This iPad display has turned heads all around the Internet. It is not just because the app looks good, which it does. It is also because the app is fully customizable and allows for user data input of any kind that can even be shared with others.

Status Board is a data display that allows users to see various panels of information, all on one screen. You can see tweets, calendar events, news feeds, email, and much more. You can customize graphs and tables and even make your own panel using HTML. Once you’ve created your board, you can display it on your big-screen TV using Apple TV AirPlay Mirroring or with an HDMI cable and iPad adapter. Status Board is the ultimate data collection display panel...

Apple confirms Siri remembers your data for two years

Christian Zibreg ∙ April 19, 2013

Apple has finally disclosed how long Siri keeps your personalized data collected and stored on its servers whenever you pick up your iPhone and ask her a question. In a new report published Friday, an Apple representative was quoted confirming the company keeps Siri data stored in the cloud for two years.

Watchers often express concern over digital voice assistants such as Siri because they store users' voice clips, opening door to a potential privacy nightmare should this private data ever be compromised. Apple on its part argues it stores anonymized data, and for two years only. Other companies that collect data from users, such as the Internet giant Google and industries like telecommunications, have similar data retention policies in place...

Gemini Rue makes its way to iOS, and it feels like old times

Lory Gil ∙ April 19, 2013

Point-and-click adventures are beginning to make a dent in the gaming community. There have been some well-made releases within the past few months that have certainly sparked my interest. Abyss: the Wraiths of Eden HD, for example, had me sweaty palmed and stiff necked from hours of gameplay. The more often developers port desktop games to iOS, the better it is for me because I like being able to pick up and play epic adventures anywhere.

You may have already heard of Gemini Rue. It was originally created for Windows in 2011 and was just ported to iOS a week ago. The game may only be a few years old, but it has a retro design that will put you in pixilated heaven from the first beat.

Gemini Rue, for the iPhone and iPad, takes players on a noir-like adventure set on a mining planet in a future where citizens must prove their residency or be deported off world. The game’s plot develops slowly and deliberately. One false move and you’ll be pushing up daisies...

Bono: Apple’s Jony Ive is Obi-Wan of design

Ed Sutherland ∙ Updated October 6, 2016

Time Magazine's list of the 100 most interesting people for 2013 is packed with profiles of technology leaders. Apple design guru Jony Ive is among those listed, described as a Star Wars' Obi-Wan leading a team of Jedi employees.

The thread of Apple's innovation runs through other profiles, including Samsung's CEO, who is viewed by a former executive of the iPhone maker as carrying on the tradition of Steve Jobs...