Year: 2014

ReachWeather: view current weather conditions when invoking Reachability

Do you ever wish that you could use the blank space that appears when invoking Reachability on the iPhone 6 or iPhone 6 Plus? The developer of ReachWeather apparently did, and so he did something about it. ReachWeather is a new jailbreak tweak that uses the available Reachability real estate to place something useful there—current weather conditions for a predetermined location.

How to add a round dock to the iPhone’s Home screen

Interested in rounding off the look of your iPhone's dock? If so, there's a new jailbreak tweak that you should check out, which is aptly entitled RoundDock. RoundDock is a brand new jailbreak tweak available on the BigBoss repo that will round the corners of your Home screen dock at the bottom of the SpringBoard.

iDB holiday gift guide: Timothy’s picks

The year has flown by and 2014 has reached its holiday season, which means the usual cold weather, long lines, gift shopping, family visits, delectable food, and exorbitant amounts of sweets. In an effort to help you avoid the lines and still find meaningful gifts for your friends and family, my colleagues and I have compiled our yearly holiday gift guides with a gift for everyone on your list.

Throughout the year, I've come across several amazing devices, accessories, and services that I've grown to love and use daily. Each of these has a lasting value and isn't likely to be forgotten, abandoned, or returned the day after Christmas – a quality I look for in things I purchase all year long.

Waze updated with Notification Center widget and more

The Google-owned Waze updated its iOS app today, bringing the crowdsourced mapping software to version 3.9.2. Don't let that build number fool you, however, as the update brings about some significant changes.

Perhaps the most notable addition is the new Waze Today Widget for iOS 8 devices. The widget allows you to quickly view your ETA for Home or Work, navigate with one tap, and easily send your current drive & ETA.

The best News apps of 2014

It’s hard to believe that a whole year has come and gone since we gave you our best-of lists in 2013. While last year was hard to beat with the advancement in iOS software and updated version of our most favorite apps and games, this year has provided us with a number of fantastic titles to choose from.

Today, we have a list of news apps that the iDownloadBlog writing team has nominated the best releases in 2014. Below is our vote for the best news app of 2014, as well as the runner ups and the app we think is the best all-time news app. 

Facebook will begin auto-enhancing photos for iPhone users

Even with its Instagram product, Facebook is still one of the premier places to share memories with family and friends. That's why Facebook says it will start auto-enhancing your photos for you on iOS. I guess Facebook thinks you're a sucky photographer.

The social network told TechCrunch on Tuesday you’ll still have complete control of your photos, but a slider will now appear on your photos as you post them that will show how enhanced you want the light, shadow, and clarity. You can even revert back to your original shot.

Sprint just had a bad day: Record FCC fine, no more Nascar partnership

Sprint just had a pretty bad day, sending its stock down 5 percent after some troubling news. The Wall Street Journal reports an FCC official confirmed the regulatory body is preparing to fine Sprint, the nation's third-largest mobile carrier, a record $105 million after allegations it charged consumers for unwanted text message alerts and other services.

Oceanhorn, wonderfully done Zelda-like action adventure, gets discounted for the first time

Ever since its November 2013 release, Oceanhorn hasn't received a discount as its developer, Germany-based FDG Entertainment, has stuck to its original price of nine bucks.

Up until today, that is. In a limited anniversary sale, Oceanhorn is now available for five bucks a pop.

If you haven't played Oceanhorn yet or heard about it, you're wholeheartedly recommended to check out Lory's review and grab this remarkable gem of a game before it goes back up to its normal price of nine bucks.

TAG Heuer announces plans for smartwatch ahead of Apple Watch debut

LVMH watch chief Jean-Claude Biver announced today that its popular luxury watch line TAG Heuer is pushing ahead with plans for a smartwatch. At a press conference in Switzerland this morning, the executive admitted he had dismissed the threat of wearables, but recently had a change of heart.

"We started on the project about four months ago," Biver told journalists. "We have done several partnerships and might also do acquisitions." Google and Intel are among those rumored to be working with TAG on its smartwatch, which is believed to feature both mechanical actions and digital sensors.

Google Drive for iOS now lets you upload files from other apps and cloud services

Following up on a recent Google Drive update which brought out support for Touch ID fingerprint verification and iPhone 6 resolutions along with a brand new Share extension to access cloud files in almost any iOS 8 app, today the search giant Google announced that it's now possible to send files to your Drive from other iPhone and iPad applications that have advertised their storage extension system-wide.

And in addition to the usual slew of bug fixes and performance improvements, the refreshed Drive client for iOS now makes it possible to view and share custom maps through the company's My Maps feature.