Year: 2014

Apple airs new holiday commercial “The Song”

Apple today began airing a new holiday-themed commercial entitled "The Song." The spot showcases products from all of the company's major device lines, including a MacBook Air, iPhone and iPad, and how they can be used to create "thoughtful, emotional gifts."

More specifically, the ad shows a woman using her MacBook Air and GarageBand to record herself singing along with a recording of her grandmother from several years ago. She then presents the song to her on an iPad, as a gift, and as you can imagine, it's a big hit.

Winter chilled wallpapers for iPhone and iPad

Confessing previously to my winter wallpaper obsession, this week's picks are in the same genre. If you did not catch the past few posts in Wallpapers of the Week, several of them contained snow. More directly, the "snow frost" post started the winterization of the walls section.

Today's selection is also a tribute to the cold winter months approaching for the northern hemisphere. A collection of photographs play well with snow and ice to give that chilling affect to an iPhone or iPad screen. Inside, we have six different photographic wallpapers for your enjoyment.

22 new and updated tweaks that will keep you busy this weekend

I'm not sure about you but this week wasn't as exciting to me in terms of jailbreak tweak releases as it was the last few weeks. But maybe it's just me, because looking at the numbers, there are no less than 18 new tweaks, some of them more "full-featured" than others.

Maybe the most interesting thing about this week was the preview we got of CarPlay Activator, an upcoming jailbreak tweak that brings CarPlay directly to your iPhone screen.

But I'm digressing. This column is mostly about new and updated tweaks, and we have 22 of them in this post today.

The best Photo apps of 2014

Sometimes, I feel sorry for educated photographers that spent thousands of dollars and years of their lives studying the subject in school. Since mobile devices have advanced in camera technology, we are all taking pro-quality pictures of our cats every day.

We love iPhone photography so much around here that we have an entire section dedicated to it. So, we take new apps in the category pretty seriously. We sat down with the new releases for 2014 and decided which ones stand out for their awesome features. Then, we voted on the best. Below is a list of the winner, runner-ups, and the best all-time photography app.

The week on iDB

Like every Sunday, we get to take a look at some of the most popular posts that were published on iDB during the week that just ended. Whether it is a news item, a new jailbreak tweak, a tutorial, or an app review, we sum it all up in one convenient place for you.

As always, if you like what you're reading, please feel free 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+.

Don't forget to listen to the latest episode of our new podcast, Let's Talk iOS:

Subscribe on iTunes

And of course, make sure to catch up with the new episode of Let's Talk Jailbreak:

Want to support iDB? Download our Yosemite Interactive User Guide in the iBooks Store.

iDB holiday gift guide: Cody’s picks

It’s gift-giving season again, and iDB is back with its annual Holiday Gift Guide. So for those of you panicking because you still haven't figured out what to get that special someone, never fear, we have come up with some excellent suggestions for you.

I personally tend to do a lot of research when buying things for myself, to ensure that I get the best value for my money, and this is definitely reflected in my gift-giving. Below, you’ll find a list of a few things I think would make excellent gifts this year.

How to take iPhone screenshots without the status bar

Everyone knows that the status bar tends to get in the way when taking screenshots. Either your battery's near death, which makes the screenshot looks a bit odd, or your signal strength is low, etc. Having a status bar tends to make screenshots look a bit asymmetrical. A new jailbreak tweak, aptly entitled NoBarScreen, allows you to take screenshots without a status bar.

Apps of the Week: Tales from the Borderlands, Seabeard, Sneaky Sneaky, and more

After spending all week shopping for presents, decorating trees, and baking cookies, I’m ready for a break. All I want to do is sit down with a good game and lose track of time until my fingers cramp up. If you are in need of a bit of relief from the holiday hustle and bustle, take a look at our list of apps and games. You might find something to ease your stress level. Maybe you’ll feel better after some good old fashioned video gaming. I know I always do.

This tweak will make sure you never accidentally set an alarm for the evening

Born and raised in France where we use 24-hour clocks, the AM/PM time is something I had to adapt to when I moved to the States. It's not complicated to figure out, but it's easy to accidentally take one for the other. A new tweak called PM, really? wants to make sure you never accidentally set an alarm for the evening (PM), when clearly you wanted to be waken up in the morning (AM).

Apple seeds third OS X 10.10.2 beta to developers

Apple has seeded the third beta of OS X Yosemite 10.10.2 this morning. The update, labeled build 14C81f, is available through the Update tab in the Mac App Store and the Dev Center for all registered Mac developers.

Today’s release comes just over a week after the second 10.10.2 beta, and Apple has once again asked developers to focus their testing on Wi-Fi connectivity—a long-standing Yosemite issue—as well as Mail and VoiceOver.

An iPhone app could soon replace your driver license

The great state of Iowa is looking to introduce the first Driver License application, reports the WSJ today. Currently in development for iOS and Android, the app wouldn't replace plastic driver licenses but rather be a companion to the physical identification cards. The project, which was originally pegged for a 2015 release, has seen some setbacks due to security and privacy concerns. At this time, it is unknown when this state-endorsed app will be released.