Year: 2014

Apple’s obsession with iPhone 6 thinness could yield marginal battery improvements

Christian Zibreg ∙ Updated August 29, 2016

As a rule of thumb: the bigger the phone, the stronger the battery. At least, this has been the case with the vast majority of jumbo-sized Android handsets.

And it's easy to see why: phones with larger displays need bigger enclosures that offer more space inside for internal components such as the battery.

Many pundits expect Apple's iPhone 6 to exhibit a notable battery capacity boost, but a new report is now alleging that both a 4.7 and 5.5-inch handset offer a slight boost in capacity from the battery used in the iPhone 5s, presumably because Apple is adamant to retain the World's Thinnest Smartphone crown...

Skype refresh brings back voice messaging and contact profiles

Christian Zibreg ∙ July 7, 2014

Having unceremoniously removed voice messaging from the recently remastered Skype 5.0 for iPhone, the Microsoft-owned VoIP provider on Monday pushed a minor update that has brought the useful feature back while adding two others.

The new Skype 5.2 for iPhone is rolling out this morning. In addition to voice messaging, the refreshed Skype app has also brought back the ability to access contact profiles while allowing you to add participants to the existing conversation at any time...

Annual Sun Valley conference starts tomorrow, Apple’s Cook and Cue said to be in attendance

Christian Zibreg ∙ July 7, 2014

The annual Sun Valley conference hosted by Allen & Company, a premier investment bank for the media and entertainment sector, is about to kick off Tuesday.

Apple CEO Tim Cook is said to again attend the confab that many insiders liken to a mogul-fest because it gathers under one roof media moguls, Silicon Valley luminaries, finance titans, influential investors and powerful figures in tech...

Korean watchdog orders Apple to change App Store refund policy

Christian Zibreg ∙ July 7, 2014

It used to be that in the past you could get updates for an iOS or Mac app after asking for a refund. However, Apple's relaxed policy concerning refunds and app updates has recently been tightened after the company updated the App Store's Terms of Service to prevent this.

Turns out this may not be the only change in store as South Korea's Fair Trade Commission has now ordered both Apple and Google to take action and revert their unfair no-refund app store policies...

Foxconn confirms it’s starting to deploy robots to help assemble iPhones

Christian Zibreg ∙ July 7, 2014

Hon Hai Precision Industry Co., Ltd., also known in the Western world as Foxconn, the world's largest contract manufacturer, will soon start deploying sophisticated robots to help assemble iPhones, CEO and Chairman Terry Gou announced during a shareholder meeting Monday.

Foxconn assembles a range of consumer electronics products for other companies, including iPhones and iPads. The plan to replace factory workers with robots was first announced two years ago, but hit roadblocks due to high cost of robot deployment...

How to add weather to the status bar in iOS 7.1.x

Jeff Benjamin ∙ Updated April 17, 2018

StatusbarWeather7 is a jailbreak tweak that places current weather information in the status bar at the top of the iOS interface. StatusbarWeather7 plays nice with iOS 7.1.x devices, which were just recently jailbroken courtesy of the Pangu jailbreak.

If you're in need of a tweak that places current weather info right at your fingertips, then you'd be hard pressed to find a tweak that's more convenient. Step inside to see StatusbarWeather7 in action via our hands-on video walkthrough.

Springtomize 3 updated for iOS 7.1.x sporting a brand new feature

Jeff Benjamin ∙ July 6, 2014

Springtomize 3 has received a critical update for those wishing to properly use the tweak on iOS 7.1.x jailbroken devices. The update, which is free for previous purchasers of Springtomize 3, is now available for download from Cydia's BigBoss repo.

For those of you unfamiliar with Springtomize, this is a tweak that essentially allows you to customize the look of the Home screen to an insane degree. It's many tweaks rolled into one good-looking and generally reliable package, and it's what its developer, Filippo Bigarella, is primarily known for.

I've downloaded the Springtomize 3 iOS 7.1.x update and have been playing around with it all day. I can report that the tweak works as expected, and it brings quite a few bug fixes to the table. You'll also be interested to know that this update brings with it a brand new feature—a dark background for folders. Check out the details after the break.

‘TapTheAt’ adds a quick keyboard shortcut for email addresses

Jeff Benjamin ∙ July 6, 2014

If you have a long email address like yours truly—because let's face it jeff@idownloadblog.com is pretty long—then this new jailbreak tweak is something you may take a liking to. It's called TapTheAt, and it makes it super-easy to quickly populate your email address by using a simple keyboard shortcut.

TapTheAt allows you to insert your email address by simply tapping and holding the '@' key on the iPhone's keyboard. Once you do, the email address will be auto-pasted, which eliminates the need to type out the full email address manually.

Check out our full video demonstration showcasing how TapTheAt works.

How to resize app icons with Icon Resizer

Jeff Benjamin ∙ Updated April 17, 2018

Icon Resizer is a new jailbreak tweak that does exactly what its name says—allows you to resize the iPhone's Home screen app icons. We've downloaded it, tested it out, and would like to show you how it works in action.

Although you won't find Icon Resizer on any of Cydia's default repos as of this post, it is available for download via the developer's GitHub repo, which we will, of course, share with you. Check past the jump for our full video analysis and other vital details of this interesting new jailbreak release.

Puerta del Sol wallpapers

Jim Gresham ∙ Updated April 17, 2018

Apple is constantly adding new stores around the globe. Frequently, Apple creates a marketing scheme to celebrate the new additions. In Tokyo, the marketing scheme surrounded a green wall that is adorned with plants, as a climate controlled wall to help regulate indoor temperatures. With the new feature in mind, Apple created a very green and leafy cover board and art to coincide with the store opening. We featured several wallpaper versions that were inspired by Apples green friendly design and many readers enjoyed the art.

Today, the same artist is back at it, with a wallpaper set highlighting the most recent June 21 opening in Madrid's Puerta del Sol...

The best dictionary apps

Cody Lee ∙ Updated September 7, 2017

Natural wordsmith or student of the language, having a comprehensive dictionary to fall back on can be indispensable.

Granted, future generations might frown upon us for striving to become our most eloquent selves (all the while publishing Emoji to English dictionaries), however in the interim, why not uphold the tradition of cultivating our language?

In this spirit, we have once again rifled through the App Store to showcase the best dictionary apps for iPhone and iPad available as of September 2017.

This week on iDB: iOS 7.1.2 and its jailbreak

Sébastien Page ∙ Updated April 17, 2018

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+.

iOS 7.1.2 released with improved iBeacon connectivity and bug fixes Apple TV 6.2 software update also available with bug fixes Pangu jailbreak now available for Mac with English support and bug fixes How to jailbreak iOS 7.1.2 untethered using Pangu How to jailbreak iOS 7.1.x untethered with Pangu on Mac OS X How to jailbreak iOS 7.1.x with Pangu 1.1 on Windows iPhone 6 mockups only a rough approximation, no antenna breaks in final design New concept imagines iPhone 6 without ugly antenna lines These iPhone 6 renders look just about right New images show alleged iPhone 6 display covers IntelliScreenX beta with iOS 7.1.x support available iPhone turns 7 – and I still remember holding it for the first time Kenu Airframe is the perfect dashboard companion for your iPhone Wallpapers of last week: simple geometry Apps of the week: Civ Rev 2, Buzz Killem, Polymo, and more

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