Year: 2014

Apple Maps adds 3D Flyover of Stonehenge

Christian Zibreg ∙ Updated January 27, 2016

Apple lately has been increasingly expanding coverage of the three-dimensional view of its mapping service. Just earlier this month, 3D Flyover coverage extended to include the east side of the San Francisco Bay Area, including the city of Berkeley and its University of California, the birthplace of the flavor of Unix used in OS X and iOS.

But what if you could take a 3D topographic tour of the ancient monument? Well, now you can as Flyover coverage now includes areas of Wiltshire, England, about two miles west of Amesbury and eight miles north of Salisbury where this mysterious prehistoric monument is located...

Poll: would iPhone 6 be worth $300 to you?

Christian Zibreg ∙ Updated March 3, 2017

iPhone 6 rumors are heating up as we inch closer to Apple's summer developers conference and an assumed Fall launch of a 4.7-inch iPhone 6.

Jefferies analyst Peter Misek recently claimed in a note to clients that Apple is negotiating with wireless carriers to raise the iPhone 6 price by $100, because the handset will be "the only headline-worthy high-end phone launched this year.

The price hike would make the larger-screened iPhone retail for $299 after a two-year contract with a carrier versus the usual $199 starting price of latest on-contract iPhones. Interestingly enough, a recent study has found that one-third of iPhone shoppers would indeed pay more to get an iPhone with a screen larger than four inches.

What about you?

Concept: Hold2Speak – answer a phone call directly in speaker mode

Jeff Benjamin ∙ Updated April 16, 2018

Every now and then I stumble upon a feature that I would like to have on the iPhone, but usually I end up forgetting about it, or just stashing it away for later. Sometimes, though, I get enough gumption to push for an idea to be brought to fruition. TypeStatus was a good example of that, and it turned out pretty well. Others haven't turned out so well, but it doesn't hurt to keep trying.

This latest concept is something that I've been marinating on for quite some time. It's called Hold2Speak, and it allows you to answer a call directly in speaker phone mode by tapping and holding the Answer button. Normal taps on the Answer button would still use the headset as a means of communicating with the other party.

I've created a video walkthrough for the Hold2Speak concept. Would you consider using something like this? If the demand is high enough, perhaps one of the community's developers wouldn't mind taking on such a project. Check inside for the video and details.

New speech synthesizing action added to latest Activator beta

Jeff Benjamin ∙ April 27, 2014

As usual, Ryan Petrich has been on quite the tear with updates to the Activator beta. The latest update, which comes in at version 1.8.4 beta 11, adds a new speech synthesis feature to the fray.

What does speech synthesis do? We've created a video that shows you step-by-step how to use this new feature. Check it out after the break.

Convergance: a complete Lock screen replacement for the iPhone

Jeff Benjamin ∙ April 27, 2014

Unless you've been living in an underground bunker in Siberia for the last month or so, you've likely heard of Convergance. It's the newly released jailbreak tweak that acts as a complete Lock screen replacement for iOS.

Along with the redesigned Lock screen interface comes widgets, quick shortcuts, custom themes, and HTML support for even deeper custom Lock screen features. Oh, and did I mention that there's an API for developers to extend Convergance's features?

Needless to say, Convergance is one of the most hyped tweaks of 2014. Does it live up to the hype? Have a look inside for the details.

Acompli is a one-stop shop for all your productivity needs

Lory Gil ∙ Updated January 26, 2018

When it comes to email apps, we love the ones that are simple, efficient, and fast. Getting to the elusive “inbox zero” is not an easy task. Especially when, for many of us, email is tied to a myriad of other productivity activities, like scheduling meetings and sharing files.

Acompli is a new productivity app that incorporates email, contacts, file sharing, and calendar events into one. The best part is that the app supports Microsoft Exchange. You’ll never have to switch apps to take care of business again…

Locko password manager for OS X secures your info without breaking the bank

Lory Gil ∙ Updated October 13, 2018

In light of the recent Heartbleed exposure, a lot of companies have been updating their OpenSSL security software and asking account users to update their password information. Some companies have actually forced users to change their password. It is extremely important to have a unique, strong password that combines numbers, letters, and symbols to secure your private information. However, it is difficult to remember dozens of complex passwords and you don’t want to use the same one for every account.

Locko for OS X is a password manager that makes it possible for you to create and store as many unique passwords as you need while only needing to remember one. Plus, it comes with a file vault and cloud sync so you can keep all of your data secure and access it from any device…

Breaking Bad wallpapers for iPhone and iPad

Jim Gresham ∙ Updated April 16, 2018

Back in action this Sunday, we have been watching the comment section throughout the past weeks. The Wallpaper of the Week section is rife with comments, sometimes useful, mostly controversial, but they are monitored for good ideas.

Last week, we spotted a comment about doing film-themed sections, on occasion. Taking our reader's comment to heart, this week a small pack of Breaking Bad wallpapers is posted. Although the series came to a close, it continues to make waves and is quickly developing a "classic" designation. To show your Breaking Bad enthusiasm, download some digital goodies...

The best expense tracking apps for iPhone

Lory Gil ∙ Updated May 17, 2018

When you are self-employed, run your own business, or get sent out of town for work, keeping track of what you spend is very important. If you don’t report how much money you spent on a cup of coffee to keep you awake during that presentation, you won’t be reimbursed for it later.

Whether you file a 1099 each year, are a member of the Frequent Flier Club, or only travel once or twice per year, we’ve got a list of the best expense tracking apps for iPhone that are perfect for work-related travel and business-related finance...

This week on iDB: the powerful iPhone 5s

Sébastien Page ∙ Updated April 16, 2018

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+.

The best email apps for iPhone iOS 7: the ultimate iTunes Store guide Apps of the week: Up Next, Third Eye Crime, birdStepper, and more Wallpapers of last week: action shots Apple posts iOS 7.1.1 with additional Touch ID fixes Some users seeing significant battery life improvement with iOS 7.1.1 Apple airs new ‘Powerful’ iPhone 5s ad Apple lists apps from new iPhone 5s ‘Powerful’ ad Apple offers resolution for FaceTime woes but you may not like it ‘BetterPowerDown’ adds iOS 7.1 power-down slider to iOS 7.0 How to add wallpaper to Control Center How to set up Parental Control on iTunes New iOS 8 concept shows what Healthbook and other rumored features may look like Leo’s Fortune is the best platformer we’ve played in a while

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

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ComiXology launches new read-only app following Amazon acquisition

Cody Lee ∙ April 26, 2014

ComiXology, the leading digital comics platform, has launched a new application for iOS today. The company sent out an email to customers this morning announcing that the old app is being retired, and a new one is now available. The biggest difference between the two, it seems, is that the new app does't allow in-app purchases.

The change is noteworthy, as the ComiXology app has long been one of the top-grossing iPad titles in the App Store, and it comes shortly after Amazon acquired the comics platform. It's not surprising though, as it's the same strategy the e-commerce giant takes with its Kindle iOS app, in an effort to circumvent Apple's 30% cut...

How to set up Parental Control on iTunes

Sébastien Page ∙ Updated December 21, 2018

If you have a kid, you know the internet can be a wild place for them to hang around. I've experienced first hand when my two year old daughter was casually watching cartoons on YouTube and ended up watching a guy shout in Russian while shooting an assault rifle.

iTunes, to a lesser extend, can be a similar place. Apps, books, movies, TV shows and podcasts can contain material that could be shocking to a younger audience. Thankfully, there is some simple things you can do to set up iTunes parental control. In this post we're going to show you how.