Year: 2014

Pangu for Mac jailbreak for iOS 8 now available

The Pangu Team has finally released Pangu for Mac, a utility to jailbreak iOS 8 to iOS 8.1 devices on Mac today. The tool comes roughly two weeks after the release of the Windows version of the tool.

The Pangu jailbreak utility has had its fair share of problems since it was released on October 22 but it's now stable enough to be given the green light by no less than saurik, the man behind the Cydia installer.

This week on iDB: the last moments of the iOS 8.1 jailbreak

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:

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

DoubleCheck helps you avoid sending text messages to the wrong person

Have you ever inadvertently sent a text message to the wrong recipient? I think we all have. Frankly, it's a good way to encounter a mild disaster if you're not careful.

To help prevent yourself from acquiring foot-in-mouth disease, there's a free new jailbreak tweak called DoubleCheck that you should take a look at. DoubleCheck places the recipient of a text message in the text input field, giving you a means to "double check" the recipient before sending the message.

Want to see how DoubleCheck works in action? Have a look at our video demonstration after the break.

LockGlyph: unlock Touch ID enabled devices using the Apple Pay animation

LockGlyph is a brand new tweak available on the Cydia store that brings the Apple Pay confirmation animation to the Lock screen. If you own a Touch ID enabled device like the iPhone 5s, iPhone 6, or iPhone 6 Plus, you can unlock your device using fingerprint authentication, and enjoy a nice Apple Pay-inspired animation and sound during the process.

I've taken a spin with LockGlyph on video. Check inside to see some of the tweak's pluses and minuses.

AT&T acquiring Mexican carrier Iusacell for $2.5 Billion

AT&T on Friday announced that it is set to acquire Mexican carrier Iusacell for a total of $2.5 billion, including debt. The two companies have entered into an agreement, which will occur once investor group Grupo Salinas completes its own ongoing acquisition of Iusacell.

The plan, AT&T says, is to expand Iusacell coverage beyond its already near-9 million subscriber base in Mexico. The carrier sees a large potential for growth in the country thanks to recent competitive-friendly changes made to wireless regulations by President Peña Nieto.

Paper by FiftyThree updated with push notifications, Adobe integration and more

FiftyThree has updated its popular Paper app this weekend, bringing it to version 2.1. The update is significant in that it adds a handful of major features such as push notifications for Mix, and the ability to export drawings to Adobe's Creative Cloud.

Pulled out of beta last month, Mix is a collaboration platform that offers templates, outlines, tools and tutorials for users to openly share projects. When launched, the feature would send you alerts you via email, but now it sends them via notifications.

The EFF files petition with Copyright Office to keep jailbreaking legal

The Electronic Frontier Foundation (or EFF) is once again fighting to keep the practice of jailbreaking legal. The non-profit digital rights group announced this week that it has filed a petition with the Librarian of Congress and the Copyright Office to extend and expand the exemption that allows you to jailbreak your phone, without violating the Digital Millennium Copyright Act (DMCA).

Because the software on mobile phones and tablets is copyrighted, the act of jailbreaking (and rooting on Android devices) is technically forbidden by the DMCA. But Congress created a procedure to allow for exemptions on activities where users make fair use of copyrighted works, reviewed every three years. The last exemption for jailbreaking was awarded in 2012, so it's set to expire soon.

Apps of the week: Bitcoin Billionaire, World of Warriors, Cavemen Pong, and more

I have to admit that, early on during last week, I was a bit disappointed to see the new titles available in the App Store. You could call it a “slow week” for apps. I did call it that. However, as the days went on, we discovered cool widgets like Neato, great updates like Microsoft Office’s, and even a couple of new apps that put a smile on our faces.

This week has already gotten off to a very good start with a handful of really fun free apps and games, plus some great looking titles that will give you a reason to spend some money. If you are looking for new apps and games to keep you busy this weekend, we’ve got a list that will put you down the path to enlightenment.

LittleBrother: add iPhone 6 Plus-inspired scaling and a landscape Home screen to older iPhones

And like clockwork, Ryan Petrich is at it again. His first headlining iOS 8 compatible tweak is called LittleBrother, and it seeks to add features enjoyed on Apple's latest iPhone hardware to older devices like the iPhone 5 and iPhone 5s.

LittleBrother allows users to essentially do two things: adjust the display zoom scaling like the iPhone 6 and the iPhone 6 Plus, and enable landscape mode features on the Home screen and even Lock screen.

I've been playing around with this new tweak for several hours, and I'm convinced that many iPhone 5 and 5s users are going to love it. It's not without its shortcomings, but the promise is definitely there. Have a look at our full 60fps video walkthrough inside for more details.

FCC documents reveal Apple-branded Beats Bluetooth Solo2 headphones

Newly discovered FCC documents have leaked what may be the first Beats product released under Apple's banner: Bluetooth-enabled Beats Solo2 headphones. First spotted by 9to5Mac, the new Solo2s look nearly identical to their predecessor, with the exception that they're wireless.

The headphones will utilize Bluetooth Low Energy tech, and won't be Beats' first cordless can offering. The company has, for a while now, carried the Beats Studio Wireless–although looking at previous line pricing, it's likely that the new Solo2 product will be a bit more affordable.

IGN names ‘Ridge Racer Slipstream’ its Free Game of the Month

Heads up gamers, IGN has named BANDAI NAMCO's 'Ridge Racer Slipstream' its Free Game of the Month for November. So for those who missed it when it was Apple's App of the Week earlier this year, you now have the chance to grab the popular game for free.

Normally priced at $2.99, Ridge Racer Slipstream recreates the ultimate arcade racing franchise on your iPhone and iPad with console-quality graphics and high octane gameplay. It includes 12 customizable cars, over 100 competitions and a lengthy career mode.

Fleksy Keyboard can now use iOS typing shortcuts

Despite not being an avid user of third-party keyboards in iOS 8, I'm always eager to try out any new soft-keyboard that hits the App Store.

Fleksy's recent update caught my attention by making me realize that I didn't know everything there is about the scope and limitations of third-party keyboards under iOS 8.

For example, did you know soft-keyboards are allowed to use your typing shortcuts defined in Settings > General > Keyboard > Shortcuts? Fleksy's latest update has implemented just that and it works like a charm.

Fleksy Keyboard costs $0.99 in the App Store.