Alex Heath

The App Store Gets An Official Twitter Account

Alex Heath ∙ Updated August 24, 2016

Who says Apple doesn't like Twitter? The hilarious @CEOSteveJobs Twitter account was recently approached by Twitter (on Apple's behalf ) and asked to make clear that the account was parody and not reflective of Apple Inc. While Apple had a bad impression of Twitter in that case, the company still understands the value in the "tweet."

Apple has a few official Twitter accounts in existence. The @AppStore is the newest addition. The App Store welcomed itself into the Twittersphere with the tweet, "Welcome to App Store on Twitter! Follow us to discover new apps, get exclusive offers, and share with friends. #appstore"

Apple will use @AppStore for featured apps, promotions, and hopefully some interesting App Store facts and statistics...

Cydia Adds the “Theme Center,” A Curated Gallery of Jailbreak Themes

Alex Heath ∙ January 24, 2011

Jay Freeman, a.k.a. saurik, has added a new feature to the king of jailbreak apps, Cydia. The "Manage Account" option was added to the Cydia home page not that long ago. This new feature allowed users to view their purchase history of jailbreak downloads through their Cydia account.

Saurik recently tweeted the news that his second new "Whole Package Index" feature for Cydia had gone live. The "Theme Center" is saurik's latest attempt at making the Cydia experience richer and easier, and we commend him.

The Theme Center can be accessed through the new "Themes" addition to the Cydia home page. In the Theme Center, users can browse retina and non-retina display themes for their jailbroken iOS device...

Simple, Cloud-Synced Task Management With ‘Wunderlist’ for iPhone

Alex Heath ∙ Updated November 12, 2018

Luckily, there are plenty of great options for task management on the iPhone. (Check out iDB's roundup of 5 awesome task management apps.)

Wunderlist, by 6wunderkinder, is a sleek and robust task management solution for the iPhone and Mac. Wunderlist is simple and easy to use, and it can also be used as a collaborative, over-the-cloud task management solution. A full-featured, sync-able desktop and mobile task management suite would normally have a price tag wouldn't it? (I love Things by Culture Code, but the desktop and iPhone app combined cost me $60.)

Wunderlist is totally free for both the desktop and iOS version. Let's see what the app has to offer...

Verbs for iPhone – There’s Finally An IM App That Apple Would Be Proud Of

Alex Heath ∙ Updated February 16, 2018

There's a new iPhone IM client on the block. Verbs, by #include tech software, is a simple and beautiful IM app that looks like it was designed by Apple itself.

There are a ton of IM apps on the App Store (IM+, BeejiveIM, fring, AIM and Yahoo! Messenger to name a few). I've used many, and honestly, most of them look pretty awful. I was so excited when I saw the Verbs design mockups several months ago, and the app recently received an update in the App Store that makes it definitely worth reviewing.

While I'm not someone who constantly relies on instant messaging to communicate, I do see the benefit of having a solid IM app on the iPhone for occasionally hopping on Google Talk. The good thing is that Verbs has more to offer than just good looks...

iPhone 5 Launch Scheduled for “Summer At The Earliest”

Alex Heath ∙ January 21, 2011

Rumors about the iPhone 5 and iOS 4.3 have been running rampant lately. While a lot of "leaks" and speculation has been made about Apple's major upcoming version of iOS, not much has been said about the iPhone 5's hardware. All we've heard is a report from Engadget that the iPhone 5 will be a "total redesign" of the current version.

The mysterious device is rumored to have Apple's new A5 CPU processor, a universal baseband for all carriers, and a larger display with no home button. No specific launch date has been set, and apparently only the head honchos at Apple have access to iPhone 5 prototypes.

The iPhone 5 was rumored to have hit the testing stage back in October of 2010, so it's not a stretch to say that field testing units are in circulation at Cupertino. Apple has yet to divulge any direct information about the iPhone 5, but a new report claims that we won't be seeing a product launch before summer. That is, unless one gets left in a bar again...

Verizon ‘It Begins’ Commercial Teases the iPhone to Customers

Alex Heath ∙ January 21, 2011

Verizon has launched full swing into its iPhone ad campaign with a new broadcast commercial. Just in case you've been under a rock lately, the Verizon iPhone has finally arrived and is available on February 10.

The Verizon iPhone is going to be huge, and this commercial definitely plays it up. The 30 second tease is even perhaps a little too dramatic, but I guess when you've been waiting as long as Verizon, you deserve a little room for hyperbole...

Rumor: Apple Bringing Landscape Mode to the Home Screen and New Multitouch Gestures in iOS 4.3

Alex Heath ∙ January 21, 2011

The Apple rumor mill has been churning fast and furiously over the past few weeks. There's been more white iPhone 4 speculation, some details about the iPhone 5 released, and the rumor that the next iPhone will be without a home button.

Details about iOS 4.3 have started to emerge in light of the beta that Apple recently made available to the developer community. Among these details, it seems that, after the failure of Ping, Apple may be trying its luck again with another social media attempt.

The iPad's home screen has had landscape mode compatibility since product launch, but Apple has not yet brought that feature to the iPhone. Many have asked for a landscape home screen, but it has been absent from the iPhone for years. Well, that is, until now...

Internally Leaked Screenshots Confirming Multitouch Gestures in iOS 4.3

Alex Heath ∙ January 20, 2011

It looks as though the iPad won't be the only one to get the new multitouch gestures unearthed in the iOS 4.3 beta. Boy Genius has released some iPhone screenshots that are claimed to come from internal testing at Apple's headquarters in Cupertino.

We recently reported on the rumor that the next major version of the iPhone would have no home button. Instead, it was supposed that iOS would use multitouch gestures (two, three, four fingers, etc.) to replace the functionality of the home button.

This new report seems to support the theory of no home button on the iPhone 5. Apparently, Apple has been testing multitouch gestures on the iPhone (there is nothing to clarify if the screenshots are associated with new hardware) internally for quite some time...

Current Verizon Customers Should Be Eligible for a $200 Credit Towards the iPhone 4

Alex Heath ∙ Updated January 24, 2016

Good news for current Verizon customers: the latest U.S. iPhone carrier has posted its FAQ on the iPhone 4, and it turns out that a $200 credit will be given towards an iPhone upgrade. However, not everyone will qualify for this credit.

If you purchased a new smartphone from Verizon Wireless between November 26, 2010 and January 10, 2011, you should be eligible for a $200 credit towards an iPhone 4 upgrade. This credit should be available as long as your purchase the iPhone on Verizon before February 28.

Verizon's FAQ has some interesting answers for current (and potential) customers who might want to use their available upgrade on the iPhone 4...

Microsoft Releases OneNote, a New App for the iPhone

Alex Heath ∙ Updated February 16, 2018

Microsoft already has a few apps in Apple's App Store, such as, Bing and Windows Live Messenger. However, no Microsoft Office programs have made their way to the iOS platform - that is, until now. (Don't get your hopes up, there's still no Word app for iPhone.)

Microsoft has released its note-syncing app in the App Store, which will work with its Windows desktop counterpart. This move by Microsoft is an obvious attempt at further reaching out to the mobile worker and student. OneNote is packaged in the Mac bundle of the Microsoft Office suite, but Windows users will be happy to know they can now take their Office notes with them thanks to the beauty of cloud-sync technology...

Create Wallpapers and Contact Photos for Your iPhone With ‘Ensoul’ for Mac

Alex Heath ∙ Updated January 24, 2016

I love pretty iPhone wallpapers. The Mac App Store recently launched, and I've been looking for an app that will easily allow me to create iPhone-size wallpapers out of the hundreds of desktop wallpapers and hi-res photos I already have on my Mac. After a little searching, I found Ensoul by MacPaw software.

Ensoul is the perfect desktop companion for creating iPhone wallpaper and contact photos on the Mac. The app is incredibly well designed and focused. And, for a wallpaper addict, there's enough under the hood to make it worth the $9.99 price tag.

With Ensoul, you can easily crop and create iPhone-sized wallpapers out of your already existing wallpapers and photos on your Mac. But that's not all, Ensoul has more to offer than just wallpaper resizing...

Tutorial: How To Save Your iOS Game Progress Before A Restore [Jailbreak Only]

Alex Heath ∙ January 17, 2011

There are a ton of great games to play on the iPhone. Most of them have multiple levels and achievements to unlock. You wouldn't want to lose your game progress and achievements in the event that you have to restore your iPhone.

For jailbreakers, backing up data is essential. To upgrade to a new version of iOS, a jailbroken iPhone is completely wiped and updated to the default setup of the next iOS release. A new jailbreak has to then be applied, and all personal data (media, contacts, jailbreak apps, etc) has to be synced back onto the iPhone.

Through the magic of SSH, you can save your iOS game data on your computer in the event that you have to restore. Here's how to do it...