Jeff Benjamin

Jeff has been with iDownloadBlog since 2010, acting as resident video specialist, and tutorial expert. He earned his degree in Computer Network Systems back in 2001, but decided Cisco routers and the like just weren’t for him. Since then, he’s been heavily involved with online writing. He’s written for numerous tech and video game sites since the late 1990′s, and has a knack for explaining things in a simple, clear, and concise manner. Jeff works primarily from the east coast on his Retina Macbook Pro, and shoots video with a Canon DSLR. During downtime he likes to travel the world, visiting the various Apple Stores across the globe. You can email him at jeff [at] idownloadblog.com and follow him on Twitter @JeffBenjam or on Google+.

Let’s Talk Jailbreak 63: 50 things you always wanted to know about ProWidgets but were too shy to ask

Episode 63: Jeff, Sebastien, and Cody discuss Pangu v 1.1, the implications of a jailbreak this late in the game, and more. The team also talks about iOS 7.1.x compatible tweaks, Chinese hackers, and nitrogen infused beer.

Sponsor: Use hired.com/jailbreakpodcast to get 5-15 job offers in San Francisco, New York, and Los Angeles, and also get a double signing bonus of $4,000 bonus when you accept a job by using the hired.com/jailbreakpodcast url.

How to jailbreak iOS 7.1.2 untethered using Pangu

Good news ladies and gentlemen. iOS 7.1.2 is out and it's jailbreakable right now with the Pangu untethered jailbreak. That means that yes, you can update to iOS 7.1.2 and rest easy knowing that it's jailbreakable out of the box.

If you've yet to jailbreak using Pangu, be sure to follow our jailbreak tutorials which lie after the break. We have tutorials for both Windows and Mac OS X. Step inside to learn how...

How to jailbreak iOS 7.1.x with Pangu 1.1 on Windows [video]

The highly anticipated Pangu 1.1 update was just today released for both Windows and Mac users. Obviously, the big news here was Mac compatibility, as Mac users were left without a usable version after the initial Windows-only version of Pangu 1.1 was released.

But Windows users should be happy too, as version 1.1 of Pangu brings with it English text that makes it easier to follow along in the jailbreak process. The update also gets rid of the nefarious checkbox that allowed pirated software to be easily installed on your device.

Pangu 1.1 is a streamlined version of the original tool. If you've been on the fence about using it, then perhaps this latest update will ease your concerns. Check inside to view our step-by-step jailbreak tutorial for Pangu 1.1 on Windows.

How to jailbreak iOS 7.1.x untethered with Pangu on Mac OS X [video]

Pangu for the Mac was just released today, and it brings with it the ability to jailbreak iOS 7.1.x untethered. The Windows version, which was released last week to much fanfare, has already allowed many people to enjoy the fruits of jailbreaking iOS.

I think it's safe to say that the Mac version has been highly anticipated since word of Pangu first hit the Internet. For those of you who remained patient, your patience has paid off. You can now jailbreak iOS 7.1 and iOS 7.1.1 using your Mac. Check our our full video walkthrough inside for all of the details.

Let’s Talk Jailbreak 62: The Pangu jailbreak

Episode 62: Jeff and Joe discuss the surprise release of the Pangu jailbreak tool for iOS 7.1.x. Is it safe? Should you jailbreak? Should you wait?

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The Pangu jailbreak team is hard at work on updated versions of its jailbreak tool

As of now, there is only one OS supported for the Pangu jailbreak—Windows—and even that version has its fair share of issues. The Pangu team has acknowledged the problems, and posted an updated status message on the Chinese microblogging site Weibo.

The post indicates that the team is hard at work on new Windows and Mac versions of its tool, including English translated text (nice), and a smaller file size. The team even hints that we could see a Linux version of the tool as well. Have a look inside for the full message.

Notific8: make iOS 7’s Notification Center look like iOS 8

Notific8 is a brand new jailbreak tweak that aims to make iOS 7's Notification Center look more like iOS 8. The changes, which take effect immediately upon installing the tweak, consist of small aesthetic adjustments.

From a functionality standpoint, Notific8 is lacking, as it doesn't actually do much outside of visual adjustments. Still, it's a decent way to alter Notification Center to make it align with Apple's future design cues. Have a look at our video inside.

How to jailbreak iOS 7.1.x with Pangu on Mac OS X using a virtual machine for free

So it's kind of a bummer that there isn't a Mac version of Pangu just yet. This is especially true for those of us who only have Macs and don't own any Windows machines (raises hand).

But just because Pangu is only available for Windows doesn't mean that you're dead in the water. There is an easy, if not a teeny bit time consuming, way to jailbreak iOS 7.1.x on a Mac right now. It can be accomplished by means of using a virtual Windows instance.

Check inside to see how you Mac users can jailbreak your iOS 7.1.x devices with Pangu using a Windows virtual machine instance. It's probably a lot easier than you imagined, and most importantly, it's absolutely free!

Poll: have you jailbroken iOS 7.1.x?

The iOS 7.1.x jailbreak is here, and it works. That said, it's been met with its own fair share of controversy. We believe that more people are coming around to the idea that the jailbreak is generally safe to use as we discussed on Let's Talk Jailbreak, but there are still quite a few of you holding out. So, tell us; what have you decided to do? Have you used Pangu to jailbreak your iOS device yet? Sound off in the poll inside.

Let’s Talk iOS 034: Neutrality

Episode 34: The guys discuss the newest iPhone competitor, Amazon's Fire phone, T-Mobile's latest Uncarrier event, Net Neutrality, the latest on the iWatch, Google's Dropcam acquisition, babies, the World Cup, and more.

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How to jailbreak iOS 7.1 and iOS 7.1.1 untethered with Pangu on Windows [video]

The Pangu.io jailbreak seemingly came out of nowhere, but we can confirm that it 100% works. We tested the jailbreak on our device running iOS 7.1.1 and it worked just as advertised, burning two exploits in the process.

Pangu will eventually come in two flavors—a Windows version and a Mac version—however, the Mac version is still in development. Inside, we'll show you how to jailbreak iOS 7.1.x on your device using Pangu for Windows. 

DockWare: access the iOS dock from anywhere

DockWare is a brand new jailbreak tweak that brings an interesting idea to the table: it lets you access your iOS dock from anywhere, even while within apps. DockWare uses Activator gestures to accomplish this feat, allowing you to both display and hide the iOS dock while on the Home screen or while within apps.

We've taken DockWare for a spin on video in order to show you how it works in action. It's an interesting tweak, but at $1.99 on Cydia's BigBoss repo, it probably won't be for everyone. Have a look at our video walkthrough inside to see what we mean.