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+.

New Logitech iOS 7 controller leaked

Jeff Benjamin ∙ October 1, 2013

iOS 7 includes some pretty exciting new provisions to cater to gamers, including new gamepad support that developers can take advantage of. A number of developers have already baked gamepad support into their updated app releases.

Although an officially certified iOS 7 compatible controller has yet to hit the market, many hardware manufactures have expressed interest in the feature. Logitech is one of the hardware developers interested in iOS 7 gamepad support, and its new gamepad was just leaked by popular mobile phone website evleaks.

Let’s Talk Jailbreak 30: One week later

Jeff Benjamin ∙ September 30, 2013

It's been a little over a week since we got our hands on Apple's new iPhone hardware, and we have some deeper thoughts on the device now that we've had some serious hands on time with it. We also discuss the matter of simplifying our device cluttered lives, bugs in iOS 7, and our expectations for Touch ID implementation in future Apple products. Jailbreaking is also a hot topic as we discuss the iOS 6.1.3/6.1.4 jailbreak, the iOS 7 jailbreak, and a couple of new jailbreak tweaks that are making waves in the jailbreak community.

Preview: JellyBoard

Jeff Benjamin ∙ September 30, 2013

JellyBoard is an upcoming jailbreak tweak that supercharges the editing features on your iPhone's keyboard. Using swipe gestures, JellyBoard allows you to perform deletions, cut, copy, paste, select all, make uppercase, make lowercase, move the cursor, etc.

Think of JellyBoard as a tweak that similar to SwipeSelection, but a lot more customizable. There are tons of actions that you can assign to a variety of gestures, and we've showcased a few of them in our hands-on video preview inside.

Preview: Apex

Jeff Benjamin ∙ September 30, 2013

Apex is an upcoming jailbreak tweak that allows you to nest app icons on your Home screen in a way that may eliminate the need for folders. It's an especially cool tool for grouping like applications such as the stock Mail app, and many of the other popular 3rd party Mail apps.

Apex is from Sentry's a3tweaks, which has been responsible for a long repertoire of awesome jailbreak tweaks, including Auxo. Indeed, Apex works as awesome as it looks, and I'm confident that many will enjoy this upcoming release. Have a look at our brief video preview inside for more details.

Yet another Lock screen vulnerability, this time on iOS 7.0.2

Jeff Benjamin ∙ Updated April 14, 2018

The Verizon iPhone 5s comes unlocked just like the Verizon iPhone 5

Jeff Benjamin ∙ Updated April 14, 2018

It looks like we're 2 for 2 when it comes to unlocked iPhones on Verizon's network. As you all know, I picked up my Verizon iPhone 5s on launch day, but I haven't been able to test it out with a GSM sim card until today.

I walked into Walgreens just a few hours ago, and picked up one of T-Mobile's No Annual Contract kits that contains the SIM card starter kit. Unfortunately the SIM card that came with the kit was one of the old-school normal sized SIM cards (people still use those?), so I had to break out a pair of scissors and cut it down.

After a few minutes of manicuring the SIM card down to a nano size, I was ready to rock and roll. I popped out my Verizon SIM, inserted my T-Mobile SIM, and sure enough, I was on T-Mobile's "4G" network.

MuscleNerd green lights iOS 7.0.2 update

Jeff Benjamin ∙ September 26, 2013

In case you're thinking about holding out on iOS 7.0.2 for jailbreak reasons, there's no need to worry; MuscleNerd has confirmed that iOS 7.0.2 is safe for potential future jailbreaks.

The update, which was released earlier in the day, eliminates the Lock screen bypass issue that reared its head not long after iOS 7 went public.

iOS 7: The ultimate Safari guide

Jeff Benjamin ∙ Updated April 13, 2018

The Safari browser in iOS 7 has undergone a complete overhaul, and as a result, it's significantly more usable. As third party browsers continue to gain in popularity on the platform, Apple has responded with a renovated Safari that is leaps and bounds better than its predecessor in many ways.

In this in-depth walkthrough, we guide you through every new facet of Safari in iOS 7. We show you how to get more out of Apple's revamped default browser.

Let’s Talk Jailbreak 29: Gold rush!

Jeff Benjamin ∙ September 23, 2013

The iPhone 5s, iPhone 5c, and iOS 7 are once again the big topics on this latest episode of Let's Talk Jailbreak. Cody, Jeff, and Sebastien all share their launch day experiences, and talk about their favorite new features to be found in iOS 7 and with the iPhone 5s. The trio also discusses the iOS 6.1.3/6.1.4 jailbreak, along with their thoughts on sacrificing a jailbreak for the sake of iOS 7. It's our longest and perhaps most entertaining episode ever. You don't want to miss the fun.

iMessage comes to Android [video]

Jeff Benjamin ∙ Updated April 14, 2018

Just a word of caution before anyone decides to dive head first into this. You need to use this app at your own risk. Several prominent developers within the community have expressed concern about the potential security issues revolving around the APK used here.

Now that the warnings are out of the way, let me show you how iMessage works on Android. This new app, entitled iMessage Chat, brings real cross platform iMessage chat ability to Android. Yes, it works. I've confirmed it on video.

Review: iPhone 5s Slo-Mo video capture

Jeff Benjamin ∙ Updated April 14, 2018

Slo-Mo video capture is what all of the cool kids are doing these days, and if you happen to own a shiny new iPhone 5s, you can now join the fun.

The slow motion effect is the result of video that's captured at a very high frame rate, and then slowed down. This allows you to have video with reduced speed without any herky-jerkyness. The end result is a professional quality slow motion effect that you and your friends will love.

As expected, the iPhone 5s is way faster than the iPhone 5

Jeff Benjamin ∙ Updated March 15, 2018

We knew it would be faster, but there's something to be said about running benchmarks and confirming it for yourself. That's just what I did a few seconds ago. I fired up the new Geekbench 3, which now comes with 64-bit processor support I might mention, and compared the two devices head to head.

What I found wasn't very surprising, given Apple has stated in its press materials that the 5s is two times faster than the incumbent both in terms of CPU and GPU speed. Check past the break for the full breakdown of the results.