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 18: Cody’s top tweaks

In this week's episode, Cody discusses his top five jailbreak tweaks, along with a brief synopsis of p0sixninja's openjailbreak site go-live. Jeff shares his disdain for cable companies, along with his love for XBMC and the Apple TV 2. The pair is also sure to talk about this week's jailbreak tweaks, which include: ScreenFade, LiveWire Pro, VeloxTube for Velox, ayra, and StatusHUD.

Apple seeds OS X Mavericks Developer Preview 3

To go along with Apple's release of iOS 7 beta 3 earlier today, Apple has also released the third developer preview of its desktop operating system, OS X Mavericks. The update, which comes in at just a hair over a gig, touches down two weeks after the second developer preview.

I've already installed DP3 on my test partition, and I haven't noticed any drastic changes thus far in my usage with it. Check out the release notes inside...

Activate Link: launch predefined links using Activator gestures

Activate Link is a new jailbreak tweak that allows you to launch predefined URLs using an Activator gesture. Up to five different URLs can be customized within the preferences for the tweak; launching them via Activator invokes's iOS default Safari browser.

I've put together a brief video tutorial that showcases how to use Activate Link. Take a look past the break for the full enchilada.

Preview: StatusHUD

StatusHUD is an upcoming jailbreak tweak that promises to integrate the iPhone's volume HUD with the status bar. This allows you to view the volume level meter from within the confines of the iOS status bar, keeping the middle of the screen free from the stock HUD.

Scheduled to touchdown on Cydia's BigBoss repo in the near future, StatusHUD works on all jailbroken iOS devices, including the iPad. Developer, Alan Yip, the same developer behind tweaks such as Tap to Widgets and Overview, has allowed us to go hands on with a finished copy of the tweak. Check out our preview video after the break...

Preview: ayra

Looking for a beautiful way to access toggles directly from the Lock screen on iOS 6? What about an improved "slide to unlock" design? All of that, and more, is possible with an upcoming jailbreak tweak by the name of ayra.

Designed by Surenix (ayecon), and developed by bensge (Velox), ayra is a tweak that's high on design and features solid functionality. I won't spoil all of the features just yet, as I've saved that for the full review. But, in order to wet your appetite, I've put together a brief preview video which lends a peak at some of the things you can expect to see when the tweak releases later this week.

‘VeloxTube for Velox’ adds an enhanced folder to the YouTube app

Velox is perhaps one of the most disappointing "big" tweaks to touchdown in some time. It's a tweak that possessed tons of potential, but sadly, none of it is being tapped in the way most envisioned. In fact, we're left with tweaks like VeloxTube for Velox instead.

That's not necessarily a knock against VeloxTube for Velox — a jailbreak tweak that brings an enhanced folder to the official YouTube App — it's just that I expected more. Take a look at my video overview of VeloxTube for Velox after the jump, and see what I mean.

‘LiveWire Pro’ brings new unlock animations to iOS

It's been a while since we've seen a new jailbreak tweak that brings new unlock animations to iOS, but LiveWire Pro is trying to reinvigorate the once popular trend. Not to be confused with the peer-to-peer music sharing service, LimeWire, this is a tweak that brings 7 new unlock animations to iOS. Have a look at our video walkthrough inside for more details on what makes LiveWire Pro tick.

How to add a screen fade animation when sleeping or waking your device

ScreenFade is a jailbreak tweak that's currently available on the Hashbang Productions beta repo. It's a tweak that adds a fade in and out animation to iOS when putting the device to sleep or waking the device.

On a stock iOS device, you're met with an abrupt on or off when waking or putting the device to sleep; there's no transitional animation to speak of. ScreenFade makes the experience of waking or sleeping your device seem less abrupt. Take a look at our video walkthrough inside to see what I mean.

MuscleNerd: no A5+ bootrom exploit

For those of you holding out hope that a bootrom exploit has been discovered for newer iOS devices, you're going to have to keep hoping. That's because famed iOS hacker, MuscleNerd, has confirmed that no A5+ bootrom exploit exists. A bootrom exploit is extremely desirable, because it means that the device could be permanently susceptible to a tethered jailbreak, much in the same vein as limera1n for pre A5 devices.

Let’s Talk Jailbreak 17: The iOS 7 jailbreak

Sebastien is taking a much deserved vacation, so our own Cody Lee has stepped up to the plate to co-host this week's episode of Let's Talk Jailbreak. In this episode, episode number 17, we discuss, among other things, the iOS 7 jailbreak. We also chit-chat about several new jailbreak tweaks, including PatternUnlock, HomeDisplay, and Actiwidget. Don't miss this fun.

Actiwidget: add Activator action shortcuts to Notification Center

Actiwidget is a brand new tweak by Activator developer, Ryan Petrich. Actiwidget allows users to add Activator shortcuts directly to Notification Center. It's an idea that seems so simple, yet only until now has it been brought to fruition. The tweak, which uses Activator's preferences for configuration, adds yet another way to execute your favorite actions. Take a look at our video demonstration inside to see how it all works.