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+.

Upcoming jailbreak tweak allows you to fold your Lock screen to unlock your iPhone

Jeff Benjamin ∙ May 20, 2012

A few days ago, Russian freelance designer, Anton Kudin, created a new "fold to unlock" concept for the iPhone. Needless to say, his concept turned out to be a pretty big hit.

Unsurprisingly, given the history of the jailbreak community's fast turnaround time, Kudin's concept has been turned into a reality.

This afternoon I had the privilege to sit down and test out an unreleased version of Unfold, a new jailbreak tweak from German jailbreak developer Jonas Gessner. Unfold, as you might have guessed, is a usable implementation of the fold to unlock concept.

Want to see Unfold in action? Then step right inside...

iOS 5.1.1 untethered jailbreak release is just days away

Jeff Benjamin ∙ Updated October 10, 2018

It looks like the prospect of the iOS 5.1.1 jailbreak being released during the Hack In The Box security conference is becoming more likely, as pod2g announces on twitter that the jailbreak release is mere days away.

A few days ago, pod2g said that "something big" will happen during the event regarding jailbreaking. Honestly, what can be bigger than the 5.1.1 untethered jailbreak?

Get ready ladies and gentlemen, it's almost here...

Upcoming jailbreak tweak makes notifications more verbose

Jeff Benjamin ∙ May 19, 2012

iOS 5's upgraded notification system was a welcomed addition to iOS' repertoire, but as time goes on it's evident that it can be improved even more so.

Developers Joshua Tucker and Conrad Kramer have taken matters into their own hands to improve iOS notifications. The result is a tweak that allows you to view the full body of your notifications from the Lock screen or via banner notifications.

Take a look at the preview video for Reveal inside...

Swipe Safari brings OS X Lion inspired functionality to Mobile Safari

Jeff Benjamin ∙ May 18, 2012

Meet the brand new Safari. No, Apple hasn't made any upgrades to Safari themselves, but you can gain a significantly better Safari browser right now by installing Swipe Safari – a new jailbreak tweak that just touched down on Cydia's BigBoss repo.

Swipe Safari promises to bring OS X Lion's Safari navigation to the small screen, along with a host of other improved options and abilities.

The question is, is it worth its $1.50 asking price? Take a look at our video walkthrough inside and judge for yourselves...

The iOS 5.1.1 untethered jailbreak now supports the iPod 3G and iPhone 3GS

Jeff Benjamin ∙ Updated October 10, 2018

Great news for those of you who own 3rd generation iPods and/or the iPhone 3GS — both devices have gained support for pod2g's upcoming untethered jailbreak for iOS 5.1.1.

The reason these devices were initially excluded was because the kernel vulnerability used to accomplish the jailbreak on other devices didn't appear to work on the iPod 3G and the iPhone 3GS.

Although the hacker hasn't provided more details on how he was eventually able to verify that the jailbreak will be possible, he says he will update us with more details later.

Check inside for the updated list of devices that will be compatible for the 5.1.1 untethered jailbreak...

These two tweaks make it easier to delete contacts and history items

Jeff Benjamin ∙ May 17, 2012

For some strange reason Apple has made deleting contacts an overly difficult task; they've likewise made deleting individual Safari history items impossible.

Perhaps these hurdles and restrictions exists by design, but that doesn't change the fact that they're both incredibly annoying.

If you happen to be jailbroken, two tweaks — OneByOne Safari and OneByOne Contacts — seek to address this lingering issue within iOS. Full video walkthrough inside...

How to regain your iOS device’s stock Home screen layout

Jeff Benjamin ∙ May 17, 2012

With so many tweaks available that allow you to rearrange your Home screen in various ways, it's almost inevitable that you end up with a Home screen that looks nothing like the original Home screen that you started with.

Fortunately there's a really easy way to reset your app icon layout on your Home screen.

A good lot of you are probably already aware that such an option exists, but it's a nice reminder since recent tweaks like Dashboard X can result in drastically altered Home screens that can be time consuming to rearrange by hand.

Take a look at our video walkthrough for more information...

Switchy adds improvements to the iPhone’s App Switcher

Jeff Benjamin ∙ May 17, 2012

The iPhone's App Switcher has gotten a bit long in the tooth, but if you're a jailbreaker, there's no shortage of tweaks that can help improve the app switching experience.

Switchy is the latest tweak to do that, and it's based on a concept design created by Brent Caswell. Caswell's beef with the current App Switcher stems from the fact that it takes up too much real estate, while providing minimal functionality.

Going into the concept, he apparently had no idea that a Cydia developer would turn his work into reality, but a few days later and Switchy lives. That's evident of how awesome the jailbreak community can be when it works together to implement new ideas...

iOS 5.1.1 jailbreak to be released at the upcoming Hack In The Box conference?

Jeff Benjamin ∙ Updated October 10, 2018

pod2g has been a busy man these days, and he has again updated his blog with some interesting information regarding the upcoming Hack In The Box security conference in Amsterdam.

The conference is slated to happen between May 21 through May 25 and will feature a variety of speakers and backing by high profile sponsors like Microsoft and RIM.

The real interesting part about all of this is that apparently there will be some big news related to jailbreaking unveiled at this year's conference. Could it have anything to do with the upcoming 5.1.1 untethered jailbreak?

Nokia Lumia 900 no longer the “best smartphone ever”

Jeff Benjamin ∙ May 14, 2012

It was a silly story to begin with, but it appears that Apple has changed the answer that Siri responds with when you inquire about the "best smartphone ever".

Previously, Siri referred you to a Wolfram Alpha result where none other than the Nokia Lumia 900 — a direct iPhone 4S competitor — claimed the top spot.

Needless to say, Apple has now put an end to those shenanigans...

This new tweak gives you a dedicated page for widgets

Jeff Benjamin ∙ May 14, 2012

HomeSpringPage is a new jailbreak tweak that will allow you to add an empty first page to your Home screen. This is great, because it allows you to have dedicated real estate for adding Dashboard X widgets.

If you're a Dashboard X user, HomeSpringPage is a natural fit to accomodate your needs for space. Take a look at our full video walkthrough inside for the proof...