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 Apple TV interface will be available for existing Apple TV’s via software update

Feeling a little blue about the Apple TV refresh now that you see it got a nice new interface along with 1080p? Don't fret, current Apple TV owners will be able to bask in the glory of that new interface as well via a software update later today.

Of course, if you're an Apple TV jailbreaker we advise you to hold off on updating if you want to maintain your jailbreak, but we have to admit it will be mighty hard not to give into the curiosity of the new UI update.

The new iPad launching on March 16th, pre-orders start today

One week folks, that's all the waiting you'll have to do before getting your hands on the new iPad.

You can pre-order the new iPad starting today, with availability on March 16th — the same day as the new Apple TV.

Thankfully, the prices for the devices have remained the same as the current generation iPads, with Wi-Fi only flavors going for $499, $599, and $699 for 16, 32, and 64GB respectively. LTE models will go for $629, $729, and $829 for the same amount of storage space.

As with the current generation, there will be both black and white versions, with separate LTE models for both Verizon and AT&T...

The new iPad 4G LTE confirmed for Verizon, AT&T and others

The rumors were true. The new iPad will come equipped with a 4G LTE option for speeds much faster than current 3G speeds.

Even better is the fact that almost everyone in the United States will be able to benefit, because LTE is for both Verizon and AT&T, just as we expected.

But folks in other countries won't be left out. Verizon, Rogers, Bell, Telus and AT&T are all featured LTE partners.

Apple A5X quad core graphics confirmed

The iPad A5X processor with quad core graphics was confirmed today at Apple's new iPad media event.

When comparing to competitors Phile Schiller said: "The Apple A5 was already twice as fast. This is a graphics powerhouse."

Seeing that the current A5 chip inside the iPhone 4S and the iPad 2 is no slouch, it's insane to think of how much horsepower is behind this chip. It should have no problem keeping the new Retina Display satisfied...

New Apple TV announced with new interface and 1080p support

As expected, Tim Cook just announced a new Apple TV with a brand new UI and 1080p support in tow.

The rumors have been swirling about the Apple TV refresh for some time now, and they ultimately proved to be true.

With the new Apple TV comes 1080p support for iTunes in the Cloud, which means you can re-download all of your purchased content in 1080p for free.

The Apple Store is down

As always prior to a huge event like this, Apple has taken their online store offline in order to update it with new products.

While Apple has not come forth and said what they will be unveiling today (and they never do), the iPad refresh is in the cards along with an updated Apple TV.

No one's 100% sure what the arrangements will be when the store comes back online, but various reports state that the Apple TV will be available for immediate purchase...

Rumor: New haptic feedback touchscreen bound for the iPad 3

Is this the real secret of the iPad 3 invite? According to a report by The Next Web's Matthew Panzarino, Apple could be cooking up something incredible for the iPad 3.

That incredible secret — one that has ironically been sitting under everyone's nose the entire time — is a special touch feedback technology that was first revealed where? Yep, Cupertino, California.

Panzarino reasons that while the currently existing haptic feedback technology employed by Android products and the like are pretty uninspiring, this new technology could permanently change how we expect to interact with touch screen devices...

Both AT&T and Verizon hype a new addition to their lineups on eve of iPad 3 event

Both AT&T and Verizon have something big up their sleeves that will apparently be revealed soon. Could it be the iPad 3?

On Verizon's Wireless site you're greeted with the following: Something Is Coming. Be among the first to hear the news. Flip the channel over to AT&T's site, and you'll see similar verbiage: Coming Soon! Get ready to see an exciting new addition to our line-up.

If you ask me, that doesn't sound like the next "Motorola XZY Board Extreme Molotov Cocktail Edition 4G" phone...

We’re giving away 5 copies of ‘Reflection’ – the Mac AirPlay Mirroring app

Yep, you heard right. The fine folks behind the Mac's Reflection app were generous enough to provide five of our readers with registration certificates for a full copy of their app.

For those of you who haven't already seen our coverage, Reflection is a Mac app that allows you to mirror your iPad 2 or iPhone 4S to your Mac, just as if it were an Apple TV.

From our hands-on testing we can confidently report that it works really well. Now you have the chance to experience the goodness for yourself.

It's easy to win, just step right in...

WeeCloseApps: Kill and close apps directly from Notification Center

WeeCloseApps is a jailbreak widget that resides in Notification Center. Its purpose is built solely around closing and killing both running apps and backgrounded apps.

This tweak is basically the free version of another tweak called 'ActionSlider', which we will be covering for your shortly.

Once installed, a slider bar resides in Notification Center, and a slide to the left or to the right yields different actions depending on how you configure the tweak in the Settings app.

Have a look at our video demonstration of WeeCloseApps straight ahead...