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+.

iTunes Match Beta Goes Live for Developers [Video Walkthrough]

Jeff Benjamin ∙ August 29, 2011

Apple just sent out an email to developers signifying that iTunes Match is now available to developers.

As you know, iTunes Match is the matching service that allows you to stream the tunes that you already own without uploading all of your music. The service works by "matching" the music contained on your local computer with what's already available in the Cloud via iTunes.

For those more obscure songs that iTunes doesn't already have, you can still upload your music for streaming. As usual, we have a video of iTunes Match in action, so be sure to check inside to see how it works!

VoiceKeys: Speech-to-Text on Your iPhone

Jeff Benjamin ∙ August 29, 2011

VoiceKeys is a brand new jailbreak tweak from Ryan Petrich, that attempts to bring easy to use speech-to-text to the iPhone.

In order to make the tweak as seamlessly integrated as possible, Ryan opted to use the already popular Action Menu as a means to invoke the speech recognition properties.

The result thus far has been sort of a mixed bag, but keep in mind that this is only version 1.0 of the tweak. Check inside for a video demonstration of VoiceKeys in action...

Ask Jeff: Episode 04

Jeff Benjamin ∙ August 26, 2011

Folks, we're back with Episode 04 of Ask Jeff. I wanted to thank everyone for all of the great questions; we had over 200 combined questions for Episode 03.

Unfortunately, that means that I didn't get to answer everyone's question, but I still managed to cover quite a few interesting inquiries this go 'round.

Inside, you'll find out how much money I've spent on Cydia tweaks over the years, whether I'd consider switching to Verizon, and what my first Apple product was.

In other words, tune in and prepare your questions; you won't want to miss this...

Use ‘ToDoNotes’ to Quickly Reference Important Notes

Jeff Benjamin ∙ August 24, 2011

One of the most frustrating aspects about the stock Notes app, is that it can take too much effort to reference your notes in a quick manner.

Say, for instance, you're shopping at the grocery store, and you want to quickly reference the shopping list stored on your Notes app. Doing so can prove to be more time consuming that it needs to be.

Enter ToDoNotes, a recently created jailbreak tweak that gives you the ability to paste your most important notes right on your Spotlight page...

How to Watch Live ESPN3, Amazon VOD, And More With a Jailbroken Apple TV 2

Jeff Benjamin ∙ Updated January 24, 2016

Yep, that's a picture of a live football match running on my Apple TV 2. Interested in the ability to watch live sports, stream movies from Amazon VOD and Hulu? Then you've come to the right place.

In our third and final tutorial in our Apple TV jailbreak series, we show you how to cut the cable cord completely, and gain access to all sorts of streaming goodies, courtesy of that tiny black miracle box.

If you've already taken the steps to jailbreak your Apple TV with Seas0nPass, and install aTV Flash (black), then check inside for the final piece of the puzzle — installing XBMC and streaming content from a PlayOn instance running from your Mac or PC...

More Evidence Points Towards iPhone 5 as Global Device

Jeff Benjamin ∙ August 23, 2011

TechCrunch's Robin Wauters reports what we have been assuming for quite some time now: the iPhone 5 will be a global world phone, by essentially enabling you to roam on any network worldwide.

The report lists the mounting evidence, which backs up this earlier claim by Verizon CFO Fran Shammo, that the next iPhone would indeed have the ability to roam globally.

This is very good news for travelers, who won't have to worry about the hassle of no coverage in areas where only one type of service (CDMA or GSM) is available...

How to Install aTV Flash Black on the Apple TV 2

Jeff Benjamin ∙ Updated January 17, 2012

If you've successfully followed our previous jailbreak tutorial for the Apple TV 2, you're likely thinking, "now what?"

A jailbroken Apple TV on its own isn't much to look at. In fact, there's no way to discern a stock Apple TV from a jailbroken Apple TV with the naked eye.

Fortuantely, the folks at FireCore have created an insanely easy way to tap the power of a jailbroken Apple TV using an application called aTV Flash Black.

aTV Flash Black is an app available for Mac or Windows users, that adds a new 'Maintenance' menu to your Apple TV. Think of it as Cydia for the Apple TV. If your Apple TV is jailbroken, and you're wondering what to do next, check out the following video tutorial that shows you how to install aTV Flash black...

How to Jailbreak the Apple TV 2 With Seas0nPass

Jeff Benjamin ∙ August 22, 2011

Are you a part of the recent cable cutter movement? Have you ditched your satellite service in favor of Boxee, an HTPC, or an Apple TV? Well if so, this series of Apple TV tutorials is definitely for you!

Eventually, I'm going to show you how to watch Amazon VOD, Hulu, and yes, even live ESPN games on your Apple TV 2. The first step in accomplishing this feat is to, yep, you guessed it, jailbreak your Apple TV.

Folks, it really can't get any easier than this tutorial. In it, I show you how to untether jailbreak your Apple TV 2 with Seas0nPass. Check inside for the full step-by-step video tutorial...

AViiQ Smart Case For iPad 2 Review & Giveaway

Jeff Benjamin ∙ Updated December 25, 2017

Ladies and gents, we've got yet another cool giveaway for you all today, and this time it's an iPad 2 case that works in tandem with Apple's Smart Cover.

Yes, the Smart Case from AViiQ works along with your iPad 2's Smart Cover to provide maximum protection on the front and the back of your device.

Does the Smart Case fully live up to its billing? Check inside for the full video review, plus details on how you can snag this case for free...

SMSPlus: Stock Messages App Enhancer [Video Preview]

Jeff Benjamin ∙ August 18, 2011

Today, we were able to get our hands on an early build of SMSPlus, a jailbreak tweak that significantly enhances the stock messages app.

The big thing about SMSPlus is that it's not a separate app like biteSMS or others, but it's tightly integrated into the stock messages app, and made to look as stock as possible.

There's pull to sort functionality, quick reply, quick compose, text to speech, and a bevy of other things to uncover. Check inside for the full video preview...

StyleUnlock: Use Multitouch Gestures to Unlock Your iPhone

Jeff Benjamin ∙ August 18, 2011

There's been no shortage of jailbreak tweaks that allow you to unlock you iPhone in some unique way, but StyleUnlock claims to take the cake when it comes to the stylishness that will ooze from your fingers upon swiping you lockscreen.

StyleUnlock is a tweak that focuses solely on its primary function — unlocking your iPhone from the lockscreen using multitouch gestures.

In total, there are over a dozen gestures for you to master, and the following video walkthrough showcases a few of them in action...

Ask Jeff: Episode 03

Jeff Benjamin ∙ August 17, 2011

In this week's episode of Ask Jeff, I tackle a whole host of interesting questions. This episode dwells more on the personal behind-the-scenes side of things, so I hope you folks enjoy.

Questions answered include: My opinions on pirated repos & Installous, the iPhone 5's 4G LTE potential, and the type of cameras I use for filming our videos.

I believe I've hit a record by personally answering 10 different questions from our readers, so tune in to see if your question was among those answered...